Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction medication Viagra can improve sexual function for some women who take antidepressants, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Previous research has found that more than 50% of patients who take antidepressants develop side effects that include decreased sexual function.

For the study, George Nurnberg, a University of New Mexico School of Medicine psychiatrist, and colleagues divided 98 women who took serotonin re-uptake inhibitors into two groups, one that took Viagra and one that took a placebo. Participants, who had an average age of 37, reported no problems with sexual function before they began to take antidepressants and had “controlled” their depression.

According to researchers, 28% of participants who took Viagra experienced no improvement in sexual function, compared with 73% of those who took a placebo. The study also found that Viagra did not increase sexual desire. Some of the women who took Viagra experienced headaches, reddening of the skin and indigestion. Pfizer funded the study with a research grant, but company officials said that they have no plans to seek FDA approval for Viagra as a treatment for sexual dysfunction in women.

Sexual medicine experts said the results were intriguing, but not groundbreaking, since some specialists already use Viagra for some female patients with sexual problems.

[tags] drug research, Pfizer, Viagra, viagra for women[/tags]