Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Libido ...loss of

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    67

    Libido ...loss of

    Hey ,

    I've been on 225 mg of venlafaxine for about 6 weeks know noticed since gong I've completely lost my libido....its a weird feeling because although my thoughts and worries are gone I've got not sex drive at all ....don't even feel the desire to masturbate or anything ....Its been a god send in one regard but suppose it created another problem in another ....I guess I need to engage in cbt now so I can think about coming off them slowly to get my life back ....can any body give my ideas on how to cope with this ....I sometimes get women smiling at me at work and all I can do is smile back but I know I can't take it any further if I like them ....heartbreaking tbh

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    3,557

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Quote Originally Posted by Waynemc73 View Post
    I've been on 225 mg of venlafaxine for about 6 weeks know noticed since gong I've completely lost my libido....its a weird feeling because although my thoughts and worries are gone I've got not sex drive at all
    Sexual dysfunction is a relatively common antidepressant side-effect with about 30-50% affected. The only meds which usually don't cause it are bupropion (Wellbutrin), which I understand is not available on the NHS, and trazodone (Desyrel, Oleptro) which may enhance the libido at dose of 200mg plus, and possibly mirtazapine (Remeron) which isn't a great anti anxiety med, imho.

    Unfortunately, the NHS won't allow GPs to prescribe the most effective options for reducing the side-effect such as adding a small dose - up to 75mg - of bupropion, or 30mg buspirone (Buspar) so apparently you'll need to eother go private or see a psychiatrist about these. Mianserin (Bolvidon, Depnon, Norval, Tolvon) at 15-20mg/day has also been reported to ease dysfunction in about 60% of cases when taken daily (the chemically similat mirtazapine is apparently less effective), but I don't know if it is approved by the NHS. It may take 3-4 weeks to become active.

    The 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron (Zofran), a potentially very effective anti anxiety med BTW, may temporarily reduces dysfunction if taken 2-3 hours beforehand, but cost might limit its use.

    And of course there are those little blue pills which no male admits to taking but which sell in their millions. Tadalafil (Cialis) is reputed to be a little more effective than sildenafil (Viagra) for antidepressant induced erectile dysfunction ).

    Ginkgo biloba at 240mg/day taken in two divided dose of 120mg has been shown to reverse anorgasmia and decreased libido in both men and women, plus erectile failure in men. Dosage should be increased from an initial 2 x 30mg/day by a similar amount every 5-7 days. Note: it should not be used by those on anticoagulants or with a known allergy to Ginkgo. Some antidepressants, particularly the SSRIs, the common SNRIs and some TCAs, also affect blood coagulation so caution is needed. Watch out for a greater susceptibility of bruising and nose or gum bleeding Don't take Ginkgo, or any other supplement, without first discussing its suitability and safety with your doctor or pharmacist.

    Other things that may help are:

    Slightly reducing the daily antidepressant dose by 10-20% after being on the med for a while. This can be enough to kick start the hormonal processes. Sometimes a break from taking an antidepressant for a day is enough to break the cycle. This seems to work best with the shorter half-life SSRIs, Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine) and Luvox (fluvoxamine) and all the SNRIs, however, this can sometimes trigger withdrawal symptoms, so some trial and error may be needed. Taking the usual daily dose should stop the withdrawal symptoms within an hour or two.

    For those (both genders) that are only affected by inability/difficulty in achieving orgasm while taking a SSRI/SNRI, a change to either a TCA or MAOI class antidepressant will solve this problem in the majority of cases. However, both types may produce other sexual side-effects.

    Caution: Yohimbe is often promoted as a natural treatment for sexual dysfunction. While it does work, it is very stimulating, so much so that it is used by researchers to trigger anxiety attacks, therefore, it is contraindicated for most with anxiety disorders, and should be treated with initial caution by those with depression.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    67

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Ok thank you il try to look into what you mention more deeply ... I was more looking to know how men Cope with the issue while mentally while their on meds....knowing it's common doesnt really help how anybody personally come to terms with it while under treatment

  4. #4

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Wild goat weed helped me a bit!

  5. #5

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Its a tough situation, I am on 375mg of Venlafaxine and I suffer with ED. The only way to help is taking Viagra or Ciallis, but these are not helping increase the libido. Overall, it is one of the side effects of this med, which is dissapointing, but less disspointing than not being able to function in normal daily life.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    4,369

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Quote Originally Posted by jabra View Post
    Its a tough situation, I am on 375mg of Venlafaxine and I suffer with ED. The only way to help is taking Viagra or Ciallis, but these are not helping increase the libido. Overall, it is one of the side effects of this med, which is dissapointing, but less disspointing than not being able to function in normal daily life.
    Hey someone who thinks like me I quite agree in your last few words 'But less disappointing than not being able to function atall' Too much emphasis on sex me thinks! Cheers

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    3,557

    Re: Libido ...loss of

    Quote Originally Posted by jabra View Post
    The only way to help is taking Viagra or Ciallis, but these are not helping increase the libido.
    Some of the below may help, but unfortunately, as I understand it, NHS GPs are hamstrung when it comes to supplementing antidepressants with most of the meds mentioned, however, you might be able to get mirtazapine.

    Pretty much all antidepressants will negatively impact the libido. The exceptions are bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron) and trazodone (Desyrel, Oleptro).

    Wellbutrin is a very stimulating antidepressant which can have many with anxiety disorders almost literally climbing the wall, but small adjuvant doses (<=75mg) may counter SSRI/TCA caused sexual dysfunction, usually without increasing anxiety.

    Mirtazapine is a very effective med for pulling people out of very severe depression, but isn't a great long-term antidepressant, imho (whether it is a true antidepressant is debatable, it acts mostly just as an antihistamine). It is notorious for causing carbohydrate cravings which may trigger large weight gains and is by far the most poop-out prone med, often quitting within only a few months.

    Trazodone is the pick of the bunch because at typical therapeutic doses, 225-300mg, it may enhance the libido. In the past it was never that successful as an antidepressant because of the severe sedation at lower doses, but there is now a slow-release version available (Oleptro) which is better at keeping plasma levels above the sedation threshold.

    Supplementing SSRIs with 30mg buspirone (Buspar) may reduce SSRI induced sexual dysfunction. Buspar is a GAD specific med which doesn't actually work for most, but when taken with SSRIs can reduced some of their side-effects and boost their effectiveness.

    Mianserin (Bolvidon, Depnon, Norval, Tolvon) at 15-20mg/day has been reported to ease dysfunction in about 60% of cases when taken daily. It may take 3-4 weeks to become active. However, it is no longer available in many countries. Mirtazapine is chemically almost identical to mianserin (it was released by the same drug company after the mianserin patent expired), but isn't quite as effective in countering sexual dysfunction apparently.

    The 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron (Zofran), a potentially very effective anti anxiety med BTW, supposedly temporarily reduces dysfunction if taken 2-3 hours beforehand, but cost might limit its use. And of course there are those little blue pills which no male admits to taking but which sell in their millions (there is some evidence tadalafil (Cialis) may be a little more effective than sildenafil (Viagra) for antidepressant induced erectile dysfunction).

    Ginkgo biloba at 240mg/day taken in two divided dose of 120mg has been shown to reverse anorgasmia and decreased libido in both men and women, plus erectile failure in men. Dosage should be increased from an initial 2 x 30mg/day by a similar amount every 5-7 days. Warning: it should not be used by those on anticoagulants or with a known allergy to Ginkgo. Some antidepressants, particularly the SSRIs and SNRIs, also some TCAs, also affect blood coagulation so caution is needed. Stop taking it if you become more prone to bruising, or if you experience nose, or gum bleeding! Don't take Ginkgo, or any other supplement, without first discussing its suitability and safety with your doctor or pharmacist.

    Other things that may help are:

    Slightly reducing the daily antidepressant dose by 10-20% after being on the med for a while. This can be enough to kick start the hormonal processes. Sometimes a break from taking an antidepressant for a day is enough to break the cycle for a few days. This seems to work best with the shorter half-life SSRIs, Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine) and Luvox (fluvoxamine), however, this can sometimes trigger withdrawal symptoms, so some trial and error may be needed. Taking the usual daily dose should stop the withdrawal symptoms within an hour or so.

    For those (both genders) that are only affected by inability/difficulty in achieving orgasm while taking a SSRI, a change to either a TCA or MAOI class antidepressant will solve this problem in the majority of cases. However, both types may produce other sexual side-effects.

    Problems with ejaculatory delay (anorgasmia) may be eased or even eliminated by changing to another SSRI. During research into meds that may reduce premature ejaculation the SSRI with the least effect on this condition, and therefore probably the least likely to cause delayed ejaculation, was fluvoxamine (Luvox) with an ejaculatory delay response of 1.9 times the non medicated response (those taking the placebo reported a 1.5 times delay). Sertraline( Zoloft) delayed things by 4.4 times, fluoxetine (Prozac) by 6.6 times normal and paroxetine (Paxil) had the worst results at 7.8 times normal. So if this is your problem then Luvox might be worth considering, but there is no guarantee that it will work as well as the antidepressant you're now on. It can also be problematic is there are other medical issues as it interacts with many other medications and supplements.

    Problems with erectile disorder are mainly produced by the TCAs and paroxetine (Paxil). Switching to a SSRI (except Paxil) will often overcome this disorder, although other dysfunctions may occur.

    Warning: Yohimbe is often promoted as a 'natural' treatment for sexual dysfunction. While it does work, it is very stimulating, so much so that it is used by researchers to trigger anxiety attacks, therefore, it is contraindicated for those with anxiety disorders and should be treated with initial caution by those with depression.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Loss of libido
    By Randara in forum Symptoms
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 05-11-15, 15:17
  2. Long term libido loss?
    By Dalene in forum Anafranil / Clomipramine
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-06-11, 17:25
  3. cipralex/libido (loss ov sex drive)
    By alwaysanxious in forum Symptoms
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-07-10, 05:05
  4. loss of libido
    By china grove in forum Natural Remedies
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 20-08-08, 15:19
  5. Loss of libido and depression/anxiety
    By dela in forum Depression from Panic/Anxiety
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-03-06, 16:11

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •