Sex and Meds

I was on celexa (starting at age 14) for a few years and not only did it greatly increase my anxiety, it made orgasms a thing of the past. From there I tried Paxil (also as a teenager). Oh boy. Bad idea. Sexual dysfunction got worse--I not only couldn't orgasm, I didn't even want to try. Decided to come off after a two years and then found out that the Paxil withdrawals would last over 2 years and the doctor admitted that coming off it was comparable to detoxing from heroin. Had 105 degree fevers, inability to keep food down, and this neat phenomenon called "brain zaps" (basically if feels like someone has connected your brain to a car battery and switches on the power every minute or so for a few seconds) Fun stuff. But afterward my sex drive returned and I had a little party.

Not on anything of that nature now.

I take Lexapro (an antidepressant), and for me it causes a decreased libido and makes orgasm pretty difficult. I take ginkgo to minimize the side effects some.

In the past I've also taken Wellbutrin, which didn't really help my anxiety but did increase my sex drive quite a bit. I also took Effexor at one point and experienced some intense withdrawals like Saurou's with Paxil, complete with brain zaps, nausea, and probably the worst depression of my life.

I take thyroid (levothyroxin) medicine, and can't function without it - I'm lethargic, cold, and forget about sex! I've never had the dose too high, but I've had it too low & it's hell.

When I was taking different herbal supplements like vitex and soy, as well as my normal Metformin medicine I noticed that I didn't have a sex drive at all. I stopped the herbal supplements and switched to a different type of Metformin I got my sex drive back. Though I think a few other factors helped with that.

Paxil killed me. I mean, literally: it made me feel sick constantly, I was apathetic, I got nauseous every time I ate....just dreadful. If a drug's side effects are worse than what it prevents, it's really not worth it.

My birth control (Loestren 24 Fe) has lowered my libido, but not excessively, and it's not a major deal since my libido was out of control beforehand.

I was on Lexapro for a while when I was about 16. It didn't really make me stop feeling horny, but it didn't really get rid of my depression, either. Now I'm on Fluoxetine, which is just generic for Prozac. It has helped with my depression, but it has definitely decreased my sex drive. I went from wanting sex just about every day to maybe once every couple weeks. It sucks, but I don't really want to stop taking it since it's helping.

I was on Paxil before, my psychologist told me to try it. Was 21. Just the first pill made me sick so I guess I'm allergic? I had insomnia, was up all night, hot flashes, intense profusive sweating, no libido at all, feeling of being 'empty' and just plain uncaring of everything. I honestly felt like I had this dread feeling of dying or that I was literally dying in my chair. I trashed the pills the very next day, soaked them in rubbing alcohol and dumped them in the trash so no one else can get a hold of them.

I honestly think it's the birth control I'm on making me depressed more, so I'm going to go off that, too--this is my last week on it, been on it 2 years and been going downhill ever since.

As for my bf, he was on Adderall and it gave him pain every time he was 'in the mood,' like a sharp burning he said, so I'd avoid getting him worked up because of it, but he's not on it anymore thankfully. His ADD is more manageable with vitamins than any medications out there without all the nasty side effects.