Cipralex and sex

[Susan33]

I've been taking Cipralex for 2 weeks now, for anxiety, but find now I can't have orgasms.
(have tried 3 times!)

I have read that this can be a side effect, but it's such a huge side effect for me. Does anyone have any advice and does this side effect go away?

(Im female btw) :)

[Susan33]

p.s. I really hope you don't mind me asking this question :)

[nomorepanic]

Hi Susan

Of course we don't mind you asking.

I was on a different anti-depressant and my libido (sex drive) was zero so I never even got as far as trying lol.

I am sure Meg may be able to throw some light on whether this gets better in time.

There are quite a few women on this med so perhaps they will be brave enough to answer too.

Sorry I am not much help.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Nicola

[Meg]

Unfortunately it is a very well known sideeffect.

Some people get tolerant to it and it improves, some don't. Sorry.


Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[meesey]

Fortunately i havent had this side effect on this med , which i am on at the mo, but i did have it on other meds, i found the more i tried and focused on climax the more it didnt happen, ok i know this might be different being a male, but i did find if i relaxed more and spent more time on well to be blunt ermmm how do i put this, carressing and loving shall i say, it was easier, hope this helps and sorry if this is a bit descript...Paul

[nomorepanic]

Lol Paul - nice to see a male perspective on this. Cheers mate.

Nicola

[vernon]

Hi susan I am male to and been taking cipralex 10 mg for 50 days then 25 days ago doc put it up to 25. I seemed to want more sex on this med but at beginning couldnt climac. But after about 8 weeks this is back to normal now so it did wear off. Just seem to want too much lol. New Sarah was on Cipralex for over 12 months maybe she could tell you as she is female. take care Vernon

[FAN]

hi i had this problem with the side effect but it does wear off after a while, meanwhile try using other positions to the usual one as you might need more you know what oh i know what i mean but cant explain it lol

fan x

[Susan33]

lol
I think I know what you mean Fan :)

Thanks Vernon.
That's excellent news that the effects may wear off, Im so pleased about that!

and that was a lovely welcome. :)

[razocaine_07]

hi, susan, being a male and only 20, i was on meds that almost got rid of my sex drive all together. This had a really bad effect on me at the time. The only thing i could suggest too, is the obvious things such as talking to a GP, pharmacist. If it is entirely the medication doing this, then people in the same situation are the best to ask.

[FAN]

i think most of the medications say on the leaflet that it can cause this im not sure there are any that dont , but asking your gp is an idea he might know one that doesnt

fan x

[seh1980]

hi there,

I have been on Cipralex for 13 months and I have had this problem as well. My sex drive was non-existent and having an orgasm was pretty much impossible. Slowly though, my sex drive started coming back and having an orgasm became possible though it does involve a lot more concentration. (hope that makes sense!!) This happned after about 6 months. Hope this helps. It's a pretty horrific side-effect but it does subside after a while.

Sarah :D

P.S. Can't belive I have just written a post about having an orgasm!! LOL

[tessa]

I am on Zoloft and can relate. I am almost there[|)]and well....then it's gone[Sigh...] Very frustrating.

tessa

[janamba]

it stays mostly that way. SWITHING TO OTHER MEDS MOSTLY HAS THE SAME DRAWBACK. iT SUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

[Susan33]

Hello :)
I just wanted to say that after about a month or 6 weeks, I was back to normal :)
Still on the Cipralex though

[Meg]

Glad to hear it.

[bluebottle]

I'm on Lustral and it is a swine. I find it impossible to ejaculate when having sex and almost impossible through masturbation. This really makes me fed up, so much so that I cut my meds right down and things did improve, unfortunately my depression got worse.

As soon as I can safely stop my medication I will. There is no way I am going to stop on it for ever and never enjoy the complete sexual act again.

From a female's side of things, a partner of mine was on a antidepressant and she could only orgasm by masturbating with a vibrator. I think the reason we find it impossible to reach orgasm during sex is because we have the added pressure of thinking about our partner's needs and this pressure coupled with the effects of the medication is a killer.

Antidepressants help some people, but they are a rubbish drug. Causing weight gain, reducing libido and orgasm, and difficult to stop. Gee thanks for nothing!

--
Blue
"to hope till Hope creates from its own wreck the thing it contemplates"

[bluebottle]

Further to my last post, I found this on another website. Meg, can you shed any light on these medications?


<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Difficulty having orgasms may be treated by a
number of medications. Among those medications are: Periactin,
Urecholine, and Symmetrel. None of these are over-the-counter drugs
and they must be prescribed by a physician. Unfortunately, many
psychiatrists are not familiar with using these medications to treat
the sexual side-effects of antidepressants.
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

--
Blue
"to hope till Hope creates from its own wreck the thing it contemplates"

[Meg]

I've not heard of these as treating the sexual sideeffects of SSRI's.

Interesting set of meds

Periactin - an anti histimine used for allergies
Urecholine- known as bethanchol is used for urinary retention
Symmetrel - is a drug for Parkinson disease.

None are licenced or have a recognised indication for this but that's not to say they don't work. Its often anecdotal evidence that brings these new indications to light .

I think anyone wanting to try them would need to take the article with them to their GPs or ring the Pharma manufacturers to get their take on this and whether they have any research papers on it and ensure the source is a recent one - within the last 12 months usually.

Do remember that each new drug you take will have another side effect profile and potential interactions.


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[shalom]

Hi, ya'll. Newbie me sees post facto you've all been talking about my question re lack of libido in the general posting on cipralex. Bluebottle's (or was the Blueball's, at least in this thread?) comment above on Lustral -- I think that's the same -- particular relevant: I identify!!! Lots more women than men talking about this aspect of The Good Life on Meds.... Of what I've read here, only Vernon seems to have found it gets better, and even in spite of the meds...

I'd be hapy to hear any other suggestions for solutions. Cialis just isn't the same as natural libido. Reading these has encouraged me to try pushing again to push to lower dosage.

Thanks for being there, here, wherever,
Sh

[shalom]

I'll try again and be more explicit:

So, can any of you BOYS share about Escitalopram/Cipralex and
- sexual dysfunction
- problems getting erections
- general lack of libido (I mean: What's happened to that good ol' natural internal combustion, mentally- psychologically-responsive physical drive, versus the mechanical Viagra-induced response to physical stimulus!)

Supposedly of all the ISSRs, Escitalopram/Cipralex had the least minimal negative sexual side-effects!

Maybe you've got some solutions that work, even if you're 50+???

Thanks for being here, wherever we are,
Shalom

[Phill2]

My sex drive just drove away when I started and hasn't come back yet!:shades:

[Jaco45er]

My wife has never taken Cipralex, so I am confused now ;)

[caz303]

Since my citalopram has been increased to 60mg I'm unable to orgasm at all!!! I feel like sex but just can't finish it off LOL

[anarwin]

hi, ive been on cipralex for a year now (no orgazm) and then i went cold turkey. i felt (still feel) like shit but orgazms are here so i have to say im enjoying my sex life more...

[totalrecall]

hi Vernon, am just 4 yrs younger than you and am plagued by sexual side effects from all anti depressants. Am just about to start 5mg Cipralex so am hoping i dont get any with these. Your comments make me feel very hopeful. Mark.

[richardmoores]

I'm a 31 year old man who is on Ciprolex now myself (I call it Smilex lol) and have been for about 2 weeks. I had to fight tooth and nail to get it changed from citolopram which totally killed my sex drive altogether! I have been on Ciprolex before but had to change doctor and since then have never been allowed to have Ciprolex back because it's more expensice than Citolopram.

However it doesn't kill my sex drive and sexual functioning (including ability to orgasm/ejaculate) nearly as much as citolopram did, although it does impair it a little. I find I can have better sex with more sensation when I have 24 - 48 hours absence from the medication, and this is usually enough time to recover my libido without risking damaging my mental/emotional health.

That's basically as good as I can be with it right now. There used to be a herbal suppliment called: Vigorex Forte' which you took every day which boosted the libido, and boy did it boost it! Having sex whilst on this was sexual ecstasy, really! But the Bast*rds in the EU had to go and ban it!

[Shahd]

I feel that taking this med, decreased my libido for a few weeks but after that it wore off and I've become so sexual all the time..now it has the opposite effect , so I think it works different for every person. I'm a female ! Stay strong ;):noangel: