Sex and SSRI's

One of my main problems at the moment is that my mental health medications are killing my sex life. I've got anxiety issues and I was on Lexapro about a year and a half ago, and it worked well, but I stopped because I had problems getting hard and climaxing. Now recently I've been under a ton of stress and the anxiety went into full force. So I was put on Zoloft and I seem to be having issues with sex again.

From what I have read, SSRI's as a drug class seem to have a very high rate of sexual side effects. However overall they seem to be the safest type of anti-depressants. So has anyone here experienced performance issues with SSRI's? Was there one or a combination that worked better or was Viagra the solution?

 

Hi Shagg

Have you discussed this specific issue with your doctor? I believe there can be substitutes which have the desired main mental health effect, but which, depending on the person, are less hampering of sexual ability. My source for this information is 'something I read on the internet a couple of years ago'. My main point being that seeking fine tuning of your medical prescription is better than 'stopping' the medication. My personal experience is based on Statins - drugs to lower cholesterol: my doctor mentioned for me to take inventory of myself for presence or absence of leg-pains, because some formulas invoke that in some people but not in others.

All the best.

 

I went on Zoloft for three years after 9/11. I had a sister working for the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States. It was not a good time then. I learned to much that week. Through me into a panic and didn’t eat for a couple of weeks, barely could get ensure down.
Zoloft did the trick, but killed my sex drive completely... Not to mention I wanted food all the time. Just like smoking weed.

 

Add another echo to the discussion crowd. Due to a horrible misdiagnosis, my wife was on Lexapro then Zoloft for a while. Her sex life went from out of this world (I couldn't get a moment of rest basically) to zero. No, make that negative to the umpteeth degree. Thankfully, I got her in with one of my docs at Duke and they figured out she didn't have any problems that required that kind of treatment. It took a few weeks for her to return to "normal", but at least it leveled out and things are looking up..and down now

There are a multitude of substitutes that can help, but some people will just have zero sex drive no matter the mental drug treatment. I'm a strong advocate of a second opinion when a diagnosis requires a major lifestyle change. I'm not going to go into the whole "anti-depressants et al are massively over-prescribed" issue I have, but it can't hurt to do a little research and get a referral to a well known and respected doctor that focuses on the area that you are having an issue in. They may have a different diagnosis or a different method that works better for you. At this point, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Good luck!

 

WHo is prescribing for you? I hope you are working with a psychiatrist and not a PCP. As others have correctly pointed out, SSRI's are way overprescribed (most don't need 'em). Is your prescirber aware of current research? You should be asking some questions...

 

I don't have any first hand experience with this, but I've heard many anecdotes of people having to try 4, 5, 6, or more different medications until they found one that treated their mental disorder and had an acceptable level of side effects. Assuming your psychiatrist was thorough in his or her diagnosis and medication is the best option for your condition, discuss the side effects and explain that you're not willing to compromise sex drive. If nothing works for you, there may be alternatives depending on your particular condition -- CBT has proven effective for anxiety disorders but does little or nothing for depression, both of which can also be treated with SSRIs. Like rogue49 said, don't be afraid to get a second opinion if you feel your doctor is looking at it in a way that downplays side effects that impact your life.

 

When I was on Effexor, I could last a long time, but it also got to be hard to have an orgasm at the highest dose.

The researchers need to look into what happens to normal people after they have an orgasm. Porn or achieving another orgasm doesn't have the same draw. I wonder if SSRIs are impacting the brain in the same way?

 

Yes, I'm being prescribed by my pcp. I trust him and he's been my primary for 20+ years. However, once I figure out how my mental health program works I'll be setting an appointment with a psychiatrist. I know I have issues that require more than a chemical solution. I had performance issues before the drugs and I don't even know if my mind is latching onto the side effects as an excuse to explain why I can't get it up and/or orgasm with any regularity.

 

No, no, PCP's are often guided down the garden path by drug company reps. You should not be taking SSRI's prescribed by somenone outside of the psychiatry specialty. Please see an appropriate specialist ASAP.

 

Your PCP is doing what he/she thinks is best for you, but there's a good reason people take the time to specialize in fields such as psychiatry and that experience gives them an edge over your regular doctor in treating psychiatric conditions.