Sildenafil may ease SSRI-Induced sex dysfunction. (Preliminary Data).

Los ANGELES -- Three open-label studies and preliminary data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study support the use of sildenafil in women who have sexual dysfunction induced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

The studies, funded in part by Pfizer Inc., which markets sildenafil as Viagra, were reported by Dr. H. George Nurnberg at a psychopharmacology update sponsored by the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Nurnberg has conducted a number of studies showing that sildenafil is an effective treatment for male sexual dysfunction induced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Previous studies on sildenafil in women who have sexual dysfunction have been equivocal, with some reporting negative results and some reporting positive results.

Dr. Nurnberg, professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, restricted his studies to women taking SSRIs who had achieved complete remission of their depression. Even among these women, the drug did not work for everyone.

"With women, you had better know what their hormone status is. You had better know whether they're premenopausal or postmenopausal. You need to know whether they're on HRT," he said. Previous studies on sildenafil in women did not control for those factors. This is important because sildenafil ...