Girlfriend unable to orgasm...
 

So this woman i've been seeing for awhile was put on zoloft a few months ago due to some family issues. Before that I would say we had a great sex life but now while her libido is just as high she's unable to orgasm (even when stimulating herself) which is becoming increasingly frustrating for both of us. I'm at the point where I feel kind of guilty and don't really enjoy/want it as much because when we do try as we might it's pretty one sided.

I did some reading here and on the web and it seems it's a pretty common side effect, especially with women, on these types of medications. Is all hope for a satisfying sexual experience lost? Any hints other than to relax?

Thanks for much for your help and insight!

I recommend she ring up the doctor and request a change of medication. Those types of side effects are not meant to be tolerated.

I had this same problem many years ago. I took the drug as a migraine prevention method. It had the same effect on me. It also made me super depressed and tired- so much that I could hardly get out of bed each day. I quickly went back to the dr. and said that it was not working for me. Once I stopped zoloft, all was normal again. While on the meds, there was no hope for me!

I have to agree with the other two posts. The only way to fix this is to switch medications, or stop taking them all together.

Most of these types of medications have sexual side effects.

Screw that, no pun intended. I'd rather be happily horny and crazy, than sane and not be able to get off.

Try being "crazy" for a bit, and get back to us.

Yeah, side effects are supposed to be reported. I know, for her, it's a huge pain in the ass going through the ween off and the ween on process again but tell her it's worth it. You should look at Wellbutrin. I'm not an MD obviously, but I have a lot of experience in anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds. Wellbutrin has a great track record.

There are most definitely medications out there other then zoloft - who knows she might have the same side effects but ... well worth trying. Just off the top of my head I can think of

Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, Marplan, Lexapro, Celexa, Luvox and Citalopram

Course being a nurse helps with coming up with the list :p

I second trying Wellbutrin. It has the least sexual side effects of any of those.

Prozac, Effexor, and Celexa are high on the list of bad side effects.

Really? Cause I was on Celexa for years without any sexual side effects, and I had a boyfriend on Wellbutrin who couldn't orgasm (he had the same issue on Zoloft).

Like with a lot of medications, one SSRI might have certain side effects for one person but none for another. Someone close to me had problems with Zoloft but none with Celexa, and tried Lexapro (which is a derivative of Celexa that supposedly has fewer side effects) before switching back to Celexa (Celexa is available as a generic, citalopram, which is cheaper). I stuck with Celexa, then the generic citalopram, for several years until weaning myself off.

Does she exercise? Regular exercise (cycling, yoga, walking, sports) made a huge difference in my depression, and made me feel so good I was able to stop the medication, and I've been unmedicated for over a year now. I would really urge anyone on an SSRI to periodically review their need for such a medication, as there are a lot of behavioral things that can be done to get away from the usage of medication.

The other issue could be dosing; sometimes the doctor just prescribes a default dosage without really evaluating the patient's need for a higher dose. It may be that she can get by with a lower dosage. This is tricky, though, as adjusting dosages on SSRIs can sometimes come with nasty side effects, including horrible dizzy spells, depending on how it's done.

Regardless, she should certainly be talking to her doctor about other options.

I've probably been given more meds than half of this forum. I was a teenager though. Like I said, horny trumps sanity.

I guess it is just different for everyone. I had a BF who couldn't orgasm on Celexa, but was fine on Welbutrin.

I took paxil for a little while years ago and I was able to fuck like a stallion, but couldn't cum............and it didn't bother me at all. nothing really bothered me. it was strange, I just didn't give a fuck.

I dated this girl who was taking effexor, and she had the same problem your girl is having - she wanted to fuck, but couldn't get off...and it didn't bother her that she didn't. It bothered me and only because of that it bothered her, but bottom line it was the meds that were stopping orgasms in both cases.

fuckin' anti-depressants are weird!

you and your girl have to decide what is better - do the meds make her generally a happy person and able to deal with life OK? and if she's not taking them does she feel like a total head case? if so, then sorry but it's better to not have the O face then to feel so negative when she's not on the meds. stopping meds isn't an option, because if she does, chances are 6 months from now you won't be together.

and remember, it might get you down because you feel like you can't satisfy her, but she's still enjoying it, and you have to know it's not you that's stopping her..

Crazy is more of a state of mind. I don't believe you'll be quite in the mood when you get there to decide if you'll like it better than any other state of mind. Or you'll be able to even consider it, as you've made it to being considered "crazy". Or if you'll trust your own judgement at that point. ;)

And good point Mikec. :)
Talk is cheap. Best thing is to talk to her about what would be best for the both of you. If of course other meds aren't the answer. And of course providing a better enviornment as best you can to avoid the meds would be most preferable. :D