‘Accepting what is’: an approach for managing the long-term sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in women

O’Mullan, Catherine; Doherty-Poirier, Maryanne; Coates, Rosemary; Tilley, P. J. Matt

doi:10.1080/14681994.2015.1032236

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Educating patients about the potential for and prevalence of adverse sexual effects is important, as is assessing how this problem may impact their willingness to take the medication. 21 This information will inform medication choice. Patients should be advised to report any adverse sexual effects at future visits and be assured that treatment is available.…”

Section: Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Before discussing these options with the patient, prescribers should first ask what strategies they have already tried because the patient may already have identified a potentially effective strategy and merely needs reassurance to continue. 21 For those who have not found an effective remedy, there are a variety of management strategies available (Table 2).…”

Section: Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Women who have accepted their sexual function “as is” have utilized the following coping strategies: (1) emphasizing the benefits of the antidepressant over the consequences, (2) attending to the positives in their relationship with their partner and to emotional vs physical satisfaction, and (3) changing sexual expectations. 21…”

Section: Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antidepressant-Induced Female Sexual Dysfunction

Lorenz

Rullo

Faubion

2016

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

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Because 1 in 6 women in the United States takes antidepressants and a substantial proportion of patients report some disturbance of sexual function while taking these medications, it is a near certainty that the practicing clinician will need to know how to assess and manage antidepressant-related female sexual dysfunction. Adverse sexual effects can be complex because there are several potentially overlapping etiologies, including sexual dysfunction associated with the underlying mood disorder. As such, careful assessment of sexual function at the premedication visit followed by monitoring at subsequent visits is critical. Treatment of adverse sexual effects can be pharmacological (dose reduction, drug discontinuation or switching, augmentation, or using medications with lower adverse effect profiles), behavioral (exercising before sexual activity, scheduling sexual activity, vibratory stimulation, psychotherapy), complementary and integrative (acupuncture, nutraceuticals), or some combination of these modalities.

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Section: Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antidepressant-Induced Female Sexual Dysfunction

Lorenz

Rullo

Faubion

2016

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

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“…Women living with TESD often describe feelings of inadequacy (Darrouzet-Nardi & Hatch, 2014; Pestello & Davis-Berman, 2008), disconnection from sexual-self (Blalock & Wood, 2015), obligation to fulfill the sexual needs of their intimate partner(s’) (Darrouzet-Nardi & Hatch, 2014), and decreased relationship satisfaction overall (Fooladi et al, 2012; Olsson et al, 2013; O’Mullan, Doherty, Coates, & Tilley, 2014). In a qualitative study of women experiencing TESD from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a common coping strategy employed by participants was “accepting what is” (O’Mullan, Doherty, Coates, & Tilley, 2015). To these women, accepting what is meant that they accepted that sexual dysfunction was the cost for the benefit SSRIs provided to their mental health.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To these women, accepting what is meant that they accepted that sexual dysfunction was the cost for the benefit SSRIs provided to their mental health. However, it is important to note that while these women accepted their TESD they remained hopeful that it could be alleviated in the future (O’Mullan et al, 2015).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not Into Sex: Women’s Experiences of Treatment-Emergent Sexual Dysfunction

Leveque

Samarron

Shaw

2019

Affilia

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Despite recent studies suggesting that treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction (TESD) in women is much more prevalent than previously thought, it is not often discussed between physicians and female patients prior to prescribing psychotropic medication. Missing from the available quantitative research on TESD are stories from the women themselves, their experiences with disclosure or lack thereof, and the impact TESD has had on their sense of self and in their relationships. Concerned that this could have a significant influence on women’s mental, emotional, and sexual health, we conducted a study where we interviewed 10 women who self-identified as experiencing TESD after taking psychotropic medications for their mental health. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted, informed by critical feminist practice, and grounded in feminist standpoint theory. Transcripts were then analyzed using thematic analysis to demonstrate the impact TESD had on the lives of these women. Six themes emerged from the interviews: (1) inadequate disclosure about TESD from physicians, (2) gender-based difference in how TESD is discussed, (3) the experience of physical side effects, (4) emotional responses to side effects, (5) concerns about how the partners of women living with TESD experience it, and (6) the importance of knowledge sharing. We conclude this article with a discussion of how these stories fit within the larger social context.

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Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction

Kling

Thomas

2020

Sex- And Gender-Based Women's Health

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‘Accepting what is’: an approach for managing the long-term sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in women

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Antidepressant-Induced Female Sexual Dysfunction

Antidepressant-Induced Female Sexual Dysfunction

Not Into Sex: Women’s Experiences of Treatment-Emergent Sexual Dysfunction

Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction

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