Trazodone in Sexual Medicine: Underused and Overdosed?
- PMID: 30342856
- DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2018.08.003
Trazodone in Sexual Medicine: Underused and Overdosed?
Abstract
Introduction: Treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) remains unfulfilled. The only approved medication, flibanserin (FLI), is highly underused owing to concerns about central nervous system (CNS) depression and interactions. Trazodone (TRZ), which is not often used for sexual problems, has evidence suggesting efficacy but similar concerns.
Aim: To explore whether the pharmacologic similarities between TRZ and FLI could allow treatment of HSDD without CNS depression.
Methods: A literature search on TRZ was performed for clinical effects and to facilitate pharmacologic considerations relating to doses for HSDD and CNS depression.
Main outcome measure: The main measures were threshold doses for sedative-hypnotic effects, and calculated doses for occupy 20% of agonist receptors and 70% of antagonist receptors, considering 5HT1A, 5HT2A, 5HT2C, and α1 receptors for sexual benefits and 5HT2A, α1, and histamine type 1 receptors for CNS depression.
Results: 3.5-19.2-mg extended-release (XR) TRZ daily (bioequivalent to 1.2-6.4-mg immediate-release [IR] TRZ 3 times a day) is estimated to be the minimum effective dose for improving sexual desire and arousal; 75 mg (25-mg IR) appears to be the threshold dose for CNS depression.
Conclusion: Although tested only in much larger dose strengths, the optimal dose of XR TRZ for HSDD according to receptor and PK data appears to be about 4-20 mg. HSDD or arousal problems might be treated without over-sedation with XR 150-mg TRZ matrix tablets quartered to 37.5 mg daily or 50-mg IR TRZ tablets quartered to 12.5 mg given 2-3 times daily or as needed for arousal problems. Interindividual sensitivity might require varying the dose. Mechanistically rational adjuncts (eg, bupropion or dopaminergics) might augment response. Pyke RE. Trazodone in Sexual Medicine: Underused and Overdosed? Sex Med Rev 2020;8:206-216.
Keywords: Erectile dysfunction; HSDD; Micro-dose; Oversedation; Serotonin receptor agonists; Serotonin receptor antagonists; Trazodone.
Copyright © 2018 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Dose-Finding Study of Lorexys for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Premenopausal Women.J Sex Med. 2019 Dec;16(12):1885-1894. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.09.005. Epub 2019 Oct 31. J Sex Med. 2019. PMID: 31678098 Clinical Trial.
-
Flibanserin for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2015;16(16):2523-9. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2015.1090426. Epub 2015 Sep 22. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2015. PMID: 26395164 Review.
-
Understanding the Role of Serotonin in Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and Treatment Options.J Sex Med. 2017 Dec;14(12):1575-1584. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.10.068. J Sex Med. 2017. PMID: 29198512 Review.
-
Weight Loss in Women Taking Flibanserin for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD): Insights Into Potential Mechanisms.Sex Med Rev. 2019 Oct;7(4):575-586. doi: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.04.003. Epub 2019 Jun 10. Sex Med Rev. 2019. PMID: 31196764 Review.
-
Efficacy of flibanserin in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder: results from the BEGONIA trial.J Sex Med. 2013 Jul;10(7):1807-15. doi: 10.1111/jsm.12189. Epub 2013 May 14. J Sex Med. 2013. PMID: 23672269 Clinical Trial.
Cited by
-
Erectile Dysfunction: Treatments, Advances and New Therapeutic Strategies.Brain Sci. 2023 May 15;13(5):802. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13050802. Brain Sci. 2023. PMID: 37239274 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Chronic Trazodone and Citalopram Treatments Increase Trophic Factor and Circadian Rhythm Gene Expression in Rat Brain Regions Relevant for Antidepressant Efficacy.Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Nov 14;23(22):14041. doi: 10.3390/ijms232214041. Int J Mol Sci. 2022. PMID: 36430520 Free PMC article.
-
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Women: Physiology, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment.J Midwifery Womens Health. 2021 Nov;66(6):740-748. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13283. Epub 2021 Sep 12. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2021. PMID: 34510696 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Management Strategies for Antidepressant-Related Sexual Dysfunction: A Clinical Approach.J Clin Med. 2019 Oct 7;8(10):1640. doi: 10.3390/jcm8101640. J Clin Med. 2019. PMID: 31591339 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Trazodone, Sleep, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and Future Directions.J Alzheimers Dis. 2019;67(3):923-930. doi: 10.3233/JAD-181106. J Alzheimers Dis. 2019. PMID: 30776014 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical