AVOIDING ED AS A SIDE EFFECT: TAKING A DRUG “HOLIDAY”
Many of my patients who take antidepressant medications have adapted their sex lives to their use—a three-day medicine-free schedule, for example. Kirk was one such person. The thirty-eight-year-old, who had been under treatment for depression for several years, was overjoyed when he found that the regimen worked for him. “This is a
ED. The next step was to reintroduce the daily dose, but at lower levels terrific compromise,” he told me. “My depression is under control with Zoloft and I can enjoy my weekends. Life is good.”
I began using this alternative therapy after I read an intriguing 1995 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry by Dr. Anthony Rothschild. In his small sampling, Dr. Rothschild instructed the men to discontinue their SSRI drugs after their Thursday morning dose and restart them, at the same dosage, the following Sunday afternoon. After four weekends, Rothschild noted that there were no significant changes in the depression levels of those men who took the mini-drug vacations. However, there was definite improvement in both sexual functioning and satisfaction levels. According to him, antidepressant drug holidays worked best with men taking Paxil and Zoloft.
Note: Drug-free “holidays” are limited to non-life-threatening conditions where this option will work without risk to the patient. Discontinuing a beta-blocker, blood pressure medication, or diabetes drug can cause serious complications. If you take daily medication to manage conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, or asthma, don’t stop. Your most important job is to successfully treat your primary condition. Not taking a drug—even for a day—in order to achieve an erection is extremely dangerous to your health.
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