SSRI's and Sexual Performance

[Natural Blues]

Slightly embarrasing topic. Basically, I have suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and at times agorophobia on and off for the past 5 years. When I first experienced anxiety I was put on Fluoxetine. I found it really helpful, and didn't experience any side effects. After about three years, I was convinced my anxiety was behind me, so I was tapered off my medication. Unfortunately, within a year, my panic attacks were back and as bad as ever. I went to the doctors to ask to be put back on an SSRI. My doctor decided tp prescribe me Citalopram, as she believed it was better for anxiety.

Here's where the embarrasing bit begins! When taking Citalopram I actually found that my sex drive increased, and was better in every way (pretty unusual for an SSRI?). Unfortunately, though, it was making me nauseous and spaced out, so I asked to be switched back on to Fluoxetine. Since being back on Fluoxetine, however, I have been experiencing difficulties in maintaining an erection - something I didn't experience in the 3 years I had previously been on the drug. I'm only 21, so I'm convinced it must be the medication.

I had my suspicions that it may have been as a result of the Citalopram, but my doctor insisted that the Citalopram would have already left my system. He told me to wait it out, but the problem has not resolved itself. Has anyone got any advice? Is it possible that the Citalopram has caused this problem? Should I try switching back to Citalopram, because I didn't have this problem on Citalopram, and just persevere through the feelings of being nauseous and spaced out? Is this problem likely to be permanent, even if I were to come off Fluoxetine? The problem is, while I really don't feel addicted to SSRI's I do find them so helpful in combating panic attacks.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks.

[milly jones]

hi hun

firstly, ssris are not addictive

citalopram does have the side effects of increased erections.

im a woman, so it doesnt effect me, but the side effects would have passed eventually hunny.

i do know that other ssris do effect libido.

for me its the battle of how bad ur anx is, vs the side effects.

talk to ur gp, sex drive is a common problem with meds.

as to the long term effects i guess that if ur gp commented that once the drugs are out of ur system then the side effects stop.

also i would try and get therapy to run alongside the meds, so that when u come off them, u have learnt to cope with the pas, in the longer term

sorry for butting in a mans thread, but were all sufferers together

milly xxx

[pooh]

Hi
Im with milly here, some ssri's affect the libido terribly. I know seroxat did that with me. I lost my sex drive altogether. But I'm on prozac now and have few problems. I would talk to the doctor.

Pooh x

[kendo59]

"citalopram does have the side effects of increased erections."

Funny, I read the opposite, that the side effects are often impotence and inability to orgasm.

[milly jones]

guess i got it wrong then, sorry

[milly jones]

thought i wasnt dreaming this , just checked, look at end

BRAND NAME(S): Celexa


Medication Uses (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=1#Uses) | Other Uses (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=1#OtherUses) | How To Use (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=1#HowToUse) | Side Effects (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=1#SideEffects) | Precautions (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=2#Precautions) | Drug Interactions (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=2#DrugInteractions) | Overdose (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=3#Overdose) | Notes (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=3#Notes) | Missed Dose (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=3#MissedDose) | Storage (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=3#Storage) | Medical Alert (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=44617&page=3#MedicalAlert)
USES: Citalopram is an antidepressant (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI) used in the treatment of depression (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=342) in adults. It works by restoring the balance of natural chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain, thereby improving mood and feelings of well-being. Citalopram should not be used in children or teenagers due to lack of proven effectiveness in treating depression in children. Also, there have been reports of hostility and thoughts of suicide (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24418) or self-harm occurring in some children using the drug.
OTHER USES: This drug is also used to treat eating disorders (anorexia nervosa (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=276), bulimia (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=300) nervosa) and other mental conditions (obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=440)).
HOW TO USE: Take this medication once daily, in the morning or evening, with or without food; or as directed by your doctor. Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time each day. Take this medication as prescribed even if you feel well. Do not stop taking it without consulting your doctor. Your dose may need to be gradually decreased. You may experience side effects if the drug is abruptly stopped. It may take up to 4 weeks before the full benefit of this drug takes effect.
SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, diarrhea (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=1900), drowsiness, dizziness, trouble sleeping, dry mouth (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43095), muscle/joint pain, fatigue, or yawning may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these serious side effects occur: changes in sexual ability/desire, increased sweating, persistent nausea/vomiting, uncontrolled movements (tremor (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=504)), unusual or severe mental/mood changes, weight changes. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: black stools, change in frequency of menstrual periods, "coffee-ground" vomit, confusion, easy bruising/bleeding, fast heartbeats, seizures, vision problems. Males: In the unlikely event you have a painful, prolonged erection (lasting more than 4 hours), stop using this drug and seek immediate medical attention or permanent problems could occur.

[kendo59]

I guess it depends what website you read...

Citalopram can have a number of adverse effects. In clinical trials, over 10% of patients reported one or more of the following side effects: fatigue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_%28medical%29), drowsiness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnolence), dry mouth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerostomia), increased sweating (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspiration) (hyperhidrosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperhidrosis)), trembling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremor), headache (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache), dizziness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizziness), sleep disturbances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_disorder), insomnia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia), cardiac arrhythmia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_arrhythmia), hallucinations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinations), blood pressure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressure) changes, nausea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausea) and/or vomiting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomiting), diarrhea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarrhea), heightened anorgasmia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorgasmia) in females, impotence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erectile_dysfunction) and ejaculatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejaculation) problems in males. In rare cases (around over 1% of cases), some allergic reactions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy), convulsions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure), mood swings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_swing), anxiety (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety) and confusion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_confusion) have been reported. Also sedation may be present during treatment of citalopram. If this occurs it is advisable to take the dose at bedtime instead of in the morning.
Another uncommon side effect of some anti-depressant medications is bruxism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxism) (teeth grinding). However there is no evidence directly implicating Citalopram with teeth grinding.[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citalopram#cite_note-8)
Citalopram and other SSRIs have been shown to cause sexual side effects in some patients, both males and females.[10] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citalopram#cite_note-pmid16430968-9)

[pooh]

i would tend to stick to reading the leaflet that comes with the medication rather than googling what the effects can be. They have to record everything no matter if only two people have reported it to cover themselves. Truth is we all react to any given drug in any number of given different ways. I always liked the one on the seroxat leaflet that said men and women can develop abnormal breast milk. Made me laugh but i still took it anyway.
I think we have natural cycles to our libido anyway but in my experience seroxat definately reduced mine to zero but prozac has had no impact.

Pooh x

[Natural Blues]

Hey,

Thanks for the responses! I have since been went back to the Doctor, and we have agreed that I shall go back on Citalopram again. Hopefully, if I wait it out long enough, the side effects will pass this time. At the moment, I'm being taperd off Fluoxetine, whilst beginning Citalopram again, as my doctor has instructed. I've only been taking Citalopram for the past two days, but so far I haven't had any side effects (though it's still very early days).

On the topic of side effects, I'm also of the opinion that it's pretty much a lottery. I've also read that Citalopram has killed people's sex drive, but as I said, the opposite was true for me. It's crazy how people can have such different reactions.

Cheers. x

[milly jones]

look im feeling bad enough about my self at the moment as it is.

this wasnt about point scoring, i was just stating what id read.

i was devastated when i thought id given the wrong information, and was trying to help. i apologised as soon as i found the thread.

but being the compulsive worrier that i am i had to ensure that i wasnt being stupid, or had hurt someone in any way.

now ive cocked up again cos ive clearly upset enough for another post to be sent.

i was only trying to help

i sorry if any offense has been caused.

i just post to try and help thats all

sorry

[Natural Blues]

Sorry if I've offended you! I REALLY didn't mean to. When I said "It's crazy how people can have such different reactions", I meant it's crazy how people can be affected by medication in completely different ways. For example, it's so bizzare that an SSRI may have the negative effect of killing one person's sex drive, whilst on the other hand, the exact same SSRI may have the positive effect of improving another person's sex life.

I certainly wasn't saying it's crazy how people can post such different reactions. I found the information you posted very useful, and very accurate in regards to my own situation.

Sorry if I caused offence, and thanks for your posts. x

[milly jones]

hunny it wasnt u

i was only posting what i had read

i guess im just touchy about getting things wrong when the other posts where left

but it was in no way aimed at u hunny, honest

milly xx

[kendo59]

I don't think anyone was 'point scoring' or intending to make anyone feel upset or 'in the wrong'. I merely pointed out that different websites can have conflicting information and perhaps different people can react differently to some meds. There is nothing to get upset about by making each other aware of conflicting information, which proves the saying "Don't believe everything you read on the internet".
I guess the smart thing to do as has been said, don't rely solely on google for any cast-iron medical advice, and for people to monitor their symptoms & side-effects, compare it with other people's expereinces, and talk to their GP about them.