Ssri's And Sex

[deleted12229651]

Who is taking an antidepressant like Lexapro and having trouble with the fact that it's a total boner killer?

I've been on just 10mg Escitalopram (pretty sure that's what they call Lexapro here in Australia) a day for over 12 months now, and while it definitely helped with my GAD (random panic attacks etc) it has given me a severe case of ED. I'm not sure it has necessarily killed my libido, because I still think about sex like 337.5 times a day, but getting and maintaining an erection, and more importantly reaching orgasm, has become really difficult.

I was someone who could lay it down 3 or 4 times a day if I was really in my stride, and if I hadn't cum in a few days, could easily have a quickie and get the job done in a hurry. The wife absolutely loves a creampie so it worked out well

I have started experimenting with Ciallis and Viagra and while it helps with the erections, it doesn't help the inability to orgasm. Which when coupled with a larger than average penis, presents a new problem. My wife, and other women in the past, often can't handle being fucked for hours non stop as they get sore or start to dry up. Don't get me wrong, it's great having a woman bouncing on your cock screaming like a banshee, having orgasm after orgasm, but at some point they take your inability to cum as some sort of failure on their part. (The old "am I good enough for him" which causes unhealthy doubts and stress in the relationship. Not to mention after a marathon session on my large(ish) cock, she is out of action for a few days. That box is just thrashed.

Guys who suffer from PE, I'm actually jealous now. I would love the ability to have a selfish quickie where I just get off in no time (even if she doesn't, which she is fine with) but those days seem over for now.

So lets hear it. Who has been down this road? Who has gone off the meds and got their old selves back? Who has tried other medication or supplements to combat the side effects. Don't get me wrong, my GAD and PTSD probably would have put me in an early grave if I hadn't started taking anti depressants, and I'm glad I did, but the effect it's had in the bedroom (and in the back seat of the car, in public toilets, in a tent, in a forest, in a taxi, in a police car, etc) is really causing it's own level of stress and at the age of 40, with all the other mid life crises, my sex life is something I'm not ready to give up on. If anything it's like the half time bell is ringing and I want to go even bigger and harder in the second half. Sorry for the long post lol.

 

[windibundu]

Theres stuff you can do about it. Talk to your psychiatrist.

 

[Barbarian73]

I took Sertraline(Zoloft) for years for PTSD. I don't take it now, but when I did I could get erections, but they were always half-ass and they would be lost with the slightest pause in stimulation or distraction and there wasn't any getting them back.

 

[art]

When I was on SSRIs, I would get hard, but I'd go soft without LOTS of direct stimulation, and only certain positions would give me enough friction (or whatever) to stay stiff. Plus, it took FOR EVER to cum (30-45 minutes, a condition that my at-the-time girl friend didn't appreciate). So I feel your pain.

 

[palakaorion]

Was on Paxil for a while until I got my (big) head screwed back on straight. It ERASED my libido for the first few months. Once I got some coping skills under my belt, the libido returned, but it took longer to orgasm.

After slowly discontinuing the Paxil (which was its own funhouse ride lemme tellya) everything was back to status quo.

 

[deleted12229651]

When I was on SSRIs, I would get hard, but I'd go soft without LOTS of direct stimulation, and only certain positions would give me enough friction (or whatever) to stay stiff. Plus, it took FOR EVER to cum (30-45 minutes, a condition that my at-the-time girl friend didn't appreciate). So I feel your pain.

Did you get off them and things get back to normal?

 

[MancmanMatt]

I'm on duloxetine. Hasn't killed my libido and hasn't made getting hard a problem either. Achieving orgasm is a different matter and when I first started on it I couldn't cum, or, found it incredibly difficult to get there.

I had to relearn how to get myself off. This turned out to involve going slow with the stimulation. If I went too fast too quickly it was like the pleasure waves from my dick, to my brain, would lose their intensity and the orgasm would escape me.

We all know the feeling of getting close. With it we've always learnt that when that happens we can step things up, tense certain muscles, and boom orgasm. No longer on the antidepressants. If I try doing that it's like I end up exhausting the nerves in my cockhead and they can't send the signals properly any more. To prevent this from happening I have to use slow stimulation to create the pleasure waves.

When going slow the cockhead and nerve pathways to the brain don't overload. This it not the same as the unpleasant over stimulation that can make you go soft. It's almost like the antidepressants cause the pleasure nerves in my dick, to my brain, to saturate to the point of becoming dulled. Once they've hit their limit, it still feels good, but the impulses to the brain aren't intense enough to get you over the edge. If I keep going slow this doesn't happen.

If you're the kind of guy who has always beat his meat, with a tight grip and fast motion, this way of stimulating yourself will feel almost alien. And in my experience, and counterintuitively, going harder and faster just makes the problem worse.

I find it a lot easier reaching orgasm lying on my back too. Sometimes I can't cum if I'm not lying down. It's always felt better on my back but on the antidepressants I don't have a choice. Also while it is true that I can achieve orgasm I cannot do it multiple times a day. I used to be able to manage several throughout the day and I haven't got this back. My refractory period has definitely gotten longer because of the them. Sometimes I'll manage two in half an hour but that's rare and has to be with the right person.

Also if I'm tired...I can really struggle to cum sometimes.

Bupropion is supposed to be able to help with this in people on SSRIs, and similar, so maybe talk to your GP about that.

 

[trjnhrs9]

I've been on Prozac for years. My libido is high and getting and maintaining an erection has never been an issue. It takes me less time to get off than it once did. And my orgasms are stronger and longer than ever. Apparently I'm the exception to the rule, because many guys on Prozac have exactly the opposite response.

 

[matelalique]

I tried a few SSRIs - all with the problems you describe - in addition to the odd sensation of orgasm and ejaculation not happening simultaneously. Problem went away when I removed the SSRIs. I've had no problems with Bupropion/WellButrin, but I do not find it as effective at fixing the depression, so for me it is a tradeoff. Our bodies react differently to these things, so don't assume you will have the same response.

I assume you wouldn't have access to this without seeking proper medical advice, in particular if you are planning to stop using your current SSRI - many require a ramp-down period.

 

[art]

Did you get off them and things get back to normal?

Yes, I got off SSRIs and sex went back to the way it had been.

 

[deleted8893071]

I took Lexapro a few years back for about 6 months and got off of it. It's a mind-numbing drug, in my view. I could fairly easily get erection and sometimes strong ones but after a week of taking it I couldn't cum anymore. I could rub my cock raw and nothing would even get me close to cumming. It's like the drug just zapped your libido.

 

[MilfBanger78]

They tried to prescribe me Prozac and/or Lexapro yrs ago. When I read about the sexual side effects I said no way.

While ago I worked with a dude on prozac, he said it basically turned him asexual

Zoloft, I know a lot of men in porn take it because it delays ejaculation so much

 

[techpump]

Have you tried to take herbal supplements that can ramp up libido and actually increase sensitivity? Maybe some things like Catuaba bark, muira puama, mucuna pruriens, maca root and related things might increase penile sensitivity and excitement and help you orgasm sooner? All of these herbal supplements certainly enhance my pleasure and when I take them my cock feels insanely good; when I don't take them it still feels good but that added oomph isn't there.

I'm not on SSRIs so I can't comment on their side effects and ways to negotiate them. However, herbal sex enhancers might help??!

 

[Ehearts]

Yes, a very common side effect of SSRIs. Discuss with your primary/psychiatrist about possibly augmenting your current treatment by adding bupropion as it may help counteract some of that. Alternative measures can be taken so be sure to discuss. No need to sacrifice sexual function for less misery if one can help it.

 

[palakaorion]

in particular if you are planning to stop using your current SSRI - many require a ramp-down period.

Absolutely under no circumstances should you ever stop SSRIs cold turkey for any reason. Google SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome. You want no part of that schite. Always follow your prescriber's recommended plan for tapering the dose.

 

[Ehearts]

Absolutely under no circumstances should you ever stop SSRIs cold turkey for any reason. Google SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome. You want no part of that schite. Always follow your prescriber's recommended plan for tapering the dose.

This is correct. Guys, if you need pharmacologic help for depression and it is giving you some unwanted side effects, please discuss with your provider about finding what will work specifically for you, to fine tune your treatment, and to help guide safe tapering before just quitting simply because you decided you were over it.

 

[MisterVIP]

These libido/erection/ejaculation killing side effects are what have always led me to decline any SSRI when suggested by any of my HCPs.

Good luck in getting your issues sorted out with your docs.

 

[WilliamG]

Who is taking an antidepressant like Lexapro and having trouble with the fact that it's a total boner killer?

I've been on just 10mg Escitalopram (pretty sure that's what they call Lexapro here in Australia) a day for over 12 months now, and while it definitely helped with my GAD (random panic attacks etc) it has given me a severe case of ED. I'm not sure it has necessarily killed my libido, because I still think about sex like 337.5 times a day, but getting and maintaining an erection, and more importantly reaching orgasm, has become really difficult.

I'm taking the same dose of Escitilopram. For the same GAD issues. It has worked well for me. Fortunately I've not had erection issues from it. Matter of fact... I now realize having those panic attacks was the worst boner killer! My boner killer was a blood pressure medicine I took for a few years. Now I'm back in range so I'm off it and notice the "skip in my step".

None of us like the idea of taking a "psych med". But for me (with meditation, regular exercise) I'm in a good place. Perhaps you could ask your doctor about halving the dose for a few weeks? I'm considering this as well.

 

[Gabriel_11]

I've been on lexapro for a long time. When I first started taking it, I had difficulty achieving an orgasm. My psychiatrist suggested supplementing Welllbutrin. However, that made me feel edgy so I discontinued Wellbutrin. After a while, the sexual side-effects resolved and I was able to get back to normal.

 

[Ehearts]

increases chemicals in your brain that happen to block orgasm, but the whole issue is sadly under-studied so we don't really seem to know for sure.

The issue is multifactorial that depends not only on different types of serotonin receptors, but also the tissues they are in and how that tissue responds, in addition to other physiologic changes that can impair sexual function. For some this doesn't happen, for others it happens in the beginning and subsides, and for others it is continuous while they remain on the medication. The standard SSRI we think, in general, has the ability to bind to many different types of serotonin receptors, hence the range of side effects. There are other options that have significantly reduced or 'rare' sexual side effects as they happen to bind only a subset of the serotonin receptors (and not those involved in sexual function), meaning they are more selective, or have cleaner binding profiles. These options are becoming increasingly popular, so if you can't tolerate typical SSRIs and Wellbutrin isn't an option, talk to your psychiatrist about other medications. For example vortioxetine, vilazodone, and others. There might be barriers such as price.

Welllbutrin. However, that made me feel edgy so I discontinued Wellbutrin.

Yes, so Wellbutrin increases the activity of norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) a little and so those who may have underlying anxiety may not be able to tolerate it, and others just may not like the little extra boost it gives. This is a good option for those who may have low energy and want to avoid weight gain etc.