Andrological findings in young patients under long-term antidepressive therapy with clomipramine

Serum hormone levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), testosterone (T), prolactin (hPRL), estradiol (E2) and GnRH test were carried out in 11 patients after antidepressive therapy with clomipramine at a dosage of 75 mg/day for 3 months. Nine of these patients agreed with the evaluation of ejaculate parameter. As an age matched control group 15 patients without psychiatric disorders but under urological treatment because of erectile dysfunction were investigated in the same manner, with 11 patients being able to produce an ejaculate for examination. Both groups were closely comparable according to age, percentage of proven fertility and urological status. All spermiograms evaluated in the clomipramine group were pathological, especially with regard to volume, sperm motility and sperm morphology, whereas only 37% in the control group showed pathological findings, approximately the same as that of healthy individuals in this age range. Serum hormone levels as well as the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis proven with the Gn-RH test were in normal range in both groups. According to these results it seems evident that clomipramine does not alter sexual hormone profiles in males or interfere with the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis and has a significant negative effect on ejaculate parameters.