Is Yohimbine Effective in the Treatment of Organic Impotence? Results of a Controlled Trial
- 1 June 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Journal of Urology
- Vol. 137 (6), 1168-1172
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5347(17)44436-3
Abstract
Yohimbine is an alpha-adrenoceptor blocker that has been used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Adequate trials of this substance in a clearly defined organically important population are not available. We conducted a randomized, controlled study with partial cross-over of yohimbine versus placebo in 100 organically impotent men. The first phase of the study showed a positive response in 42.6 percent of the patients receiving yohimbine versus 27.6 percent in the placebo group. Although favorable to the test medication these values did not reach statistical significance (p equals 0.42). A similar pattern was noted in the second phase of the study. The over-all response rate of 43.5 percent was consistent with a previous noncontrolled trial but it was much lower than previous studies. The response rate of organically importent patients to yohimbine is at best marginal. Owing to its ease of administration, safety and modest effect it still is used in those patients who do not accept more invasive methods. Adrenoceptors are involved in the erectile process, although other neurotransmitter systems also putative modulators of penile erection, including cholinergic, dopaminergic and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide pathways. It is beyond reasonable expectation that a single agent be of value for all cases of organic impotence. However, yohimbine has shown modest effectiveness at the doses used in this trial (18 mg. per day). Higher doses or a different route of administration may produce different effects.This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Enhancement of Sexual Motivation in Male Rats by YohimbineScience, 1984
- Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (vip) as a putative neurotransmitter in penile erectionLife Sciences, 1983
- Assessment of α2 adrenergic autoreceptor function in humans: Effects of oral yohimbineLife Sciences, 1982
- Bromocriptine in the Treatment of Hypogonadism and Male ImpotenceDrugs, 1979
- ImpotenceDrugs, 1978
- REVERSAL OF URÆMIC IMPOTENCE BY ZINCThe Lancet, 1977
- REDUCED‘GONADOTROPHS RESPONSE TO RELEASING HORMONE’AFTER CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION TO IMPOTENT MENClinical Endocrinology, 1977
- A New Approach to the Hormonal Treatment of Impotentia ErectionisPharmacopsychiatry, 1977
- A DOUBLE BLIND CROSS OVER TRIAL OF GONADOTROPHIN RELEASING HORMONE (LHRH) IN SEXUALLY IMPOTENT MENClinical Endocrinology, 1976
- Psychiatric Aspects of ImpotenceBMJ, 1950