Antidepressants side effects

[arast]

I've been taking antidepressants for around 6 weeks now. Feeling much better. Sex drive has driven away! I'm 36 and female.

Anyone overcome this?

It's very common to feel numb and wondering where the 'in the mood' feelings that naturally occur have gone.

To combat it, you may need to make yourself in the mood, rather than expect it to occur. I'd recommend just getting down to it and your mood will catch up. Plenty of lube also recommended.

Ignoring it and waiting to be in the mood will put quite a lot of pressure on yourselves and your OH. Think Nike... Just Do It.

I must stress that this is just my experience, but I wish that I had never taken anti-depressants. I am a man and taking them coincided with my libido taking a huge hit and the start of erectile dysfunction.

I took them for a few months, but the ED has stayed with me to a lesser extent. If your life is absolutely fine, but you are depressed then medication may be for you. For most of us though our depression is not the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain; it is usually as a result of our shitty lives, our shitty partners, our crappy marriages, our crappy jobs, etc., and these factors need to be sorted. Taking a pill to rectify a chemical imbalance in the brain will not work when your whole life is crap, but doctors love prescribing them (and patients want them).

I agree with xp. And they are notorious for killing libido and making it physically impossible to climax, it's a known side effect wh. XP I'm sorry that has been a lasting side effect, I hope it improves over time.

As with xpc, my DP was prescribed them last year and his sex drive was the only thing in this house that was fucked. He only took them for 2 weeks before he stopped because he was, as a male with a usually high sex drive suddenly becoming one who didn't really want it and couldn't maintain erection/ finish, really struggling with the change so quickly and it was just something else to worry about. I don't think he ever needed them, he was fine after stopping, life was just massively shit and his doctor talked him into them when he was signed off work for a month when it all got a bit much.

There are other types of antidepressants that don't really affect your sex drive. If it is citalopram they're a well known libido killer so may be worth seeing if it settles down or speaking to your gp sooner rather than later and seeing if there is something more suitable if you're really wanting to maintain a sex life and don't seem to be able to muster one with your current meds.

Oops, posted before I was ready. When you're depressed one of the few joys in life can be found in physical pleasure - exercise, walking, dancing, sexual union with loved one and orgasm so I think anti depressants should be a short term last resort.

Agree with bricks, exactly.