help, please
March 10, 2012 7:34 PM Subscribe
looking for anecdotal information about the effects of mood stabilizers (ssri, anti-anxiety) on sex drive.
subject is a healthy woman in her mid-30's who may or may not benefit from them but is afraid to even try because of worries about her interest in sex. My only interest is to educate myself and potentially encourage her to learn more for herself. The ultimate decision, of course, is hers.
subject is a healthy woman in her mid-30's who may or may not benefit from them but is afraid to even try because of worries about her interest in sex. My only interest is to educate myself and potentially encourage her to learn more for herself. The ultimate decision, of course, is hers.
You'll probably need to be more specific about which medication(s) you are interested in learning about.
posted by maryr at 7:43 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by maryr at 7:43 PM on March 10, 2012
Was coming in here to recommend CrazyMeds too. It does depend on which medication, but it also depends on which anecdotes, since side effects can differ so much for different people and dosages.
posted by mendel at 7:55 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by mendel at 7:55 PM on March 10, 2012
Wellbutrin did not affect my sex drive negatively. Prozac did. YMMV, of course.
posted by zug at 8:00 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by zug at 8:00 PM on March 10, 2012
Wellbutrin gives many people an increased sex drive, AIUI.
Anyway, (speaking to the subject) you probably have to try several meds before you find one that works for you— is effective and doesn't have side effects you don't like— and "this medicine is helping my mood but it's killing my sex drive and that's not OK" is a perfectly legitimate complaint to make to your doctor when trying to figure out whether a given drug is working for you. And if you're not OK with any of the meds, you can always go back to where you are now; it's your decision.
posted by hattifattener at 8:13 PM on March 10, 2012
Anyway, (speaking to the subject) you probably have to try several meds before you find one that works for you— is effective and doesn't have side effects you don't like— and "this medicine is helping my mood but it's killing my sex drive and that's not OK" is a perfectly legitimate complaint to make to your doctor when trying to figure out whether a given drug is working for you. And if you're not OK with any of the meds, you can always go back to where you are now; it's your decision.
posted by hattifattener at 8:13 PM on March 10, 2012
Pristiq (a variant of Effexor) had little to no effect on my sex drive (maybe made it slightly harder to orgasm), but it took my husband's sex drive away completely. On the other hand, he thinks it was still worth it, since depression ALSO took his sex drive away and ruined the rest of his life too. Also, he found the effects stopped as soon as he came off the medication.
posted by lollusc at 9:13 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by lollusc at 9:13 PM on March 10, 2012
They will affect everyone differently. That is why people often try a few before finding one for them.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 9:15 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 9:15 PM on March 10, 2012
Here is my anecdotal evidence:
Paxil and Effexor: no boners
Wellbutrin: boners.
posted by munchingzombie at 9:23 PM on March 10, 2012 [4 favorites]
Paxil and Effexor: no boners
Wellbutrin: boners.
posted by munchingzombie at 9:23 PM on March 10, 2012 [4 favorites]
i've also had positive results with wellbutrin - although that falls into the antidepressant category, and not really a mood stabilizer. if you are asking about things like lithium, depakote, lamictal, etc... it is soooooooo different for every person. i have found that most stabilizers don't affect my sex drive directly - but if i can't tolerate the med, then i don't want to have sex. crazymeds is a great resource, but just be aware that what people report there might not be anywhere close to your experience, and chances are good that you might have to try more than one medication before settling on one that really fits.
posted by unlucky.lisp at 9:53 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by unlucky.lisp at 9:53 PM on March 10, 2012
zoloft =/= sex
posted by wandering_not_lost at 10:07 PM on March 10, 2012
posted by wandering_not_lost at 10:07 PM on March 10, 2012
Prozac had a direct effect on mine, lowering it a fair bit; Zoloft didn't affect drive, but it made things difficult, so to speak.
Since you mentioned anti-anxiety, the only thing I take these days is 0.5 mg of lorazepam (on an as-needed basis) and that doesn't seem to affect anything, but I don't think benzos typically do.
posted by Kosh at 12:03 AM on March 11, 2012
Since you mentioned anti-anxiety, the only thing I take these days is 0.5 mg of lorazepam (on an as-needed basis) and that doesn't seem to affect anything, but I don't think benzos typically do.
posted by Kosh at 12:03 AM on March 11, 2012
Based on my (male) partner's experience and my observations over the course of time:
Zoloft alone = complete anorgasmia. Apparently not true for everyone, but common enough that a couple of the above comments are in agreement on this.
Wellbutrin = not much difference either way.
Wellbutrin + Zoloft = TBD (started two days ago, ha).
Various antianxiety meds, benzos = no noticeable difference.
N'thing to go ahead and try; but be prepared to be open with your doctor, experiment and adjust - possibly several times.
posted by celtalitha at 12:09 AM on March 11, 2012
Zoloft alone = complete anorgasmia. Apparently not true for everyone, but common enough that a couple of the above comments are in agreement on this.
Wellbutrin = not much difference either way.
Wellbutrin + Zoloft = TBD (started two days ago, ha).
Various antianxiety meds, benzos = no noticeable difference.
N'thing to go ahead and try; but be prepared to be open with your doctor, experiment and adjust - possibly several times.
posted by celtalitha at 12:09 AM on March 11, 2012
Ah, and my best female friend seconds the Zoloft experience.
On the other hand, it worked the best for her depression, so she stuck to it for almost four years. I would sooooo not have had the patience for that.
posted by celtalitha at 12:12 AM on March 11, 2012
On the other hand, it worked the best for her depression, so she stuck to it for almost four years. I would sooooo not have had the patience for that.
posted by celtalitha at 12:12 AM on March 11, 2012
I [female] am on Zoloft, and I find that orgasms take longer to achieve but are still quite frequent.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:21 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:21 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
On Prozac, I felt that desire was just as strong, orgasms were just as strong, but that the distance from A to B got a lot longer. This wasn't a problem, practically speaking, it just meant that sex took longer. But when I switched to Zoloft, I had an IMMEDIATE upwards spike in libido! All I can figure is that the depression I was dealing with was *also* blunting my libido, so that I didn't really notice. And then, when I stopped taking Zoloft, I had an immediate upwards spike again.
Never had anorgasmia, and even the larger effect of the Prozac was totally worth it, because depression sucks. Now that I can maintain my mood stability without SSRIs, the sexual effects are one thing that keeps me motivated to do so. But let me stress this: at least for me, the effects were nothing that couldn't be managed by an enthusiastic and compassionate partner and my own willingness to consciously nurture the desire I had. Like, when my partner would be obviously interested but I wasn't really feeling it that much, I would decide to be willing to be convinced rather than just bowing out. It was different, sure, but compared to the effect of the depression on my life and my relationship, it was no big thing.
posted by KathrynT at 9:52 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Never had anorgasmia, and even the larger effect of the Prozac was totally worth it, because depression sucks. Now that I can maintain my mood stability without SSRIs, the sexual effects are one thing that keeps me motivated to do so. But let me stress this: at least for me, the effects were nothing that couldn't be managed by an enthusiastic and compassionate partner and my own willingness to consciously nurture the desire I had. Like, when my partner would be obviously interested but I wasn't really feeling it that much, I would decide to be willing to be convinced rather than just bowing out. It was different, sure, but compared to the effect of the depression on my life and my relationship, it was no big thing.
posted by KathrynT at 9:52 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
My anecdotal info: I am female on Zoloft and it has had zero effect on my sex drive or my orgasm. I've also tried Effexor and Abilify - they both drove me up a wall, but no change to my sex drive or my orgasm.
posted by OsoMeaty at 10:03 AM on March 11, 2012
posted by OsoMeaty at 10:03 AM on March 11, 2012
Just FYI, "mood stabilizers" does not refer to SSRIs or anti-anxiety drugs.
Mood stabilizers are for people who have mood shifts (like in bipolar disorder.) They help even things out so people don't swing between mania and depression.
SSRIs are anti-depressants, and sometimes doctors won't prescribe them for people who have mood shifts because they can make the mood shifts worse (like by inducing mania.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:41 AM on March 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Mood stabilizers are for people who have mood shifts (like in bipolar disorder.) They help even things out so people don't swing between mania and depression.
SSRIs are anti-depressants, and sometimes doctors won't prescribe them for people who have mood shifts because they can make the mood shifts worse (like by inducing mania.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:41 AM on March 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
On buspirone for anxiety....I've noticed an increase in my sex drive lately. I don't if the increase is necessarily linked to the buspirone (spring is here, after all), but the drugs are certainly not adversely affecting my drive.
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 2:01 PM on March 11, 2012
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 2:01 PM on March 11, 2012
On buspirone for anxiety....I've noticed an increase in my sex drive lately. I don't if the increase is necessarily linked to the buspirone (spring is here, after all), but the drugs are certainly not adversely affecting my drive.
Effexor had a paradoxical and very frustrating dual effect: it made it easier for me to get aroused, but impossible to have an orgasm. (I also had/have a very hard time crying when on it.) My doctor lowered my dose of Effexor last month, and added a low dose of busiprone/buspar, which he said can counteract the sexual side effects of SSRIs. It seems like a good balance to me; I am now able to have an orgasm and if anything the buspar has helped with the symptoms I'm taking the effexor for (in my case, chronic daily headache). I was a little shy about mentioning trouble orgasming to my doctor, but I'm very glad I did because he had strategies for dealing with it.
posted by not that girl at 8:53 PM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Effexor had a paradoxical and very frustrating dual effect: it made it easier for me to get aroused, but impossible to have an orgasm. (I also had/have a very hard time crying when on it.) My doctor lowered my dose of Effexor last month, and added a low dose of busiprone/buspar, which he said can counteract the sexual side effects of SSRIs. It seems like a good balance to me; I am now able to have an orgasm and if anything the buspar has helped with the symptoms I'm taking the effexor for (in my case, chronic daily headache). I was a little shy about mentioning trouble orgasming to my doctor, but I'm very glad I did because he had strategies for dealing with it.
posted by not that girl at 8:53 PM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I’ve tried Celexa, Wellbutrin, Prozac & Effexor. None of ‘em affected my libido (if anything, I was horny as hell on Effexor). But that might have been because, as other posters said, the depression itself seemed to be killing my libido. I did talk to two MDs and they both said that in their opinions the low-libido side effect tends to apply more to men than to women. YMMV.
posted by Lettuce_Leaves at 4:19 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by Lettuce_Leaves at 4:19 PM on March 14, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griphus at 7:38 PM on March 10, 2012