A big thanks to everyone commenting for helping normalise mens mental health <3
Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
51–60 of 282 posts
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#52Has anyone taken SSRIs and actually thought it was worth it? I have severe social anxiety and I’m trying to decide if I should try medication or not.
Many many summers and a thousand years ago, I went to a pdoc to complain of anxiety issues. I left (after a good hour+ of talking) with a bipolar 2 diagnosis. The diagnosis was correct: at low doses, lamotrigine/Lamictal behaves like an antidepressant (and you have to taper in slowly to prevent bad reactions) and I flipped the fuck out in euphoric mania. I shortly after went on lithium and never regretted it. I started having dreams that seemed to resolve my deeper "psychoanalytical" issues. It really fixed me up.
This has been like 15 years ago. The more I learn, the more it seems I was the textbook case doctors never expect to meet. People are not generally aware that dysphoric mania is a thing. A good diagnosis can change your life.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#53SSRIs need to be obsolesced already. Screw the sexual dysfunction, how about increaased risk of suicidal ideation? How about them taking two entire weeks to work? The thing is the rest of the world doesn't seem to feel the burning desire to get as many people on them as possible and even have alternatives which aren't as limited. Reversible MAOI drugs like moclobemide have been around since the 90s and while they hav…
SSRIs took me from being unable to function and leave my home due to social anxiety to knocking out the bulk of my symptoms and having a solid 15 years of being socially and professional productive. I'd prefer we keep them.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#54Wellbutrin has the opposite effect. It makes you feel 15 years old again.
One thing I find super interesting is how that side effect is pretty inconsistent even in the same person. I’m currently on Wellbutrin/Zyban/Bupropion as a smoking cessation aid and am not having that side effect this time. But last time I was on it for the same reason… oooooohhhhh boy, yeah, it’s a good thing that I had a partner who was good with that!
It’s possible some of the variation is from the specific manufacturer or manufacturing process. In the case of Wellbutrin XL, generic brands have even been recalled due to not being bioequivalent (https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=1...)
I have been told by a doctor that effects appear inconsistent across brands or places of manufacture, even with non-recalled generics. You should always consult with your own medical professionals about your medication, but you can often ask for a different generic at the pharmacy.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#55Ugh. Yes. Not meaning to be crude here and I’m incredibly sympathetic to the men I date, but as a woman in her late 30s it’s hard to find a man my age who doesn’t have problems getting / keeping it up. Most of them link back to antidepressant use. What about modern society drives the need for such widespread use of antidepressants? Is that something we should be willing to give up? It hasn’t always been this way, has…
I tied the knot in my early 30s, but friends who chose to remain free agents (even having had opportunities to marry someone great) report that the market thins out more and more as time goes by. And these are men, with easier access to a younger pool.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#56I will provide some AnecData.
I am from a generation that when SSRI became available, it was a marvelous drug.
Prescribed to teenagers freely and plentiful.
Now on my peers of friends, we have many people who don't have any libido.
The hardest-hit group was Women as they go to therapy more[1].
It is so huge we have Forums like "dead bedroom."
Once a friend that took SSRI told me how she felt about sex:
"I am looking forward to when my husband reaches his 40s, so he does not bother me about sex anymore."
"Brushing my teeth is more useful and fun than sex."
I am not talking about sex partners that are not "competent" or good. It is like you never felt hungry or willing to eat. But then you *have* to eat, and when you are tasting the food, it is like cardboard * every time*
The concerning part is that our PharmaCo does this every ten years. (Thalidomide, SSRIs, etc.) So can we believe the mRNA vacuum is really safe?
[1] - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5937254/#R27
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#57Ugh. Yes. Not meaning to be crude here and I’m incredibly sympathetic to the men I date, but as a woman in her late 30s it’s hard to find a man my age who doesn’t have problems getting / keeping it up. Most of them link back to antidepressant use. What about modern society drives the need for such widespread use of antidepressants? Is that something we should be willing to give up? It hasn’t always been this way, has…
> It hasn’t always been this way, has it? As a man in his 30s growing up I witnessed a shift in attitudes from "just man up" to "seek help", so there's that. If anything I would suggest humanity to give up dating apps. They're essentially making people feel inadequate and pay for the dubious privilege.
Feeling inadequate is integral to the cherchez-la-femme experience. But it's probably better to be humiliated in night clubs (where eg. women sometimes will pretend not to even see you) than in apps; ego defense mechanisms have less of a chance there. Also: actually kissing tells you a lot that detailed self-reported profiles will never do -- the "chemistry" thing is real, sometimes two people find someone cute and stylish but the kissing doesn't work.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#58I don’t usually post here, especially on such personal topics, but feel I should. I’ve been on SSRIs and SNRIs for some time now (Pristiq, and now Zolof), and can definitely attest to the some of the changes described in the article. I clearly remember reading the documentation in full that came with both drugs before starting each, and the mentioned side effects were only mentioned in passing, along with possibly ev…
Sertraline (Zoloft) often causes more sexual side effects in males than it does in females. I have seen this used at the max dose to control hypersexual behaviour in a patient with dementia.
It's also used to treat premature ejaculation. Side effects can be really useful in the right context.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#59I don’t usually post here, especially on such personal topics, but feel I should. I’ve been on SSRIs and SNRIs for some time now (Pristiq, and now Zolof), and can definitely attest to the some of the changes described in the article. I clearly remember reading the documentation in full that came with both drugs before starting each, and the mentioned side effects were only mentioned in passing, along with possibly ev…
Sertraline (Zoloft) often causes more sexual side effects in males than it does in females. I have seen this used at the max dose to control hypersexual behaviour in a patient with dementia.
First of all, I need to say I always pay attention to all side effects indicated. I really treat with caution every prescription I get. As for Sertraline, I noticed that the generic one I got from https://www.canadapharmacy.com/ has less sides than the branded one. Don't know why there is the difference, but it still calms me down a bit.
Re: Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
#60Ugh. Yes. Not meaning to be crude here and I’m incredibly sympathetic to the men I date, but as a woman in her late 30s it’s hard to find a man my age who doesn’t have problems getting / keeping it up. Most of them link back to antidepressant use. What about modern society drives the need for such widespread use of antidepressants? Is that something we should be willing to give up? It hasn’t always been this way, has…
I tied the knot in my early 30s, but friends who chose to remain free agents (even having had opportunities to marry someone great) report that the market thins out more and more as time goes by. And these are men, with easier access to a younger pool.
I wouldn’t say women have it much different — I end up dating a lot of significantly younger men. It is harder to have much in common outside of physical attraction with someone too far from your age group though.