AIBU to ask you about sertraline and sex?

[TwattingDog]

AIBU? Will try not to TMI.

I take sertraline 100mg (an antidepressant), and have done for about 18months. It's absolutely murdered my sex drive, and I'm usually, erm, very happy with DH.

DH is being an angel about it and hasn't said a thing, but has stopped instigating. When I asked why, it's because he thinks I'm not interested at all and he doesn't want to pressure me. The damn drugs mean I don't seem to 'switch on' that part of my brain.

I forgot to take them for a fortnight a wee while ago, and it all came back with a vengeance, which is reassuring!

No, I can't really come off them - I've done that before, and I go back to square 1 mentally (uncontrollable sobbing etc).

AIBU to ask - how do other people deal with this? Is there another drug that would do me better?

What's your long term plan here? The drugs are allowing you to function but are not allowing you to heal. Your brain and emotions are just as able to heal from emotional/mental trauma as from a physical injury.

Just my 2p from my experience.

It does the same to me too, I’d come off it if it didn’t keep me sane . .

@TwattingDog I was a member, left the entire career last year. One injury left me in surgery and in hospital for two days. As we were understaffed I was asked to come back in the NEXT day. I decided there and then I didn't need to do this anymore. I had my fun. I was merely a number not a human and that's not what I signed up for ten years ago. Irony is, we were so short staffed the night of my final injury that had we had backup it would never have happened. But you know how it is.
Plus the Fed lawyer told me that I had no hope of a claim because the Susp had no money. My injury will effect me for life.
I loved it, I hate what it turned into.

I've tried fluoxetine and sertraline, all of them killed my sex drive stone dead. Even if I wanted to have an orgasm I just couldn't. I'm given up all my meds and taking Saint John's wort. Feel great and no side effects so far.

Disclaimer I'm not suggesting anyone should come off their meds it's just that circumstances in my life have changed for the better so I was able to do so for that reason, and experiment with different things.

I was on 100mg of the sertraline.
Same situation as you OP.
I went down to 50 mg.
All is well again in that dept.

Have you tried taking a dose, and then having sex around the time the next dose is due - so there is as little in your system as there is going to be in 24 hours?

@Preggosaurus9 I've done all the CBT / counselling / SAD lamp / vitamins / etc. Each time I come off the pills, I end up back on them. I suspect I'll stay on them for a few years this time. I'm an absolute wreck when I crash so I can't afford to crash again. It's harder to claw your way back to the surface when you are drowning.

@2littleChicks did the lawyer talk about sueing the Job? Happy to talk via PM if its easier!

I couldn’t climax on sertraline but I could on citalopram.

I took setraline for several months. It did not kill my sex drive but I hated feeling emotionless. I felt dead inside, no passion, no drive. I was scared of suppressing my emotions only for them to haunt me months/years later so I stopped.

I've had exactly the same problem. Unfortunately I've also tried various ADs and sertraline is the only one that works for me, so I've had to come to terms with my libido being practically non- existent.

Sorry, not much help, just wanted you to know you're not alone!

My DH has a very low sex drive. He's now on Sertraline and his drive is even worse than before, once or twice a month before is now once every few months, if planned in advance. If it's affecting you badly, go back to the GP and see if there's anything else you can try. There's lots available so there should be more options, fingers crossed you find something else that works for your mental health and allows your sex drive to come back.

@MontStMichel interesting idea. I've just looked up the half life, and it's 22-36hrs. Balls.

The drugs are allowing you to function but are not allowing you to heal.

I don't know. I found the lack of emotion was a relief and gave me the space to see a way forward. I'm not a fan, and they did nothing for my sex life and they had other unpleasant side effects, but ADs really helped me.

And don't dismiss being able to function. I take painkillers every month for period pain. Doesn't fix the cause, but does let me live my life reasonably normally for that 3-5 days a month. The same with the beta blockers I take.

Both sertraline and citalopram killed my sex drive. DH joked that he was going to start taking it so that neither of us would be bothered about having no sex life.

Thanks all. I've made an online appointment for a video phone call review of my medication tonight! New service from our GP, will see how it goes.

Update: had the video consultation.

Initial check was whether my loss of libido was depression related (nope, never been an issue before!).

Next was whether I could take the combined pill, to perk up my hormones (nope, migraine with aura is an absolute no way, plus I'm fat and nearly 40).

Final option is to drop the dose of the sertraline. I'm to alternate between 100mg and 50mg, every other day, for a at least a month then have a review. It may be I can drop to 50mg longer term, but it will be long term managed so I don't fall into a black hole again.

And the GP was FIT, so definitely not my lack of taste in men! 😂

Haha, good luck TwattingDog. Fingers crossed you're feeling more up for it soon!!