Priligy

Priligy is a tablet you can take to help treat premature ejaculation (PE).

Premature ejaculation is a common sexual health problem in men. It happens when you ejaculate (or ‘come’) too quickly during sex. It’s difficult to say what classifies as ‘too quickly’ as it’s down to you and your partner. In general, if you ejaculate sooner than around 2 minutes, you might be ejaculating prematurely.

PE can occur due to various psychological reasons. This includes if you're feeling tired, stressed or anxious. Feeling stressed about your relationship or sexual performance can also contribute to PE.

Physical health problems can also cause PE. These include:

• having thyroid problems
• prostate problems
• using recreational drugs

Priligy works best when you take a tablet a few hours before sex. The active ingredient dapoxetine increases how much serotonin (a chemical in your nervous system) is in your body. Your ejaculatory reflex needs serotonin to function properly, so having more serotonin available can help you last longer.

You can take 1 Priligy 30mg tablet around 1 to 3 hours before you have sex. Swallow the tablet with a full glass of water. You can take Priligy with or without food.

You should not take Priligy more than once within 24 hours. Priligy is not designed to be taken every day. It is similar to Viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction, in that you should only take it before you have sex.

If you’re not getting an adequate response with Priligy 30mg tablets, speak to your doctor. They may recommend increasing your dose to 60mg.

Priligy contains dapoxetine, which is a type of medicine called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which means it’s a chemical that your nervous system needs to function.

Dapoxetine is a short acting SSRI, so it does not stay in your body for too long. This makes it ideal for premature ejaculation (PE) treatment.

There’s evidence to show that having enough serotonin stops ejaculation. This means you need more serotonin in your body to stop ejaculating early and prevent PE.

SSRIs work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin back into your nerve cells (neurons). By stopping this reuptake, more serotonin stays in between neurons. You need serotonin in between neurons, not inside them, to stop the ejaculation reflex.

Priligy is effective if you take it as prescribed. It will not be effective if you take a tablet every day as the tablet is designed to be used only when you need it.

You should start to feel the effects of Priligy within an hour or so after taking the tablet.

Remember that Priligy is not a cure for premature ejaculation, but a way to manage the symptoms.

You may experience side effects when taking Priligy. These are usually temporary and will go away within a few hours.

Very common side effects of Priligy are:

• headaches
• feeling sick
• feeling dizzy

Common side effects of Priligy are:

• dry mouth
• mood changes
• feeling pins and needles or numbness
• erectile dysfunction
• abnormal sweating
• blocked nose
• feeling tired
• diarrhoea or constipation
• excess wind
• decreased interest in sex
• blurred vision

The uncommon side effects of Priligy will affect around 1 in 100 people, these include:

• fainting
• feeling paranoid
• irregular heartbeats
• increased heart rate
• vision problems
• teeth grinding
• low or high blood pressure
• feeling confused

If you cannot tolerate the side effects, stop taking Priligy and speak to your doctor.

Before you take Priligy, make sure you’ve eaten a meal within the last 6 hours and that you’ve had enough water to drink.

Priligy can make it more likely for you to faint. This is because it can lower your blood pressure, especially when you stand up. If you faint after taking Priligy, stop taking it and speak to your doctor immediately.

You can read more information about the side effects of Priligy in the patient information leaflet.

You can take Priligy if you are a man experiencing premature ejaculation between the ages of 18 and 64 years old.

You should not take Priligy if you:

• are a woman
• are allergic to dapoxetine or the other ingredients in Priligy
• have a history of heart problems
• have a history of fainting or low blood pressure
• have a history of liver problems
• have ever had mania or severe depression

Speak to your doctor before using Priligy if you:

• do not have a diagnosis of premature ejaculation
• have erectile dysfunction too
• have a history of dizziness
• use recreational drugs such as ecstasy
• have any mental health issues
• have epilepsy
• have a history of blood clotting problems
• have kidney problems
• are at risk of glaucoma (high blood pressure in the eye)

Your doctor will be able to assess if Priligy is suitable for you.

Priligy can interact with other medications. This might make Priligy less effective or change the way your other medications work.

You should not use Priligy at all if you are taking:

• monoamine oxidase inhibitors used to treat depression
• other antidepressants
• lithium, used to treat bipolar disorder
• linezolid, an antibiotic
• tryptophan, a sleep aid
• St John’s wort, a herbal remedy for low moods
• tramadol, a strong painkiller
• migraine treatment

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Priligy if you are taking:

• antifungal medications such as ketoconazole
• HIV treatment including ritonavir
• nefazodone
• certain antibiotics like clarithromycin
• medications to treat mental health issues
• blood thinners like warfarin
• erectile dysfunction medications, like sildenafil
• high blood pressure treatment
• aprepitant

Priligy can also interact with grapefruit juice or grapefruits. You should avoid drinking or eating grapefruits within 24 hours before taking Priligy.

Alcohol can increase your risk of fainting or feeling dizzy when taking Priligy. Alcohol can also increase the chance of other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction. It’s best to limit your alcohol intake when trying to have sex with PE.

If Priligy does not work for you or is not suitable, you can try using EMLA cream to treat premature ejaculation (PE). EMLA cream contains 2 types of local anaesthetics. These ingredients help to reduce the sensation at the tip of the penis. This can make it less likely for you to ejaculate too quickly.

There are also some self help tips you can try to manage PE:

• using a thicker condom
• taking a deep breath to slow down ejaculation
• take breaks during sex and distract yourself

You can also consider going to therapy if you think your PE has a psychological cause. During therapy, your therapist may suggest some other techniques to manage PE, such as the stop-go or squeeze technique.