Viagra and Women - Health Issues Investigated

Viagra and Women's Health

Not often is there a medication introduced to the public that has such fast market growth as the drug Viagra. Pfizer's drug, Viagra, was introduced in 1999 and quickly became one of the most widely prescribed medications of our time. But until recently, its use was limited to males.

In the past few weeks, however, The Journal of American Medical Association released a publication, which studied the erectile-dysfunction drug and stated that Viagra use in women can lessen unfavorable sexual effects that may result from antidepressants.

And as expected, the sales of Viagra, which have pretty much remained stale for almost a decade, could increase after the news of this revelation was released to the public.

Researchers Probe Viagra Use For Women

The doctors who conducted the query, from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, deduce that antidepressant regime-associated sexual dysfunction occurs in nearly thirty to seventy percent of patients who are seeking help for major depression. The JAMA passage said it is credible that no trial study has proven an adequate treatment for women suffering from sexual dysfunction resulting from antidepressant drugs.

And researchers revealed that comparatively twenty-eight percent of the women who were administered Viagra showed no improvement, likewise seventy-three percent of women taking a placebo. The study showed no grave adverse effects, however it was noted that up to forty-three percent of the women who took Viagra complained of headaches. Researchers stated that this was worrisome.

The authors recognized women suffer from excessive depressive disorder at almost double the rate of men and also suffer more subsequent sexual dysfunction. The researchers noted that by focusing treatment on the treatment-associated issue it could reduce the likelihood of these women prematurely discontinuing the medication use and increase the possibility of improving the depression disease management.

Pfizer, the world's largest drug producer when measured by sales worldwide, has been battling substantial generic competition that exists for its most widely purchased drugs.

What Can Cause Women's Lack of Sexual Interest?

A woman's deficient sexual enthusiasm is frequently tied to her relationship with her companion, according to Sandra Lieblum, who is the professor for sexual and marital health at the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, N.J. Lieblum states that women's sexual desire lies in the area between her ears. While men need an occasion for having sex — women need a reason and this evokes the importance of sexual interest for women. But disinterest in sex for women can also be set in motion by family concerns, sickness or death, monetary or job worries, childcare roles, managing a career and children, prior or existing physical and emotional abuse, tiredness and sadness.

Actually, female sexual dysfunction is more often than not psychologically, instead of physically established. Women's desire to have sex is often not due to genital arousal, according to Cindy Meston, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Meston continues by stating that she does not think there is an aphrodisiac that will shape women's desire to have sex all of the time.

Physical Issues That Reduce Women's Sexual Desire

Lieblum at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey also stated that the causes could be physical, such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, neurological diseases and autoimmune disorders like lupus can all evoke a reduction in women's neglect of sexual desire. Additional factors fall under the umbrella of prescriptions drug usage, above all anti-hypertensive and depression medication, including over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs and alcohol misusage.

Is the Use of Viagra by Women Oversimplified?

At New York University School of Medicine, psychologist Leonore Tiefer stated that "industry-funded" studies such as this might oversimplify a women's sexual desire. She stated that the new investigation, which was funded by a Pfizer grant, discovered more side effects than benefits.

Other Studies Involving Antidepressants and Sexual Desire

A previously conducted study involving men who follow an antidepressant regimen discovered more pronounced sexual benefits with Viagra than the benefits found for women, according to senior study author Dr. George Nurnberg, who is a leading psychiatrist at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque.

But the point is that both men and women who require antidepressants and suffer from sexual disinterest may benefit from Viagra, he said. Nurnberg continued that this issue is not about a lifestyle need, but instead about a medical necessity. The drug company, Pfizer, had little or no influence on the design or results of the study, according to Nurnberg. He and many of the other authors disclosed financial ties to Pfizer and varied drug makers.

Women, Antidepressants and Viagra

Women who suffer from sexual side effects during an antidepressant regimen are nearly three times more likely to abruptly stop taking SRIs, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as are other women on these antidepressants, earlier research showed. And women who participated in the new study continued with their regimen of SRI antidepressants during the eight-week test period. Some SRIs consist of medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa and Anafranil.

Study Reviews Mixed

Clinical psychologist and director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, Julia Heiman, noted that this study was somewhat small with important but moderate effects. It doesn't disclose a broad new prototype for women who have sexual troubles. Within this group of women, this avenue could be somewhat helpful, and could be sufficient to make a change.

Pink Viagra and Women's Health

Meantime, various other studies persist to search for a "pink Viagra," centering on women's prescription usage for testosterone patches, a combination estrogen-testosterone dosage of an antidepressant that acts differently from the SRIs.

If you have questions about women and Viagra, consult your physician for a more detailed health analysis.