Sex and Antidepressants
February 23rd, 2011
By Jill Denton, LMFT, CSAT, CSE, CCS, Sexuality / Sex Therapy Topic Expert Contributor
Click here to contact Jill and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
Since my last blog a number of you have asked for more information about possible sexual side effects caused by antidepressants. Before I say more – a cautionary word – I’m a psychotherapist/counselor, not a medical doctor/psychiatrist! So what I write in this blog is drawn from my (extensive) experience working with people who have challenges and/or difficulties with sex – I’m a sexologist, not a psycho-pharmacologist!
Some of the worst culprits or libido smashers are the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft. Unfortunately, these are all heavily prescribed! I mentioned last month that many folks can benefit from a so-called “drug holiday” when they forgo their medication for a few days. Be aware that this intervention does NOT work for Prozac, due to the much longer time that Prozac remains in the bloodstream, compared with the other shorter-acting SSRIs like Zoloft.
Several types of antidepressants have virtually no side effects. The most common that my clients have discovered are Wellbutrin, Xanax, and Klonopin. I’ll often suggest that new clients substitute (with the agreement of their medical doctor of course) Xanax or Klonopin for Wellbutrin because the latter can exacerbate anxiety or “agitated depression,” as it’s called by psychiatrists.
It’s also infamous for causing insomnia and headaches, which tend to make most of us anxious and certainly don’t contribute to enjoyable sexual connection! Wellbutrin is pharmacologically distinct from the SSRIs as it enhances the neurotransmitter dopamine, which has the opposite effect on libido and orgasm of serotonin. Xanax and Klonopin are usually prescribed to combat anxiety, not serotonin, so they tend to have very few sexual side effects.
I will often recommend that people who are leery about psychotropics try St. John’s Wort, which is most effective, I’ve found, for Type A blood types (remember, I’m not prescribing, just using anecdotal experience to make these suggestions!) Because it’s not regulated as a pharmaceutical substance, I’m told that efficacy can vary widely.
Male clients have reported to me that Viagra is effective for SSRI-induced absence of orgasm, and I’ve known people of both genders swear by the botanical preparation ginkgo biloba to reverse libido, arousal, and/or orgasm problems. One sex therapist colleague tells me that Viagra can be helpful for women as well, but none of my clients have reported this to me.
If switching to an alternative psychotropic is not clinically appropriate or effective, some doctors might recommend adding another medication on a daily or as-needed basis. Many people are hesitant about taking one drug, let alone two! But for those who are comfortable with it, a second medication can offer an antidote to the side effects of an otherwise helpful medication.
Most commonly a sexual savvy psychiatrist will prescribe a single low dose of Wellbutrin for clients complaining of sexual side effects from other antidepressants, employing lower does of Wellbutrin than would be necessary to treat depression. These small doses can restore the serotonin-dopamine balance that I mentioned earlier, alleviating sexual side effects.
People starting out with me often ask if I suspect that their sexual problems are relationship issues or caused by medication. I always ask them how long the sexual challenges have been occurring. SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction follows a fairly typical pattern: it begins within days or weeks of starting the new psychotropic medication. For example, a woman may report that she can no longer reach orgasm with her husband within weeks of beginning Prozac for obsessive compulsive disorder.
Women rarely volunteer this immediately, but I ask LOTS of questions, which makes it easier to discuss sexual hang-ups. Guys usually have less hesitation talking about such problems, and as one man said to me recently, “that’s why we came to a sex therapist and not the generic marriage therapist down the street!” The fact that I “coach” by phone also seems to help especially for men, who might have difficulty opening up “when the plumbing doesn’t work!”
Don’t forget – if you have questions about your medications, make sure to discuss them with your medical doctor or psychiatrist.
Related Articles:
The Importance of Addressing Sexual Issues in General Therapy
Depressed by Disappearing Libido?
4 Common Myths About Female Orgasm
©Copyright 2011 by Jill Denton, MFT, CSAT, CCS, therapist in Los Osos, CA. All Rights Reserved.
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Comments
I was on zoloft for a while for depression and anxiety but I never noticed any decrease in sex drive. As a matter of fact when I was on the medication it made me feel so much better than I had before starting the drugs that I found me and my wife to be closer than before. I guess they can affect people in all kinds of different ways.
Most,if not all, of these drugs have been around for decades now. Ans we still have to take them with their side-effects. Are there no alternatives at all? What about traditional medications from the East? If a person is prescribed one of these drugs for medication, with the side effects being a loss of libido, it is only going to alleviate the depression due to the relationship problems that are bound to occur. So a drug taken for depression is causing depression!!!
Side effectsof one drug forcing you to take even more drugs?! No thanks! I would rather go with alternative medicine for depression.
Ok so if it is a decision of feeling so much better than I had been or having sex, I think that while I am healing I will take the feeling better no matter what effect the drugs may have on my libido.
How can you tell if it’s the meds or the anxiety itself that’s affecting your libido? My wife’s got new meds for anxiety and her sex drive has plummeted. I don’t know if it’s both or one of them that’s to blame.
Are there any moves from the pharmaceutical companies who develop these drugs to push for research into one that does not cause these hormonal fluctuations that could be the cause of lower sex drive in some users?
All the side-effects of medicine make me wonder if it’s even worth it. Look at any bottle of pills and you’ll see a laundry list of things that can go horribly wrong, including heart disease, stroke, death, sweating, and for some bizarre reason, “unpleasant taste”. I’m starting to think that the pharmaceutical companies are having a right laugh at the choices they present.
I feel antidepressants cause more problems than they solve. If we made more of an effort to not get so depressed with everything we wouldn’t have this problem in the first place. I find I do better when I consciously focus on seeing the positives than when I’m on meds alone.
I have been taking Xanax for a while now .I had Prostate Cancer and thing were looking up in till i starred taking Xanax also i had many financial issues in the past year . I am not doing well sexually and especially in the last month .
I am using injection therapy but came reach an orgasums unless i am with out my partner
Effexor is not an SSRI. It is SNRI – not only does it affect seratonin but also norepinephrine. Don’t try to take a vacation per say from Effexor. Withdrawl hits quickly with the stuff – mood swings and headaches among other things.
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