Riluzole

[poorlawyer]

Hello, thank you for reading my question,
Im 23 and I take Riluzole for treatment-resistant OCD. Riluzole is the only thing I take. Im having severe trouble with sexual function including anorgasmia, arousal, and getting and keeping an erection. I was reading that the glutamate process can have an effect on sexual function http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~hull/neuroendocrine.htm
and http://www.molecularbrain.com/content/2/1/9
is there any possibility that my issue could be caused by Riluzole or do you think it is caused by something else? I obviously have chemicals that are off in the brain, but I have never been entirely anorgasmic and with this severe sexual dysfunction. thank you.

[Carrie Fu, PharmD]

Thank you!

[poorlawyer]

Doctor Carrie,
Thank you for taking the time to review my question, I really appreciate it. Doctor Pettinger was the one who suggested I try the Riluzole and it works great for OCD. But it seems to have some bad sexual side-effects. I thank you very much for reviewing my question and I hope you have a great day.

[Carrie Fu, PharmD]

Dear poorlawyer:

Thank you for submitting the question.

Riluzole is approved by the FDA to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)", a progressive neurodegenerative disease. ALS is also referred to as the "Lou Gehrig's Disease". It is not FDA-approved for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients currently.

However, some clinical trials had shown evidence that riluzole, a glutamate antagonist, may be beneficial in these patients. Dr. Christopher Pittenger at Yale is currently conducting a clinical trial on "Riluzole Augmentation in Treatment-refractory Obsessive-compulsive Disorder". The study is on-going but no longer recruiting participants.

If you'd like to find out more about the clinical trial, please go to ClinicalTrials.gov:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00523718

Responsible Party: Christopher Pittenger, Principal Investigator, Yale University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00523718
Other Study ID Numbers: YOCD-1
Study First Received: August 29, 2007
Last Updated: April 23, 2013

In regards to your question about the riluzole's adverse effects, the most common side-effects observed in the clinical trials were: asthenia (abnormal physical weakness), nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, vomiting, etc. There were reports of impotence and priapism (prolong, painful erection of penis) but they were infrequent, which means the rate of occurrence are between 1/100 to 1/1,000 patients.

Based on the reported clinical data, there is a possibility that your symptoms may be due to riluzole. However, I can't be conclusive since I do not have your complete medical information. If your medical problem persists, it is important for you to consult your physician for further clinical evaluation.

Good luck!

For more information on riluzole and OCD, please go to:
1. Riluzole - Daily Med
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=97457622-5727-4b07-9e72-edd784b2d76d

2. Riluzole Medication Study for Treatment Refractory OCD - Anxiety and Depression of America (ADAA)
http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/clinical-trials/Riluzole-Medication-Study-for-Treatment-Refractory-OCD

3. An Open-label trial of Riluzole, a Glutamate Antagonist, in Children with Treatment-resistant Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, Grant P, Lougee L, Hirschtritt M, Swedo SE, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2007 Dec;17(6):761-7. doi: 10.1089/cap.2007.0021.