Call Toll-free: 1-888-333-93-63 (9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET)
Advanced search

Jan 6 / 2021

Drugs and pharmaceuticals: very different effects according to sex

We analyze the effect of different drugs and pharmaceuticals according to the sex of the user.

It seems quite intuitive to think that drugs do not affect men and women equally, but many of the studies carried out on drugs (before launching them on the market), are not carried out on women, arguing that menstrual cycles may affect the results of the studies.

Same drugs but different effects according to sex

Another more concrete example is that of pregnant women. Pregnant women do not participate in trials of this type, for obvious reasons, but this leads to some long-term problems, such as not knowing the effects of such substances during the pregnancy period. Thus, a woman with a bipolar disorderas has been shown, needs a higher dose of the drug Lamictal to control her depression. control her depression during pregnancy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew 8 out of 10 drugs from the market because they posed greater health risks to women than to men. 8 out of 10 drugs from the market because they carried greater health risks for women than for men..

In addition, the likelihood of side effects is higher in women than in men. women between 50 to 75 percent more likely compared to men.

The following are some types of drugs and the different effects they can have depending on the sex.

Analgesics

  • Opioid analgesics are more effective in women. more effective in women.. It is believed that this is a consequence of estrogen fluctuationsas estrogen fluctuations affect sensitivity to pain..
  • The overdoses of analgesics are more frequent in men than in women.
  • Women women find it more more difficult to "unhook" from from drug use.
  • In the event of addiction, women are more likely to relapse. women are more likely to relapse.The reason for this is that during some periods of the menstrual cycle, Blood glucose levels drop, and these in turn are related to the capacity for self-control.

Antidepressants

  • Women respond better to SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
  • Men, on the other hand, seem to benefit more from tricyclic antidepressants..
  • The fact that certain antidepressants have better effects on women better effects on women is due to the fact that their blood has less binding capacityThe female stomach is less acidic, so their hemoproteins absorb less foreign substances.
  • The female stomach is less acidic than the male one, this makes SSRIs absorbed, it seems, more quickly, thus accentuating their toxicity..
  • Another important point is that the greater percentage of fat in women also increases your body's ability to retain antidepressants for longer periods of time..

Hypnotics

  • Zolpidem (a type of hypnotic) and other sleep inducers are more easily broken down by humans. (a type of hypnotic) and other sleep inducers more easily.
  • Women, on the other handOn the other hand, women retain more of these drugs in their livers, which can affect them. affect to a greater extent throughout the day.

Anxiolytics

  • The fact that the woman less acidic stomach than men may contribute to the fact that women feel the effects of anxiolytics more strongly than men. anxiolytics more stronglyincreasing the levels of toxicity toxicity of the doses.
  • As women women filter drugs more slowly, they must allow more time between doses, they should allow more time between dosesespecially with regard to the consumption of benzodiazepines (one of the most common anxiolytics).
  • As with antidepressants, fat facilitates longer retention of anxiolytics in the body, increasing the risk of side effects and toxicity at lower doses. side effects and toxicity at lower doses.

Antipsychotics

  • The information available on the effects of antipsychotics according to sex has been based mainly on first-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol (a type of antipsychotic widely used at the end of the 20th century). These have been shown to be more effective in women than in men. Men require higher doses to obtain the same results..

Anticonvulsants

  • The hepatic enzyme CYP3A4 [1], which is particularly active in women womenmakes these drugs less effective than in men. less effective than in men.

Conclusion

Despite the lack of studies on this subject (in fact, these results are among the few that exist), this is a marginalized but extremely important field of study. marginalized but extremely important field of studyThe drugs could be better adapted to each gender, taking into account gender differences, thus avoiding unnecessary risks. For this reason, the FDA announced that it will intensify its efforts to the FDA announced that it will intensify its efforts to take such differences into account in upcoming clinical trials..

Author's notes:

[1] The CYP3A4 enzyme is responsible for metabolizing xenobiotic compounds in the body, or in other words, it is responsible for processing compounds that do not occur naturally in the human body, such as most drugs.


(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)

Some of the trademarks used in this Web Site appear for identification purposes only.
All orders are reviewed by a licensed physician and pharmacist before being dispensed and shipped.
The statements contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The statements are for informational purposes only and is it not meant to replace the services or recommendations of a physician or qualified health care practitioner. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.