MEDICATION TREATMENT FOR SEX ADDICTION

1. SSRI

• An SSRI (Seroetoninergic) A seroetoninergic medication is any medication that modifies the effects of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a chemical produced by certain brain cells which acts as a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters facilitate communication between the axons of brain cells. As such, serotonin is one of the regulators of mood, appetite, and sleep. Another primary effect of serotonin is to regulate the intestinal tract movements. Serotonin uptake in this area of the body increases gastrointestinal motility among other things. Serotonin’s cognitive functions include memory and learning.  Modulation of serotonin at brain synapses is thought to be the function of a class of antidepressants which are called SSRIs, The list of SSRIs is:
  • Prozac-one of the first antidepressants on the market, the activity of prozac was first observed in 1975 by scientists at the Eli Whitney Co. The USA granted the Eli Whitney Co a patent on Prozac in 1985, which expired in 2001. Generic versions are now availble. Prozac is used for the treatment of :
    • major depressive disorder
    • obsessive compulsive disorder
    • bulemia nervosa
    • panic disorder
    • menstrual dysphoric disorder
    • trichotillomania after cognitive therapy has failed

• Paxil
  • Paxil has been on the market since 1992. It is marketed by the company SmithKleine Beecham, which changed its name in 2001 to GlaxoSmithKleine.  Generic versions of Paxil have been available since 2003 when it’s USA patent expired. Paxil is used for the following conditions:
    • Depression
    • Panic Disorder
    • Social Anxiety Disorder
    • Obsessive-Compulsive disorder
    • Menopausal Hot Flashes
    • Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive disorder
  • Zoloft
    • Zoloft has been available since 1991, when Pfizer introduced it. It is a very popular drug, having been prescribed over 41 million times in 2013.  This makes it the most popular antidepressant in the US and the second most prescribed psychiatric medication on the US retail market.  It is used for:
      • Major depressive disorder in adult outpatients
      • obsessive-compulsive disorder
      • panic disorder
      • social anxiety disorder
      • These last 3 disorders are considered appropriate for both children and adults to receive Zoloft..
      • • Celexa
        • Celexa has been available since 1998. There are no generic equivalents to Celexa at this time. Celexa was first synthesized i1972 by the scientists at Lundbeck Pharmaceutical company and was first marketed in Denmark in 1989.  It was first marketed in the US in 1998. The patent expired in 2003, but no generic versions were found.  Celexa is approved for the following uses:
          • Major depression
          • Panic disorder

It also has the following off-label uses:

• anxiety
• panic disorder
• dysthemia
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• body dysmorphic disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • It has been found to reduce the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy
• Luvox
• This drug was first synthesized in 1983, and introduced to the market in Switzerland and West Germany that year. It was approved by the FDA in 1994, and is available in India. One of the oldest SSRI, it was the first to be approved for obsessive-compulsive disease in children.
  • In the US, its only FDA approved use is as a treatment for OCD in both children and adults. However, in other countries it is also used for:
    • Major Medical Depression
    • panic disorders
    • social anxiety disorder
    • PTSD
    • obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders
    • some evidence suggests it may be a useful adjunct to schizophrenia, helping to improve the negative depressive and cognitive symptoms of the disorder.
  • Lexapro
  • Lexapro was developed in a close cooperative effort by Lundbeck and Forrest Laboratories. This development took place in 1997, and the application to the FDA was submitted in 2001. It was approved by the FDA for use in major medical depression in 2002 and for generalized anxiety disorder in 2003.  In 2006 Forrest Laboratories was granted an 828 day extension on its patent.  That extension expired in 2011.  So far, no generics have been formulated.
    • This drug is used for the following diagnosis:
      • Major medical depression—US
      • Generalized Anxiety Disorder—US
      • Other countries
        • Major Depressive Disorder
        • Generalized anxiety disorder
        • Social Anxiety Disorder
        • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
        • panic disorder with or without agoraphobia
      • Naltrexone
      • Naltrexone is a drug used either as a daily oral medication or as an injectible “depot drug” on a monthly basis, or as a newly developed implant which must be renewed every several months. The advantage of the depot drug and the implant are that the patient is not required to see the doctor as often as they would if they were on the naltrexone pill. There is also an increased compliance rate as the patient only sees the doctor once per month or once every several months. Since this drug (as all psychopharmacuticals) has better results when the drug levels in the blood are steady, the implant gives the best results followed by the drug depot and then the pill.
      • Naltrexone is used for the prevention of alcohol consumption and the prevention of opiate relapse after detox.