| Disease | IN AN OPEN TRIAL GINKGO BILOBA, AN EXTRACT DERIVED FROM THE LEAF OF THE CHINESE GINKGO TREE AND NOTED FOR ITS CEREBRAL ENHANCING EFFECTS, WAS FOUND TO BE 84% EFFECTIVE IN TREATING ANTIDEPRESSANT-INDUCED SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION PREDOMINATELY CAUSED
BY SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIS,N+63). WOMEN (N=33) WERE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE SEXUALLY ENHANCING EFFECTS OF GINKGO BILOBA THAN MEN (N=30), WITH RELATIVE SUCCESS RATES OF 91% VERSUS 76%. GINKGO BILOBA GENERALLY HAD A POSITIVE
EFFECT ON ALL 4 PHASES OF THE SEXUAL RESPONSE CYCLE: DESIRE, EXCITEMENT (ERECTION AND LUBRICATION), ORGASM, AND RESOLUTION (AFTERGLOW). THIS STUDY ORIGINATED FROM THE OBSERVATION THAT A GERIATRIC PATIENTS ON GINKGO BILOBA FOR MEMORY
ENHANCEMENT NOTED IMPROVED ERECTIONS. PATIENTS EXHIBITED SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION SECONDARY TO A VARIETY OF ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS INCLUDING SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR (SSR1S), SEROTONIN AND NONREPINEPHRINE REUPTAKE INHIBITOR (SNRIS)
MONAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITOR (MAOIS), AND TRICYCLICS. DOSAGES OF GINKGO BILOBA EXTRACT RANGED FROM 60 MG QD TO 120 MG BID (AVERAGE=209 MG/D). THE COMMON SIDE EFFECTS WERE GASTROINTESTINAL DISBURBANCES, HEADACHE, AND GENERAL CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM ACTIVATION. |