Talk to your doctor about side effects of antidepressants; consider other remedies to help you cut back on or eliminate medication.

Study: Knowing about the sexual side effects of some medications makes things easier.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Drugs classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft), and others, are notorious for causing sexual dysfunction. However, a recent study presented at the Society for Sex Therapy and Research’s annual meeting found that if doctors talk to patients about the possible sexual side effects, those adverse effects are usually less severe.

THE DETAILS: Researchers in this small study asked 92 patients who had just started taking SSRIs for depression to fill out questionnaires on sexual function and satisfaction, psychological symptoms, and SSRI use, at the start and again after two and eight weeks. Twelve of the participants were put in a control group, while the others received online information regarding sexual side effects of the drugs. Those who received the information reported fewer sexual problems.