mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 this is a invitation to talk about antidepressants and sexual side effects. i feel miserable without antidepressants, but i won't take them because of sexual side effects. i can't figure out what to do. i wish there was one that didn't effect me so badly but it seems like any drug that effects the serotonin does the same thing. ugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Have you tried any TCAs? SSRIs universally caused me to not be able to achieve an erection, but once I started on a TCA it went away and now everything functions normally. That's just my experience so it may not be the same for you. But I understand how frustrating it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 whats a TCA? did u take that along with the ssri? or by itself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 It's a tricyclic antidepressant, which is an older antidepressant than an SSRI. TCAs were discovered and released in the 1950s and are more of a second-line treatment today, but this has been the ONLY med that has ever helped with my depressive episodes. The one I'm on is amitriptyline, but there are several others. Some people probably still experience sexual dysfunction as a side effect of TCAs, but I haven't. Oh, and no, I no longer take SSRIs. They all failed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 cool! thanks. i'll bring this up to my shrink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sync Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I get sexual side effects on even the lowest effective dose of my current med, but I'm not really bothered by them. I can't date anyway (ROCD+PTSD from sexual trauma = very no), and the sexual side effects mostly just keep me from being distracted and frustrated. I find it kind of nice, actually. Peaceful. I hear Wellbutrin doesn't have sexual side effects. When I took nortriptyline (one of the TCAs Hagar is talking about), I didn't have any, and sexual side effects weren't listed on the insert anywhere. Different SSRIs might have somewhat different effects, too. You may not get sexual side effects on all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 thanks member! you guys are giving me some hope about these TCAs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 read about nortriptyline. looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisiforgot Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Even though Lithium isn't an antidepressant.. Before I went on it my libido was very high but now? its non existent. Ehh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 yeah lithium has made sex less interesting. they all fuck with your relationship to sex, physically and/or mentally. its sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koa Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Wellbutrin is a great antidepressant that actually increases sex drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malachite Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I echo koakua; try the welly. I had severe side effects (not sexual side effects from it) and was unable to take it, but I've heard great things about it and sexuality. I am currently on two TCAs and an SSRI (clomipramine, trazodone and Viibryd.) Supposedly they don't cause sexual side effects, but "supposedly" my ass. I have noooooo desire to ever have sex in this lifetime ever again even if Michael Stipe were 20 years younger and straight. My pdoc is looking into herbal remedies for me. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 For me, personally, Wellbutrin did not help. I have to take my SSRI (citalopram) for anxiety, but it nearly completely destroys my libido as well as as has other sexual side effects. Remeron has helped somewhat offset the side effects, and Abilify has done the most to help my libido and in general helps my anhedonia. I wish it were as simple as adding Wellbutrin. Probably Wellbutrin by itself doesn't have sexual side effects, but it just doesn't work for me. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 wellbutrin jacked me up too hard. maybe i should try it again. that was like 10 yrs ago. our bodies do change... i didn't know trazadone was a tca. i take that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) i didn't know trazadone was a tca. i take that I don't think it is. Wikipedia lists it as an SARI (serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor). From http://www.medicinenet.com/trazodone/article.htm - Although the exact mechanism of action of trazodone is unknown, it probably improves symptoms of depression by inhibiting the uptake of serotonin by nerves in the brain. This results in more serotonin to stimulate other nerves. Trazodone also may increase directly the action of serotonin. Trazodone is chemically unrelated to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors). It is chemically related to nefazodone (Serzone) and shares its actions. Trazodone was approved by the FDA in 1982. Edited December 15, 2013 by hagar running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parapluie Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) My boyfriend takes Wellbutrin because SSRIs have too many sexual side effects for him. It seems to work for him. I have sexual side effects, probably from Effexor. My main sexual side effect is that it lowers my already low libido. However, I still enjoy sex and I do desire it when it's offered. I just rarely initiate it. It's like I don't even think about it. It sucks. Me and my boyfriend manage to still have a good sex life though, thanks to him being on Wellbutrin. It was pretty rough when BOTH of us were on an SSRI/SNRI though. I'm actually thinking of asking my doc if I can drop Effexor. There's many reasons I want to quit it, but one of them is that I want my shred of libido back. Edited December 15, 2013 by Parapluie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raux Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 (edited) I have sexual side effects from SSRIs. Unfortunately Zoloft is the only antidepressant that seems to work for me. My pdoc even tried adding Wellbutrin to no avail. Edited June 5, 2014 by Raux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike donald Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 my doc just put me on a super low dose of amitriptyline. 25mg to take at night. member and cursed and charmed, how many mgs did y'all take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessamine Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 I suffer them to. They seem to kill all desire and then there's no finish at the end. It really puts a stress on a relationship and is one of the things my husband hates the most (even though he knows it's not him). I haven't found the same with the sinequan. Things take a bit more time but they haven't stopped altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 my doc just put me on a super low dose of amitriptyline. 25mg to take at night. member and cursed and charmed, how many mgs did y'all take? I think I started at 50mg, but I'm not sure. That time period is a blur. I'm on 175mg now though. I think 25mg is a normal starting dosage, and there's a lot of room to go up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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