Those PI sheets lie about the prevalence of sexual dysfunction side effects from pysch meds. So, let's see the real deal here.

Hey, Libby...

It's funny that you put up this poll today. I was just thinking about this specifically yesterday.

I was on Paxil and the sexual side effects sucked major league. No interest. Couldn't...well, anyway.

Lexapro, same.

God, those SSRI's are from hell.

But anyway, I'm on Lamictal now and hmmm. Did someone stir in aphrodisiacs into this drug? I'd be curious to know if anyone else has noticed this....or am I just the shopper that got the 1000th lucky bottle of the stuff...

~Cat

Well, so far this poll isn't going the way I thought it would. haha. I should have added a second question about the type of drugs. I bet results would align closely. Antidepressants suck and mood stabilizers are ok. AP's? Not sure.

When I first started on Prozac 20 yrs ago, I did not have any sexual side effects. Until. They went up to 80mg because I was so depressed.

Ever since, I have had varying degrees of sexual side effects. Sometimes no orgasm. Sometimes delayed. The weirdest symptom of all was of having orgasms, but NOT feeling them. I mean I felt the physical contractions, but there was no pleasure associated with it! THAT was frustrating. Throughout all of it, there was no lessening of my libido.

The last time I had a lover, I found that liquid yohimbine worked like a charm.

Now on the Seroquel and Cymbalta, I'm finding that my libido is washing away too. That's really a drag.
I have a feeling it would come back, if I had a special someone in my life again. I hope!

Weight gain and sexual f*ckedupness are a taxing price to pay for only relative sanity. Still, I'll take it over paranoid insanity any day.

What the hell is sex? I don't seem to recall...

I didn't vote because my answer isn't up there. I would have voted for "Psych meds have improved my sex life." I went from twice a month when my dh pleaded for it to several times a week, often seeking him out. I've heard SSRI's had a rep for destroying libidos. I've never taken an SSRI personally but I suspect they would probably destroy mine, too. I did take the Depo-provera shot once, for birth control. It lasts for about 3 months from that one injection. And for 3 months I had zero sex drive. I joked that it was effective birth control because it caused abstinance. Is this a thread jack? Sorry...

I have a really weird reaction. I think , weirdly enough, Seroquel increases my sex drive and the number and intensity of orgasms. Adding Wellbutrin to the mix and I would probably like to have sex more than once a day. Unfortunately, I don't. The Seroquel has made me gain so much weight that Idon't even like looking at myself with clothes on, much less off. Also, my dh seems to be having sexual dysfunction or he is disgusted w/ my fat self. He never is into having sex. Hopefully he is not getting it somewhere else-someone who is not fat and crazy. mel1

I definitively had a higher drive while on Lamictal. No wonder, since it is an upper, so while it didn't make me quite hypo, it did bring me up from depression and depression = no sex drive. But it went beyond that...it did have an aphrodisiac-like effect.

As an aside, in the BP population antidepressants should improve sex drive by default, for the simple reason that it would make most of us manic? It was that way for me...

Antimanics/mood stabilizers I tried (Tegretol, Zyprexa, valproic acid) decreased my sex drive too...duh. By a lot, since they are such downers for me. And I can't come while on Zyprexa PRN (lucky it is only PRN)

This Bipolar effect may be a confounding factor in the survey.

For those that answered "no"...

assholes.

my current cocktail of meds has finally leveled out my previously almost always hypomanic to manic state and i love that, i do. i am so grateful. that said, i cannot even remember why i ever cared about sex, and yet i know i cared about it a lot, maybe too much. i swear i have no recall of it, nothing. it is like i have had a sexual lobotomy.

on the one hand i feel calmer, and have less turmoil now that i am celibate and without a partner. but rationally i kinda have this nagging suspicion that i am also lonelier and that i might kind of enjoy having at least some of the zest and excitement and pleasure of my own sexuality back. i cannot even masturbate now.

it is as if somebody turned off a switch in my brain. and when i have met someone who was interested in me i have had to say, "i am celibate" which kills any chances of more happening. but what else to do? cuz no way was i gonna get all naked and sexual with them when i feel NOTHING in my erogenous zones and no desire to stimulate their's! *sigh*

okay then... my box of sex toys are collecting dust under the bed...

but hey, i am saner! (and fatter...) is there an answer to this?

minxie

You lucky dogs!!! ;P

Yes and that med was evil Effexor. I finally said "fuck it" and went off of it. I want to enjoy sex before I totally go menopausal, I'm 47, and then I'm crazier than I am. We'll see what happens then or when Pdoc decides I have to have another AD other than Wellbutrin. If you have a libido and can orgasm, grab it while you can.

Serzone isn't on the market anymore, but it made me sick and I lost all interest in sex. Then Paxil. I couldn't have an orgasm for about 3 months. But eventually my body got used to it and my ability came back. The only med I'm on that is sex drive neutral is WB. The others counter-act my sex drive. I thank WB for helping me remain normal. I think I'd like to have sex about 4-5 times a week. That's about what I get, so it is good.

However, it is impossible to have an orgasm with a partner. I don't know why. I have to take that matter into my own hands, lol...

loon

A combination of Zyprexa-Haldol-Prozac has totally killed my sex drive. I never think about sex anymore and masturbation has gone totally out the window. Even before on other meds - such as Paxil - I could still achieve orgasm, not very earth shattering orgasms, but orgasms nonetheless. Now I yearn for those days. On the plus side, I am beating the Zyprexa fat-making evilness - I lost 3 pounds this week! It's all a small price to pay, I don't mind faking orgasms for the miraculous recovery I am undergoing thanks to my special buddy Zyprexa Sanity is a marvellous thing!

I'm in the process of tapering off of effexor (which is killing my sexual ability, but not desire) and increasing my lamictal. I'm also on 400 mg. WB.

Tommy

edited to change titrating to tapering

When first taking Prozac and Adderall, libido elevated to unbelievable levels, but ability to come became minimal, and ability to be satisfied by coming lasted about two minutes. I kid you not. Enough to drive someone crazy.

Though not taking Prozac, still have a bit of trouble coming, tho not unknown in previous life. Libido is still up, but not NEARLY as much.

I just started Wellbutrin a few weeks ago and I have become practically anorgasmic. I thought WB has a low risk of side effects? I am not a happy camper.

since my post before i did change my meds. my meds now all seem to be sex-drive and orgasm neutral. if i want i can have sex daily and have orgasms whenever, but i still can't have orgasms with a partner. that seems to either be a matter of dense partners not being able to follow directions, or of something psychological with me, i'm not sure.

psychology plays a huge part for me in my sex drive and orgasmic ability. i've got the meds squared away, now why am i still having a tough time? it MUST be tucked in my head somewhere else besides in the chemical balance! lol

i'm still my best lover in the world. scary.

loon

sex? I seem to remember the word but nothing that goes with it...


lilie

same here lilie...

Yet the manufacturers say 10% of people get sexual side effects-- uh huh riiiight..

Yeah my sex drive is WAY lower since being on SSRI's.

I had absolutely no interest in sex while on cymbalta. No orgasims no pleasure. Felt nothing. Now that Im only taking ativan my libido and sex drive/interest/orgasims are back. Yea for me. Pls ignore any misspellings. And as far as gaining weight, cymbalta killed not only my sexual appetite but plain old food appetite too. So, now i weigh 122lbs, 5'6". still not that hungry. I've also became anemic. Stupid pills.

Cymbalta 60mg every day
Ativan 1mg twice a day sometimes more depends on mood

current meds:
Ativan 1mg at least twice a day to help with the cymbalta withdrawals

The only thing that bothers me is that my mouth gets dry, as I am on a tricyclic antidepressant. Other than that, my libido has survived.

Now I'm on Cymbalta and my libido is worse than when I was on Effexor (If that's possible ).

Tommy

Oh, great, so Cymbalta is a total sex killer too. I will never get my libido back because I'll probably have to take a med with SSRI properties forever. I don't know how my marriage will fare in the long run. My husband has a low drive but who knows? I have a diferent problem than most people--not being able to get aroused in the first place. I usually can't sustain arousal either.

Not being able to sustain arousal seems to be its main effect on me. Unfortunately, my wife, in her own words, "takes it personally."

Tommy

I just had sex last night. Due to my hubbys special skills, I actually enjoyed it.

well before all the meds my sex drive was completely out of control, to say the least. but now its under control and more "normal" there are weeks where i am not interested at all and then there are weeks where i cant get enough. but atleast im not on a constant sexual high.

hmm..i wonder if this is really such a bad thing.

I have to agree that my meds have made my libido go down to non-existent. I have to force myself to have a JO at least every other day otherwise my brain gets cloudy and I lose my patience.

Like that Seinfeld episode where Elaine stops having sex. Jerry made the analogy to the garbage man taking out the trash. Every time you have sex, you're mind is cleaned out. And since she wasn't having any sex, her mind became cluttered and she started to lose it. It was hilarious!

And actual sex?! Fogettaboutit! I haven't had sex in 3 1/2 years.

the only thing that made me lose my sex drive was paxil. needless to say, i stopped taking it.

Prozac a couple of years ago was like chemical castration - no interest, no ability. The whole BP dx thing dents the confidence, and the libido took a beating so it's hard to say if there was any effect from the lamictal and others. But 4/5 months of citalopram really screwed things up: very little libido, but when it was there if I got an erection I had to use it right away or I lost it. Once in action, it would last till I got bored, as I couldn't come to save my life (not strictly true, but it took a huge amount of perseverance). Now off the evil SSRIs again and it's getting better, but libido is still down dramatically on what it was pre-dx. How much is psychosomatic and how much is med induced is anyone's guess however.

Let's see, we'll break it down by med:)
Prozac - complete hypomania and sex drive through the roof, of course this wasn't actually a good thing
Paxil - could orgasm, but it was waaaay more effort than normal
Celexa - anorgasmia, nothing worked
Remeron - the sex wasn't bad, but I had no drive I honestly forgot about sex
Seroquel - too zombie like to have any idea if sex was impacted at all
Zyprexa - you can't really work sex in if you're sleeping 18 hours a day
Epival - killed my sex drive, orgasm was difficult
Topamax - too dumb to remember what sex was

With my current cocktail sex isn't bad, it's still more work to achieve an orgasm than it was before meds. Sometimes I'll have the orgasm w/o any associated pleasure, but for the most part I can still function. I'm still not completely stable so my sex drive varies with mood.

Effexor xr made me unable to have an orgasm for over nine months. Since I started on Lamictal the ability has returned. I now experience "sexual energy" for periods during the day and night.

I voted NO but, It is hard to stay hard. So, I really have to concentrate. I usually can keep it up for a while. Sometimes though, my partners think it's because, I'm not attracted to them.