How To Increase Libido While On Antidepressants

How To Increase Libido While On Antidepressants

Magnesium Deficiency: A Commonly Overlooked Health Issue
Catherine Taylor

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Some individuals prefer to use only an SSRI. However, almost all SSRI have the ability to induce sexual dysfunction. Recently Fluvoxamine (luvox) has been speculated to help individuals with sexual dysfunction. At present Luxol is used to treat OCD and does work well. The drug does maintain sexual function but it has two side effects of concern. When the drug is abruptly discontinued, it can cause withdrawal symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vivid dreams, irritability, and headaches. The other problem is that luvox may increase the risk of suicide in young adults and children. Individuals who are depressed have been found to have worsening of depression and suicidal thoughts when taking Luvox. Therefore, at the moment, the drug is rarely prescribed without close supervision.
Some physicians do try an add a psychostimulant to the patient’s regimen to counter the sexual dysfunction. Addition of drugs like Ritalin or methyl phenidate have been shown to work, but often the side effects of anxiety and insomnia also dominate. Further, these drugs have ability to cause physical dependence and cause withdrawal reactions when the drugs are abruptly stopped.
The latest and perhaps the one with the least controversy are Viagra and Tadalafil. Since the availability of Viagra and related drugs, there have been a few studies to see if the sexual dysfunction can be reversed. There have been a few studies which showed that both tadalafil and sildenfail both slightly improved sexual function in individuals who took anti depressants. However, most of the studies included small numbers and long-term data are not available. Anecdotal reports indicate that while Viagra does work, the effects are not sustained in the long run. In any case, Viagra is perhaps the best option for individuals with sexual dysfunction which occurs with anti depressants. The few negatives about viagra are that it is expensive and fake/counterfeit products are common.
(http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab003382.html)
You should always see a doctor first, but there are nonprescription solutions that have been proven to improve the libido of woman on SSRI antidepressants. One example that comes to mind is the over the counter topical oil named Zestra. which has been shown to be safe and effective for women using SSRI anti-depressants. Two placebo-controlled studies published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy showed that this blend of botanicals (including borage seed and evening primrose oils, Angelica root and vitamins C and E) provided a significant increase in arousal, desire, genital stimulation, ability to orgasm and pleasure. The treatment worked equally well on women using SSRI antidepressant medications. (Of course, don't not stop taking any antidepressant medications your doctor has prescribed.)
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Depression surrounds people with a life-draining cloud that typically saps their joy, energy and desire for work, play, food and sex. Once recognized and properly treated, depression can usually be relieved, restoring the zest for life and all it has to offer. Depression can be lifted in two-thirds to three-fourths of patients by antidepressant medications.
But for many people treated with psychiatric drugs, the remedy, though highly effective in making life meaningful again, falls short in a major sphere. Instead of raising libido and the ability to achieve sexual fulfillment, popular antidepressants commonly cause a loss of interest in sex and block the ability to achieve sexual satisfaction.
As one 40-year-old man whose depression responded well to medication told his psychiatrist, "I'm feeling much better and enjoying my work again. But I'm having a problem at home."
If psychiatric drugs were taken like antibiotics, for 10 days or so, patients and their partners could easily cope with a temporary disruption of their sex lives. But many chronically depressed people require treatment for many months or years. For some, sexual crippling can be a serious problem that prompts them to stop taking the drugs, often without telling their doctors.
Yet, according to psychopharmacologists who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association all the way back in 1996, there are less drastic solutions, including taking brief drug holidays and switching to a new drug that seems to have little or no ill effect on sexuality.
Physicians rarely hear about a vast majority of people whose sex lives are disrupted by antidepressant drugs. Unless asked directly, which experts say happens infrequently, patients rarely volunteer such information. And unless the physician assesses the patient's sexual function before prescribing medication, it may be impossible to tell whether the drug has caused or contributed to sexual dysfunction.
Drug-related problems, which occur in women as often as in men, may include decreased or lost libido; inability to achieve an erection or ejaculation , and delayed or blocked orgasm .
Dr. Robert T. Segraves, a psychiatrist at Metrohealth Medical Center in Cleveland, suggested that before prescribing a medication that can have sexual side effects, the physician should inform the patient that the drug "may cause sex problems, and thus we need to establish a baseline of sexual functioning beforehand." He insists that when patients are asked directly about sexual functioning, they usually give honest answers. A "routine sexual history," Dr. Segraves said, should include questions appropriate to the sex of the patient, like these:
Have you experienced any sexual difficulties?
Have you experienced any difficulty with lubrication?
Have you experienced any difficulty with erection?
Have you experienced any difficulty with orgasm?
Have you experienced any difficulty with ejaculation?
If the patient is reluctant or seems to give unreliable answers, Dr. Segraves suggests that the patient's spouse or sex partner be interviewed.
When, after weeks or months of therapy, the patient's depression has lifted significantly, the presence of any sexual problems should again be ascertained. Sometimes, Dr. Segraves cautioned, the problem stems more from the relationship than the medication. For example, the drug is not likely to be the cause when a patient's libido is depressed with a spouse but not with another partner, or when orgasm can be reached through masturbation but not coitus. But when a once-potent patient has erectile problems with a partner and also has no spontaneous nocturnal erections, the drug is a likely cause.
Dr. Anthony J. Rothschild, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., outlined various possible solutions. One would be to decrease the dose, which is not always possible without losing the therapeutic benefit. Another is to plan to engage in sexual activity just before taking one's daily dose, which he said is often impractical. A third is to try sexual stimulants like yohimbine, which can be frustrating because their effects are not consistent, or to give a second drug, like amantadine (Symmetrel), to counter orgasmic failure induced by the antidepressant.
Dr. Rothschild has tested a fourth solution on 30 patients who experienced sexual dysfunction from an SSRI (serotonin-reuptake inhibitor drug): weekend holidays from the drugs, in which the last dose for the week is taken on Thursday morning and the medication is resumed at noon on Sunday. He reported that sexual function improved significantly in the drug-free period for patients taking and Paxil, but not for those on Prozac, "which takes too long to wash out of the body." He said the brief drug holidays did not cause a worsening of depressive symptoms.
APA Reference Staff, H.
(2021, December 22). Antidepressants and Libido, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2022, July 10 from https://www.healthyplace.com/sex/medications/antidepressants-and-libido

Medically reviewed by Harry Croft, MD
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264 million people experience chronic depression around the world. Treating and understanding depression is on the World Health Organization's top priority list.
So many people suffer from depression. Thankfully, there are treatment options that provide real relief from depression symptoms.
Though like any other medication, antidepressants have some side effects. One of those side effects is a lower sex drive, or Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction. Low sex drive or a loss of libido can be embarrassing and distressing, especially when the only other option seems to be not taking antidepressants.
But don't give up on treating your depression. Here is everything you need to know about antidepressants and sex drive.
A lower sex drive is a common side effect of depression. People who experience low sex drive because of their depression often find that antidepressants can actually improve their libido.
But for some, antidepressants either enhance an existing libido problem or create a new side effect. Many antidepressants work directly with your serotonin production, which is an important component of arousal and orgasm. Sometimes it can block those hormone receptors from getting serotonin during sex.
Sexual side effects from antidepressants can affect both men and women and can have varying degrees of severity.
It's hard to get a true number for how many people experience low or loss of libido due to antidepressants. That's because lower sex drive is already a side-effect of depression, and many people do not report low libido as a side effect because they're embarrassed.
But sex drive is an essential part of human function, and there should be no shame about discussing the matter with trusted friends and medical professionals.
One study found that of women who take antidepressants 70-80% reported having a lower libido or trouble achieving orgasms.
If you're suffering from sexual dysfunction as a side effect of antidepressants, know you're not alone.
Sexual dysfunction can have many different effects. The side effects between men and women can differ drastically.
Some people may experience multiple side effects, and some people may only experience one. Side effects may take effect immediately or they may not start for a couple of weeks after starting the antidepressants.
Women experience a different set of side effects than men. But both men and women can feel discouraged by the effect of antidepressants on their libido.
Men and women can experience similar effects too. These side effects aren't necessarily sexual, but they can affect a person's libido.
Side effects that affect men and women:
There are so many antidepressants on the market today. Generally, antidepressants work the same way. But there are differences, and some antidepressants have a higher likelihood of affecting a person's sex drive.
Antidepressants in general are associated with causing sexua
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