A 28-year-old man who had never orgasmed in his life finally managed to climax thanks to ‘female Viagra’ after a number of other medications didn’t work.
American doctors who treated the patient, who wasn’t named, said it showed the drug, called flibanserin, could potentially be used to treat such rare cases.
Being unable to climax during sex or masturbation is medically called anorgasmia and the ongoing version of the condition the male patient had is thought to occur in only about one in 1,000 men.
However, experts suspect think rates are actually higher as some men won’t seek help out of embarrassment — and it can be a side effect of some medication.
Reacting to the case report British experts said the results could warrant launching a clinical trial using flibanserin to help men with rare but potentially ‘devastating’ anorgasmia.
A 28-year-old man who had never orgasmed in his life finally managed to climax thanks to ‘female Viagra’ after a number of other medications didn’t work (stock image)
Anorgasmia is different from erectile dysfunction as men suffering the former can still have an erection, whereas the latter struggle to do so.
In this case, detailed in the journal Sexual Medicine, urologists from the Baylor College of Medicine Texas managed to successfully treat a 28-year-old heterosexual man who had never experienced an orgasm in his life.
Their patient had no medical reason why he shouldn’t be able to orgasm, reporting good libido, no problems urinating and didn’t have depression.
Analysis of his penis also found no physical dysfunction which would give him problems ejaculating.
Finally, a check on his medical history also found he wasn’t taking any medications that could dampen his ability to climax as a side effect such as some high blood pressure medications like thiazide diuretics and methyldopa or antidepressants.
As such the medics prescribed him two drugs, one to boost hormones and chemicals related to arousal in the brain and another increase blood flow to the genitals.
However, neither worked, with one even causing him ‘penile pain’ before medics discontinued it.
He was also, concurrently, undertaking sexual therapy to see if there was a mental health reason for his inability to orgasm.
But, despite almost half-a-dozen sessions over three months, this too proved ineffective.
Medics then tried prescribing him a course of flibanserin, a drug normally given to women experiencing low sexual desire, and often colloquially called ‘Female Viagra’ or the ‘Little Pink Pill’.
This was successful and after around 30 doses over four weeks, he achieved his first ever orgasm.
Flibanserin works in women by boosting levels of neurotransmitters in the brain relating to pleasure while also reducing hormones related to happiness and mood regulation.
Writing in the case report, medics said studies have shown the parts of the brain responsible for orgasm are ‘similar’ in men and women and therefore flibanserin was likely working in a similar way for their male patient.
American doctors who treated the patient, who wasn’t named, said it showed the drug, called flibanserin and sold under the brand Addyi, could potentially be used to treat such rare cases
They called for further studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of flibanserin, sold under the brand name Addyi, in men with anorgasmia.
While available for women in the US, flibanserin is not approved for use in Britain due to officials here ruling the side effects aren’t worth the benefits.
Commonly reported side effects of taking flibanserin include dizziness, fainting, drowsiness, nausea, fatigue.
The male patient did report suffering notable side effects while on the drug, including insomnia, drowsiness and a ‘depressive and aggressive mood’.
However, he decided that the side effects were worth it for the time being and told medics he would continue to take the mediation on a ‘trial’ basis.
Reacting to the study Professor Roger Kirby, a urologist and president of the Royal College of Medicine, said currently anorgasmia in men was challenging to treat.
‘Anorgasmia is quite unusual in men, but can occur, and it can be quite sexually and psychologically devastating,’ he said,
‘At the moment there’s no evidence based treatment for it.’
He added that a clinical trial examining the effect of flibanserin for up to 12 months on men could now be a ‘good idea’ because ‘right now, there’s not very much we can do,’ for patients.
‘We need a good evidence base, and we need safety checks before we advocate for them’ he said.
Professor Kirby encouraged any men suffering from sustained sexual dysfunction to seek help from a medical professional and not suffer in silence.
While dubbed ‘Female Viagra’, flibanserin has a number of notable differences compared to the little blue pill which is now readily available over the counter.
Firstly, it works on a different mechanism with Viagra, also known by its generic name sildenafil, boosting blood flow to the male genitals helping them maintain an erection, rather than boosting sexual arousal itself.
Secondly, sildenafil is taken on an ‘as needed’ basis before a sexual liaison whereas patients on flibanserin need to take the drug daily for it to work.
Medics who wrote the case report also highlighted how their patient showed a lack of specific treatment options for men suffering from the condition without an obvious cause.
They said most cases of anorgasmia are usually caused by a side effect of another medication, meaning the majority of patients can be treated by changing or adapting the drugs or dosage to avoid the unwanted side effect.