Loss of Sex Drive with Prozac?

[wilbanks951]

I recently switched to Prozac, I was on Paxil and it didn't seem to be working too well. I started off on 20MG Prozac about 4 months ago and after a month my psychiatrist upped me to 40MG because that's what dosage I was on when I was taking Paxil. Recently (the past 2 months or so) I've been loosing my sex drive so much. I can get an erection but if I try to masturbate or have sex it takes me so long to finish or I don't finish at all. Lately when having sex with my partner I'll have to stop because I don't like taking so long, it just makes me feel like it's a waste of time for the both of us. I used to be able to finish within 5 or so minutes or even faster but now it takes 20+. It's extremely frustrating and I have no idea what to do. At first I thought I was loosing interest in my partner but I can still get horny with him and everything else, I just can't finish or orgasm which makes me so mad. I thought about it last night and researched Prozac and realized that it is a common side affect of the medicine. I believe this whole thing started happening when I started the 40MG. Can someone please help me? How can I counteract this? Is there anything I can do because the Prozac has helped me SO MUCH for my depression. Also how do I even bring this up with my psychiatrist. He's a male so I'm sure he will understand but I dont even know how to bring it up. Please help thanks!

BTW I'm 17 and I'm a male.

[Ahlstrom]

Sup, I'm around your age (19) and I take 40mg daily of Lexapro and have the same effects. SSRIs are very well know to cause the loss in sex drive, I'm with you on the fact that it helps me majorly, so it's hard to quit. If you ever do decide to quit, sexual functioning comes back quick, within a week or two. If you decide to stay on the SSRI then you NEED to tell you psychiatrist or whoever prescribes your medication. By bringing it up, just say that you need something to combat the sexual dysfunction.

When I had this problem I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL. It returned my sex drive to quite normal after 14 days of taking them, but it caused me to have aweful waves of depression. After quitting them the sexual functioning effect lasted for around 20 days still. I was recently prescribed Yohimbe bark, a natural supplement that's supposed to be quite effective in sexual stimulation. I have yet to take it because the a reading of the side effects scared me, but I plan to try a little in a day or two.

On another note, there are many other non-SSRI antidepressants, maybe if you're interested in those you could ask about em.

Just ask your doc for some medicene for it, keep trying new ones if they don't work, and hopefully you'll get a good med. Good luck.

[Kevcules]

I was on prosac off and on for years too. It does kill your sex drive to the point of not being able to get am erection in my case. I'm 44. When I went off it, It would come back fine but then the depression would too. It's quite a roller coaster of emotions going on and off this shit.
I recently spiralled down with anxiety and depression almost to the bottom of the hole ,where there was no coming out unless I was in a coffin.I was prescribed Wellbutrin xl also.It's supposed to be the one anti depressant that has the least or no sexual side effects. I still am not too horny because the my anxiety is still really high. A common side effect of wellbutrin that supposed to only last for a few weeks. I was prescribed something else for anxiety now too, Clonasapan I think....I'm still no t feeling close to normal yet, especially in the sex drive area.....Good luck to you

[wilbanks951]

Thanks to both of you. Ill talk to my doctor about it, anyone have any suggestions on how to bring the topic up? But thanks for letting me know your experiences and what medicines you've taken, etc. :)

[Kevcules]

The way to do it is to tell the doctor you're not satisfied with a drug that leaves you unable to have reg sex or none at all. Suggest Wellbutrin......he's heard of that before. My doc said for years, I was one of the hundreds who he prescribed these type of drugs to and only a handful of us, were using prosac. Get off it and try something else! Tell him what you want to do, don't ask!

[wilbanks951]

That's smart thanks! Ill tell him I'm not satisfied and that I'd like to switch to something else! Thanks for everything.

[raquel]

I've found the same with Cyprolex. I'm either going to stop cold turkey or try something else, but I really don't want to put another drug into body. I just want to overcome my anxiety.

[Ahlstrom]

I've found the same with Cyprolex. I'm either going to stop cold turkey or try something else, but I really don't want to put another drug into body. I just want to overcome my anxiety.

DO NOT stop cold turkey. I made the mistake of doing that with my Lexapro around May 4th, I quit suddenly because I was angry at the meds because my willy couldn't get stiff. Bad mistake, my anxiety and depression went throught the roof and continued to last up until about yesterday just by quitting cold for around four days. Taper off of it for sure.