Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE

Treating premature ejaculation (PE) is tricky because there is no FDA approved drug for this disease. Doctors prescribe other medicines that help delay ejaculation and the most common prescription drugs for premature ejaculation are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Other methods include over-the-counter tablets, desensitizing products, and plant extracts.

But if you visit a medical expert for premature ejaculation, you will most likely receive a medicine that belongs to the drug category of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The two most popular prescription drugs for premature ejaculation are dapoxetine and paroxetine for premature ejaculation.

How do dapoxetine vs paroxetine for PE compare and which one is better if you have to choose one between the two?

Let’s dig deep and compare these two medicines for premature ejaculation.

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What is Dapoxetine?

Dapoxetine, also known as Priligy, is a prescription medicine for premature ejaculation. Initially, it was a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which is a class of prescription drugs for anti depression. But later, it is approved in several countries as a prescription medicine for PE.

Dapoxetine is a fast-acting antidepressant, and it doesn’t stay long enough in the human body. This makes it a less effective antidepressant (which needs to stay long enough in your body). It is now used to treat premature ejaculation instead of depression due to its instant absorption.

How Does Dapoxetine Work for Premature Ejaculation?

Dapoxetine is not used as an antidepressant anymore, but as a prescription medicine to treat premature ejaculation. It is approved for the treatment of premature ejaculation in over 50 countries, but it is not approved by FDA for the treatment of PE or depression.

Due to its fast absorption, dapoxetine is used for the treatment of premature ejaculation. You don’t have to take it daily, rather it is taken 1 to 3 hours before sexual intercourse and it will do its job of delaying ejaculation.

A study reported that taking dapoxetine (30 or 60 mg) on-demand before sexual intercourse increases control over ejaculation, high sexual satisfaction, and reduces ejaculatory stress.

Dapoxetine Side Effects

The common side effects include:

• Dizziness
• Faintness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Sweating.

What is Paroxetine?

Paroxetine (also known as Paxil or Seroxat) is an antidepressant used to treat anxiety, depression, panic attacks, stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other symptoms of stress and depression. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

It works by maintaining the balance of serotonin (a natural substance that regulates your mood) in your brain which improves your mood and decreases the symptoms of anxiety and stress.

How Does Paroxetine Work for Premature Ejaculation?

Paroxetine is used as a prescription medicine for curing PE in males due to its effectiveness in delaying ejaculation. Like other SSRIs, a common side effect of paroxetine is that it delays ejaculation.

Several studies like this, this, and this have shown the efficacy of paroxetine for treating premature ejaculation and delaying ejaculation significantly in men. 

A systematic review reported that paroxetine is more effective in delaying ejaculation and increasing the intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) than other SSRIs.

Paroxetine works best when taken daily instead of on demand. This is because it doesn’t act too fast and takes time to absorb and helps delay ejaculation.

Paroxetine Side Effects

The common side effects of paroxetine include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• Appetite loss
• Sweating
• Weakness
• Dry mouth.

Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE

There are multiple differences between dapoxetine vs paroxetine for premature ejaculation that include:

1. Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE: Use and Purpose

Dapoxetine is used for the treatment of premature ejaculation while paroxetine is an antidepressant that is also used for curing PE.

Dapoxetine is not approved by FDA either as an antidepressant (SSRI) or for premature ejaculation. However, it is approved as a prescription medication for premature ejaculation in more than 50 countries including Germany, Spain, France, Russia, Sweden, New Zealand, and others. It is not approved by the FDA.

Paroxetine is an antidepressant SSRI, and it is approved by the FDA as a prescription medicine for treating depression, anxiety, stress, and other related symptoms. It is, however, not approved by the FDA for the treatment of premature ejaculation.

Since there is no FDA approved medication for premature ejaculation and paroxetine has a common side effect that it delays ejaculation in men, it is, therefore, used by medical experts to treat the symptoms of PE in men.

2. Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE: Effectiveness

Paroxetine is more effective and better than dapoxetine for premature ejaculation.

Several studies have compared the efficacy of dapoxetine and paroxetine for delaying ejaculation in men and almost all the clinical studies found paroxetine better than dapoxetine.

A study compared the effectiveness of dapoxetine, paroxetine, and fluoxetine (another SSRI) in men who were suffering from lifelong premature ejaculation. Paroxetine was better than other SSRIs for treating premature ejaculation. Dapoxetine was reported to have fewer side effects than the other two medicines due to its on-demand usage.

A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study compared dapoxetine 60 mg and paroxetine 20 mg. The participants were premature ejaculation patients who took the medication for 12 weeks. Paroxetine was found to be most effective in terms of delaying ejaculation and intercourse satisfaction. Paroxetine increased intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) after 12 weeks by 339 seconds while dapoxetine increased IELT by 141 seconds.

Another study analyzed the effectiveness of dapoxetine vs paroxetine for premature ejaculation in Finnish men in natural settings. A total of 132 Finnish men who were suffering from lifelong PE were included in the experiment and they took either dapoxetine or paroxetine. Almost 70% of men who used dapoxetine stopped using it due to it being less effective or having high side effects. Paroxetine was stopped by 29% of men for the same reasons. The study concluded that paroxetine was more effective in treating premature ejaculation than dapoxetine.

Paroxetine is better than dapoxetine for premature ejaculation, based on scientific evidence. Paroxetine can increase ejaculation time by 339 seconds while dapoxetine can increase ejaculation time by 141 seconds.

3. Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE: Side Effects

Dapoxetine has more side effects as compared to paroxetine.

Both medicines have almost similar side effects, but multiple studies reported dapoxetine side effects more severe and paroxetine side effects to be mild and tolerable.

In a 2-year observational study, men suffering from premature ejaculation who were using dapoxetine were monitored. Some 11.6% of men stopped using dapoxetine due to its side effects.

A review study reported the most common side effects of dapoxetine that included headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, sleep disturbance, and yawning while the same review reported paroxetine side effects to be tolerable.

While both drugs have similar side effects, dapoxetine side effects are more common and severe. Paroxetine’s side effects are mild and tolerable.

Which is Better Dapoxetine Vs Paroxetine for PE?

Paroxetine is better for premature ejaculation than dapoxetine for the following reasons:

1. Paroxetine is an FDA approved drug while dapoxetine is not approved by the FDA
2. Paroxetine is scientifically proven to increase ejaculation time by 339 seconds when used regularly for up to 12 weeks. Dapoxetine increases ejaculation time by 141 seconds when used for 12 weeks regularly
3. Paroxetine has mild side effects that are easily tolerable while dapoxetine has severe side effects that are hard to tolerate
4. You have to take paroxetine regularly which makes it easy to consume. Dapoxetine is taken on demand 1 to 3 hours before sexual intercourse. This makes it hard to manage surprise sexual intercourse and it isn’t always possible to predict sexual activity in advance
5. Paroxetine stays in your body for several hours (up to 42 hours) as it has slow absorption making it more effective. Dapoxetine, on the other hand, is fast acting and absorbs quickly in your body. It absorbs in your body within 2.8 hours.

FAQs

Here are the answers to the most asked questions on dapoxetine vs paroxetine for premature ejaculation:

Final Thoughts

There is no FDA approved drug for premature ejaculation. Medical experts have no option but to prescribe SSRIs or antidepressants to treat PE. Regarding dapoxetine vs paroxetine for PE, both these medicines belong to different classes.

Dapoxetine is an SSRI turned premature ejaculation medicine and is now used for the treatment of PE and is an approved PE medicine in several European and Asian countries. Paroxetine belongs to the SSRI drug category which is an antidepressant. It is an FDA approved medicine for depression and stress. It is widely used to treat premature ejaculation symptoms in males as SSRIs are known to have a side effect that they delay ejaculation.

Comparatively, paroxetine is better than dapoxetine for premature ejaculation because it is more effective, has fewer side effects, and works better in the long run.