Reply to Letter to the Editor "Methylphenidate and SSRI-Induced Sexual Side Effects"

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The suggestion that psychostimulants, particularly methylphenidate, could reverse the sexual side effects associated with serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is intriguing. Empirically, since other dopamine agonists (such as amantadine) may be effective for relieving sexual dysfunction associated with SSRIs, it seems reasonable to assume that methylphenidate would be effective as well.

However, in our case series we were using methylphenidate primarily to augment the antidepressant response to SSRIs.