Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction: the evidence and treatments
- PMID: 18391560
- DOI: 10.1159/000126627
Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction: the evidence and treatments
Abstract
Sexual dysfunction is common in the general population and even more common in the mentally or medically ill. Because mentally ill patients often receive psychotropics, many of which affect sexual functioning, a patient's pre-existing sexual difficulties are often compounded, and these adverse effects may contribute to psychological difficulties or medication discontinuation. The effects of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and anxiolytics on sexual functioning are critically reviewed. When possible, the types of sexual dysfunction (e.g. desire, arousal, or orgasm) induced by the drug is described. Treatments for drug-induced sexual function are described, but few controlled studies show benefit. Only sildenafil stands as a convincing treatment for drug-induced sexual dysfunction. The paper focuses on the placebo-controlled clinical trials that specifically evaluated sexual functioning in patients treated with psychotropics. Controlled studies are few for all the agents, though best for the antidepressants and antipsychotics. The exact magnitude and phase of sexual functioning affected remains to be elucidated for most psychotropic drugs. Although all phases of sexual functioning may be impaired by psychotropics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants appear to primarily affect orgasm, while antipsychotics primarily affect desire. There is insufficient evidence to make conclusions about the anxiolytics or mood stabilizers.
Similar articles
-
[Atypical antipsychotics and sexual dysfunction: five case-reports associated with risperidone].Encephale. 2006 Jan-Feb;32(1 Pt 1):97-105. doi: 10.1016/s0013-7006(06)76142-5. Encephale. 2006. PMID: 16633296 French.
-
Sexual side-effects of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs.Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2015 Nov;28(6):418-23. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000198. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2015. PMID: 26382168 Review.
-
[Female sexual dysfunction as adverse effect of pharmacological treatment].Ugeskr Laeger. 2002 Oct 7;164(41):4757-60. Ugeskr Laeger. 2002. PMID: 12407875 Review. Danish.
-
Sexual dysfunction related to psychotropic drugs: a critical review part II: antipsychotics.Pharmacopsychiatry. 2013 Sep;46(6):201-8. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1347177. Epub 2013 Jun 4. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2013. PMID: 23737244 Review.
-
Antipsychotic drug therapy and sexual dysfunction in men.Am J Psychiatry. 1982 May;139(5):633-7. doi: 10.1176/ajp.139.5.633. Am J Psychiatry. 1982. PMID: 6122381
Cited by
-
The Role of the "Anti-Inflammatory" Couple for the Management of Hyperuricemia With Deposition.Sex Med. 2022 Oct;10(5):100562. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2022.100562. Epub 2022 Sep 7. Sex Med. 2022. PMID: 36087454 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Management Strategies for Antipsychotic-Related Sexual Dysfunction: A Clinical Approach.J Clin Med. 2021 Jan 15;10(2):308. doi: 10.3390/jcm10020308. J Clin Med. 2021. PMID: 33467621 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Effect of Depression and Antidepressants on Sexual Dysfunction in Men with Diabetes: A National Population-Based Cohort Study.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020 Apr 30;16:1105-1112. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S242798. eCollection 2020. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020. PMID: 32431505 Free PMC article.
-
A generalist's guide to treating patients with depression with an emphasis on using side effects to tailor antidepressant therapy.Mayo Clin Proc. 2010 Jun;85(6):538-50. doi: 10.4065/mcp.2009.0565. Epub 2010 Apr 29. Mayo Clin Proc. 2010. PMID: 20431115 Free PMC article. Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical