Sexual complaints related to desire, arousal, orgasm and painful intercourse are common in women. Since the last Medical Letter article on this subject, some new information has become available.

Varenicline tartrate (Chantix - Pfizer) is now available for oral treatment of tobacco dependence. Some other drugs for this indication are listed in this article.

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is generally used for initial treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). A serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, and others), and mirtazapine (Remeron, and others) are reasonable alternatives. Improvement in symptoms can occur within the first two weeks of treatment with these drugs, but a substantial benefit may not be achieved for 4-8 weeks.

View the Expanded Table: Some Drugs for Smoking Cessation

The injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist liraglutide, previously approved by the FDA for treatment of type 2 diabetes as Victoza, has now also been approved at a higher dose as Saxenda (Novo Nordisk) for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI ≥30, or a BMI ≥27 with a weight-related comorbidity such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes.

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 are considered overweight. Those with a BMI ≥30 are considered obese. The initial recommendation for any weight loss effort is to achieve a 5-10% reduction in weight, which has been associated with a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Diet, exercise, and behavior modification are the preferred methods for losing weight, but long-term weight maintenance can be difficult. Several drugs and devices are FDA-approved for weight reduction and maintenance of weight...

Nefazodone (Serzone - Bristol-Myers Squibb) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of depression. A phenylpiperazine, nefazodone is chemically related to trazodone (Desyrel, and others).

Venlafaxine hydrochloride (Effexor - Wyeth-Ayerst) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of depression. An aminomethyl-benzyl- cyclohexanol, it is chemically related to bupropion (Wellbutrin).

Augmentation with a second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic is a treatment option for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) whose symptoms persist following antidepressant monotherapy. Aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine in a fixed-dose combination with fluoxetine (Symbyax), and extended-release quetiapine (Seroquel XR) have been approved by the FDA for such use.

In 2011, the FDA asked the manufacturers of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram (Celexa, and generics) to lower the maximum daily dosage of the drug because of a dose-related increase in the QT interval. Since then, some of our readers have asked whether escitalopram (Lexapro, and generics), the active enantiomer of citalopram, could have the same effect.