Prolonged Post-Treatment Genital Anesthesia and Sexual Dysfunction Following Discontinuation of Citalopram and the Atypical Antidepressant Nefazodone

SSRI therapy is commonly associated with sexual side effects, but it is assumed that these distressing symptoms resolve with termination of therapy. The atypical antidepressant nefazodone is infrequently associated with sexual dysfunction and may be substituted for SSRI's when sexual symptoms are intolerable. Recently, scattered case reports of persistent sexual dysfunction and genital anesthesia persisting well after termination of SSRI antidepressant therapy have surfaced. In each case, the underlying depressive disorder was in remission.