On the use of drugs and impotence

Dr. Mangku Sitepoe, veterinarian and general practitioner, writes about the "misuse" of the veterinarian drug clomipramine (commonly used as an antidepressant for domestic animals), to treat impotence in men (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 29, 1999). Practically every drug ever developed by mankind can now be found on the Internet.

I invite Dr. Sitepoe to log onto the website search engine Yahoo, then go Health-Drugs, then to Specific Drugs and Medications, finally typing in "clomipramine". There he will find 1,485 sites for this drug. Clomipramine hydrochloride is listed as an antiobsessional drug that belongs to the class (dibenzazeoine) of pharmacologic agents known as tricyclic antidepressants. It is presumed to influence obsessive and compulsive behaviors through its effects on serotonergic neuronal transmission. Its capacity to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin (SRI) is thought to be important. It thus works similar to the other very popular SRI antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft.

Under "precautions-sexual dysfunction" for clomipramine, it is stated that the rate of sexual dysfunction in male patients treated was markedly increased -- 42 percent experiencing ejaculatory failure and 20 percent experiencing impotence. With these listed side effects, how can clomipramine be used as an anti-impotence drug by men, as per your story? Your story contradicts the listed pharmacological side effects of the drug. The only possible way it could be used effectively sexually would be if the man didn't want to have an orgasm (ejaculatory failure) and therefore his thrusting would be prolonged. This would certainly bring pleasure to his partner, possibly achieving multiorgasms due to the sustained thrusting without ejaculation.

On the other hand, 20 percent of the men wouldn't be able to get an erection (impotence), making the drug virtually worthless for sexual enhancement. I say let the party begin with the already tried-and-true drug Viagra: Achievement of full penile extension, prolonged thrusting to satisfy both partners (15 minutes reported as normal) culminating in the man's heightened orgasmic experience.

Millions of men around the world now attest to Viagra's effectiveness. The Post story seems to be lacking in factual data regarding the drug clomipramine. This data is readily available on the Internet. The Post story could cause some people to try clomipramine with possible unwanted side effects and perhaps dangerous consequences. The drug would be abused and not used for its intended purposes.

RAYMOND YELLAND

Surabaya