Although he was married, the man did not form other social relationships, prompting doctors to start him on treatment for ADHD and social anxiety. These medications however resulted in erectile dysfunction. Doctors decided to change his treatment regimen to oxytocin, which has been shown to improve sociability. The man agreed to an off-label trial of medication in nasal spray format.
Oxytocin is a bonding hormone found in monogamous mammals, and has been shown to enhance trust and social interaction. It is currently under tests to assess whether it can play a role in schizophrenia, depression and Asperger’s. Doctors were not expecting an increase in the man’s sexual function.
The case study has been published in the Journal of Sexual medicine, and both colleagues and the man’s wife noted a noticeable improvement in his behavior. His sexual function increased by 46 per cent, and included more sexual desire, greater levels of arousal, better sexual functioning and enhanced orgasms. When the man did not renew his prescriptions for medication, these improvements disappeared. Despite the impressive performance, authors and critics have acknowledged that only one case study is not conclusive enough to draw results from, and that many treatments look like they have potential until they are subjected to placebo-controlled trials. Sexual function is one area that has been noted to be susceptible to placebo effects.
One of the possible explanations that has been offered is that Asperger’s syndrome can affect sexual function because of its effect on sociability. It has also been noted that oxytocin is only effective in people whose social skills are below average, and the same could be said for its effect on sexual performance.
It might be early days, but the case study has given hope to those who do not respond to PDE 5 Inhibitors. If you have ED, doctors at low cost clinics in Las Vegas can help you in finding an appropriate solution.