Lustral

What is Lustral?

Lustral is another name for the antidepressant drug Sertraline. Sertraline is commonly prescribed for depression or anxiety disorders. It helps to alleviate low moods by increasing serotonin production. But medical experts have also found that Lustral tablets are effective for treating premature ejaculation.

An antidepressant for premature ejaculation. Sounds strange doesn't it? Well, it's all to do with the effects of neurotransmitters in the brain. Some antidepressants - particularly SSRIs like Lustral - work on the parts of the brain that deal with sensitivity in the penis. So by dulling this activity, it helps the person taking it to last longer in bed.

Lustral is the branded version of Sertraline, which is a generic medicine. They contain the same drug and work in the same way, but Lustral is made by a company called Upjohn, while Sertraline is made by various companies.

What is Lustral used for?

Lustral is primarily used to treat mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and even post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

When Lustral antidepressants are prescribed for premature ejaculation, this is an off-label use. Off-label is when medication is prescribed for a purpose that it wasn’t originally designed to treat. A doctor will only do this if evidence has shown that it is safe. They will base their prescription on previous clinical trials which have shown Lustral’s effectiveness in extending what’s called the ‘Intravaginal Ejaculatory Latency Time (IELT)’ (or, the time it takes to climax during sex) .

How does Lustral work?

Lustral is a type of drug called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Reuptake of serotonin can have many positive effects on mood and anxiety but too much of it can inhibit your sex drive. For some people this might seem like a negative effect. But, for people who suffer with PE, it can be a very good one. A lack of desire for sexual stimulation mixed with delayed orgasms helps men to extend their ejaculatory time.

It is not fully understood why antidepressants have this effect on ejaculations. There are theories as to why they help but no solid explanation. Some experts believe that it is due to the decrease of dopamine. As serotonin increases dopamine decreases. Dopamine is a chemical that helps you feel stimulated so if there isn’t much of it in your body you might feel less sexually aroused.

How to take Lustral

For use in premature ejaculation, there are no standard instructions for Lustral because it’s an off-label use. Since it’s prescribed off-label for PE your doctor may tell you to take it differently, for example a few hours before sex. Daily use of sertraline is effective and usually has no serious complications, but the on-demand method generally has fewer side effects, especially if you’re prone to stomach problems. For PE Lustral tablets are usually prescribed on a case by case basis. This means that your doctor will likely look at your circumstances and the evidence at hand before deciding how much and how often you should take Lustral.

Is Lustral effective?

Clinical studies have shown Sertraline to be highly effective for treating PE. In a 1998 study , 46 men suffering with premature ejaculation were given regular doses of Sertraline. All men started on a daily dose of 25 mg and were increased to 50 mg after three weeks and 100 mg after an additional three weeks. With doses of 25 mg the average ejaculatory period increased from 0-5 minutes to 7.6 minutes. When dosage was increased to 50 mg 3 weeks later the average increased to a further 13.1 minutes. After an additional 3 weeks the group started taking the highest dose of 100 mg. At this point the average ejaculatory interval increased from 13.1 minutes to 16.4 minutes.

Lustral 50mg or Lustral 100mg: which should I use?

With Sertraline being increasingly effective in higher doses you may be wondering “Should I go for Lustral 50mg or Lustral 100mg”? It can be exciting to see such positive results but it is important to note that higher doses can also bring a higher risk of side effects. It’s always best to speak with our clinician before deciding which dosage you need. Sometimes starting on a lower dose is best before risking any adversities from higher ones. If you don’t get the results that you hoped for after taking Lustral 50 mg then please let our clinician know and they can look at increasing the dosage for you.