Retrograde ejaculation is a medical condition in which semen flows backwards into the bladder because muscles in the bladder neck do not close properly to prevent back flow. Retrograde ejaculation is usually diagnosed by a "dry orgasm" and the presence of large numbers of sperm in the bladder.
Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis
Nerve damage caused by diabetes is a common cause of retrograde ejaculation according to MayoClinic.com. Poorly controlled diabetes leads to high levels of glucose in the blood stream, which damage the small blood vessels that nourish the nerves that constrict the bladder neck muscles. Drugs that constrict the muscles of the bladder neck such as pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, or imipramine can be used to prevent retrograde ejaculation, according to the Merck Manual, but these drugs are dangerous for men who have high blood pressure or heart disease.
Retrograde ejaculation can be indirectly caused by multiple sclerosis because of the nerve damage and problems with signal conduction that are characteristic of MS.
Spinal Cord Injury
An injury of the spinal cord at any level of the spine has the potential to cause retrograde ejaculation by interfering with nerve conduction to the neck muscles of the bladder, according to the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission. Spinal cord injury interferes with sperm delivery, causing infertility. Since spinal cord injury does not usually cause problems with sperm production, men with retrograde ejaculation can overcome infertility from retrograde ejaculation by using assisted reproduction techniques. Sperm can be recovered from a urine sample and used for in vitro fertilization procedures to conceive children, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Drugs
Some medications used to treat psychiatric disorders such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and thioridazine (Mellaril) can cause retrograde ejaculation according to the consumer health information created by the Harvard Medical School. Medications to treat high blood pressure including guanethidine (Ismelin) and reserpine (Serpasil) have also been shown to cause retrograde ejaculation. Tamsulosin (Flomax) or terazosin (Cardura), both used to treat an enlarged prostrate can also have the side effect of causing retrograde ejaculation.
Surgical Side Effect
Surgery in the area around the bladder, prostate or urethra can cause damage to the nerves and muscles controlling the opening to the bladder, resulting in retrograde ejaculation. According to the Harvard Medical School website, men who have a prostate surgery called transurethral prostatectomy to remove the prostate tissue through the urethra have a 10 to 15 percent chance of developing retrograde ejaculation. The likelihood of retrograde ejaculation rises to 40 to 90 percent if the entire prostrate is removed surgically. Pelvic surgery that involves the testicles, bladder, colon, rectum, or removal of lymph nodes in the pelvis can cause damage resulting in retrograde ejaculation. Surgery on the discs and vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord also has the potential to result in retrograde ejaculation.
References
- Merck Manual: Retrograde Ejaculation
- Mayo Clinic: Retrograde Ejaculation Causes
- Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission: Male Spinal Cord Injury and Fertility Fact Sheet #9
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine: Sperm Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury in Men
- Harvard Medical School: Retrograde Ejaculation
