The effect of plasma melatonin levels in the treatment of lifelong premature ejaculation with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

The aim of our study was to compare melatonin levels of patients with lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE) (n:60) with healthy controls (n:30) and to investigate the changes of melatonin levels in the treatment with dapoxetine and sertraline. Age, body mass index, duration of marriage, weekly intercourse number, International Index of Erectile Function scores, Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time (IELT) and melatonin levels were recorded. LPE patients were divided into two treatment groups. The first group was included 30 patients, who received 60 mg dapoxetine for six weeks, twice a week, an hour before intercourse. The second group received 50 mg of sertraline daily, for six weeks. IELT and melatonin measures were repeated after the treatment. IELT (dapoxetine group: 41.22 ± 21.3 s, sertraline group: 48 ± 23.11 s, control group: 195.54 ± 84.14 s; p < .001) and melatonin levels (dapoxetine group: 5.75 ± 2.04 pg/mL, sertraline group: 5.49 ± 2.88 pg/mL, control group: 13.4 ± 12.09 pg/mL; p < .001) of both LPE groups were significantly lower than control group. Following the six-week sertraline (before: 48 ± 23.11 s, after: 101.01 ± 59.55 s; p < .001) and dapoxetine (before: 41.22 ± 21.3 s, after: 97.39 ± 44.1 s; p < .001) treatments, IELT increased. The melatonin levels increased in the sertraline group (before: 5.49 ± 2.88 pg/mL, after: 10.6 ± 7.37 pg/mL; p < .001). Our results indicate that melatonin levels of LPE patients are lower than levels of healthy volunteers. Furthermore, we found a significant increase in melatonin levels following sertraline treatment.