Viagra may counteract sexual side effects of antidepressants
Between 40 and 60% of women taking SRIs, a common type of anti-depressants, experience sexual side effects, including loss of arousal, lubrication and orgasm problems. Researchers, including Dr. Julia Heiman of The Kinsey Institute, found that women given Viagra were more likely to report improvement in sexual functioning than those on a placebo pill. Though this a fairly small sample (100 women were taking anti-depressants and who reported having these side effects), it is the first to demonstrate that Viagra may alleviate some of these sexual problems, and more importantly, keep them from having to choose between depression relief and sexual enjoyment.
Julia Heiman spoke on NPR’s Morning Edition about the study: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92809573
This 'treatment' is not without its own side effects, namely, about half of the women taking Viagra reported headaches. Perhaps a better approach is to develop antidepressants that don't force a choice between emotional suffering and sexual problems. Let's hope this is coming in the near future…
You can read the original research article in JAMA
Kinsey Confidential
