Do you take any psychoactive medications (Anti-depressants/mood stabilizers/etc) and do you think they effect your capacity to orgasm?

Contributor: livingadnauseum livingadnauseum
I've been having some conversations recently with people about how I need some super intense stimulation to get off (hitachi magic wand on high directly on the clit for more than 15 minutes intense) and realized that it's been more difficult for me in the past few months than it has been for me in the past (although it's always been hard, no pun intended). The only difference between now and earlier this year is that I started taking an anti-depressant and I know that several psychoactive medications have a negative impact on sex drive (which is a major reason why several people don't take them). So I'm curious if anyone else out there is taking any kind of medication or has in the past and noticed a negative impact like having more difficulty in achieving climax or needing progressively more intense stimulation to reach orgasm.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
Yes, I take medication and it makes it hard to orgasm.
27  (28%)
I take medication, but I don't think it has any impact on my orgasm.
29  (30%)
I take medication, but I know it doesn't have any impact on my orgasm.
4  (4%)
No, I don't take any medication.
38  (39%)
Total votes: 98
Poll is closed
10/02/2011
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Contributor: DeliciousSurprise DeliciousSurprise
I do not take medication now, but I have been on medications that destroyed my ability to orgasm.
10/02/2011
Contributor: livingadnauseum livingadnauseum
Quote:
Originally posted by DeliciousSurprise
I do not take medication now, but I have been on medications that destroyed my ability to orgasm.
If you don't mind my asking, what was the medication? I have a friend who was on Zoloft, I believe, and she said she was just flat out not able to climax while taking it. I personally don't take it and one of the reasons why I'm so curious is because Buproprion (the medication I DO take) is remarkable in that it's supposed to be one of the few commonly available psychoactive drugs that doesn't impede sexual performance and has even been used to treat sexual dysfunction in men. But everyone's biology is different, so the medication may still have something to do with it.
10/02/2011
Contributor: DeliciousSurprise DeliciousSurprise
Quote:
Originally posted by livingadnauseum
If you don't mind my asking, what was the medication? I have a friend who was on Zoloft, I believe, and she said she was just flat out not able to climax while taking it. I personally don't take it and one of the reasons why I'm so ... more
Okay, my first statement wasn't true: I don't know if I could orgasm, just that my entire sex drive vanished when I took Effexor.

On the same hand, though, I do take benzodiazepines and they have no effect on my ability to climax, just on my ability to stay awake.


Every body is different, every body's effects will vary.
10/02/2011
Contributor: Gone (LD29) Gone (LD29)
I used to take Zoloft, and while I was on it I had absolutely no sex drive whatsoever. I could literally go months without thinking about sex. I don't know how it affected my ability to orgasm, because I never tried...
10/03/2011
Contributor: LadyDarknezz LadyDarknezz
I'm currently on Zoloft and have an insane sex drive. I think it all depends on the person. Some of the anti-depressants I've taken in the past lowered my sex drive considerably though.
10/03/2011
Contributor: Shellz31 Shellz31
Years and years ago I was on Aropax and it made it harder for me to orgasm. It didn't lower my sex drive, just made it hard to climax.
10/03/2011
Contributor: js250 js250
I was on Prozac 15 years ago and I had no problem with orgasms! Actually, that was when I was really able to relax and have multi's.
10/03/2011
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
The medication I'm on now doesn't impact my ability to orgasm. I have been on medications in the past that have made it very difficult - namely Zoloft and Wellbutrin. Wellbutrin, as has been mentioned, is supposed to be sex neutral. I didn't have such luck. I also found Risperdol gave me some serious sexual side effects but I could still orgasm while on it.
10/03/2011
Contributor: LQ LQ
I take Lamictal & Cymbalta. I don't have any problems with orgasm, but I have some problems with losing my sex drive. I just started the Cymbalta a few months ago & first time I could tell it was working was when I suddenly started going "Hey! Sex! Sex is cool! I should have some!" LoL.
10/10/2011
Contributor: zeb zeb
Most meds do have a sexual sideeffects
10/12/2011
Contributor: Tori Rebel Tori Rebel
When I was on Paxil, I could NOT orgasm. There was not enough power in the world in any toy or person to get me off. I couldn't even come close. I'm on Effexor now and for the first few months everything was fine, and it's a little more difficult now but I'm ok with using a stronger toy or having to play a little longer, in trade for the positive effects of the drug.
10/12/2011
Contributor: prettysilly prettysilly
My boyfriend takes an anti-depressant, which severely decreased his sex drive. It's difficult a lot of the time.
10/23/2011
Contributor: CS2012 CS2012
I take medication, but I know it doesn't have any impact on my orgasm.
10/24/2011
Contributor: Gracie Gracie
In 1997 I took prozac for 6 weeks. (post partum depression) I believe it kept me from being able to orgasm. My Dr said only men experience sexual side effects. I now have a new Dr.
12/12/2011
Contributor: null null
I do not take medication, and libido/orgasm slumps are one of the reasons why.
12/12/2011
Contributor: Chirple Chirple
I've heard of the side-effect, and had been watching for it, but now after over 90 days, I have not noticed any change.
12/21/2011
Contributor: Megan Jean Megan Jean
I've been taking an anti-depressant for 3 years now, and THANKFULLY it hasn't affected my libido. That was something I was very worried about before starting the meds.
12/21/2011
Contributor: Taylor Taylor
I was taking prozac a few years ago and while it didn't affect my desire for sex, I just could not have an orgasm while I was on it no matter how hard I tried. It was incredibly frustrating.
12/21/2011
Contributor: voenne voenne
I did notice a different in sex drive when I was on certain meds, but my being depressed alone has made it much lower or nonexistent. No sure about the orgasm bit. I just started on new medications last week, but am so far not sure. I actually heard one of the side-effects for this particular type of medication actually increased restlessness/sensitivi ty and libido. We'll see.
12/21/2011
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
I was on Zoloft for a long while and it really affected my drive - in fact, I started taking it just two days after I got an assignment from here and I had no interest in even taking the toy out of the box when it arrived (I didn't look at the toy until so much time later that it was discontinued). I stopped taking it for about a month and my drive shot through the ceiling - three times in five minutes sort of drive, but I became an insanely bitchy monster harpy, so I got put on Wellbutrin and that's evened it out. My drive isn't as intense, but neither is my temper.

And it really is how it interacts with body chemistry. My mother's one of the .0005% that had renal failure when she took Zoloft, but all it did for me was make me pleasant and kill my drive. So, anti-depressants can even affect family members differently.
01/28/2012
Contributor: freda freda
Quote:
Originally posted by livingadnauseum
I've been having some conversations recently with people about how I need some super intense stimulation to get off (hitachi magic wand on high directly on the clit for more than 15 minutes intense) and realized that it's been more difficult ... more
I don't take any medication
02/19/2012
Contributor: Eliyahu Eliyahu
I haven't taken any mood meds in quite a long time, but when I did, they always had some kind of effect on my dick...either on getting it up, keep,it up, or getting off.
02/19/2012
Contributor: Faeya Faeya
When I was on Zoloft, I had NO sex drive. I masturbated occasionally because I'd be bored and go "oh, yeah...ain't gotten off in a while!" I could still have orgasms, but they took longer and just weren't all that awesome. Now, I'm not on meds, but I still have depression issues and crap, so sometimes I still have no sex drive, but at least I can get off just fine if I do decide to have sex.
03/10/2012
Contributor: Zombirella Zombirella
Quote:
Originally posted by livingadnauseum
I've been having some conversations recently with people about how I need some super intense stimulation to get off (hitachi magic wand on high directly on the clit for more than 15 minutes intense) and realized that it's been more difficult ... more
I don't have a problem. Sometimes it takes an effort to get me in the mood though, but that could be normal because I've been on anti-depressants since I was 11 so I've never experienced sex without being on meds. This is kinda embarrassing but I'll share it anyways, I do think it affects my ability to stay moist down there no matter how turned on I am. My fiance will say it feels fine, but to me I feel like I HAVE to use lubricant. I've been on different things (only one thing at a time) and nothing seemed to cause any problems with me having an orgasm or wanting sex. Stress/fatigue causes more of a problem for me. I was on Zoloft before but unlike others have mentioned, it didn't change anything sex wise for me.
03/10/2012
Contributor: LusciousLollypop LusciousLollypop
When I was on Zoloft.. It was harder, not impossible, but I wasn't really.. horny on that medication. I have now been switched to an amazinggggg anti-depressant drug called Viibryd. It is super new and it brought my sex drive right back with a god damn vengeance. I feel like a sex addict now. Good for my boyfriend, I guess. I still have those days where I am just NOT in the mood, but we all have those. I know Xanax makes me horny and sleepy and totally out of it so I am trying to lower the dosage of that slowly. (Since I have some major anxiety problems). I have been on a lot of medication..

Ativan made me super hyper but not horny and didn't even want to be touched.
Welbrutrin made me super hyper too but I had a sex drive.
Prozac out-right SUCKED. I would never recommend it. Sex drive = Gone. Orgasm = you'll neverrrrr have one.
Cymbalta made it so i couldn't sleep well and i was too tired to be horny.


Zoloft was by far the worst. I hated the side-effects and it was soooo hard to get horny or in the mood or even think about an orgasm.

If you are on Zoloft, you should really ask your doctor about Viibryd. It is like.. Zoloft's amazing mother. They are in the same family of medications and is really just an improvement to Zoloft. Less side effects and gives me a nice sex drive.
03/10/2012
Contributor: kitty377 kitty377
I have a similar problem. But, if I'm stimulated too much I don't go at all, it has to be just the right amount at just the right time. It used to not be like this at all.
03/10/2012
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by livingadnauseum
If you don't mind my asking, what was the medication? I have a friend who was on Zoloft, I believe, and she said she was just flat out not able to climax while taking it. I personally don't take it and one of the reasons why I'm so ... more
Everyone is different. When I was on Prozac, it was difficult (but not impossible) to gain an orgasm. I went off of it, and switched (after several other drugs) to Zoloft, and it never gave me any problems.

I do have problems now, but that is due to hormonal changes, and HRT helps a lot.

Of course, depression itself can impact orgasm. I'm odd, when I'm depressed, I orgasm much more easily. I think my poor body and mind NEED the boost.

I'd advise that if you start having orgasm issues within 6 weeks of starting a new psychoactive or pain medications or even other drugs, talk to your doctor so that changes can be made. Sexual functioning is one of the most important issues in one's world, so doctors should take the issue of a drug causing sexual function seriously and change the drug. I've had this happen twice and both times demanded (VERY nicely, you don't get anywhere with health care workers not being nice) to try a different drug.

Usually SSRIs (a family of antidepressants) need to be weaned off of. Going off Cold Turkey can cause intense discomfort and sickness.
03/10/2012
Contributor: meezerosity meezerosity
I've been on a slew of different medications to treat mental illness since 13 and I have never had an orgasm. I feel it definitely has something to do with it but without my meds I cannot function normally due to my mental illnesses. I've not yet brought this issue up with my doctors but I'm working up the courage to do so.
04/14/2012
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I take Buspar (for anxiety) and it does not seem to affect me sexually in any way.
04/20/2012