Depression: Recommendations For Sexual Side
Effects By Antidepressants
by Hector
Milla
zone3
Sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are completely
recognized, but this represents a practical problem of managing to
physicians. Erectile dysfunction, diminished libido and delayed/attenuated
or absent orgasm (dysorgasmia or anorgasmia) are the most common sexual
side effects reported because of antidepressant treatment.
However, sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are also a very
challenge to clinicians, since they have to distinguish between sexual
dysfunction (SD) associated with depression, treatment-emergent SD and
pre-existing SD exacerbated by treatment.
Making the difference between these situations is quite important,
since treatment strategies are not the same for the above mentioned SDs.
Sexual dysfunction associated with depression may be treated raising the
antidepressant dose, however, this would be particularly inappropriate for
a treatment-emergent SD, in which case the appropriate thing is to lower
the dose.
For managing appropriately antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction,
experts recommend that clinicians may attempt to alleviate the sexual side
effects of a drug though a reduction of the dose and/or a change to an
alternative therapy that may be less likely to cause sexual side effects.
These strategies are more likely to be used in patients who are not
responding fully to treatment and also risk sacrificing the therapeutic
benefit of treatment.
Nonpharmacologic interventions are also recommended by experts.
Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques employed by sex therapists
are the most common, although there are no studies evaluating their
success in patients taking antidepressants.
There exist a number of medications quite useful in the treatment of
sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressants. Under experts’
opinion, the most common medications for antidepressant-induced sexual
dysfunction fall into three categories:
Dopaminergic agents, such as amantadine and pramipexole.
a2-adrenergic receptor antagonists such as yohimbine.
Serotonin 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, including granisetron,
nefazodone and cyproheptadine.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Article written by Hector Milla, editor of
DepressionsTreatments.com. Visit for Depression Treatments Information, plus a full list of
their articles may be found here. Thanks for using this article in your website or ezine keeping a live link.
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