New Study Compared Sexual Functioning of Patients Treated with Wellbutrin XL Versus Effexor XR...

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"Sexual functioning worsened in patients with major depressive disorder treated with Effexor XR as compared to patients treated with Wellbutrin XL, according to the results of a new study presented yesterday at the 18th Annual U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress.

This is the first head-to-head 12-week study to compare the impact on sexual functioning of Wellbutrin XL, the once-daily norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), to the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine XR among patients with major depressive disorder. Wellbutrin XL has been previously shown to have a lower risk of sexual dysfunction as compared to the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Lexapro(R) (escitalopram oxalate) in similarly designed studies.

The study showed statistically significant worsening in sexual functioning among patients with major depressive disorder who were treated with Effexor XR, regardless of baseline sexual function and despite improvement of depressive symptoms.

Effexor XR negatively impacted multiple domains of sexual functioning as compared to Wellbutrin XL, including desire/interest, desire/frequency and orgasm. Sexual function was not impacted by Wellbutrin XL.

In the U.S., 10 percent of women and 4 percent of men over the age of 18 now take antidepressants. But, of these, as many as 59 percent may experience sexual side effects as a result of their medication.

'People taking antidepressants are often reluctant to discuss sexual side effects with their doctor and many believe that all treatments are the same,' said Anita Clayton, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, and lead author of the study.

'This trial provides comparative data on which to base treatment decisions for those patients who express concerns about or experience sexual side effects.'"