Lexapro and low libido

So, I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and since this past May, I’ve been taking Lexapro every single day. I started off with half a pill, bumped up to a full tablet after about a week, and have just stayed at that dose since. After dealing with some initial side effects for the first two or three days—and pushing through a bit of a five or six-week stretch where I didn't feel much improvement at all—things finally started clicking. Lately, I’ve been feeling so much better and way more productive. My focus is sharper, I can breeze through tasks that used to feel overwhelming, my sleep is better, and I don't get worked up over the little things like I used to. Even my social interactions feel smoother... basically, there’s been a massive positive shift in my life. The catch? Lately, my libido has completely vanished. I have zero sexual desire and almost no physical arousal. During those first couple of weeks, it wasn't a huge deal—my drive was just a little lower than usual—but now? It’s like I can't get aroused at all. So, here's my question: should I look into changing my medication given how great everything else is working, or should I just hang in there for a few more months? Is there any chance my sex drive will come back while I'm still on these, or am I stuck with this feeling as long as I'm medicated? Honestly, I hate this feeling of being totally asexual... 😢 But then again, seeing as the medication works so perfectly for everything else... maybe it’s not such a huge deal. 😬

Anyway, I’d love to hear about your experiences with Lexapro (or any similar SSRIs) and what you think about this situation... Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer some thoughtful insight. 🙂

Lexapro (escitalopram) is basically the upgraded successor to Celexa, which we’ve been using for decades to tackle everything from major depression to panic disorder, anxiety, and OCD. Honestly, it’s a solid med. Now, look—that drop in libido? It can happen because of the depression itself, or it could be a side effect of the antidepressants. But since this is such a high-quality SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) that helps keep more serotonin flowing in your brain, there’s a really good chance your drive will bounce back after a few months on it. The key is staying the course; even once you start feeling like yourself again, you really need to stick with it for at least another six months. Don't sweat it too much, you'll get your groove back 👍 to the delight of all your 😘 😉

brightmarlin44 said:It’s actually pretty likely that your libido will come back online after you've been on it for a few months.

A few months?! 🙂 🙂

But hey, thanks for the reply and for being so encouraging. 👋

So, I’ve been dealing with anxiety and panic disorder for about two years now. It all started after my doctors ran every test under the sun and told me everything was physically fine. For a year, I was on Coaxil (three times a day), then switched over to Lexapro once a day for a few months. But then life happened—I got pregnant and had to stop the meds entirely. I stayed on top of things with supportive psychotherapy at the Mayo Clinic the whole time, though. During the pregnancy, the anxiety and panic attacks were pretty mild, but ever since having the baby, everything has just ramped up big time. I recently started back on Lexapro (did one pill for three days, then moved to 1.5), but oh my god... I feel ten times worse after taking it. My chest feels like it's burning, I'm getting dizzy, muscle spasms, headaches, physical tension, zero appetite, and the tremors... it's constant. On top of the physical stuff, I'm hit with this overwhelming fear that I won't be able to take care of my kids, plus this terrifying dread of dying. Has anyone else gone through this? Any advice? Is this "normal" when you restart? When does this feeling actually go away, and what has your experience been with Lexapro? Am I going to beat this? Is it even curable? Honestly, I'm terrified I'm losing my mind.

I haven't personally tried Lexapro, but I have experience with Seroxat (or maybe it was Seroquel? Honestly, my memory of the exact name is a bit fuzzy). It’s an antidepressant I took for about six months during one of the absolute lowest and most difficult chapters of my life. While it definitely helped me start functioning again and everything felt more manageable, there was a major catch—my sex drive completely vanished. There was zero desire or interest, which was incredibly awkward because, let's be honest, that kind of thing starts causing real friction in a marriage after a while.
After roughly six months, I started experiencing some really bizarre side effects; I couldn't sleep a wink at night, my heart would race like crazy, and I became increasingly jittery. So, I decided to slowly taper off the dosage first, eventually stopping altogether after a few weeks. I'm still dealing with some lingering issues, but things are starting to look up on that front. I wouldn't say I'm suddenly high-libido, but at least I feel alive again.

I’ve been on Lexapro for 4 years now—it was a rough start while my body figured things out, but honestly? Without it, I’d be totally lost. I’m a completely different person. As for the weight gain... look, given everything I went through, I really don't care. Just take whatever meds you need to stay afloat. Please, just don't go quitting them cold turkey on your own—depression will come crashing back in a heartbeat. Good luck.

Hmm... Sex and depression, or life without sex and without depression? I’ll take the second option every single time. ☕

I was on Lexapro for about a year and a half before I decided to quit on my own—bad move, looking back. Things were fine for a year, but then the depression started creeping back in through short, sporadic episodes that eventually grew longer and more frequent. It wasn't catastrophic, especially compared to how much worse things were before I started the medication, but it was happening. My doctor put me back on the same prescription, and I've been back at it for a few days now.

When I first started the 10mg daily dose, the initial side effects were manageable but annoying. I felt nauseous quite often, particularly while driving, and for a little while, hitting an orgasm was a struggle (though when it actually happened, it was intense). Everything leveled out after a couple of weeks.

The drug works for me. It stopped that constant, irrational sense of dread and anxiety, and my panic attacks—which felt just like having a heart attack—finally ceased.

Good luck to everyone.

Lexapro, just like any other effective antidepressant out there, basically does the same thing—at least if you ask me. It creates this buffer between your mind and your body's physical response. That’s why it actually works. Take a panic attack, for example. Usually, it kicks off because some mental trigger—like suddenly remembering you might have left the stove on—sets off a massive physical chain reaction. Your heart starts racing, you break out in a sweat, your stomach knots up... you know the drill. Well, the whole point of taking Lexapro is to decouple those two things. When you're on it, you might still realize you forgot to lock the front door, but you won't feel like your entire world is collapsing when you remember. You stay calm.
Now, look at libido. Sexual desire is also this weird cocktail of mental triggers and physical responses. That's exactly why people on these meds often lose that "wild, primal urge" or find it takes way longer to reach the finish line. In my opinion? You shouldn't just ditch your treatment because of that. You need to sit down, weigh the pros and cons, and decide what actually matters more to you: having a peaceful, productive life with slightly lackluster sex, or having amazing sex while being totally crushed by depression...

I have a bit of experience dealing with antidepressants—specifically Exelon and Miller—which ended up being pretty bad for me, so I eventually pulled the plug. Even though I was only on them for about a month, the side effects hit me fast: constant drowsiness, total lethargy, and a massive drop in libido. Once I tapered off the doses, everything finally went back to the way it was before.
My primary care physician prescribed them because I was going through an incredibly stressful stretch, so I don't actually have a formal diagnosis; she didn't refer me to a psychiatrist or anything. They just left me feeling numb and emotionally blunt, which was a sensation I absolutely hated. I wanted to leave a note here in case anyone else tried them, felt that same emptiness, and decided to stop taking them because they weren't doing any actual good.