Relationships while on antidepressants

[Numbfromtheneckup]

I've NC for this.

I've been on Citalopram for a number of years. They have helped my anxiety disorder and depression massively.
I've been single for a while now and recently met a new man. He's gorgeous and lovely and I really fancy him. But I'm not connecting with him in a way I feel I should be. I've been googling and have found many articles that say that being on antidepressants affects your dopamine which stunts your feelings. I would certainly say that was the case even before meeting this guy.

And (sorry for TMI but I have to say this), while I really fancy him and sex is great - I can't orgasm. Again, nothing new, he is doing everything right - it's just not happening!
I've tried coming off them before and it sent me spiralling down and I don't want to go back to being the anxious mess I was before I went on them. But I want to enjoy being in my new relationship and all the feelings that go with that and I'm worried that things won't work out because I feel so numb.
Can anyone else relate or offer me some advice? Sorry this has been so long!

Is orgasm a deal breaker for you? Plenty of people hardly ever have one and it isn't a big deal.

If you are enjoying his company and like sex with him, good for you. Take it slow.

No, an orgasm is not a deal breaker for me Rachel, sorry to not be clear but that was an example of how I am not feeling. It's the lack of connection, the feeling of numbness that I know is because of the antidepressants. On a mental level I know that I am falling for him but emotionally it's not happening. I can't explain it properly. And that is part of the problem! I'm so detached from my emotions.

Anyone else have any experience of this?

I've had issues with orgasms in the past while I was on anti depressants. My DP had the same issue, at the same time. We just kept persisting and eventually got the end result. This was after approximately 3-4 weeks of regular sex. It helped that we knew what position got the best result at the time.
We were on Sertraline.

Have you always been on Citalopram, or have you tried other anti depressants? I'd go back to GP and explain the unfeeling, they may try changing medication.

Why don't you see your GP and see if a managed reduction will work for you?

Hi, I posted this on a different thread today.. just read your post and thought I'd share it here too as iv been experiencing something similar this is my story:

Hi,

I wanted to share my story and also ask for some reasurance in regards to some feelings I am having.

I started on Sertraline September 2017 after a traumatic family event triggered off severe anxiety for me. They worked really well after about 3-4 weeks. I flourished after about 2 months and felt like a completely different person. July this year I asked my GP if I could attempt to come off them. I reduced the dosage by half and then half a tablet every other day and eventually came off completely in September. I felt okay for about three weeks then around mid October time I really started to crash. I went back to the GP and they advised I go back on them as I was really in a dark place I was signed off work for a week. I explained to them I dont think I could ever kill my self but have thought about it purely because I cant go on feeling like this every day. When your in that place it just feels like there is no way out you completely forget who you are and I was struggling to get through a hour let alone a day. I was constantly wandering what if the tablets dont work this time. I am now 3 weeks going into my 4th week back on sertraline. It feels a lot harder this time my mood and obsessive anxious thoughts are getting better and I am able to work again. I said that I thought this had happened because I have had a lot of change in my life the past year, iv changed jobs, ended a relationshop, started a new relation ship and then leading up to my crash, was working 12 hour days and experiencing a lot of stress at work.

This time and the reason really im writing this is for some advise or reassurance. I wandered if sertraline can make you irratable. I never experienced this last time. As I said I am in a newish relationship and before I crashed I was so happy and in love and felt like nothing could break us... He has been very supportive and understanding through this period, hes the nicest person and we get on so well, and nothing has changed apart from how im feeling.

I feel like im getting very irrated with him when he hasnt done anything wrong. I refuse to beleive theres something wrong with the relationship because of how strong my feelings for him were before my crash. I feel like im stuck in a vicious circle of trying to work out if something feels wrong here with my relationship or if its just the anxiety causing obsessive thoughts again/ a reaction to the medication.

Can anyone relate, or does anyone have any advise?

Sorry for rambling, Thank You.