Sex Drive with Anti Depressants?

Sex Tips & Talk
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Both women and men, do you have any experience or info about male partners taking anti-depressants at all?

My boyfriend has been taking an SSRI for about a year and it has definately affected his sex drive in some ways. He struggles to cum from regular sex now although can go for a long time (a benefit for me that the doctor actually mentioned may happen!) and generally needs to use my vibrator on himself to get his orgasm. He's been very open about it and said he only masturbates once ot twice a month now and really only gets a small dribble of cum if he orgasms. The doctor has said this can be normal side effects but does anyone have any first hand experience?

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Hi, WILL it be alright to ask for his age? And is he seeing a specialist for SSRI?

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I'm afraid I don't have any personal experience of this, but it crops up quite often on here so I think it's very common. I'll link the SSRI search results so you can have a browse of those threads while you wait for more replies:

https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/community/forums/search/?q=Ssri

Hope this helps. 👍

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I was on these , it did destroy my sex drive (I'm mid 50's btw) . I still enjoyed looking , but didn't want to take part . I believe these are common side effects . I came off them , about 6 months ago , and was able to ejeculate easier within a few days . Hope this helps

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steph&mike wrote:

Both women and men, do you have any experience or info about male partners taking anti-depressants at all?

My boyfriend has been taking an SSRI for about a year and it has definately affected his sex drive in some ways. He struggles to cum from regular sex now although can go for a long time (a benefit for me that the doctor actually mentioned may happen!) and generally needs to use my vibrator on himself to get his orgasm. He's been very open about it and said he only masturbates once ot twice a month now and really only gets a small dribble of cum if he orgasms. The doctor has said this can be normal side effects but does anyone have any first hand experience?

Hi,

I have no personal experience of this, however what you have described has been reported by people who have taken anti depressants for many year's.Some people have reported an increase in sexual drive, but only a small percentage compared to those who reported a loss.

There is no answer as to why SSRI's should interfere with sexual labido, studies to find out why are ongoing.

Many couples have sought the help of sex therapists, this may be some thing to consider in the future.

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Can I suggest you use the search function, because there have been lots of threads on this topic and you might find some good info.

Yes, SSRIs (and some other drugs) can cause loss of libido or ability to orgasm. It could be the medication, it could be the state of mind and a person's body telling them to rest etc.

Just as an anecdote (I'm not a medic) there is a suggestion that WW1 soldiers were given bromine to suppress sexual urges - some SSRIs contain that in a small dose. On previous threads people have noted this issue about Citalipram, among others.

It might be worth asking a GP about lternativ drugs because they all affect people differently.

Check with a GP before coming off medication - it usually needs to be done carefully and there may be other ways of managing side effects. Sometimes the side effects might be worth bearing with until the person and thier GP decide they are starting to feel better.

Good luck!

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There is a suggestion that WW1 soldiers were given bromine to suppress sexual urges

Agree with your other comments MsR, hopefully the OP will read through the comments.That statement above is actually a urban myth. The chemical was used in conjuction with other chemicals to produce gas during that time.

Other stories suggest it was used on prisoners.

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Hi Steph&Mike,

I've been taking SSRI's (Sertraline - started on 50mg per day, built up to 150mg per day) for about 7-8 months now due to Anxiety and Depression, and have definitely seen a reduction in my sex drive.

I'm 35, gay, single and definintely feel the urge to masturbate a lot less than before. In fact I can sometimes go for a few weeks then realise I haven't done it in a while. It is also slightly harder (I feel such irony writing that word) to get and maintain an erection when masturbating. However, when having sex with another guy I tend to stay hard. For both masturbating and sex, since I started taking SSRI's, I last for a lot longer (I mean a lot, lot longer) before orgasm, which during sex could be considered a bonus.

I have a vibrator already which is of some use and have just ordered a vibrating butt plug and a beaded anal vibrator to see if these help me any.

I spoke to my GP about this and it is a fairly common occurence for men taking SSRI's to have some difficulty getting and maintain an erection, as well as it taking a lot longer to orgasm, and sometimes, just not orgasming at all.

As this is a side-effect of the SSRI's which my GP put me on, I managed to convince them to prescribe me some Sildenafil (chemical name for Viagra), but they will only give you 4 per month. It should also be noted that Sildenafil by itself doesn't make you erect, you do need to be feeling "in the mood" at which point the Sildenafil helps you to get and maintain an erection.

Hopefully it goes without saying that whilst you can buy Sildenafil online, etc, or even Viagra Connect over the counter at a pharmacy, if you are taking any other medication or have any other medical conditions, please discuss with your doctor or pharmacist first, to avoid any possible adverse effects.

Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, then please just ask and I'll do my best to answer. Will try to remember to log on here a couple of times a week.

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SC84 wrote:

Hi Steph&Mike,

I've been taking SSRI's (Sertraline - started on 50mg per day, built up to 150mg per day) for about 7-8 months now due to Anxiety and Depression, and have definitely seen a reduction in my sex drive.

I'm 35, gay, single and definintely feel the urge to masturbate a lot less than before. In fact I can sometimes go for a few weeks then realise I haven't done it in a while. It is also slightly harder (I feel such irony writing that word) to get and maintain an erection when masturbating. However, when having sex with another guy I tend to stay hard. For both masturbating and sex, since I started taking SSRI's, I last for a lot longer (I mean a lot, lot longer) before orgasm, which during sex could be considered a bonus.

I have a vibrator already which is of some use and have just ordered a vibrating butt plug and a beaded anal vibrator to see if these help me any.

I spoke to my GP about this and it is a fairly common occurence for men taking SSRI's to have some difficulty getting and maintain an erection, as well as it taking a lot longer to orgasm, and sometimes, just not orgasming at all.

Thank you for the info SC84, quite a similar situation, he gets very hard with me and can go a long time just usually cannot finish. He actually doesn't seem to mind at all but he says he doesn't really feel the urge to masturbate now.

I did go back to the doctors with him and they said this was quite common and were very understanding. They actually recommended a vibrator could help which I know he was embarassed about but I ordered him one and it does seem to help.

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I’ve been on 150mg of venlafaxine for about 3 years. They are great for my mental health but I’ve struggled to reach orgasm for years too. I don’t know if there is some correlation or something else. I’m yet to speak to a doctor about this. Love hearing about everyone else’s experiences it’s very interesting

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I have been on SSRI’s for a while now and i feel they have affected my sex drive but not in the same way as you mentioned.
Its mostly affecting my getting in the mood but hasnt affected my endurance from what i can tell.

Different people have different reactions. Hopefully he will be ok and you can both enjoy the good side affects

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After trying other things my boyfriend was prescribed an SSRI for premature ejaculation earlier this year. It has worked well for him and he is happy as he can last much longer now before he cums. His drive has not been affected for us together at all but as some others have also mentioned he has noticed he urge and need to masturbate has gone down a lot.