Sildenafil in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction induced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature describing female orgasmic disorder and impaired sexual desire disorder by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and their treatment, including the use of sildenafil.


METHODS
Literature reviews of all available published articles on this topic from 1989 to 1996 were done. This paper also includes a sample case of a 38-year old woman who suffers from fluoxetine-induced arousal and orgasmic disturbance.


RESULTS
Treatment approaches include the use of "antidotes," such as cyproheptadine, yohimbine, amantadine, granisetron and ginkgo biloba. This article also reports a case of successful female use of sildenafil, which was released by the Food and Drug Administration in March 1998 for erectile dysfunction in men.


CONCLUSIONS
Sildenafil is beneficial in reversing female sexual dysfunction induced by SSRIs. This paper also discusses sildenafil's action in the background of nitric oxide and cyclic guaninosine monophosphate in penile/clitoral erection.
Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA.
W W
WW
Shen
Z
Z
Urosevich
D O
DO
Clayton
D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011687:Purines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D005473:Fluoxetine; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones