Inappropriate verbal and physical sexual behaviour is not common among individuals with dementia, but when it does occur, it can have profound consequences. We report a case of 79-year-old woman with dementia of the Alzheimer's type who complained of increased libido after an increased dose of donepezil, which was being used along with tianeptine. Donepezil withdrawal led to the resolution of increased libido, but when it was reintroduced, increased libido reappeared once again (Naranjo score: 7). Increased libido was not reported by the patient during the 6-year follow-up period after donepezil withdrawal. A potential mechanism of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor-induced increased libido and the current literature on hypersexuality as a side-effect of donepezil treatment are discussed.
Keywords: adverse effects; dementia; dementia of the Alzheimer's type; donepezil; increased libido.
© 2015 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2015 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.