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SAMe and sexual functioning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

C.M. Dording ,
D. Mischoulon ,
I. Shyu ,
J.E. Alpert  and
G.I. Papakostas
C.M. Dording*
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, 6th floor, Boston, MA USA02114
D. Mischoulon
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, 6th floor, Boston, MA USA02114
I. Shyu
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, 6th floor, Boston, MA USA02114
J.E. Alpert
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, 6th floor, Boston, MA USA02114
G.I. Papakostas
Affiliation:
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square, 6th floor, Boston, MA USA02114
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +617 724 9457; fax: +617 724 3028. E-mail address: cdording@partners.org
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Abstract

Background

Sexual dysfunction is a known side effect of antidepressant treatment (ADT), affecting up to 58–73% of those who receive ADT, potentially affecting antidepressant adherence. Consequently, it is vital to develop novel treatments that target antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.

Methods

We examined whether adjunctive S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is associated with greater improvement in sexual functioning than adjunctive placebo by measuring changes in sexual functioning using the Massachusetts General Hospital–Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) during a 6-week, single-center, randomized, double-blind trial of SAMe augmentation for SSRI/SNRI- nonresponders.

Results

Controlling for the degree of arousal dysfunction at baseline as well as the degree of change in HDRS-17 scale scores during the course of the study, men treated with adjunctive SAMe demonstrated significantly lower arousal dysfunction at endpoint than those treated with adjunctive placebo. In addition, controlling for the degree of erectile dysfunction at baseline as well as the degree of change in HDRS-17 scale scores, men treated with adjunctive SAMe demonstrated significantly lower erectile dysfunction at endpoint than those treated with adjunctive placebo.

Conclusions

In the present study, we have observed that adjunctive SAMe can have positive benefit on male arousal and erectile dysfunction, independent of improvement in depressive symptoms. These findings are preliminary, and warrant replication.

Clinical trials.gov identifier

NCT00093847; titled ‘Optimizing the Effectiveness of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in Treatment-Resistant Depression’, accessible at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00093847.

Keywords

AntidepressantsSide effectsMajor Depressive DisorderS-adenosyl methionineAntidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction

Information

Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , August 2012 , pp. 451 - 454
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2012

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