Coping with sexual side effects of antidepressants?

4 comments

1. Yeah, this is pretty common with some meds. Your mental health is more important than having an orgasm though

   I recommend bringing it up with your psychiatrist next chance you get. In the meantime maybe play with yourself when you’re alone and see if different types of stimulation can get you off. Maybe try out a fantasy you’ve always wanted to try, see if the excitement helps you. Good luck

2. i take two different anti-depressants which screw with my libido and sensation a lot but after about 10 years on them ive figured out a couple ways around it

   i dont feel spontaneous arousal very often at all, but i react well to touch so my partner often initiates physically by groping me and if it gets me horny he continues but if it doesnt then we just leave it at that

   i also cant orgasm from clitoral stimulation alone anymore and a big part of what allows me to orgasm is not knowing exactly what my partner is going to do next. (i cant cum *at all* through masturbation anymore because of this) so he teases me by not inserting all the way and by changing up the rhythm sometimes or by holding me still so i can relax my core muscles and really feel him moving inside me which all comes together to allow me to cum repeatedly

   HOWEVER i will note that when i finally became accustomed to my new mirena I.U.D (inserted about a year ago now) my libido took a dramatic and unprecedented upswing to incomparable levels of spontaneous/constant arousal and it has seriously improved our sex life

3. Might be psychosomatic but I had success switching from SSRIs to [SNRI](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/SNRI)s

4. The fact that antidepressants kill sexual drive is really one of the most unfair things about life.

   Some people on SSRIs swear by certain powerful vibrators. If you read the reviews for clit suckers (like the “Womanizer” and less expensive versions) you’ll find folks saying stuff like “I’m on antidepressants and this is the only thing that can give me an orgasm.” Maybe try out some toys and experiment to see what will work. They are often able to provide the kind of intense and consistent physical stimulation that another person cannot (and it’s cool to have someone else use them on you).

   Personally, I was on SSRIs for the entirety of my 20s and they saved my life. I’m in my early thirties now. However, I became fed up with the numbness (regarding sex and my emotions in general) and made the decision to go off them a few months ago. I’ve had more orgasms in the last month (partnered and solo) than I had in something like two years. So far I’m feeling good mentally, but I’m on the lookout for any signs that I may need to go back on medication. I mention this to you not because I think you should go off your pills (don’t do that) but because it’s entirely possible that if you continue to grow and work on yourself outside of the meds, there may come a time when you won’t need them and can enjoy a full sex life without that impediment. If you’re not able to do that and have to stay on meds, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. Do what it takes to keep yourself healthy.

   Also, when I first brought up the issue with my psychiatrist she added Wellbutrin (I was taking Lexapro) which did help for a while but I stopped taking it because of anxiety, which may have been psychosomatic (I always get anxiety when starting a new drug), but I was feeling too fragile at the time to continue. YMMV!