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Viagra Isn't Just For Men

Women taking antidepressants may suffer from sexual dysfunction

July 23, 2008

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Women suffering from sexual dysfunction after taking antidepressants are getting some relief by taking Viagra, or sildenafil, according to a study in the latest issue of JAMA.

Treatment-related sexual dysfunction is a frequent adverse effect occurring with medication use and is a major reason some patients stop taking anti-depressants early in their treatment.

Sexual dysfunction is recognized as being associated with a common type of antidepressants, which are the most frequently prescribed medications for outpatients age 18 to 65 years and represent 90 percent of the 180-million antidepressant prescriptions filled in the United States.

"Antidepressant treatment-associated sexual dysfunction is estimated to occur in 30 percent to 70 percent of men and women treated for major depression with first- or second-generation agents," the researchers said.

Scientists at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, N.M., compared the effectiveness of Viagra against placebo for treatment of sexual dysfunction associated with anti-depressants in 98 women with major depression in remission.

The researchers found that 73 percent of women taking placebo, compared with 28 percent of women taking Viagra, reported no improvement with treatment. On a clinician-rated severity improvement scale, women in the Viagra group showed greater improvement in sexual function than women in the placebo group.

Headache, flushing, and indigestion were reported frequently during treatment, but no patients withdrew because of serious adverse effects.

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