Clonazepam-related sexual dysfunction in male veterans with PTSD

Abstract

Medication-induced sexual dysfunction can significantly interfere with patients' quality of life and lead to poor compliance. This retrospective study examined the records of 100 male veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) selected in alphabetical order from an active treatment file of 230 patients. Forty-two patients had received clonazepam (mean maximum dose: 3.4 +/- 1.6 mg/day) at some point during their treatment. Of these, 18 (42.9%) complained of significant sexual dysfunction (primarily erectile dysfunction). Eighty-four patients received diazepam (mean maximum dose: 52.1 +/- 29.7 mg/day), nine received alprazolam (mean maximum dose: 5.2 +/- 2.8 mg/day) and eight received lorazepam (mean maximum dose: 3.8 +/- 2.4 mg/day). None of these patients complained of sexual dysfunction during treatment with these three other benzodiazepines. Our findings suggest that benzodiazepines, particularly clonazepam in the current study, can be a cause of sexual dysfunction in many male patients. Prospective studies comparing the overall clinical utility of various benzodiazepines are indicated in this and other clinic populations.