Increased libido associated with donepezil treatment: a case report.
Inappropriate verbal and physical sexual behaviour is not common among individuals with dementia, but when it does occur, it can have profound consequences. We report a case of 79-year-old woman with dementia of the Alzheimer's type who complained of increased libido after an increased dose of donepezil, which was being used along with tianeptine. Donepezil withdrawal led to the resolution of increased libido, but when it was reintroduced, increased libido reappeared once again (Naranjo score: 7). Increased libido was not reported by the patient during the 6-year follow-up period after donepezil withdrawal. A potential mechanism of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor-induced increased libido and the current literature on hypersexuality as a side-effect of donepezil treatment are discussed.
University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Nusa
N
Segrec
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.|South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Weller Wing, Bedford Hospital, Bedford, UK.
Rashid
R
Zaman
University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.|Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Peter
P
Pregelj
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007989:Libido; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D013841:Thiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D013841:Thiazepines; C050504:tianeptine; D000077265:Donepezil
adverse effects; dementia; dementia of the Alzheimer's type; donepezil; increased libido