Results of a study conducted by Detroit psychiatrist Dr. Albert Bayer, M.D., show unequivocally that the drug Viagra (sildenafil) is effective in treating women with sexual dysfunction related to antidepressant therapy. Although Viagra is commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction in males, scientific evidence supporting its use for the management of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women has been relatively non-existent. In this unique study, 21 adult female patients with major depression were given ten 50 mg samples of Viagra and instructed to take one tablet sixty to ninety minutes prior to initiating sexual activity. After 90 days, the women demonstrated statistically improvement of both sexual dysfunction and depressive symptoms. Many of the women who participated reported sexual functioning in terms of arousal and intensity of orgasm as far greater than they had experienced at any prior time in their lives. Besides two women experiencing mild facial flushing and a third woman reported mild nasal congestion, no other adverse events were described. Furthermore, none of the subjects wished to discontinue Viagra due to adverse effects.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: reported by www.pslgroup.com , 5/9/00
