By Jimmy Downs

Wednesday Oct 31, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Like all drugs, antidepressant use can cause side effects.  For instance, antidepressants can cause sexual arousal  difficulties in women although the magnitude of this side effect varies by type, according to a study in International Journal Psychiatry and Medicine.

M. Midi from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia and colleagues compared two antidepressant medications escitalopram and fluoxetine in women whose depression was in remission in past two months and found more sexual arousal problems with use of fluoxetine than escitalopram. 

In the study, treated either with fluoxetine or escitalopram were 112 women with depression whose conditions were in remission in the past two months before attending the pschiatric clinic, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medican centre for treatment.

Overall, 41.1% women in the study had sexual arousal difficulties.  The rate of sexual arousal difficulties was found at 50.0% in women who were treated with fluoxetine, compared to 32.1% in women treated with escitalopram, although the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed those who used higher doses of antidepressants were four times as likely as those who used lower doses to experience sexual arousal difficulties.

The researchers concluded "The risk of sexual arousal difficulties was higher in female patients who were treated with higher doses of either fluoxetine or escitalopram."

The safer way to treat depression may be nutritional therapies as many nutrient deficiencies have been found associated with depression.

Karen M. Davison and B. J. Kaplan from University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada published a study in Journal of American College of Nutrition saying men and women with mood disorders like depression are at risk of suffering nutrient inadequacies and having too much of certain nutrients.

The study compared serum levels of certain nutrients and nutrient intakes in 97 men and women aged 46 on average who had bipolar or major depressive disorders, with Dietary Reference Intakes and British Columbia Nutrition Survey (BCNS) data.

A large percentage of the patients had significant lower intakes of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, phosphorous, zinc, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, compared to the standard intakes.

Dietary supplements help reduce the prevalence of nutritional inadequacy, but certain percentage of participants had intakes of niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels by 1 to 8%.

Certain types of medications like antidepressants were associated with lower intakes of thiamine and phosphorous; higher calcium and iron intakes were correlated with anti anxiety drug use; and higher magnesium intakes were associated with increased use of mood stabilizers.

The researchers concluded "Adults with mood disorders are at risk for many nutrient inadequacies, as well as occasional excesses; social, demographic, and clinical factors may affect their nutrient intakes."