College Times

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While antidepressants alleviate depression, they also can interfere with your sex drive and sexual performance. That's right, happy pills can make your sex life sad, especially if you're taking Prozac, Paxil, Celexa and other drugs that aim to increase the chemical serotonin found in the brain. See, serotonin is believed by doctors to slow down orgasm so if you're jacking up your serotonin intake on a daily basis, reaching intercourse ecstasy may prove to be difficult.

Many people try to fix their fornication frustration by opting to switch drugs or reduce the dosage. Some even say no to drugs and stop taking theirs all together in the pursuit of satisfying sex.

The solution isn't simple and there's no guarantee, but one thing's certain - depressed men have way more options when it comes to treating their fleeting sex drive. Viagra, Levitra, Cialis - the list of "penis pills" goes on and on and the commercials promoting them are seemingly never ending. "Sometimes you need a little help staying in the game. Ask your doctor about the new Levitra. Once you get in the zone … its good." Good for the guys, but what about the girls? The only options depressed women with sorrowful sex lives have are a testosterone patch, which is still under review by the Food and Drug Administration for safety reasons, a FDA-approved device similar to a handheld vacuum that increases blood flow to the clitoris, and BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. may soon be selling a testosterone gel called LibiGel. None of which sound promising, do they?

Luckily, according to a study recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association, Viagra may be just as effective at combating sexual dysfunction in depressed women as it is in men.

The experiment took place over the course of eight weeks and studied 98 premenopausal women who were using antidepressants successfully, but suffering from sexual problems. Each woman agreed to attempt sexual activity at least once each week and before each time, they would take a pill unaware of whether it was Viagra or a matching dummy pill.

Overall, 72 percent of the women taking Viagra reported improvement, while just 27 percent of women taking the placebo pill reported improvement.

While the results regarding women's sexual experiences appeared to be positive, there were a number of negative side effects to steal the spotlight. Of the women on Viagra, 43 percent suffered from headaches, and some reported indigestion and reddening of the skin (flushing).

The study's conclusion didn't quite provide the climax the researchers (and women) were hoping for, but it did determine that Viagra can help women who are taking antidepressants achieve orgasm, but not increase sexual desire or drive.

Pfizer Inc., the company that owns Viagra, has no plans to pursue FDA approval or specifically market the drug to women on antidepressants and says Pfizer Inc. spokeswoman Sally Beatty, "While Viagra was found to be safe, the results (of the study) were inconclusive."

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