To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE).

A systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was undertaken to identify articles that referred to the use of a combination of SSRIs and PDE-5 inhibitors for the treatment of PE. A meta-analysis of these clinical studies was performed. The post-treatment intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and adverse events (AEs) were used in this meta-analysis.

Six publications involving 971 patients were included in the meta-analysis. In the analysis, we found significantly improved IELT in the combination use group compared with the use of SSRIs (mean differences [MD], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-1.41; P <.01) or PDE-5 inhibitors alone (MD, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.79-1.43; P <.01) for PE whether or not these patients suffered from erectile dysfunction. Combined treatment was more efficacious than use of PDE-5 inhibitors alone on sexual satisfaction. Although the occurrence of drug-related AEs in the combination use group was higher than that in the use of SSRIs or PDE-5 inhibitors alone group (37.5% vs 25.63%, P <.01), the most common AEs were mild and tolerable.

The combined use of SSRIs and PDE-5 inhibitors provided additive favorable effects in men with PE compared with SSRIs or PDE-5 inhibitors monotherapy and was generally well tolerated.