Fluoxetine-Induced Genital Anesthesia Relieved by Ginkgo biloba Extract

Sir: Among the many published cases of antidepressantinduced sexual dysfunction, a relatively infrequently reported phenomenon is genital anesthesia, the diminution or loss of pain, pressure, and touch sensations in the vulvovaginal area or penis. Genital anesthesia has been associated with fluoxetine treatment in one woman, whose vulvovaginal anesthesia was confirmed by "needle prick" testing. A man receiving fluoxetine 20-60 mg/day developed numbness of the glans penis.