Management of sexual problems due to antipsychotic drug therapy.

Drugs commonly used to treat schizophrenia often cause sexual problems. This may affect erection, lubrication, orgasm, desire or libido, ejaculation, sexual arousal or overall sexual satisfaction. This may have serious negative consequences such as putting people off taking their medication or stopping taking drugs at an early stage. Sexual problems may limit a person’s quality of life, worsen self-esteem and cause relationship problems. Strategies to manage these sexual problems are taking additional drugs (Viagra TM), short drug holidays when people temporarily stop antipsychotic medication, reduction of dose and switching to another antipsychotic drug.

Read the full summary here: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD003546/management-of-sexual-problems-due-to-antipsychotic-drug-therapy

From a service user perspective (SUPER), having a mental health problem can affect all aspects of life and limit people’s quality of life.  People with mental health problems face difficulties in education, employment, stigma and social exclusion.  Having a mental health problem, combined with side- effects from medication, can make you feel very tired and reduce being able to feel emotions such as pleasure, satisfaction and happiness.  People may also experience sexual and relationship problems.

Many partners of people with mental health problems who I have spoken with say that mental illness has changed the person they love, so that they are almost unrecognisable.  They feel that they have lost the person they love, causing problems of intimacy and trust in sexual relationships.

Having a mental health problem can make you feel like a non- person, whose views, life and sexuality feel like they are unimportant and eroded. 

Several strategies to manage sexual problems are mentioned (such as additional drugs like Viagra, short drug holidays when people temporarily stop antipsychotic medication, reduction of dose and switching to another antipsychotic drug).  Talking therapies, such as psychotherapy and sex therapy, may also help to improve people’s relationships and sex lives.