# SSRIs and libido - totally TMI **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761 "2012-02-23T19:08:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/1 "2012-02-23T19:08:34Z")
So, I was depressed and anxious. I started taking cipralex and I am not so much depressed (yea!) and my anxiety has reduced somewhat (yea!). Before I started on the pills I had zero sex drive. Now, it’s really weird. One of the side effects can be a decreased drive and I have not had that. Instead, I have periods where I have no drive (which is the same as before) and times when I must have sex NOW. Anyone else’s experiences? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/2 "2012-02-23T19:56:32Z")
It may be that the depression was affecting your sex drive and now isn’t. Enjoy it at those times you can. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/3 "2012-02-23T20:36:30Z")
I like **Silver Tyger** ’s hypothesis. One of the sympoms of depression is not enjoying the things you used to like. They usually mean things like hobbies or collecting artwork or what have you, but I think sex can fall squarely in that category! FWIW, I went on citalopram about a half a year ago. I haven’t had any issues with a decreased drive. I have, however, noticed … _sighs, spoilers in case someone didn’t pay attention to the TMI warning in the thread title_ … my clit is a lot less sensitive than it used to be, and requires more time and attention to respond. It _does_, however, still respond. Eventually. Considering it’s helped with my insomnia a great deal and Mr. Horseshoe reports that I am much [del]less of a psychotic bitch[/del] more pleasant to be around, I’ll take something that relatively minor. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/4 "2012-02-23T22:03:30Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Mr. Horseshoe reports that I am much [del]less of a psychotic bitch[/del] more pleasant to be around, That’s about how my husband puts it. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/5 "2012-02-24T01:09:03Z")
I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/6 "2012-02-24T02:28:43Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I like **Silver Tyger** ’s hypothesis. One of the sympoms of depression is not enjoying the things you used to like. They usually mean things like hobbies or collecting artwork or what have you, but I think sex can fall squarely in that category! > > FWIW, I went on citalopram about a half a year ago. I haven’t had any issues with a decreased drive. I have, however, noticed … > > _sighs, spoilers in case someone didn’t pay attention to the TMI warning in the thread title_ > > … my clit is a lot less sensitive than it used to be, and requires more time and attention to respond. It _does_, however, still respond. Eventually. > > Considering it’s helped with my insomnia a great deal and Mr. Horseshoe reports that I am much [del]less of a psychotic bitch[/del] more pleasant to be around, I’ll take something that relatively minor. Horseshoe, I’ve been on that medication for a while now, and the same exact thing has happened to me. Sigh. ☹ On one hand, at least my body is like “Meh, we’re so stable in emotions now we don’t need to get off twice a day just to feel good.” but the downside is, y’know…not getting off! ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/7 "2012-02-24T03:03:03Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ THIS. They put me on Celexa after my surgeries and my sex drive was still very high, but I couldn’t have an orgasm to save my life. I could have sex for hours on end, but no “pop”. Went off the med and went back to normal. Sadly I had a similar experience recently with the morphine I have to take everyday. It was causing anorgasmia, but thankfully I discovered that if I take it AFTER sex instead of before it isn’t a problem. Stupid medications, messing with the one thing that I am good at! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/8 "2012-02-24T03:14:19Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ Ah, yes. I had that side effect when I was on Luvox. An interesting effect, in the perceived impact on a man’s life & happiness. Day 1: Hey, baby, come play! I can go all night! Woo-hoo! Day 3: Ok, maybe this isn’t such a boon after all … Day 7: Somebody, please kill me. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/9 "2012-02-24T03:17:25Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ > [@obbn](#): > > THIS. They put me on Celexa after my surgeries and my sex drive was still very high, but I couldn’t have an orgasm to save my life. I could have sex for hours on end, but no “pop”. Went off the med and went back to normal. Citalopram/Celexa is kind of notorious for that, and other SSRIs tend to be not much better. Just because there’s probably someone reading who doesn’t know this, there are a variety of ways of treating that particular side effect, though effectiveness varies for everyone and it’s usually not a quick fix. Go ahead, ask me how I know. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/10 "2012-02-24T03:47:34Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > Citalopram/Celexa is kind of notorious for that, and other SSRIs tend to be not much better. Just because there’s probably someone reading who doesn’t know this, there are a variety of ways of treating that particular side effect, though effectiveness varies for everyone and it’s usually not a quick fix. > > Go ahead, ask me how I know. ☹ Yep, I was on Prozac for a bit and the same thing happened. You know it’s bad when a person like me notices the side effects before even reading about what they may be. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/11 "2012-02-24T09:32:46Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ > [@SCSimmons](#): > > Ah, yes. I had that side effect when I was on Luvox. An interesting effect, in the perceived impact on a man’s life & happiness. > Day 1: Hey, baby, come play! I can go all night! Woo-hoo! > Day 3: Ok, maybe this isn’t such a boon after all … > Day 7: Somebody, please kill me. The word combination I learned during my adventures with Seroxat was “Drug Holliday”, one weekend each month of ridiculous amounts of ….well you know…..😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/12 "2012-02-24T13:22:03Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > I am on citalopram - I have had to learn a new word. Anorgasmia ☹ Lexapro appears to have done the same thing to me. The irony is, it increased my libido. So now I have an active sex life for the first time in years but can never… quite… get there. Oh, well, I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/13 "2012-02-24T15:21:22Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > Citalopram/Celexa is kind of notorious for that, and other SSRIs tend to be not much better. Just because there’s probably someone reading who doesn’t know this, **there are a variety of ways of treating that particular side effect** , though effectiveness varies for everyone and it’s usually not a quick fix. > > Go ahead, ask me how I know. ☹ Details on the part I bolded, pretty please? ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/14 "2012-02-24T16:58:55Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Details on the part I bolded, pretty please? A couple options I’m aware of: The most obvious is to try a different antidepressant. Just because one SSRI kills some aspect of your sex life doesn’t mean they all will. Of course other SSRIs may end up having other side effects or just not doing much for the depression. Finding the right SSRI for your body chemistry is a total shot in the dark. There’s also an atypical antidepressant called Citalopram ([bupropion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupropion)) that can sometimes counteract the sexual side effects of SSRIs, as well as being a good add-on if the SSRI isn’t doing everything you need as an antidepressant. This is VERY much a YMMV and ‘go talk to your doctor’ kind of thing. There may also be other things I’m missing here, hopefully someone with more medical knowledge can chime in if this is misleading. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/15 "2012-02-24T17:38:46Z")
Not TMI, but not everyone would want to read about a stranger’s sex life, lol: Put on SSRI before puberty. Never had a sex drive, don’t know if it’s me or the drugs. The socially anxious introvert I am, I don’t really mind, otherwise some poor dude would be sticking it in the crazy! ---
**Author:** ![Dunkelheit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dunkelheit/32/248_2.png) [@Dunkelheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunkelheit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/16 "2012-02-24T18:00:12Z")
> [@perfectparanoia](#): > > So, I was depressed and anxious. I started taking cipralex and I am not so much depressed (yea!) and my anxiety has reduced somewhat (yea!). > > Before I started on the pills I had zero sex drive. Now, it’s really weird. One of the side effects can be a decreased drive and I have not had that. Instead, I have periods where I have no drive (which is the same as before) and times when I must have sex NOW. > > Anyone else’s experiences? I was on Effexor for over two years (and have recently started taking Sertraline), and during that time my experiences included a general slight lessening of desire, but more noticeably a difficulty achieving orgasm. That’s kind of annoying. I agree with the notion that the depression itself may have been inhibiting your drive. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/17 "2012-02-24T18:04:03Z")
I stopped taking citalopram when I was experiencing anorgasmia (and frankly am relieved it wasn’t just me). The desire was still there, but the completion became either unsatisfying (anticlimactic, if I may) or just totally impossible. I quickly regained that ability after I quit the pill. Thank GOD. That really sucked ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/18 "2012-02-24T19:23:11Z")
I take an SSRI (sertraline), in part, because of it’s orgasm-delaying effects. I suffer from nerve-damage related P.E. and the SSRI helps in treating this. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/19 "2012-02-24T19:47:53Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I stopped taking citalopram when I was experiencing anorgasmia (and frankly am relieved it wasn’t just me). The desire was still there, but the completion became either unsatisfying (anticlimactic, if I may) or just totally impossible. > > I quickly regained that ability after I quit the pill. Thank GOD. That really sucked ☹ Did you take any other medication after quitting the citalopram? ---
**Author:** ![iamnotbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@iamnotbatman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamnotbatman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761/20 "2012-02-24T20:24:50Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I quickly regained that ability after I quit the pill. Thank GOD. That really sucked ☹ I took fluoxetine for a couple years a long time ago and developed ejaculatory anhedonia. I haven’t taken any SSRI’s since, and while the problem has mostly subsided, I will say my orgasms have never been quite the same as before ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ssris-and-libido-totally-tmi/613761.md?page=2)