One of the most prevalent side effects of antidepressants is their, well, depressing effect on the libido and sexual functioning. Could getting around that problem be as easy as popping a pill? A new study funded by Pfizer says so. Premenopausal women who were having sexual side effects from their antidepressant therapy got some relief on Viagra (sildenafil): their assessment of the problem dropped by about a third on the drug versus one-fifth on placebo.
Now, it isn't FDA-approved for women; Pfizer studied its ability to boost sexual functioning in females, but failed to show a benefit. But those studies weren't zeroed in on women taking antidepressants. So these new results could inspire off-label use of Viagra for those women. "This will change practice," one UCLA psychiatrist told the Los Angeles Times (and he wasn't involved in the study).
- read the JAMA release
- see the LA Times story
- check out the Wall Street Journal Health Blog's coverage