title: Saffron for treatment of fluoxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in women: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has shown beneficial aphrodisiac effects in some animal and human studies. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of saffron on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirty-eight women with major depression who were stabilized on fluoxetine 40 mg/day for a minimum of 6 weeks and had experienced subjective feeling of sexual dysfunction entered the study. The patients were randomly assigned to saffron (30 mg/daily) or placebo for 4 weeks. Measurement was performed at baseline, week 2, and week 4 using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Side effects were systematically recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four women had at least one post-baseline measurement and completed the study. Two-factor repeated measure analysis of variance showed significant effect of time × treatment interaction [Greenhouse-Geisser's corrected: F(1.580, 50.567) = 5.366, p = 0.012] and treatment for FSFI total score [F(1, 32) = 4.243, p = 0.048]. At the end of the fourth week, patients in the saffron group had experienced significantly more improvement in total FSFI (p < 0.001), arousal (p = 0.028), lubrication (p = 0.035), and pain (p = 0.016) domains of FSFI but not in desire (p = 0.196), satisfaction (p = 0.206), and orgasm (p = 0.354) domains. Frequency of side effects was similar between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems saffron may safely and effectively improve some of the fluoxetine-induced sexual problems including arousal, lubrication, and pain.
authors.affiliation: Infertility Ward, Arash Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ladan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kashani
authors.forename: Firoozeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raisi
authors.forename: Sepideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saroukhani
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sohrabi
authors.forename: Amirhossein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Modabbernia
authors.forename: Abbas-Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nasehi
authors.forename: Amirhossein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashrafi
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.forename: Padideh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghaeli
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akhondzadeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D027622:Crocus; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors