Frequency of sexual dysfunction and other reproductive side-effects in patients with schizophrenia treated with risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, or haloperidol: the results of the EIRE study

J Sex Marital Ther. 2003 Mar-Apr;29(2):125-47. doi: 10.1080/713847170.

Abstract

Atypical antipsychotics seem to differ mainly in their tolerability profile. The aim of this cross-sectional study, the Estudio de Investigaci n de Resultados en Esquizofrenia (Outcomes Research Study in Schizophrenia; EIRE study), was to assess in a clinical setting the frequency of several side-effects related to haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. This article addresses sexual dysfunction and other reproductive side-effects (gynecomastia, menorrhage, amenorrhea, and galactorrhea). We recruited outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria and who had received a single antipsychotic (risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, or haloperidol) for at least 4 weeks. During a single visit, we collected data, including demographic and clinical characteristics, current antipsychotic and concomitant treatment, and adverse effects listed in a modified version of the UKU Scale. We used a Chi-squared test to determine pairs comparisons of the frequency of adverse reactions between treatments. To estimate risk of a given adverse reaction with a given treatment, we used a logistic regression method. We assessed 636 evaluable patients out of 669 recruited. Frequency of sexual dysfunction was high with haloperidol (38.1%) and also with olanzapine (35.3%), quetiapine (18.2%), and risperidone (43.2%). We found the frequency of other reproductive side-effects to be relatively low with all four drugs: haloperidol (6.9%), olanzapine (6.4%), quetiapine (2.7%), and risperidone (11.7%). Sexual dysfunction appeared to be dose-related with haloperidol, risperidone, and olanzapine. Risperidone and olanzapine showed a higher risk of sexual dysfunction and other reproductive sideeffects than haloperidol. Quetiapine showed a lower risk of sexual dysfunction during short-term treatment (< 12 weeks). However, data on longer-term treatment (> 12 weeks) are lacking. Our results suggest that none of the atypical antipsychotics that we studied significantly improved sexual dysfunction and other reproductive side-effects of the conventional antipsychotic, haloperidol, in stabilized patients during long-term treatment. Quetiapine appears to improve this profile during short-term treatment; however, longterm data, with larger samples, are required with this latter drug.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amenorrhea / chemically induced*
  • Amenorrhea / epidemiology*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Dibenzothiazepines / adverse effects
  • Dibenzothiazepines / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Galactorrhea / chemically induced*
  • Galactorrhea / epidemiology*
  • Gynecomastia / chemically induced*
  • Gynecomastia / epidemiology*
  • Haloperidol / adverse effects
  • Haloperidol / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Olanzapine
  • Pirenzepine / adverse effects
  • Pirenzepine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Pirenzepine / therapeutic use*
  • Prevalence
  • Quetiapine Fumarate
  • Risperidone / adverse effects
  • Risperidone / therapeutic use*
  • Schizophrenia / drug therapy*
  • Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / chemically induced*
  • Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / epidemiology*

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Dibenzothiazepines
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Quetiapine Fumarate
  • Pirenzepine
  • Haloperidol
  • Risperidone
  • Olanzapine