Antidepressant treatment, although it is effective to improve the manifestations of major depression, may also induce or exacerbate some symptoms of sexual dysfunction. Symptoms such as decreased libido, anorgasmia, delayed ejaculation, erection difficulty or dyspareunia, affect the quality of life of the subject who suffers and the self-esteem, can lead to lack of adherence to treatment and in accordingly, the relapse of depressive symptoms. Serotonergic antidepressants are frequently associated with the onset of sexual dysfunction in sexually active patients exceeding 70%. Clinicians underestimate the actual incidence of dysfunction as the technical specifications of drugs show lower levels than 25% and spontaneous reports of patients do not exceed 20-40%.

Vortioxetina is a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin (5-HT) and is also an agonist of the 5-HT1A partial agonist 5-HT1B and an antagonist of 5-HT3, 5-HT1D and 5-HT7. Apparently, this molecule at doses of between 5 and 15 mg is safe and effective and does not cause sexual dysfunction. It is a well-tolerated and safe, with low incidence of sexual dysfunction.

To evaluate the action we have evaluated sexual dysfunction in patients with major depression before receiving treatment vortioxetina (whether state or not previously treated with other antidepressants) and at 2, 6 and 12 months after starting treatment with the drug. So we’ve used the SALSex scale (Scale for measuring sexual dysfunction secondary to psychotropic drugs).

The results of this study are still being analyzed.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.