Bupropion--an antidepressant without sexual pathophysiological action

Bupropion, a new nontricyclic antidepressant, was administered clinically on an open basis to 40 male outpatients at doses of 300 to 600 mg/day for 4 to 26 months. Of these, 12 patients had no history of sexual dysfunction, whereas 28 patients reported a history of significant sexual dysfunction (impaired libido, partial erection) while receiving tricyclic, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, maprotiline, and trazodone antidepressants. The adverse sexual effects resolved in 24 of the 28 patients (p less than 0.001) when they were transferred to bupropion. Of the four patients who failed to improve sexually on bupropion, two were diabetic and the other two had lifelong impairments in sexual functioning that were probably unrelated to drugs or depression. The 12 patients who had a negative history of sexual dysfunction continued to have normal sexual functioning during bupropion treatment. Based upon bupropion's lack of anticholinergic and antiadrenergic effects and the clinical observations in this study, this antidepressant appears to have a very low propensity for inducing adverse sexual side effects.