Assessment of sexual drive and desire in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder who have been treated with fluoxetine

Objective To explore the impact of treatment with fluoxetine on sexual drive and desire (SDD) in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Methods Data were collected during a randomised, controlled, double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy of fluoxetine 20 or 60 mg/day versus placebo in the treatment of women with PMDD. Study subjects rated their SDD on the Premenstrual Tension Scale, Self Rating (PMTS-SR) during their follicular and luteal phases of the placebo run in cycles and the double-blind treatment cycles. Data were analyzed using chi-square test. Results Data were available for 184 subjects who rated their SDD during the follicular and luteal phases of two baseline (placebo) cycles and the following two treatment cycles. There was a trend for more women on fluoxetine to report improvement in luteal phase SDD compared to women on placebo (P=0.057). Conclusions Our data, contrary to expectations, suggest that fluoxetine treatment may restore SDD in women who experience decreased SDD as part of a cluster of symptoms associated with PMDD. Future trials with SSRIs should include specific measures of sexual functioning to further examine the potential beneficial versus side effects of these medications as they relate to phases of the menstrual cycle.