Antidepressants and sexual dysfunction

Hi everyone!

I have a few questions for those of you who have experience with antidepressants, or even if you haven't taken them but might know something about what I'm going through.
I recently started seeing a psychiatrist—I’ve been twice now, and tomorrow will be my third visit. So far, everything seems fine; I feel like I have really good communication with my doctor.
It isn't a massive issue, at least that's how I see it right now. For the time being, the diagnosis is just mild anxious depression or something along those lines. I won't go into every single symptom right now...
The main reason I decided to seek professional help is sexual dysfunction. Basically, my libido is extremely low; I just don't have much sexual desire (I mean, I do have it, but it's very weak and happens rarely), and while I can reach orgasm, I have issues during intercourse (I just realized it might be important to mention that I am female 🙂).
I have a boyfriend and we get along great, but naturally, disagreements and tension arise because he has a normal sex drive and all that...
Anyway, I've been discussing the possibility of starting antidepressants with my doctor. I'm open to the idea and I'm not afraid of it, but there is one thing that is really bothering me.
First, will the antidepressant have a sedative effect? I don't actually have trouble sleeping; in fact, I feel overly tired during the day and seem to need a ton of energy just to handle basic tasks that shouldn't require that much effort. I really wouldn't want this to make me feel even more "slowed down" than I already am.
Second, I've read in several places that antidepressants cause sexual dysfunction—that they actually trigger it?!😲 Like, they decrease sexual desire?
Well, that is the last thing I need, so what would even be the point then?
It is mentioned that duloxetine and antidepressants that don't affect serotonin neurotransmission have the lowest impact on sexual dysfunction, whereas tricyclics, SSRIs, and venlafaxine are the ones most likely to cause issues?
I'm planning to discuss all of this with my doctor tomorrow, but I was wondering what your opinions and experiences are?
What actually happens to your libido when you take antidepressants? What happened in your case?

If you ask me, I’d steer clear of those antidepressants...🙂
The issues you're dealing with—well, you can handle them on your own, if you ask my opinion...🙂
Maybe you're just a bit scattered or something...
And jumping onto medication, it feels like such a massive step...🙂

It’s way too easy for her, honestly. She just hands out the antidepressants like candy... you show up to a couple of sessions and suddenly—bam—here we go, straight to the meds.👎

She didn't actually put me on Lexapro or anything; we were just having a conversation about it... I guess it's still a bit too early to make a call like that.
I just want to stay informed and really weigh all my options...

For mild anxiety or depression, talking it out is usually the better move. If that doesn't cut it, maybe look into something light, something natural?
Look, AT&T can definitely mess with your libido, so you have to figure out which option helps with the mood stuff versus which one actually helps with the drive... it's hard to balance both. You might end up stuck in a loop that's pretty damn difficult to escape. As for the libido side of things, you can try handling that without meds—re-evaluate your relationship, change your routine, whatever...

I saw my doctor this morning, and she mentioned we're really just scratching the surface right now. Apparently, there’s still quite a long road ahead of us. For the time being, she isn't recommending any medication—just talk therapy.
So, I've decided to try using St. John's Wort. My plan is to have one cup of tea twice a day (I'll just steep 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb in boiling water for about 10 minutes) and stick with it for maybe 4 to 6 weeks.
From what I've read, St. John's Wort is supposed to help with milder cases of depression.
Of course, you aren't allowed to take it if you're already on antidepressants.
Anyway, thanks so much for all the advice you've given me.
I also heard there are certain teas that can boost libido... but honestly, who knows? We'll just see how things go, I guess...
Best,

It really depends on your dosage and what specific medication you're talking about—assuming you even decide to go down that road and start meds.
A couple of years back, I was pulling 60 mg of Prozac daily along with some Eglonil, and my libido was basically non-existent. Eventually, I tapered off, and I think my body just built up a tolerance to that specific side effect over time. At the dose I’m on now—20 mg of Lexapro plus 1.5 mg of Klonopin—things didn't quite "click" at first; I wasn't feeling any real drive for sex for a little while. But after sticking with the same regimen for a bit, everything is working normally again.

I've got my interview today
and honestly, I'm just hoping they'll put me on Lexapro.

People naturally have different levels of sexual drive, just like they differ in pretty much everything else in life. It feels a bit silly to label a low libido as "abnormal," and honestly, it’s even more misguided to try and fix it with a pill. In reality, it’s pretty rare for both partners to be on the exact same page when it comes to desire all the time.

Brenda Sanders46 said:It’s way too easy for her, honestly. She just hands out the antidepressants like candy... you show up to a couple of sessions and suddenly—bam—here we go, straight to the meds.👎

My doctor wrote them in for me during my very first visit... 😢

rowdylynx17 said:Hi everyone!

I have a few questions for those of you who have experience with antidepressants, or even if you haven't taken them but might know something about what I'm going through.
I recently started seeing a psychiatrist—I’ve been twice now, and tomorrow will be my third visit. So far, everything seems fine; I feel like I have really good communication with my doctor.
It isn't a massive issue, at least that's how I see it right now. For the time being, the diagnosis is just mild anxious depression or something along those lines. I won't go into every single symptom right now...
The main reason I decided to seek professional help is sexual dysfunction. Basically, my libido is extremely low; I just don't have much sexual desire (I mean, I do have it, but it's very weak and happens rarely), and while I can reach orgasm, I have issues during intercourse (I just realized it might be important to mention that I am female 🙂).
I have a boyfriend and we get along great, but naturally, disagreements and tension arise because he has a normal sex drive and all that...
Anyway, I've been discussing the possibility of starting antidepressants with my doctor. I'm open to the idea and I'm not afraid of it, but there is one thing that is really bothering me.
First, will the antidepressant have a sedative effect? I don't actually have trouble sleeping; in fact, I feel overly tired during the day and seem to need a ton of energy just to handle basic tasks that shouldn't require that much effort. I really wouldn't want this to make me feel even more "slowed down" than I already am.
Second, I've read in several places that antidepressants cause sexual dysfunction—that they actually trigger it?!😲 Like, they decrease sexual desire?
Well, that is the last thing I need, so what would even be the point then?
It is mentioned that duloxetine and antidepressants that don't affect serotonin neurotransmission have the lowest impact on sexual dysfunction, whereas tricyclics, SSRIs, and venlafaxine are the ones most likely to cause issues?
I'm planning to discuss all of this with my doctor tomorrow, but I was wondering what your opinions and experiences are?
What actually happens to your libido when you take antidepressants? What happened in your case?

Yeah... it’s the exact same story on my end, unfortunately... 😢 😠

rowdylynx17 said:Hi everyone!

I have a few questions for those of you who have experience with antidepressants, or even if you haven't taken them but might know something about what I'm going through.
I recently started seeing a psychiatrist—I’ve been twice now, and tomorrow will be my third visit. So far, everything seems fine; I feel like I have really good communication with my doctor.
It isn't a massive issue, at least that's how I see it right now. For the time being, the diagnosis is just mild anxious depression or something along those lines. I won't go into every single symptom right now...
The main reason I decided to seek professional help is sexual dysfunction. Basically, my libido is extremely low; I just don't have much sexual desire (I mean, I do have it, but it's very weak and happens rarely), and while I can reach orgasm, I have issues during intercourse (I just realized it might be important to mention that I am female 🙂).
I have a boyfriend and we get along great, but naturally, disagreements and tension arise because he has a normal sex drive and all that...
Anyway, I've been discussing the possibility of starting antidepressants with my doctor. I'm open to the idea and I'm not afraid of it, but there is one thing that is really bothering me.
First, will the antidepressant have a sedative effect? I don't actually have trouble sleeping; in fact, I feel overly tired during the day and seem to need a ton of energy just to handle basic tasks that shouldn't require that much effort. I really wouldn't want this to make me feel even more "slowed down" than I already am.
Second, I've read in several places that antidepressants cause sexual dysfunction—that they actually trigger it?!😲 Like, they decrease sexual desire?
Well, that is the last thing I need, so what would even be the point then?
It is mentioned that duloxetine and antidepressants that don't affect serotonin neurotransmission have the lowest impact on sexual dysfunction, whereas tricyclics, SSRIs, and venlafaxine are the ones most likely to cause issues?
I'm planning to discuss all of this with my doctor tomorrow, but I was wondering what your opinions and experiences are?
What actually happens to your libido when you take antidepressants? What happened in your case?

I was on them for four or five months, yet I couldn't detect even the slightest shift... Not a hint of improvement in my mood, nor any relief from insomnia, all while dealing with that complete and utter loss of libido...

A huge chunk of people taking AT&T find their sex drive totally tanking, especially if they've been on them for a while. Honestly, getting that libido back to how it used to be is a massive struggle, even after you've been off the meds for several months.

Look, your doctor is legally obligated to walk you through all those side effects before you start anything.

Is there anything out there that actually helps get your libido back? Everything used to be totally normal for me, but ever since I started taking Lexapro, I just haven't felt like doing anything at all. My husband is going to lose his mind if this keeps up.😠

Lexapro doesn't typically cause that kind of massive drop in libido. Honestly, it's a solid AT&T.
It’s probably better to just ask your doctor and actually listen to them, rather than taking advice from random people on internet forums about sensitive stuff. You end up following some bad information and making things worse for yourself...

I was actually thinking along the lines of something more natural—I remember Neobična mentioning some herbal teas or something similar like that. I certainly wouldn't want to start taking any medication without talking to a doctor first.

I previously mentioned St. John's Wort tea, which acts as a mild antidepressant.
Regarding boosting libido in women, according to the book "Walgreens" by James A. Duke, these might help:
damiana tea
Chinese angelica (dang quai)
kebraço
yohimbe
anise
chocolate
kola
horny goat weed
fennel
fenugreek
ginger
parsley
saw palmetto
wild yam
various essential oils (like sage, jasmine, or rose, though those are strictly for external use).

I've also heard that ginseng and noni can be helpful, too.

rowdylynx17 said:I previously mentioned St. John's Wort tea, which acts as a mild antidepressant.
Regarding boosting libido in women, according to the book "Walgreens" by James A. Duke, these might help:
damiana tea
Chinese angelica (dang quai)
kebraço
yohimbe
anise
chocolate
kola
horny goat weed
fennel
fenugreek
ginger
parsley
saw palmetto
wild yam
various essential oils (like sage, jasmine, or rose, though those are strictly for external use).

I've also heard that ginseng and noni can be helpful, too.

Based on that logic, I should be completely turned on all the time, but I’m just not... 😛

I’m right there with you!🙂
Honestly, this is starting to feel like a bit of an issue. Not for me personally—I could honestly keep going like this indefinitely—but how on earth am I supposed to explain to my husband that he's basically at my beck and call for the foreseeable future?

My psychiatrist keeps telling me that the more I obsess over my inability to relax—how I just can't seem to function when it comes to winding down—the harder it becomes. It’s like I’m stuck in this loop where I'm hyper-focused on my own lack of relaxation, which basically means I'm just sabotaging myself...🙄
I suppose it has to be something more instinctive or hormonal. If I spend all my time trying to rationalize it or overthink the mechanics of it, then none of that really helps...
So, right now, I'm just trying my best to stop thinking about it. I've been sipping on some St. John's Wort tea, and I'm planning on picking up some ginseng soon. That's pretty much my whole strategy...
Mind you, I don't take Lexapro, so my aunt can't just tell me, "Oh, just turn your brain off." But honestly, how am I even supposed to do that?🤷
Anyway, that was essentially where we left things during our last session.🙂

Gregory Wells6 said:I’m right there with you!🙂
Honestly, this is starting to feel like a bit of an issue. Not for me personally—I could honestly keep going like this indefinitely—but how on earth am I supposed to explain to my husband that he's basically at my beck and call for the foreseeable future?

Just lie there while he does what he needs to do and try to talk sense into him. If he won't get it, just keep repeating yourself every single day until it finally sinks in. You don't really have any other choice.