Hey Ladies, Viagra might work for you, too (but there are side effects) …
According to The New York Times* and washingtonpost.com**:
We’ve heard over and over again that, while Viagra can be effective with guys, woman can forget it. So wouldn’t you know that a new study would come out suggesting that if you’re a woman who takes anti-depressants and suffers the sexual side effects — difficulty achieving orgasm — Viagra might help.
The maker of Viagra, Pfizer, financed the study which appears in the current issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers compared Viagra effects with that of a placebo in a study including 98 women over eight weeks. The woman, whose average age was 37 with none entering menopause, had reported at least one month of sexual dysfunction from taking antidepressants. (Interestingly, more than half the people who take antidepressants develop sexual problems, particularly those who take Prozac, Paxil, Celexa and other drugs that increase chemical serotonin in the brain.)
The study result: 72% of the women given Viagra reported overall sexual improvement; 27% of those taking the placebo reported such gains. Criteria used was arousal, enjoyment and orgasm. Desire didn’t figure into the equation.
There is a downside to the study — uncomfortable side effects. Women taking the Viagra suffered headaches, reddening of skin, and indigestion at a higher rate than those taking the placebo. Also, desire and arousal were not noted among the benefits.
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*The New York Times, Vital Signs by Bina Venkataraman, Nostrums, “Viagra May Benefit Some Women, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, pg F6.
**washingtonpost.com, “Women on antidepressants may benefit from Viagra” by Carla K. Johnson, The Associated Press, Tuesday, July 22, 2008
