Premature Ejaculation and treatment

For most men the idea of ejaculation (orgasm is something else) is fireworks lighting up the night sky. But for a starling percentage of men the lights go out too
early. This condition is called premature ejaculation. WONG MUN WAI (thankfully, not a sufferer) examines a study outlining the problem and a pill designed to help men who pop too soon.

Let's get right to the point. According to the study you will most likely know a man
suffering from the condition whether he is from your family, office or social circle. The Singapore Premature Ejaculation Prevalence and Attitudes study shows one in five or 20% of men between the ages of 18 and 55 suffer from PE. In addition, 14% more are probable suffers of the condition. This is the first of its kind study conducted on Singapore men.

The online survey of 243 men required them to undertake the
internationally recognised and scientifically validated Premature Ejaculation
Diagnostic Tool. The Singapore result is consistent with other international
studies that show between 20% and 30% of men suffer from the condition at some
point in their lives.

MEDICAL CONDITION

Premature ejaculation is a recognised medical condition
characterised by a short ejaculatory latency time and lack of control over
ejaculation, which is associated with distress and/or a negative impact on the
man's relationship with his partner.

"Many people think PE is a matter of willpower, or caused by a lack
of experience, so they don't believe a doctor can help." said Dr. Lim Kok Bin,
Specialist in Urology at the Raffles Hospital UroRenal Centre.

WOMEN'S PROBLEMS

It's a man's problem but not confined to men. Research found 77.7%
of partners of men with PE had at least one sexual dysfunction, compared to
42.7% of partners of men without PE. Of the women whose men had PE, 48.2% had
two or more dysfunctions compared with only 22.4% of the control group.

The most common dysfunctions in PE partners are problems with
arousal-sensation (55.2%) and orgasm (51.9%), desire (40.3%) and arousal
lubrication (37.8%).

RELATIONSHIPS PROBLEMS

So, men, women and their relationship are all affected by PE. Less
than half - 45% of respondents have talked with their partner about the length
of time they take to ejaculate. And only 21% indicated they would be willing to
discuss the issue with a doctor, while just 5% are prepared to talk to a
healthcare practitioner.
Professor Peter Lim, Medical Director and Senior Consultant Urologist at
the Andrology, Urology and Continence Centre at Gleneagles Hospital said the
PEPA Study confirmed the impact PE had on men as well as their partners.

"PE has a devastating effect on a man's self esteem and his quality
of life. From the patients I treat it is clear PE is a major obstacle to
obtaining and sustaining a lasting relationship. Some 39% of the respondents in
the PEPA Study said PE would stop them from even starting a relationship." -
Professor Peter Lim

"The condition is often diagnosed as a result of a direct complaint
from a man's partner, or when a couple report relationship difficulties.
Because of the fear and negative connotations of the condition, couples often
only seek help when their inability to conceive a child hits them," Professor
Lim said.




TREATMENTS

Available treatments for PE include behavioural therapy, topical treatments
and some drugs. What's new is Priligy, the world's first premature ejaculation
pill.

In clinical trials, Priligy increase the average time between penetration
and ejaculation 2.8 fold, from approximately 0.9 minutes. Improvements were
experienced from the very first dose.

Priligy is available by prescription only in a pack of three 30mg tablets
with a recommended retail price of S$60.25. For more information on Premature
Ejaculation and treatments, visit www.controlpe.com.sg

except from Lifestyle lite June 2011

Premature Ejaculation

Straits Times article dated 26 May 2011

'Premature ejaculation' drug sells out

By Poon Chian Hui

PRILIGY, touted as the world's first drug to treat premature ejaculation, sold out just one month after its launch here.

The first batch of pills was made available in March and was meant to last three months.

But it was cleared out last month as demand was much higher than expected, said a spokesman for American-based manufacturer Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. However, the company declined to reveal the exact number of pills sold.

The pills, which come in packs of three and are prescription-only, have since been restocked here. Patients are advised to take one pill one to three hours before sex, and no more than one a day.

Priligy works by increasing levels of serotonin, a chemical involved in controlling ejaculation. While it is said to triple the time a man can sustain an erection, it does not cure premature ejaculation.

A pack goes for between $80 and $90, which means each pill costs as much as $30. This is comparable to other established sexual enhancement drugs like Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction.

Doctors say the brisk sales may indicate how more men are willing to seek help for the embarrassing problem of premature ejaculation, caused by various factors including anxiety.

According to a survey of more than 240 men here in October last year, as many as one in three Singaporean men may suffer from this condition. But the survey, conducted by doctors here, also revealed that 77 per cent of men have never discussed their sexual health with a doctor.

Urologist Chin Chong Min, who practises at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said a "big pool of sufferers" are now coming forward to try the pill as "they haven't found anything that works". He drew parallels with the busy period when Viagra first came to Singapore about 10 years ago.

Although Priligy has not sparked such a frenzy, it has been flying off the shelves, said Gleneagles Hospital urology centre head Peter Lim, president of the Society of Men's Health (Singapore). He has treated 30 to 40 sufferers with the pills: "So far, I have not had any complaints from patients - in fact, they usually come back for more."

Both doctors said the pills were effective for most patients, most of whom did not complain about side effects like nausea and headaches.

However, several doctors are not stocking the pills just yet. Said Dr Sam Peh at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre: "There are other drugs around that are just as effective." One example is Zoloft, which treats anxiety and depression, but has also been used to treat premature ejaculation. A pill costs $5 to $6.

How a massage can boost your health

There is no doubt that a good massage can relieve your stress and make you feel good.

Now, new research suggests that it can also help you maintain good health.

Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center reported last week that a single massage produced measurable changes in the immune system and endocrine system of healthy adults.

They studied 29 healthy adults who received a 45-minute vigorous Swedish massage and 24 healthy adults who had a 45-minute session of light touch massage.

The researchers, led by Dr. Mark Rapaport, took blood samples before the massage began and at regular intervals up to one hour after the massage was completed.

The study found several changes in the blood tests of the Swedish Massage group that indicated a benefit to the immune system.

The vigorous massage caused sizeable decreases in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behaviour and Small decreases in the stress hormone cortisol.

The participants in this group also had an increase in lymphocytes, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances.

Log Angeles Times

Excepts from The Straits Times Mind Your Body Pg 30 Health Bite dated September 16, 2010

Treatment

• Take medicine that reduces muscle and point inflammation
• Wearing back braces and corsets to relieve strain on your back and support it temporarily
• Lying down in a comfortable position if you feel pain
• Apply hot and cold packs to relieve sore and inflamed back muscles alternatively. Immediately after back pain starts, apply ice compresses several times a day, for up to 20 minutes each application. After the spasms and acute pain subside, apply heat packs, again for 20 minutes each application. The hot pack helps loosen tight muscles.

When it lessens:

• Try to get moving again and increase your activity level gradually
• Try not to stay in a single position or do any activity for more than 30 minutes each time
• Avoid lifting heavy items, bending or twisting until you have been pain-free for some time
• Of course avoid activities which causes the pain

Corticosteroid injections for more sever back pain. Injected into the facet joints, the joints between the vertebrae

Sleep is very important for recovery

Sleep lying on your back with a pillow under your knees and/or a squeeze ball at the point of pain to give it a form of acupressure point massage.

Or lying in a foetal position with a bolster between your knees

Physiotherapy including:

• Massage
• Exercising in a swimming pool or hydrotherapy
• Exercise to improve muscle strength, posture and flexibility.
• Relaxing to ease pain and loosen tense muscles

Common causes of back pain :

• Osteoarthritis and facet joint problems.
• Prolapsed discs or herniated discs.
• Strains, sprains and minor injuries such as tears to the muscles, tendons or ligaments, after lifting heavy items or making an abrupt movement while lifting.
• Spondylosis.
• Spondylolithesis.

Other causes:

• Abscesses.
• Tumors.
• Problems in other organs, eg. stomach ulcers, kidney stones, inflamed pancreas, inflammatory bowel disease.
• In older people, low back pain may be a sign of Paget's disease, Parkinson's disease, alteration of the bone tissue, disease of the nervous system.

You can prevent back problems by:

Doing regular exercises e.g. swimming. Exercise increases the flexibility and strength of the abdominal muscles and the back, which help align and support the spine. Back injury will be minimised, flexibility in the thighs and hips keep the pelvic bone correctly aligned.

Choose exercise suited to your fitness level and do gentle warm-up stretches before and after exercising.

Sitting - Use a seat with good lower back support if not add a cushion as support. Keep your hips and knees level when seated.

Standing - Maintain a neutral pelvic position and avoid rounding your back. That is avoid hunching your shoulders and tensing your back. Wear comfortable and low-heeled shoes.

Lifting - Hold the heavy load as close to your body as possible, keep your back straight and bend at the knees. Let your legs take most of the strain of lifting a heavy object. And avoid lifting and twisting your body simultaneously.

Loose Weight - If your weight is 10 per cents more than your ideal body weight, reduce your weight through a proper diet and exercise.

Back Pain

Back pain is felt in the lumbar region or lower back. This area of the back carries the biggest load - the upper body weight plus any weight eg. groceries. It also bends and twists more than the upper back.

Some factors that cost the back problem:

• Ageing - from about age of 30, the discs between the vertebrae in a person's spine begins to deteriorate gradually
• Genetic factors
• Obesity
• Poor posture
• Psychological factors
• Sedentary lifestyle - lack of exercise leads to muscles becoming inflexible, weak stomach muscles, back and obesity
• Work that stress the back etc.