Sexual Function During Bupropion or Paroxetine Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Sidney H Kennedy, MD, FRCPC 1, Kari A Fulton, BA, CCRC2, R Michael Bagby, PhD 3, Andrea L Greene, BA4, Nicole L Cohen, MA5, Shahryar Rafi-Tari, MSc6 Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate sexual function (SF) separately in men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and during treatment with bupropion sustained release (SR) or paroxetine. The secondary objectives involved a comparative evaluation of the Sex Effects Scale (Sex FX) and the Investigator-Rated Sexual Desire and Functioning Scale (IRSD-F), as well as a comparison of antidepressant outcomes and an examination of the relation between level of depression and SF over time. Method: There were 141 patients (68 women and 73 men) who met DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode. They were randomly assigned to receive bupropion SR (150 to 300 mg daily) or paroxetine (20 to 40 mg daily) under double-blind trial conditions. Patients were assessed at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17), Sex FX, and IRSD-F. Results: Prior to treatment, women reported significantly lower SF on both the Sex FX and IRSD-F scales, compared with men. During treatment, there were no significant drug differences on measures of SF over time for women; however, men who were treated with paroxetine reported a worsening of SF, whereas bupropion SR did not significantly alter SF. Both bupropion SR and paroxetine produced clinically and statistically significant reductions in HDRS17 scores as well as comparable rates of response and remission. There was a statistically significant correlation between the 2 measures of SF at all visits. There was also a significant inverse relation between depression and SF in women, but not in men, irrespective of drug. Conclusion: According to the Sex FX scale, a significant difference in antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction was detected in men, but not women, during treatment with bupropion SR or paroxetine.
Information on funding and support and author affiliations appears at the end of the article. Clinical Implications · Systematic evaluation of SF before initiating and during antidepressant therapy is an important
· The Sex FX is a simple clinician-administered measure of SF. · Paroxetine and burpropion influence SF differently in men and women. Limitations · There was no placebo control group in this study. · Difference between men and women on Sex FX scores may have been influenced by uncontrolled
variables; including personality dimensions or anxiety.
· The diagnosis of MDD and severity of depression rather than the impairment of SF were the primary
entry criteria, which coincidentally resulted in significantly higher baseline SF scores for women inthe paroxetine group.
W Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006
Sexual Function During Bupropion or Paroxetine Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Key Words: sexual function, depression, bupropion,
Although pharmacologically unrelated to other antidepres-
sants, bupropion SR has demonstrated efficacy comparable toSSRIs (15) and is generally considered to have a low inci-
Impaired SF, particularly decreases in desire and arousal, dence of drug-induced sexual dysfunction (4). This
has been reported in over 50% of untreated men and women
double-blind comparator trial was conducted to assess the rel-
with depression (1,2,3). Antidepressant medications may also
ative effects of bupropion and an SSRI on SF, efficacy, and
interfere with SF, often resulting in orgasmic or ejaculatory
safety. We selected paroxetine as the active comparator
difficulties (4,5,6). This can lead to patient dissatisfaction as
because of its wide spread use and broad range of indications
well as decreased compliance with treatment (7). Men and
women with depression may also experience these effects dif-
The objectives of this study were threefold. The primary
ferently. For example, Montejo and others found that men
objective was to evaluate SF separately in men and women
reported a higher frequency, while women reported greater
with depression who met criteria for MDD—current MDE
severity, of sexual dysfunction (8). There is also evidence that
before and during treatment with bupropion SR or paroxetine.
men report more orgasmic impairment than women during
The secondary objectives were to compare the Sex FX with
SSRI treatment (9,10) and are less likely to report improved
the IRSD-F, and to compare antidepressant outcomes with an
SF over the course of treatment (11). A direct relation between
examination of the relation between level of depression and
antidepressant response and improved SF has also been
SF over time. The study was not designed with adequate
reported in women, but not in men (5).
power to detect significant differences in antidepressant
The Sex FX was developed as a brief comprehensive scale
effectiveness between the 2 antidepressants.
that applied equally to men and women (figure 1). It has been
We hypothesized that there would be differences between
evaluated in drug-free, depressed, (2) and nonclinical popula-
reported SF in men and women prior to antidepressant treat-
tions (12). In general, women reported lower scores on indi-
ment and that paroxetine, but not bupropion, would adversely
vidual subscales (Drive–Desire, Arousal, Orgasm–
affect SF in both men and women during antidepressant treat-
Ejaculation) and overall satisfaction, compared with men.
ment with a significant correlation between the 2 SF scales
This scale also discriminated between drugs during antide-
overtime. We further hypothesized that both antidepressant
pressant treatments (5,13). Since the scale has not been previ-
agents would demonstrate significant reductions in severity of
ously compared with other measures of sexual dysfunction,
depression and that there would be a direct relation between
we selected the IRSD-F because of its face validity with
antidepressant response and SF in women but not in men.
DSM-IV criteria for sexual dysfunctions and its use in previ-ous trials (10,14) involving various SSRIs and bupropion. Patient Population Abbreviations used in this article
Subjects were outpatients between age 18 and 65 years who
currently met DSM-IV criteria for MDD—current MDE of at
least 4 weeks duration. They were also required to have a min-
imum score of 18 on the HDRS17 (16), to be in good physical
health, to report sexual interest and activity within the past
month, and to be willing to complete the assessments and
questionnaires over the course of several clinical visits. In
addition, they were required to be free of any antidepressant
use for a minimum of 2 weeks (4 weeks for fluoxetine) beforeinitiating treatment with either study medication. Concomi-
tant treatment with psychoactive medication, whether pre-
scription or over the counter, was not permitted, except for the
hypnotic zopiclone (up to 7.5 mg at night) during the first
2 weeks. Women of child-bearing age were also required to
have a negative pregnancy test and to use an acceptable con-
Exclusion criteria included serious suicide risk (> 3 on the
HDRS17 “suicide” item), more than 2 failed trials of antide-
pressant medications at adequate dose and duration during thecurrent episode, drug abuse or dependence within the past 12
Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006 W
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Original Research
months, and a history of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder,
or organic disorder. We obtained research ethics board
approval at each participating site as well as written informed
consent from each patient prior to study enrolment. Study Design
Patients from 15 sites across Canada were randomly assigned
to a double-blind, flexible-dosage trial of bupropion SR (150
to 300 mg daily) or paroxetine (20 to 40 mg daily). They were
assessed at 5 study visits, each separated by 2 weeks, over an
8-week period. There was an option to increase the dosage of
either medication at Week 4 or Week 6, at the discretion of thetreating psychiatrist, up to 300 mg daily for bupropion SR
(maximum recommended dosage in Canada) (17) or 40 mgdaily for paroxetine. Measures ubscales) s
SF was assessed using the Sex FX scale, a brief 13-item
clinician-rated interview that takes approximately 5 minutes
to administer and evaluates the frequency of desire, arousal,
orgasm, and overall satisfaction during the preceding 2 weeks
in men and women. The 3 subscales of SF (Desire, 4-items;
Arousal, 4-items; Orgasm, 3-items) are rated on a 5-point
ordered-frequency scale. Reverse scoring is applied to some
items. The sum of scores on these 3 subscales provides a total
functioning score. Overall Satisfaction, which is a separatedimension, comprised 2 items, each scored between 0 and 10.
Higher scores are associated with better levels of SF or overall
paroxetine
SF was also assessed with the IRSD-F assessment, a clinician
administered interview developed to confirm the presence orabsence, according to DSM-IV criteria, of sexual desire dis-
bupropion
order, sexual arousal disorder, and orgasm delay or failure. It
also assesses overall satisfaction with SF, with 1 representing
very satisfied and 6 representing dissatisfied. A total score
was obtained by adding each of these 4 subscales. Higherscores are associated with reduced quality of SF. treatment
Depression severity was rated with the HDRS17 by psychia-
trists who achieved interrater reliability across sites. Response
was defined as a reduction of at least 50% from baseline to
endpoint, and remission was defined as a score of 7 or less on
Statistical Analysis
We performed statistical analysis using the LOCF method on
all subjects who took at least one dose of medication and com-
pleted at least a second visit. We used a 1-way ANOVA to
examine between-group and sex differences at baseline for
HDRS17 and Sex FX scales. To evaluate the changes over time
in the Sex FX ad the HDRS17, we performed an MMRM (18)ANOVA, controlling for random and nonrandom effects at
baseline and prospectively. We examined mean change from
W Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006
Sexual Function During Bupropion or Paroxetine Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
baseline to endpoint using within-subject paired t tests.
Pearson chi-square tests were used to compare response and
remission rates. All tests of statistical significance were per-
formed at a 2-sided alpha level of 0.05.
We performed Pearson correlations to examine the relation
between the Sex FX total and overall satisfaction scores with
the IRSD-F, separately for men and women. The relationbetween Sex FX and the HDRS17 over time was also evaluated
separately by sex using the Pearson correlation statistic. According to the Bonferroni correction to control for type 1
error, a P value of less than P < 0.001 was required for statisti-
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics
A total of 141 patients were enrolled; 68 were women (48%)and 73 were men (52%). The mean age was 37.8 (SD 10.5)
ubscales) s
years. Prior to a second visit, 10 patients (5 women and 5 men)dropped out and are not included in outcome analyses. During
the remainder of the trial, 21 patients (8 on bupropion SR and
13 on paroxetine) dropped out between Week 2 and Week 8.
There were no statistically significant baseline differences
between treatment groups with respect to demographics,dropout rates, or severity of depression. The dosage of
bupropion SR was increased to 300 mg daily in 38 (29%)
patients. In the paroxetine group, 25 (19%) patients receivedan increase to 40 mg. The mean dosage for bupropion was
178.5 mg daily. The mean dosage for the paroxetine group
paroxetine Differences in SF Between Men and Women Prior to treatment, there were statistically significant differ-
ences between men and women on Sex FX total, Desire,
bupropion
Arousal, Orgasm, and overall satisfaction scores (P < 0.001).
A one-way ANOVA yielded a significant main effect for sex(P < 0.001) across all visits for Sex FX scores, with the excep-
tion of Arousal at Weeks 4, 6, and 8, and Orgasm at Weeks 2,
6, and 8. Where significant differences existed between men
treatment
and women, women reported lower SF scores. For the
IRSD-F total score, a significant difference was also observed
across all visits between men and women, with the exception
of Week 6. Again, women reported greater levels of sexual
dysfunction than men. All further analyses of SF were there-
fore conducted separately for men and women. Women: Changes in SF During Treatment
A 1-way ANOVA revealed significant baseline differences in
Sex FX scores among treatment conditions (Sex FX total, P <
0.01; Desire, P < 0.01; Arousal, P < 0.01; overall satisfaction,
P < 0.01): women in the paroxetine group reported signifi-cantly lower levels of SF than women in the bupropion SR
group, on all comparisons. The MMRM analysis of change
Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006 W
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Original Research Table 3 Relation for men and women between IRSD-F and the Sex FX
aCorrelations are significant at the 0.001 level (2-tailed)
Table 4 Comparative efficacy of bupropion SR and paroxetine according to HDRS17 scorea
Response was defined as a reduction of 50%, and remitters were defined as those having a score of 7 or less on the HDRS17.
for Sex FX with visit, treatment, and visit-by-treatment inter-
was accounted for by a decrease in SF scores during
actions as effects in the model, and with corresponding base-
paroxetine treatment (Sex FX total, P < 0.002; Desire, P <
line scores included as covariates, revealed no significant
0.005; Arousal, P < 0.005; and overall satisfaction P < 0.057).
difference by visit, treatment, or visit-by-treatment on total,
The paroxetine group displayed a significant deterioration
Desire, Arousal, Orgasm, or overall satisfaction scores on the
from baseline to Week 8, on Sex FX total (P < 0.01), Desire
(P < 0.01), Arousal (P < 0.05), Orgasm (P < 0.01), and overallsatisfaction (P < 0.01) scores, whereas no significant change
Men: Changes in SF During Treatment
was observed in any of these measures across visits in men
There was no statistically significant difference in Sex FX
randomized to bupropion SR (Table 2).
scores between treatment groups for men at baseline (Sex FX,P = 0.50; Desire, P = 0.76; Arousal, P = 0.23; Orgasm, P =
Correlation Between Sex FX and the IRSD-F in Men
0.96; and overall satisfaction, P = 0.67). The analysis of
and Women
change for the Sex FX was conducted using the MMRM with
Concurrent validity of the Sex FX scale was evaluated by
visit, treatment, and visit-by-treatment interactions as effects
examining the correlations between Sex FX total and overall
in the model and with corresponding baseline scores as
satisfaction scores, and the IRSD-F total score. The results of
covariates. This revealed a significant treatment effect by visit
the correlational analysis are presented in Table 3. A statisti-
for Sex FX total (P < 0.001), Desire (P < 0.001), and overall
cally significant negative correlation was found for both men
satisfaction (P < 0.01). Paired t tests confirmed that this effect
and women between the IRSD-F total and Sex FX scores at all
W Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006
Sexual Function During Bupropion or Paroxetine Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Figure 1 SEX FX Scale
Both sexual interest and activity can be affected by depression. Some of the medications used to treat depression can also altersexual interest and activity
I am going to ask you a few questions about different aspects of your sexual life
DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU
Have an interest in initiating sexual activity
Have the ability to feel sexually excited (“turned on”)
(F) Have difficulty with vaginal lubrication
(M) Have an erection without being touched
Engage in sexual activity (intercourse or masturbation)
(M) Have difficulty staying erect during sexual activity
(F) Have difficulty staying lubricated during sexualactivity
(M) Take longer than you would like to ejaculate
(F) Take longer than you would like to have an orgasm
(M) Fail to ejaculate during sexual activity
(F) Fail to have an orgasm during sexual activity
OVERALL, if you have to give a number between 0 (worst case) and 10 (best case) how would you describe:
Satisfaction with your sexual functioning
Note: where indicated (M) = Males, (F) = Females2001 S.H. Kennedy & R.M. Bagby
visits, reflecting the inverse relation between function on Sex
between treatments or between men and women. Pearson
chi-square tests also yielded no significant differencesbetween treatment groups on HDRS17 scores response or in
Changes in Depression Over Time
There was no difference in HDRS17 scores at baselinebetween bupropion SR (mean 21.8, SD 2.9) and paroxetine
Relation Between SF and Depression
(mean 22.2, SD 3.6) groups or between men (mean 22.1, SD
We computed correlation coefficients separately for men and
3.1) and women (mean 21.9, SD 3.5). Repeated measures
women to examine the relation between Sex FX and HDRS17
ANOVA indicated a significant reduction over time for both
scores. To evaluate the relation between SF scores and
treatment groups (P < 0.01), with no significant difference
responder status (response > 50% reduction in HDRS17 score)
Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006 W
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Original Research
as well as remitter status (a score of 7 or less on the HDRS17),
antidepressant efficacy or response rates to paroxetine or
we conducted a 1-way ANOVA separately for men and
bupropion SR between men and women, there was a direct
correlation between change in SF and change in depression inwomen but not in men. This was true for both paroxetine and
For women, there was a significant negative relation across
bupropion and supports previous reports that effective treat-
visits between HDRS17 and Sex FX total (Week 0, 2, 4, 6, and
ment for depression is more likely to be associated with
8), Desire (Week 0, 4, 6 and 8) (see Figure 1), Arousal (Week
improved SF in women (5). In men, SF is more likely to be
6), Orgasm (Week 8), and overall satisfaction (Week 0, 2, 4, 6,
influenced by the type of antidepressant selected rather than
and 8) scores. There was no significant relation between Sex
FX and HDRS17 scores at any visit for men.
To be included in the study, patients were required to have
We found significant differences between women responders
experienced sexual interest and activity within the month
and nonresponders who received paroxetine on Desire (Week
prior to the study. This was a clinical trial designed to evaluate
6, P < 0.04), Arousal (Week 4, P < 0.05), and overall satisfac-
improvement or worsening of SF with 2 antidepressant
tion (Week 6, P > 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.04). Among those who
agents. Conversely, it did not allow an examination of
received bupropion, significant differences were observed on
depression patients who reported neither sexual interest nor
Sex FX total (Week 2, P < 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.01) and arousal
activity prior to antidepressant treatment or an examination of
(Week 2, P < 0.02; Week 8, P < 0.01).
those who might have been sexually interested and active
We observed significant differences between female remitters
and nonremitters in the paroxetine group on Desire (Week 2,
The effect of antidepressants on SF appears to be influenced
P < 0.01) and overall satisfaction (Week 6, P < 0.02; Week 8
by the extent to which each drug effects serotonin,
P < 0.05). Among those who received bupropion, significant
norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake inhibition; prolactin
differences were observed on Sex FX total (Week 8, P < 0.01)
release; and inhibition of NO synthetase (20,21). Among
and desire (Week 2, P < 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.02). There was a
commonly prescribed antidepressants, SSRIs are most likely
significant relation between improved SF and response or
to be associated with impaired SF (22,23). Paroxetine has
greater selectivity for serotonin reuptake relative to dopamine
For men, there was only a significant difference between
reuptake and increased cholinergic receptor blockade. It is
responders and nonresponders on overall satisfaction (Week
also an inhibitor of NO synthetase, which may explain the
6, P < 0.02) in the paroxetine group, and, no significant differ-
increased rate of impaired SF, compared with other SSRIs (5,
ences were observed across the Sex FX total and subscale
24). Conversely, bupropion, with a novel mechanism of
scores between responders and nonresponders in the
action involving dual inhibition of norepinephrine and dopa-
mine reuptake, is devoid of any direct effects on the serotonin
Significant differences between remitters and nonremitters in
the paroxetine group were observed on Sex FX Total (Week
There are several limitations to this study. Numerous factors
2, P < 0.03; Week 6, P < 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.02), Desire (P <
may influence the reporting of SF, including age, relationship
0.01), Arousal (Week 6 P < 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.01) and over-
status, comorbid illness, concomitant medications, and vary-
all satisfaction (Week 6, P < 0.01; Week 8, P < 0.01). We
ing dosages of medication. The diagnosis of MDD and sever-
observed significant differences on overall satisfaction
ity of depression, rather than impaired SF, were the primary
(Week 6, P < 0.04; Week 8, P < 0.02). In both cases male
entry criteria, and this coincidentally resulted in significantly
nonresponders and nonremitters reported worse levels of SF.
lower baseline Sex FX scores for women in the paroxetinegroup. Although this study excluded patients with comorbid
Discussion
psychiatric disorders, it is possible that anxiety symptoms
The Sex FX scale identified differences in scores between
may have been unevenly distributed between treatment
men and women with depression prior to antidepressant treat-
groups, which may have influenced the distribution of SF
ment, and differences between bupropion and paroxetine on
among women at baseline. There were roughly equal numbers
reported sexual side effects in men but not in women. Prior to
of men (53%) and women (47%) recruited to the study. While
treatment, women reported significantly lower levels of SF
this facilitated statistical comparisons between men and
than men. Men displayed deterioration in SF during treatment
women, it does not reflect the twofold increase in prevalence
with paroxetine but not during treatment with bupropion SR,
of MDD among women, compared with men, in the commu-
whereas there was no change in SF with either drug in women.
nity. Intimacy, stability of relationships, and sexual prefer-
Men and women also differed in the relation between antide-
ence are among the other factors for which we did not control.
pressant response and SF. Although there was no difference in
Although patients were randomized and treated under
W Can J Psychiatry, Vol 51, No 4, March 2006
Sexual Function During Bupropion or Paroxetine Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
double-blind conditions, there was no placebo control. We are
8. Montejo AL, Llorca G, Izquierdo JA, Villademoros F. Incidence of sexual
dysfunction associated with antidepressant agents: a prospective multicenter
therefore unable to report the extent to which differences in
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and adaptation. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:11–9.
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The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Original Research Résumé : La fonction sexuelle durant un traitement au bupropion ou à la paroxétine Objectif : L’objectif principal était d’évaluer la fonction sexuelle séparément chez les hommes et les femmes souffrant de trouble dépressif majeur (TDM) avant et durant un traitement au bupropion à libération prolongée (LP) ou à la paroxétine. Les objectifs secondaires comprenaient une évaluation comparée de l’échelle des effets sexuels (Sex FX) et de l’échelle de désir et de fonctionnement sexuel évalués par l’enquêteur (IRSD-F), ainsi qu’une comparaison des résultats des antidépresseurs et un examen de la relation entre le niveau de dépression et la FS avec le temps. Méthode : Il y avait 141 patients (68 femmes, 73 hommes) qui satisfaisaient aux critères du DSM-IV pour un épisode courant de dépression majeure. Ils ont été affectés au hasard à recevoir du bupropion LP (150 à 300 mg par jour) ou de la paroxétine (20 à 40 mg par jour) dans des conditions d’essai à double insu. Les patients ont été évalués à la ligne de départ, aux 2e, 4e, 6e et 8e semaines au moyen de l’échelle de dépression d’Hamilton en 17 items (HDRS17), de la Sex FX et de l’IRSD-F. Résultats : Avant le traitement, les femmes ont déclaré une FS significativement plus faible aux deux échelles, Sex FX et IRSD-F, comparativement aux hommes. Durant le traitement, il n’y avait pas de différence significative entre les médicaments aux mesures de la FS avec le temps chez les femmes; cependant, les hommes traités à la paroxétine ont déclaré une aggravation de la FS, tandis que le bupropion LP n’altérait pas significativement la FS. Tant le bupropion LP que la paroxétine produisaient des réductions cliniquement et statistiquement significatives des scores au HDRS17, ainsi que des taux comparables de réponse et de rémission. Il y avait une corrélation inverse significative entre la dépression et la FS chez les femmes, mais pas chez les hommes, sans égard aux médicaments. Conclusion : Selon l’échelle Sex FX, une différence significative de la dysfonction sexuelle liée aux antidépresseurs a été détectée chez les hommes, mais pas chez les femmes, durant le traitement au bupropion LP ou à la paroxétine.
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University of Mobile Implementation Procedure for Drug, Alcohol & Controlled Substances Testing Policy for Intercollegiate Athletes Purpose of Program To provide a deterrent to the use, misuse, and abuse of recreational and performance enhancing drugs. To provide a safer environment for participation in intercollegiate athletics. To provide information about the effects o
Divine Prozac: God’s Prescription for Worry and Anxiety We all struggle with our thoughts to one degree or another. For many people it is a constant battle to keep from becoming angry, frustrated, depressed, or worried. But in the midst of this battle, God has given us His Son, His Spirit, and His Word to fight these battles and to win them. He has also given us one specific passage of Script