Antidepressants and sexual dysfunction: mechanisms and clinical implications
Anita H Clayton1, Harry A Croft, Lata Handiwala
1University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA. ahc8v@virginia.edu.
Postgraduate Medicine
|April 2, 2014
Summary
Antidepressant medications can cause sexual side effects (SD). Some antidepressants, like bupropion and mirtazapine, are linked to less SD than SSRIs/SNRIs and may treat antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Sexual Medicine
Background:
- Depression affects 6.7% of Americans annually, leading to widespread antidepressant use.
- Depression and its treatments are linked to various sexual dysfunctions (SD) in men and women.
- SD is a common reason for patients discontinuing depression treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To guide physicians in managing patients with both depression and SD.
- To provide a multidisciplinary approach for treating SD in depressed patients.
- To review the impact of depression treatments on sexual function.
Main Methods:
- Review of articles published within the last 10 years.
- Focus on adult patients with SD and depression.
- Emphasis on the relationship between depression treatments and SD.
Main Results:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are associated with SD.
- Bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, and vilazodone are linked to less SD compared to SSRIs.
- These alternative antidepressants can be used to treat SD caused by SSRIs/SNRIs.
Conclusions:
- Different antidepressant classes have varying propensities for causing sexual side effects.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for effective depression management.
- Alternative antidepressants may offer a solution for patients experiencing SD.
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