SSRIs and libido...there is hope!

[n3ophy7e]

Hey yall. I was looking for a thread in which to share my thoughts but there wasn't one which seemed appropriate. So I thought I'd just start a new one...


Back at the beginning of 2008 I was put on the SSRI fluoxetine (Prozac, Lovan) for depression. I stayed on it for about 6 months, then switched to a NRI reboxetine (Edronax) for another couple of months. I ceased all anti-depressant meds towards the end of 2008, for a couple of different reasons.

These medications completely destroyed any sense of libido in me. I have basically been asexual for nearly 2.5 years. I've still had sex with my partner but only to fulfill his needs, not mine, and because I love him and want him to be happy.
My lack of libido caused me a lot of anguish because I just wanted to be normal, and more importantly I wanted to be able to keep up with my partner's sex drive. Now, I never really had a huge sex drive before anti-depressants but this was absolutely ZERO sex drive. I got my hormone levels tested several times, they were always completely normal. I tried a few different herbal sexual health supplements, to no avail. I even tried an experimental off-label use of sub-lingual metaclopromide spray to increase libido. All it did was give me sex dreams and not any actual libido in my waking life.


Now, I don't want to speak too soon, but I think my libido has finally come back after a depressing 2.5 years of having absolutely no sex drive whatsoever. My boyfriend is going to be most pleased when he gets home from his current work trip For the past 3 months or so, I've noticed a few days at the peak of my hormonal cycle where I've been really horny, and this time it's lasted about 1 whole week. Let's hope it continues to increase each month!!


I just wanted to share my experience so that other people who have experienced the libido-shattering side effect of some anti-depressants can feel some hope that they will return to normal again

 

[Jester-Race]

Please tell me theres hope, because I'm on 80mg prozac for 2 years atm, because of continual depression.


Looks like I got awhile to go, unfortunately. It bugs the shiznit out of me that I cant get much libido at all anymore and its starting to ruin my good years.

 

[Apostacious]

n3ophy7e-

Thanks for starting this thread, and sharing such a sensitive issue. You are a very loving partner to still perform despite your inability to enjoy it. My fiance has been experiencing ssri libido destruction as well.

She has recently (5 days) started a switch-over to Wellbutrin, which I hear is also prescribed off-label for ssri-induced sexual dysfunction. I am not sure how/when it works, but so far it hasn't done much for my partner. She hasn't had an orgasm in roughly 2 months. Yet, before that when she quit setraline abruptly, she was able to have an orgasm almost everyday. However, she experienced multiple mental breakdowns during that time, which definitely is not worth experiencing just to be able to feel human again. I hope that concurrent cognitive behavioral and wellbutrin-drug therapy will help her. I will pop back in, in a couple weeks (if I remember ) to let you know if wellbutrin/bupropion has worked for her.

Take care.

 

[n3ophy7e]

^^ I would be very interested to hear how she goes on Wellbutrin because about a year ago I was getting clinically depressed again and considered Wellbutrin to be the only viable pharmacological option for me. I sure as hell wasn't going to risk making my libido even worse! :D

Good luck to your girlfriend, let me know how she goes

Please tell me theres hope, because I'm on 80mg prozac for 2 years atm, because of continual depression.


Looks like I got awhile to go, unfortunately. It bugs the shiznit out of me that I cant get much libido at all anymore and its starting to ruin my good years.

I'm not sure how old you are Jester, BUT I'll take a guess at early-to-mid-20's? If so, there are plenty of "good years" to come for you my friend! Get your depression sorted out first then worry about your libido afterwards. In a perfect world we would be able to have both things sorted out at once! But in my opinion and experience, depression takes priority to sex drive.

 

[psytaco]

I'm a little confused. so you quit ssri's recently and your getting libido back, or you quit them 2.5 years ago and your getting your libido back now?

I am tapering off zoloft atm. one of the main reasons was because orgasm has become more difficult and my sex drive has decreased. I am fortunate in that my sex drive was quite high (according to previous girlfriends), and it has only decreased to point where I would say it is a bit below average. But my girlfriend also has a high sex drive, so it was hard keeping up with her. plus when we did have sex, I would often get bored of it half way through.

How long did you find after you stopped taking it it took before you got your libido back?

 

[n3ophy7e]

I'm a little confused. so you quit ssri's recently and your getting libido back, or you quit them 2.5 years ago and your getting your libido back now?

How long did you find after you stopped taking it it took before you got your libido back?

Nah mate, it's taken 2.5 years for my libido to come back after stopping all anti-depressant meds. I have briefly considered trying Wellbutrin within that time period because I was depressed again but I didn't actually try it.

 

[Doc Hydramine]

Well now i know why. Three cheers for being chemically imbalanced...

 

[3rd_I_blind]

I really don't understand why all those physicians and psychiatrists are always lagging behind so bad with respect to new scientific evidence for better treatment options. Of course, I am no psychiatrist and I definitely would not advice anyone to change their own treatment based on the info below, but perhaps you could discuss it with the one prescribing you your treatment...

- Buspirone can be added to SSRI treatment to counteract anorgasmia and decreased sexdrive. Evidence suggests buspirone also enhances the efficacy of the original SSRI, so double win.
- Cyproheptadine is another option to counteract anorgasmia and decreased libido. Drawback of cyproheptadine is that it can also counteract the effects of the original therapy, so buspirone is usually preferable.
- Mirtazapine is a newer antidepressant that has few to none sexual side effects. It can both be added to conventional therapy, or be used as a substitute in case of side-effects (like decreased libido, in this case).
- Nefazodone is another antidepressant that causes almost no sexual side effects. To be exact, one of the side-effects is even priapism (prolonged erection). In rare cases, nefazodone can lead to liver failure, which is why mirtazapine (in my opinion) would be the drug of choice.

You should definitely check the wiki's on these drugs! Mirtazapines listed side-effects include increased libido, while it is one of the most effective antidepressants available. Again, I can get totally upset that psychiatrist and the like still come up with fucking Prozac subscriptions. If you experience nasty side effects, please consider doing a bit of more research into the above medication and then consult the prescribing health official. You could always send me a private message, I wrote my thesis on this subject so I have a lot of scientific papers I could hook you up with.

That said, I hope you all will eventually beat the depression. I guess the beauty of it is that happiness is worth so much extra if you have seen the deep end of the opposite emotion...

 

[n3ophy7e]

^^ Excellent information 3rd I blind! Thank you

 

[psytaco]

Nah mate, it's taken 2.5 years for my libido to come back after stopping all anti-depressant meds. I have briefly considered trying Wellbutrin within that time period because I was depressed again but I didn't actually try it.

Fuck me, that is not what I want to hear. I have read that ssris can cause long term sexual problems even when they are ceased. its pretty rare though right?

Glad to hear that it is returning though.

 

[psytaco]

I really don't understand why all those physicians and psychiatrists are always lagging behind so bad with respect to new scientific evidence for better treatment options. Of course, I am no psychiatrist and I definitely would not advice anyone to change their own treatment based on the info below, but perhaps you could discuss it with the one prescribing you your treatment...

- Buspirone can be added to SSRI treatment to counteract anorgasmia and decreased sexdrive. Evidence suggests buspirone also enhances the efficacy of the original SSRI, so double win.
- Cyproheptadine is another option to counteract anorgasmia and decreased libido. Drawback of cyproheptadine is that it can also counteract the effects of the original therapy, so buspirone is usually preferable.
- Mirtazapine is a newer antidepressant that has few to none sexual side effects. It can both be added to conventional therapy, or be used as a substitute in case of side-effects (like decreased libido, in this case).
- Nefazodone is another antidepressant that causes almost no sexual side effects. To be exact, one of the side-effects is even priapism (prolonged erection). In rare cases, nefazodone can lead to liver failure, which is why mirtazapine (in my opinion) would be the drug of choice.

You should definitely check the wiki's on these drugs! Mirtazapines listed side-effects include increased libido, while it is one of the most effective antidepressants available. Again, I can get totally upset that psychiatrist and the like still come up with fucking Prozac subscriptions. If you experience nasty side effects, please consider doing a bit of more research into the above medication and then consult the prescribing health official. You could always send me a private message, I wrote my thesis on this subject so I have a lot of scientific papers I could hook you up with.

That said, I hope you all will eventually beat the depression. I guess the beauty of it is that happiness is worth so much extra if you have seen the deep end of the opposite emotion...

Excellent post.

it frustrates me to that those in the medical profession seem to have little clue about ssris and their side effects. One doctor, who put me on effexor first (I hate to stop it after 3 days due to side effects), did not know about increased suicide risks when beginning treatment. Luckily I did due to my psych degree. further, none warn you about ssri withdrawal (or its euphemism 'ssri discontinunation syndrome), or spend the time to go through the most likely side effects. I believe antidepressants are far to readily prescribed and little advice is given about their dangers or side effects.

Further compounding this was that meta-analytic study that demonstrated little difference between the efficacy of ssris in treating depression compared to placebo. I think doctors should recommend psychological treatment first, and then if that fails then consider ssris or other medication.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Fuck me, that is not what I want to hear. I have read that ssris can cause long term sexual problems even when they are ceased. its pretty rare though right?

Glad to hear that it is returning though.

Well, after it had been about 18 months and I still had nothing happening, I went to see one doctor and told her how long it had been and she said "Oh well it should've come back by now!"



......errrr, ya think?!


psytaco, I honestly have no idea how common or uncommon my experience is. But I'm taking a guess and saying that my case is pretty extreme.

 

[ThaiDie4]

Now, I don't want to speak too soon, but I think my libido has finally come back after a depressing 2.5 years of having absolutely no sex drive whatsoever. My boyfriend is going to be most pleased when he gets home from his current work trip For the past 3 months or so, I've noticed a few days at the peak of my hormonal cycle where I've been really horny, and this time it's lasted about 1 whole week. Let's hope it continues to increase each month!!

Aww, congrats babe!! That's great to hear!! I imagine after 2.5 years you probably didn't have much hope of returning to normal. Just goes to show that every person works differently and there's really no definites when it comes to how someone will react to taking or ceasing medication. I'm very happy for you! From what I have heard from you in various threads around BL, you and your man are very happy together, and it's great that now this part of your relationship can improve and only bring you two closer together!

I took Lexapro (SSRI) on and off for maybe 3 years or so, and I noticed a negative effect on my libido as well. And difficulty orgasming :/ About 4 or 4.5 months ago I decided I wasn't going to put up with it anymore so I talked to a counselor at my university about it. She recommended taking Wellbutrin along with Lexapro to negate the bad sexual side-effects, but I didn't react well to it... IME, Wellbutrin made me really anxious and jittery to the point where it did more harm than good.

So then I just decided to quit everything, and it didn't take me long at all to get back to normal!! Both emotionally and sexually I am much, much happier being free of anti-depressants. I decided it was worth it to look into ways to make myself happy without meds, and for me it worked out for the best.

 

[n3ophy7e]

^^ Thank you darling!!

So then I just decided to quit everything, and it didn't take me long at all to get back to normal!! Both emotionally and sexually I am much, much happier being free of anti-depressants. I decided it was worth it to look into ways to make myself happy without meds, and for me it worked out for the best.

This is great to hear as well. Good on you for making the decision to go off everything, and I hope it keeps getting even better for you

Maybe even watching some nice porn might be good?

Funny that you mention that actually Draigan. Back when my libido was dead and if I tried to watch porn in an attempt to get something happening, I'd just sit there thinking how fake and stupid the porn was :D I'd be thinking like "Pfft, they're not enjoying this! How am I supposed to feel sexy when I can tell they're totally faking it? That's not sexy!"

 

[trll]

I tried Mirtazipine for depression and insomnia. It certainly worked as far as sleeping was concerned, and I didnt stay on it long enough to find out about depression, but it made me permanently horny which was one of the reasons I stopped taking it. I felt for me my libido was dangerously high, and the Bf was the opposite, didnt want to end up being unfaithful !
bx

 

[carl0s]

I really don't understand why all those physicians and psychiatrists are always lagging behind so bad with respect to new scientific evidence for better treatment options. Of course, I am no psychiatrist and I definitely would not advice anyone to change their own treatment based on the info below, but perhaps you could discuss it with the one prescribing you your treatment...

- Buspirone can be added to SSRI treatment to counteract anorgasmia and decreased sexdrive. Evidence suggests buspirone also enhances the efficacy of the original SSRI, so double win.
- Cyproheptadine is another option to counteract anorgasmia and decreased libido. Drawback of cyproheptadine is that it can also counteract the effects of the original therapy, so buspirone is usually preferable.
- Mirtazapine is a newer antidepressant that has few to none sexual side effects. It can both be added to conventional therapy, or be used as a substitute in case of side-effects (like decreased libido, in this case).
- Nefazodone is another antidepressant that causes almost no sexual side effects. To be exact, one of the side-effects is even priapism (prolonged erection). In rare cases, nefazodone can lead to liver failure, which is why mirtazapine (in my opinion) would be the drug of choice.

You should definitely check the wiki's on these drugs! Mirtazapines listed side-effects include increased libido, while it is one of the most effective antidepressants available. Again, I can get totally upset that psychiatrist and the like still come up with fucking Prozac subscriptions. If you experience nasty side effects, please consider doing a bit of more research into the above medication and then consult the prescribing health official. You could always send me a private message, I wrote my thesis on this subject so I have a lot of scientific papers I could hook you up with.

That said, I hope you all will eventually beat the depression. I guess the beauty of it is that happiness is worth so much extra if you have seen the deep end of the opposite emotion...

That's a good summary, although the usual popular suggestion of Bupropion (wellbutrin) wasn't in there.
In my personal experience (trying these particular drugs for this very reason), Nefazodone is unobtainable. Mirtazapine makes you feel brain damaged, gives nightmares much worse than any other drug (much worse than the significant venlafaxine dreams), and worse of all - the dry mouth! I get dry mouth with clomipramine, but only a little bit. With mirtazapine I'm sure I'd have lost all my teeth with a few years.

Cyproheptadine.. I don't think it did much for me, but I do still have some in the drugs drawer, so might try again.

Buspirone on the other hand, which I had noted as "increases strenth of orgasm" in the "mdma overdose long term bruxism" thread on these forums, does seem to make a difference. Or rather, it did. I'm not noticing it so much now. But last week I was running upstairs to entertain myself quite frequently and I could at some times feel the sex drugs just dripping through my brain, eyes watering, followed by the most intense ejaculation ever. I was pretty much moaning, even knowing how thin the walls between myself and my neighbour are. This is how I want to be for my next relationship.

I'm a bit miffed that it hasn't lasted. I did notice that I had been drinking grapefruit juice last week, which would increase the effects/side-effects of my 10mg clomipramine per day, so I have stopped drinking it, and taken only 5mg these past two days.

Unfortunately bupropion at a normal dose made me feel like I was cracking up with tension, and at a lower dose I think it make me Mr. Floppy (I had a girlfriend at the time.. it definitely seemed to send things the other way ).

I will try increasing my buspirone from 3x 10mg per day, by adding in an extra 5mg in between doses.

Any other ideas anyone? I just wanna feel freaky. Maybe I'm spoiled by sex on x.

 

[Nately's Whore]

In my experience only time off of these drugs will bring back sexual drive.

I was put on an horrendously irresponsible dose of venlafaxine at the age of 14 (450mg a day by age 16) and unfortunately if hindered my sexual development a great deal. I'm just now starting to catch up.

 

[pofacedhoe]

n3ophy7e-

Thanks for starting this thread, and sharing such a sensitive issue. You are a very loving partner to still perform despite your inability to enjoy it. My fiance has been experiencing ssri libido destruction as well.

She has recently (5 days) started a switch-over to Wellbutrin, which I hear is also prescribed off-label for ssri-induced sexual dysfunction. I am not sure how/when it works, but so far it hasn't done much for my partner. She hasn't had an orgasm in roughly 2 months. Yet, before that when she quit setraline abruptly, she was able to have an orgasm almost everyday. However, she experienced multiple mental breakdowns during that time, which definitely is not worth experiencing just to be able to feel human again. I hope that concurrent cognitive behavioral and wellbutrin-drug therapy will help her. I will pop back in, in a couple weeks (if I remember ) to let you know if wellbutrin/bupropion has worked for her.

Take care.

welbutrin has prosexual effects for my friend who switched from mirtazepine

 

[Sprout]

Well Prozac instantly sent me into a manic episode, complete with the hypersexuality one experiences so I never experienced a loss of libido. But Apiprazole, Risperidone, Seroquel: All destroyed my sex drive, completely.

 

[paranoid android]

welbutrin has prosexual effects for my friend who switched from mirtazepine

I can vouch for that. My sex drive is normally pretty high unless i am depressed but holy fuck does wellbutrin ever increase it. Bupropion is probably the only popular anti-depressant that actually tends to increase sex drive rather then decrease it. Fortunately it's also the only anti-depressant that really works for me without the risk of mania. Venlafaxine made me feel like my dick was made out of rubber because i had absolutely no feeling in it. Oddly enough mirtazapine didn't affect my sex drive and neither did amitriptyline.

Well Prozac instantly sent me into a manic episode, complete with the hypersexuality one experiences so I never experienced a loss of libido. But Apiprazole, Risperidone, Seroquel: All destroyed my sex drive, completely.

Risperidone made it very very difficult for me to get off or feel anything when having sex. I had to give up taking the drug when i had a steady g/f because it just fucked with my sex drive almost as bad as venlafaxine did. Seroquel and zyprexa don't fuck with my sex drive which i'm thankful for. I take 300-400mg's of seroquel every night with no problems when it comes to my sex drive. Zyprexa at even 20mg's a day which is the max dose didn't fuck with my sex drive either. Granted when i took the zyprexa i was usually manic anyway so my sex drive would have been up.