The effect of drug holidays on sexual dysfunction in men treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) other than fluoxetine: an 8-week open-label randomized clinical trial

Autor: Arman Alipour-Kivi, Negin Eissazade, Seyed Vahid Shariat, Razieh Salehian, Shiva Soraya, Sanaz Askari, Mohammadreza Shalbafan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Psychiatry, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05507-7
Popis: Abstract Introduction Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used for the treatment of various mental disorders. Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common side effects of SSRIs, and often leads to poor adherence and treatment discontinuation. While several strategies have been employed to manage SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, drug holidays has not been extensively studied for this purpose. This clinical trial aims to assess the effect of drug holidays on sexual dysfunction in married men under treatment with SSRIs other than fluoxetine (as its long half-life makes drug holidays ineffective). Methods This 8-week double-center, randomized, open-label, controlled trial was conducted in the outpatient clinics of Iran Psychiatric Hospital and Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, from January 2022 to March 2023. We included married men aged between18 and 50 years who had experienced sexual dysfunction during treatment with SSRIs, other than fluoxetine. The Male Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ) and the 28-Question General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used for the assessment of sexual function and mental health status. The drug holidays group was instructed not to take their medications on the weekends. The control group was asked to continue their regular medication regimen without any changes. Both groups were assessed at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. Results Sixty-three patients were included and randomly assigned to the drug holidays group (N = 32) or the control group (N = 31). Fifty patients (25 in each group) completed the trial. Drug holidays significantly improved erection, ejaculation, satisfaction, and the overall sexual health of the participants (P
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