How to manage premature ejaculation
tried. Antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like citalopram (Celexa®), escitalopram (Lexapro®), fluoxetine (Prozac®), paroxetine (Paxil®) and sertraline (Zoloft®) or the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine (Anafranil®), can help delay premature ejaculation. This is an “off-label” use (not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this use). Be sure to discuss the side effects of this medication with your urologist to be sure it’s appropriate for you. Anesthetic (numbing) creams and sprays applied to the head and shaft of the penis is another medication option to delay ejaculation. The anesthetic cream or spray is applied to the penis, absorbed for 10 to 30 minutes or until you feel less sensitivity in your penis. It’s important to wash your penis before sex to prevent numbness to your partner’s vagina or loss of your erection. Erectile dysfunction medications, which include sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), vardenafil (Levitra®) and Avanafil (Stendra®), have also been used to treat premature ejaculation, particularly in men with underlying erectile dysfunction.