Sex, Drugs and Hope; SSRIs are a potent weapon against depression, but sexual side effects scare off patients. Now there's help.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 28-NOV-05

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Byline: Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert

Doctors write millions of prescriptions annually for the class of medications called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). These drugs--Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft and Luvox--are among the best weapons available to fight depression. But for up to 60 percent of patients, there can be a debilitating side effect: a dwindling libido or difficulty with orgasm. Some researchers estimate that half of patients may throw out their pills because of sexual troubles. That's a major public-health problem because it means people with depression aren't getting the help they need. "Depression is potentially fatal," says Dr. Karen Swartz, codirector of the Mood Disorders Program at...

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