How could Stephen Bloom fail to mention Viagra as one possible solution for some of the sexual problems that so frequently accompany these drugs?

I am a 50-year-old woman who has been using Viagra to help me achieve orgasm since I started using Zoloft three months ago. Like many of Bloom's examples, I was willing to exchange the anguish and pain of my depression and anxiety for my sex life, but my doctor, bless him, was not so willing. Although Viagra is not approved for women (and thus not covered for them by prescription drug plans), some doctors are prescribing it to women for this reason. I'm sure Viagra won't work for everyone and it can't give you the desire for sex. But if your problem is the frustration of achieving orgasm, it might just be the answer.

-- Ev McElroy

I've been taking St. John's wort for over a year and have seen a HUGE improvement in the way I feel and the reduction in stress, depressive mood swings and anxiety attacks. My friends have noticed the difference in me as well.

While studies on St. John's wort have not really defined why SJW works, many psychiatrists and non-medical therapists agree that for many of their depressed patients it is effective, with NONE of the loss-of-sexual-appetite side effects. Not for seriously depressed (i.e., suicidal) or for the manic-depressive, but great for those of us anxiety-ridden folks with debilitating black moods. Only downside that I can see is an oversensitivity to sunlight, which can be alleviated by wearing a high-octane sun block. It's also much cheaper, since you can buy SJW over the counter at health food stores, herbal outlets, even in the medical section at Wal-Mart!

-- Stacy Selmants

Your article on sexual dysfunction was well done, but one suggestion that was made was a bit alarming. I'm not sure about the other drugs you mentioned, but I've been taking Effexor for almost two years, and you can't just "take a holiday" from it for a few days. Unlike some of the other antidepressants, Effexor has some fairly unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and requires tapering off. If I miss even one scheduled dose, within a few hours I have dizziness and a very unpleasant buzzing sort of sensation in my head. You might want to check this out a bit more. I'd hate to see someone take your advice and end up in the emergency room instead of enjoying a weekend of sex-filled bliss.

-- Robin

I am genuinely sorry for anyone that has a dramatically decreased sex drive resulting from taking an SSRI. However, I am tired of hearing antidepressants described as "happiness pills." Some lucky souls may experience euphoria beyond reason, but most of us have been relieved just to get the hell out of the pit we were in.

God bless modern medicine -- whatever its failings. Only a fool would go back to the 19th century.

-- Phil Ford

I was on Zoloft, a sister drug of Prozac, for a year. I'm sure what I experienced could be called sexual dysfunction, however, I found this dysfunction much to my liking. It must be said that I was a 20-year-old male, so my standard arousal pattern was rapid and violent; Zoloft softened and slowed my libido, ultimately making arousal more pleasant and sustainable. This sexual dampening would be more alarming for one whose sexual impulses were already weak, however, for large portions of the population, this sexual dysfunction can be a welcome release. To call it a sexual dysfunction presumes that the hornier you are, the better. This is simply not true. As one who was way too horny a few short years ago, I must object to this presumption.

-- Carl Olson

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