Sexual dysfunction can take many different forms, including:
- No interest in sex
- Difficulty becoming aroused
- Lubrication issues in women
- Erectile dysfunction in men
- Trouble achieving orgasm
While sexual dysfunction happens for many different reasons, it’s a known side effect of several types of medications. That includes antipsychotic drugs, which are often used to manage schizophrenia, explains Suraj Modi, MD, psychiatrist at Orlando Health Medical Group Behavioral Health in Florida.
Researchers say one reason this occurs is due to the way these meds affect dopamine receptors.
Dopamine is both a hormone and a brain chemical that’s related to motivation, mood, attention, and memory. Cleveland Clinic notes that its main role is as a “reward center” in the brain, and it can influence feelings of pleasure and arousal. Dampening dopamine can improve many schizophrenia symptoms, but it also raises the level of a protein called prolactin, which reduces sex drive at higher amounts, says Dr. Modi.
The surge in prolactin stops your brain from sending out another chemical called gonadotropin releasing factor (GnRH), which then causes your body to make less of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.
“This ripple effect of lower dopamine, increased prolactin, and lower GnRH can significantly affect sexual function,” Modi says. “Stronger dopamine blockers like risperidone are more likely to cause this, while other medications like quetiapine or aripiprazole are less likely.”
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