Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2009 Dec;5(4):223-5.
doi: 10.1007/BF03178272.

Refractory priapism associated with ingestion of yohimbe extract

Amy Myers  1 , Fermin Barrueto Jr
Affiliations
Case Reports

Refractory priapism associated with ingestion of yohimbe extract

Amy Myers et al. J Med Toxicol. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Extracts of the bark of the central African tree Pausinystalia yohimbe contain yohimbine, an indole alkaloid, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction. The reported side effects of over-the-counter preparations of yohimbine include gastrointestinal upset, anxiety, increased blood pressure, headache, agitation, rash, tachycardia, and frequent urination. In this report, we describe a severe case of intractable priapism associated with the ingestion of yohimbe extract. Management required insertion of a proximal cavernosal spongiosum shunt (Quackles shunt) in the operating room.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Guay AT, Spark RF, Jacobson J, et al. Yohimbe treatment of organic erectile dysfunction in a dose-escalation trial. Int J Impot Res. 2002;14:25–31. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3900803. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Morales A. Yohimbe in erectile dysfunction: the facts. Int J Impot Res. 2000;12(suppl 1):S70–S74. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3900508. - DOI - PubMed
    1. McKay D. Nutrients and botanicals for erectile dysfunction: examining the evidence. Altern Med Rev. 2004;9:4–16. - PubMed
    1. Ernst E, Pittler MH. Yohimbe for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Urol. 1998;159:433–436. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5347(01)63942-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hatzichristou DG, Pescatori ES. Current treatments and emerging therapeutic approaches in male erectile dysfunction. BJU Int. 2001;88(suppl 3):11–17. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-4096.2001.123.x. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources