The New Intimacy

Antidepressants and Libido / Orgasm Response (private voting)

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Contributor: Antipova Antipova
The topic of antidepressants and their effect on sex drive has come up in the forum before, but not in poll form.

I'm curious about how many people who have taken antidepressants have seen a hit to their sex drive / orgasmic response, and how many people have taken antidepressants and not had a problem with that. (If you tried a few which failed, but eventually found your "right one" whose side effects were minimal for you, vote that you didn't have a problem.

Feel free to explain your vote in a comment, or discuss anything else, if you're comfortable---but don't feel compelled to if you're not.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
On antidepressants, my libido or orgasmic response took a hit.
48  (48%)
On antidepressants, my libido or orgasmic response didn't suffer.
11  (11%)
I've taken antidepressants, but I'm not sure if there was a big difference.
9  (9%)
I've taken antidepressants, but my thought isn't a poll option.
4  (4%)
I've never taken antidepressants.
27  (27%)
Total votes: 99
Poll is closed
08/19/2011
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Contributor: froggiemoma froggiemoma
Mine went up
08/19/2011
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
I haven't even wanted to masturbate since I started on antidepressants again, so it's been ... almost two months without anything sexual. Nothing. Good thing Master is in another country.
08/19/2011
Contributor: Starkiller87 Starkiller87
Ive said this in other threads but mine always made me not want sex but still want to masturbate. Its like I didnt want to be with my partner because of my body chemistry. I had that problem with quite a few meds maybe 5 or 6 over the years. There have been about another 5 or 6 that haven't effected my sexy drive but the other side effects were just too much to stay on them.

Its really just a research and trying thing. I know everyones body is different but if you research meds on which will do this to your sex drive it seems like it's always the same few for everyone. I mean there is a chance it wouldnt happen to yourself but I have found it to be the same. Trial and Error till the ends of times.

I gave up my meds after 10 plus years of being on and off them. Im trying to do homeopathic things, which sounds like a bunch of bs but its been working for me. And I have severe severe depression problems. And I must say my sex life is wonderful now.
08/19/2011
Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
(Review Program Mentor)
My boyfriend went on them and we noticed a bit of a drop in his libido, but a lot of our lower sexual activity was because of the way that they affected his mood!
08/19/2011
Contributor: Tuesday Tuesday
I've never taken them but a friend of mine told me that she wants sex more since she started taking Lexepro. Even though its supposed to suppress libido, she feels better on it, so she wants it more.

Slightly off topic, I was just reading that certain antidepressants can cause some people to have repeated spontaneous orgasms.
08/19/2011
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I have depression/anxiety and have been on and off meds, and nothing kills my libido. I HAVE had dryness and difficulty orgasming from one of the meds though.
08/20/2011
Contributor: Sunshineamine Sunshineamine
I have depression related to panic and anxiety disorder so my doc put me on citalopram. Started taking me by myself twenty+ minutes to come and with my partner up to an hour. Sex drive lowered. It sucked. The meds were not working anyway, they were actually making my anxiety worse and since I stopped the antidepressant and just use XANAX when U need it I am back to normal. Horny bitch here.
08/20/2011
Contributor: BellaDonna2884 BellaDonna2884
I've never used antidepressants but I have several friends who have and they all claim to have experienced decreased sex drive.

Slightly off subject my ex had some mental health issues and was on anti-psychotics. Apparently one of the common side effects of these meds is impotency in men. His drive seemed to be fine but his body didn't always cooperate. Also, his semen had a very unpleasant chemical taste as a result of the medication. Are these symptoms also common with antidepressants?
08/20/2011
Contributor: Purpleladybug Purpleladybug
You are most likely to have the side effect of low sex drive with an SSRI such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, and Paxil. Other antidepressents that work in differnt ways such Cymbalta, and Wellbutrin are shown to not affect sex drive. I personally am on Wellbutrin XL 150 once a day and have noticed an increase in sex drive. So if you don't want to take that chance I suggest talking to your Dr. about use an alternative to SSRI's.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Tori Rebel Tori Rebel
I've never had an issue with my sex drive being affected but all the antidepressants I've taken have affected my orgasm response. On paxil my ability to orgasm was gone within days of beginning the drug. On Wellbutrin it took about 2 months. On Effexor it took about 4 months and while I can orgasm on it, it's very difficult. Thankfully my depression was just a combination of my pre-existing anxiety and some conditions in my life, and now that things are better I'm getting weaned off of them.
10/23/2011
Contributor: The Curious Couple The Curious Couple
I've never taken antidepressants, but I'd be worried about an effect like this!
10/23/2011
Contributor: - Kira - - Kira -
I've taken many antidepressants and they all kill my sex drive. I now take a cocktail of medications that do not include antidepressants because of that reason.
10/23/2011
Contributor: Hot'n'Bothered Hot'n'Bothered
I'm on zoloft, honestly I haven't noticed a difference....
10/23/2011
Contributor: bluidbomsh3ll bluidbomsh3ll
I have been on and off antidepressants over the years and they all hit my sex drive hard. I am now on pristiq and it actually works the oppisite for me. It helps me feel more energized and up rather than down or zombie like so that has helped increase my mood. I wont take anything else now. This is the one for me.
10/25/2011
Contributor: arewehavingfun? arewehavingfun?
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is actually known to cause an increase in libido as well as orgasmic response for many clients using this anti-depressant. It is prescribed either along, or as an adjunct therapy to a primary anti-depressant. It is also prescribed "off label" for men and women with a delayed orgasmic response (anorgasmia). An "off label" use of an approved medication is when a physician prescribes something for a condition that has not undergone the lengthly process of being approved by the FDA. Some examples are buproprion, as described above and other anti-depressants known to cause delayed orgasmic response are prescribed to men with "premature ejaculation".

Good advice is if you are having some problems with any medication, discuss it with the prescriber and a pharmacist. If one medication is not effective, or the side effects are troubling to you, in the vast majority of cases there are other meds that can be prescribed. There are few drugs that are the only med in it's class--an example would be Viagra, prior to Cialis and Levitra. For several years Viagra was the only med approved for ED, so if that didn't work, there was no other oral option.

Do not stop taking any meds without notifying the prescriber. Many, many meds can be dangerous if abruptly stopped--may produce a withdrawal effect--I am not referring to opioids, which everyone things are the only meds that can cause a withdrawal.
10/27/2011
Contributor: sweetcaroline sweetcaroline
my boyfriend, who is on anti depressants,only orgasms half of the time we have sex. I've been thinking it's linked but it'd hard to get him to talk about it.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Chirple Chirple
I feel like birth control had a much bigger impact on my sex-drive than antidepressants, I didn't notice any change when I started taking the latter.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
Quote:
Originally posted by arewehavingfun?
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is actually known to cause an increase in libido as well as orgasmic response for many clients using this anti-depressant. It is prescribed either along, or as an adjunct therapy to a primary anti-depressant. It is also ... more
My response has changed since my last post and it has to do with your response.

I started taking Wellbutrin in mid-September and have a more normal (for me) libido now (without anti-depressants my libido is so sensitive, I could almost get off just by thinking about sex). While switching between Zoloft and Wellbutrin I had to go through a withdrawal period that was really awful (I was given a week to taper my Zoloft dosage, which isn't long enough), so personal experience says that anti-depressants cannot be stopped without side effects. (Mine were nausea, headaches, short-temper, and weepiness.)

Master is pleased that I'm more interested in sex now, even if we are long-distance. Although I miss him more fiercely now.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Lucky21 Lucky21
I have never taken anti-depressants, though I have dated people who have, and lets just say everytime I've seen a drop.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
The topic of antidepressants and their effect on sex drive has come up in the forum before, but not in poll form.

I'm curious about how many people who have taken antidepressants have seen a hit to their sex drive / orgasmic response, and ... more
OMG I went on antidepressants and my libido skyrocketted but I couldn't orgasm! I was a miserable wreck and went to my Doc and she very nastily told me that sexual side effects were a guarrantee and I could either 'put up' with the 'mild effects' or deal with the depression. Mild effects??!!?? I had dreams about sexually attacking the next guy who came to my door and I would stare at my husband wildly, crying because I couldn't orgasm and my body was screaming for it. So NOT a mild reaction for me. I left the drugs behind and learned to deal with the depression.
12/06/2011
Contributor: callsignhusker callsignhusker
My fiancee was on them for a while, she was not interested in sex at all. However I don't know if it was worse with the medicine or without them, as depression hits the libido hard as well.
01/02/2012
Contributor: solita solita
All of the ones I have tried didn't affect my libido at all-- except for Wellbutrin, which increased it.
01/05/2012
Contributor: Teacookie Teacookie
bipolar, adhd, obessive, aurgophobem post traumatic stress syndrom and anxiety. more pills the more thin my vaginal walls seem to get. otherwise I'd have to say it improved my sex life. The chemical reaction from sex is a great stimulas and fights depression. The only issue is getting intreasted. Often I just give in to my man and let him have fun then near the end I'm screaming oh yeas etc.
01/06/2012
Contributor: Teacookie Teacookie
bipolar, adhd, obessive, aurgophobem post traumatic stress syndrom and anxiety. more pills the more thin my vaginal walls seem to get. otherwise I'd have to say it improved my sex life. The chemical reaction from sex is a great stimulas and fights depression. The only issue is getting intreasted. Often I just give in to my man and let him have fun then near the end I'm screaming oh yeas etc.
01/06/2012
Contributor: AndromedaJane AndromedaJane
I've taken so many different antidepressants. The libido hit seems to fade somewhat with time.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Lano4ka Lano4ka
Antidepressants do lower the libido but so does depression so you kinda stuck picking the lesser of the bad
02/19/2012
Contributor: PropertyOfPotter PropertyOfPotter
I had to come off from my antidepressant because of my sexual response. I wanted sex just as much, but I had a really hard time coming to orgasm. It would take over an hour and I couldn't even do it to myself any longer. It was effecting my relationship and making me feel worse about myself. It really helped with my anxiety, but I guess the cons outweighed the pros, I need my orgasms!!!
02/19/2012
Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
The topic of antidepressants and their effect on sex drive has come up in the forum before, but not in poll form.

I'm curious about how many people who have taken antidepressants have seen a hit to their sex drive / orgasmic response, and ... more
Only thing I have taken with any "psychoactive" properties is coffee...every morning, two cups. Without it I know I am less "libido and everything else" active. With it, I hum along. Never been on medical antidepressants, however, so cannot address that. Hubby was on muscle relaxants after shoulder and knee surgery and they can effect "male performance", as expected.
02/19/2012
Contributor: mistressg mistressg
Quote:
Originally posted by The Curious Couple
I've never taken antidepressants, but I'd be worried about an effect like this!
Same.
02/19/2012