Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:1514-1516
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction: efficacy of a drug holiday
AJ Rothschild
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether weekend drug
holidays would improve sexual functioning in recovered depressed patients
with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual
dysfunction. METHOD: Thirty outpatients who reported worsening of sexual
functioning during SSRI treatment were instructed to discontinue their
SSRIs after the Thursday morning dose and to restart the SSRIs (at their
previous dosage) on Sunday at 12:00 noon for four weekends. RESULTS:
Significant improvement in sexual functioning was reported by the patients
taking sertraline and paroxetine but not by those taking fluoxetine. There
were no statistically significant increases in mean Hamilton depression
scores after discontinuation of the SSRIs; two patients had increases in
scores from the 4-8 range to the 10-14 range. CONCLUSIONS: For some
patients taking sertraline and paroxetine who experience sexual dysfunction
side effects, brief drug holidays may allow for significant improvement in
sexual functioning without a significant return of depressive symptoms.
