Viagra and women
The drug eases some sexual problems for women taking anti-depressants.
By Nathan Seppa
Viagra is well established for treating male impotence. A new study slated to appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests the drug can also relieve some sexual difficulties in women caused by antidepressant use.
Women and men taking antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors sometimes experience a fading libido. An estimated 30 to 70 percent of people taking these antidepressants register sex-related complaints at some point. SRIs include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa and Anafranil.
In women, this change can be compounded by decreased genital sensitivity, vaginal dryness, delayed or absent orgasms and general dissatisfaction with sex.
Viagra, also called sildenafil citrate, has been a blockbuster drug for men with sexual dysfunction and for its maker, Pfizer Inc. But Pfizer largely gave up on testing Viagra in women four years ago after thousands of women receiving it had failed to register much effect.