lostinmymind: Sex Drive

[lostinmymind]

I am on an SSRI and have been slowly adjusting to the side affects as I began taking them a little over a month ago. The first symptom I read about was lack of sex drive. I understand this is a sensitive subject but I have no one else to talk to about this because who the hell am I supposed to talk to about how I feel about masturbation, sex and orgasms while on the antidepressants. I am a young adult who would honestly masturbate daily, but now the thought or desire rarely pops into my head and if it does I get bored almost immediately. If I do go through and allow myself to focus on it, then I feel really anxious after. I get very jittery and almost like I am going into a panic attack state. This also worries me about the possibility of future sexual encounters.

 

Please tell me I am not alone in feeling some of this. Even though I have already felt a lot of the benefits of the antidepressants, sometimes I feel crazy and that doesn't help with the recovery process.

[nz11]

Welcome to sa lostinmymind

Your concerns are well founded and although you havent done a drug sig outlining the drugs you are taking or have stopped taking and when , i can only assume like the rest of us that you are taking this ssri by uninformed consent.

Were you informed these drugs are worse than useless and that there are hundreds of side effects known and unknown, of the black box warnings  or told of Healys warning that 'within one week of taking an ssri a person can have a sexual dysfunction and it can last forever often not appearing until a person goes off the drug'.

There is a good chance that if you get off this drug with only short term use and being so young you will heal.

 

Dependence on an ssri can be established in about a month. So you will need to taper.

 

If this is the only psychotropic drug that you have ever taken and it is true that you have only taken it for a month then if i were you i would  make an immediate cut of 25% and hold for a week.

 

Do not cold turkey this drug.

Why were you given this.

 

Imo there are no benefits from antidepressants only risks. But i am biased i guess.

 

I am not a moderator so it might help if you pop up a drug sig to help them in their  advise.

[ChessieCat]

Hi lostinmymind and welcome to SA,

 

As NZ11 said, if you have only been on this drug for 1 month and have never been on any other psychiatric drug, you should be able to do a very quick taper of the drug you are taking.

 

It will be helpful if you would Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Please include details for the last 12-18 months of  all drugs, dates, doses and discontinuations & reinstatements.  If you can't remember dates, please write it as "early March" or "mid-August".  Please provide a summary of any drugs prior to that which can just be listed with start and stop years.  Please include all prescription, non-prescription drugs and supplements you are currently taking.

 

It would also be helpful if you are able to tell us the reason for going on the drug.  Once we have more details of the drug and dose you are taking, any other drugs if any, we will be better able to offer suggestions.

 

You can ask questions here in your Intro/Update topic and journal your progress.  Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds.