Is Retrograde Ejaculation Permanent?

Retrograde ejaculation is the condition whereby semen, instead of exiting through the urethra during ejaculation, enters into the bladder. This is often referred to as a “dry orgasm,” as very little semen is discharged or not at all.

While benign in nature, such a condition can nevertheless lead to infertility problems and a reduced quality of life, which may be a point of dismay among those desiring to have children.

Whether retrograde ejaculation is permanent is determined by the case and the underlying cause; many instances can, in fact, be treated.

What Causes Retrograde Ejaculation?

Retrograde ejaculation can result from several factors, including:

• Nerve Damage: The primary cause of this disease is the destruction of nerves responsible for the functioning of the bladder and reproductive system. It happens because of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and after surgeries like prostate surgery.
• Medications: Some medications, especially those that relax bladder muscles, include antidepressants, blood pressure medications, or medications for enlargement of the prostate. She says, can interfere with normal ejaculation.
• Surgical Procedures: Surgery of the prostate, bladder or other parts of the male reproductive system can affect the normal process of ejaculation. Retrograde ejaculation caused due to surgical procedures may sometimes be permanent.
• Other medical conditions: Injury to the spinal cord and other disorders of the autonomic nervous system are other causes of retrograde ejaculation.

Is Retrograde Ejaculation Treatable?

The permanency of retrograde ejaculation largely depends on its cause. Those mediated by medications can easily be reversed with a change in medication or adjustment in their dosage.

Due to this, any medications have to be reviewed with the doctor since adjustment of these medications can often restore normal ejaculation.

As for the underlying causes of diabetes and nerve damage, symptom improvement is possible with the treatment of the primary condition, but recovery may be different after such nerve damage.

Individuals whose condition arises from post-surgical nerve damage may have poorer chances for success in recovery as retrograde ejaculation can become permanent; however, in some instances, the function may return over time as the body heals.

Available Treatment Options

For individuals who wish to have children, several treatments are available:

• Medication: Some medications stimulate the muscles involved in ejaculation and aid in directing the semen outward.
• Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART) are procedures for assisted fertilization, using techniques directly aspirating semen from the bladder, such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization.
• Surgery: There are some surgical options, that may be helpful for ejaculation, according to the situation, and the specialist has to tackle this with considerable discussion.

Dr. Rahul Mathur
Consultant Neuropsychiatris