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| |  Greater Orgasm Dysfunction Found In Patients Taking Zoloft Than Wellbutrin SR CLEVELAND, OH -- May 17, 1999 -- A study in the current issue of the journal Clinical Therapeutics demonstrates that while two commonly prescribed medications for depression are equally effective in treating the symptoms of depression, one of them causes a significantly higher rate of orgasm dysfunction (lack or delayed orgasm) than either the other drug or a placebo. In the first placebo-controlled comparison of these two drugs, patients taking Pfizer, Inc.’s Zoloft(R) (sertraline) reported greater orgasm dysfunction than patients taking Glaxo Wellcome Inc.’s Wellbutrin SR(R) (bupropion Sustained-Release Tablets) or a placebo. More patients taking sertraline reported orgasm dysfunction after only one week of treatment compared with bupropion SR or placebo and at the end of the study, 41 percent of patients taking sertraline reported orgasm dysfunction. There was no statistically significant difference in orgasm dysfunction between bupropion SR (15 percent) and placebo (eight percent). The paper adds to research connecting some of the most widely used antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), with sexual dysfunction. Researchers suggest that the serotonin effect of SSRIs like sertraline may be associated with negative effects on sexual function. Bupropion SR is not an SSRI and has no appreciable effect on serotonin. "While doctors have known about the anti-sexual side effects of some antidepressants, many don't realise the prevalence of the problem," said R. Taylor Segraves, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and chair of the department of psychiatry at MetroHealth Medical Center, and one of the study's investigators. "Depression itself takes a tremendous toll on relationships. But for some people, sexual dysfunction caused by some antidepressant treatments can also hinder the re-establishment of intimate relationships and influence recovery." Depression affects more than 17 million Americans each year and is one of the most treatable mental illnesses, according to the American Psychiatric Association. As all antidepressants have been shown to effectively treat depression, factors such as side effects are an important consideration in selecting treatment, Segraves added. In the study, 355 patients with moderate to severe clinical depression were randomised to receive bupropion SR, sertraline, or placebo in this double-blind, placebo-controlled eight-week, multicentre trial. Each of the three treatment arms included similar numbers of men and women. The incidence of sexual dysfunction at the beginning of the trial was similar for patients treated with bupropion SR, sertraline and placebo. Investigators conducted patient interviews at each clinical visit to evaluate sexual function. Standard psychiatric evaluations were used to determine efficacy. "One reason adverse sexual side effects have been under-reported is that patients, unaware that the medication may be causing the problem, blame themselves or their partner for the problem and they don't talk to their doctor about it," Segraves said. "At the same time, doctors may be reluctant to bring up sexual functioning with their patients. Open communication about side effects is critical to successful antidepressant treatment." The most frequently reported adverse events in this study were headache, occurring with similar frequency in all treatment groups (30 percent with placebo, 34 percent with bupropion SR and 40 percent with sertraline); somnolence, occurring in more sertraline-treated patients (17 percent) than bupropion SR (three percent) or placebo (six percent); and dry mouth, occurring with similar incidence in all groups -- bupropion SR (19 percent), sertraline (14 percent) and placebo (12 percent). In addition, the rates of nausea (31 percent) and diarrhea (26 percent) associated with sertraline in this study exceeded those associated with bupropion SR (18 percent and seven percent, respectively). Related Links: Zoloft, Pfizer, Inc.
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