(See also Overview of Sexual Dysfunction in Men Overview of Sexual Function and Dysfunction in Men In men, sexual dysfunction refers to difficulties engaging in sexual intercourse. Sexual dysfunction encompasses a variety of disorders that affect Sex drive (libido) The ability to achieve... read more .)
In retrograde ejaculation, the part of the bladder that normally closes during ejaculation (the bladder neck) remains open, causing the semen to travel backward into the bladder. One of the most common causes is prostate surgery for noncancerous prostate enlargement. Other common causes of retrograde ejaculation include diabetes Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high. Urination and thirst are... read more , spinal cord injuries Overview of Spinal Cord Disorders Spinal cord disorders can cause permanent severe problems, such as paralysis or impaired bladder and bowel control ( urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence). Sometimes these problems can... read more , certain drugs, and some surgical operations (including major abdominal or pelvic surgery).
Men with retrograde ejaculation can still have orgasms. However, retrograde ejaculation decreases the amount of semen ejaculated out of the penis. Sometimes, no semen comes out. The condition can cause infertility but is otherwise not harmful.
A doctor makes the diagnosis of retrograde ejaculation by finding a large amount of sperm in a urine sample taken shortly after orgasm.
Treatment of Retrograde Ejaculation
Drugs
Men usually need no treatment unless infertility is a concern. About one third of men with retrograde ejaculation improve after treatment with drugs that close the bladder neck (such as pseudoephedrine or imipramine). However, men who use these drugs should be alert and periodically checked by their doctor for increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Use of these drugs is limited to men seeking fertility.
If infertility requires treatment and drugs do not help, doctors can sometimes collect a man’s sperm for insemination Assisted Reproductive Technologies Assisted reproductive technologies involve working with sperm and eggs or embryos in a laboratory (in vitro) with the goal of producing a pregnancy. (See also Overview of Infertility.) If treatment... read more 
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Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
pseudoephedrine |
Contac Cold 12 Hour, Dimetapp Decongestant, Drixoral, ElixSure Cold, ElixSure Congestion, Entex, Genaphed , KidKare , Myfedrine, NASAL Decongestant, Nasofed, Nexafed, PediaCare Infants' Decongestant, Pseudo-Time, Silfedrine, Sudafed, Sudafed 12 Hour, Sudafed 24 Hour, Sudafed Children's Nasal Decongestant, Sudafed Congestion, Sudafed Sinus Congestion, Sudogest, Sudogest 12 Hour, Sudogest Children's , Tylenol Children's Simply Stuffy, Zephrex-D |
imipramine |
Tofranil, Tofranil-PM |
