EFFICACY OF TESTOSTERONE, TRAZODONE AND HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION IN THE TREATMENT OF NONORGANIC MALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION

Objective To examine the effects of hypnotic suggestions or the admini stration of testosterone or trazodone to impotent men with no detectab le organic cause for the impotence. Patients and methods The study com prised 79 men in whom clinical and laboratory examinations revealed no organic cause for their impotence; 20 men (mean age 38.7 +/- 11.47 ye ars) received testosterone. 21 men (mean age 39.5 +/- 10.73 years) rec eived trazodone, 20 men (mean age 34.2 +/- 11.69 years) underwent hypn osis and 18 men (mean age 39.1 +/- 11.46 years) served as controls. Th ey were assessed by interview 4, 6 and 8 weeks after starting treatmen t; the patient's reports were verified by interviewing their partners. Results Men who received a placebo had a 39% improvement in sexual fu nction, while the rates of improvement in the treated groups were high er, but not significantly so. The success rates of testosterone and tr azodone treatment and hypnotic suggestions were 60%, 67% and 80%, resp ectively. Conclusion Although the improvement was not statistically si gnificant, treatment with testosterone and trazodone could be used as an adjuvant therapy in nonorganic male sexual dysfunction. The only tr eatment superior to placebo seemed to be hypnosis. A more effective tr eatment may be obtained by combining these therapeutic modalities, but this needs further study.