embarrassing question about citalopram & sex drive

[lemoncake]

This is somewhat embarrassing, but since being on Citalopram I have found myself increasingly uninterested in sex. I understand that a decreased libido is one of the side effects, does anyone else have experience of this and isn't too embarrassed to say anything???

[nomorepanic]

Welcome aboard.

Yes it is very common.

If you go to the search thing at the top of the screen - below where it says "The rabble" and type in "sex citalopram" you will be amazed how many posts there are.

Hope that helps.

Nicola

[lemoncake]

ah ha! yes ... see what you mean ... phew! .... sort of! thank you x

[bluebottle]

One day they will produce a drug that doesn't mess up your sex life. Oh, hang on they have! Available in the USA but only available here if you want to stop smoking. I told my GP I was going to start smoking and he laughed.

I'm not laughing, I'm serious.

Try a search in Google for Sex and SSRI and see what you come up with. [Sigh...]

Look out for Wellbutrin when the UK catches up with the US.

--
Blue -
"Your truth is better for you than someone else's. Just get to know what it is, so you can finally own it, and speak it."

[flowergirl]

I totally agree about citalipram no sex drive nothing...I think it may have something to do with it containing bromide check your packet..

[mjh74]

I've contributed before about this but I'm pretty sexually crippled on Cipralex too (20mg).

Mark

[lemoncake]

i've been thinking of trying to lower my doseage for a while now as i don't really want to have been on antidepressants for more than a year.
does anyone know if the sex drive thing gets any better if you reduce your citalopram dosage? i'm on 20mg at the mo but thinking of going down to 10mg, also in a positive move to get off the medication.

[skibba]

Hi,
A lady friend of mine who has recently started taking Citalopram (40mg) has told me it has greatly increased her sex drive. The patient info. sheets state "changes in sex drive". so i guess things can go either way...

[Meg]

va va voom!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4233)

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[lemoncake]

Yeah, it was like that for the first 2 or 3 months or so, my sex drive and ability to 'finish' was much better than it had even been before I was taking Citalopram. Things are totally opposite now though, but one good thing about it is that it has meant I have found the idea of exploring physical pleasure in other ways really exciting, and I guess it has just given me a different perspective on sex.

[Dutton98]

really old post i know, but as a pe suffer its done wonders for me

[yankyinmi]

This is somewhat embarrassing, but since being on Citalopram I have found myself increasingly uninterested in sex. I understand that a decreased libido is one of the side effects, does anyone else have experience of this and isn't too embarrassed to say anything???
hi im on the other side im male me and my wife take it both im on 40mg she on 20 and in the begining we had a proublem but you may want to switch things up like we did and it worked 4 us toys ?:noangel:

[nataliedan82]

This is somewhat embarrassing, but since being on Citalopram I have found myself increasingly uninterested in sex. I understand that a decreased libido is one of the side effects, does anyone else have experience of this and isn't too embarrassed to say anything???
i totally agree since i have been on citalopram my libido has gone out of the window its very frustrating

[lady]

well they have zapped my sex drive ,,, lolololol oam numb lol couldnt be bothered at all lol

[Lion King]

Citalopram affected my sexdrive, but it cam back eventually once the meds had calmed down!

[johnnywino]

Well I have always had a big sex drive and been on 40 mg of Citalopram for at least 18 months and it certainly hasn't taken away my desires. Unfortunately my partner does not share my desires!

P.S. Stopped taking the drug last Sunday as it's all very well feeling like everything is being kept with a lid on it but I want to be who I am - not what a drug makes me be. If that makes any sense?

[Skyman]

I am a 40 year old male and after a tough divorce and being lied to constantly by my ex about her secret new man, I found depression looming and a fight in my head over what was really going on and was this guy just a friend etc etc... you know the scenario...

After thoughts of suicide, taking on this man and the rest for over 2 months I decided to use Citalopram... after a week of crazy up and downs (whilst it locked into me) the stuff really worked @ 20mg a day my insane constant thoughts of my wife with another man subsided, my fear of planes went and I travelled the world pretty much...

However to every upside there is a down it would seem... I have since taking it lost almost complete interest in sex, and as a result have not even had a relationship in 3 years, I have had sex of course but my orgasam is hard to reach and to be honest I probably masturbate once every 3 weeks or so which I find extremely difficult to do (total loss of interest in masturbation), which for a man who was extremely sexually active has taken its toll (probably in past had sex 3 times a week and masturbated daily almost).

I feel its time to get back on the saddle and have recently started to cut down to 10mg a day everyday, so far I am ok but sex drive has not returned...

I am worried it will not return completely and also worried my old anxieties will return, to be honest I would be happy staying on Citalopram the rest of my life if it were not for lack of sex drive and hard to make relationships.... I don't even see women in the same way anymore, its crazy!

Has anyone had this same kinda issue, I guess I would like to try another anti anxiety drug which won't have any side effects on sex drive and see new relationships being built and a healthy active sex life.

Hope I have not been too personal or graphic here :) I would really like to hear off any men who have had same problem, and really looking for hope that I can go back to how I was again, a man with a libido!

[robw]

I've been on 20mg daily for 6 months and getting a lot better. Most of my problems were anxiety and panic/sweating but I did present with depression. I've since been put on pills for hypertension (high blood pressure) and felt so much better and so asked GP if it was ok to come off citalopram slowly. (I am 44 years old). Mainly because I think they are stopping me from concentrating properly on academic research and also because I've lost 90% interest in sex. I can get going slowly (am a man) but even doing it and trying to finish is so much hard work. I think it is because somehow these pills numb your brain and your body. You get rid of the negatives and positives at either end of the spectrum. I don't want to brag but I was fairly priapic before and never had problems in that department. I used to have to sort myself out most days in addition just so I could get rid of the urge. The pills took all that away. But I have some good news: I have been taking them only every other day (under guidance from GP) for last couple of weeks and took my last one ever on Friday. Over the weekend things have come back more or less to fully functional and I think I'll be firing on all cylinders within days.

[oldtime]

Only 17 responses and 15000 views, I guess alot of us are interested in reading about sex if not actually doing it!
I've taken cit 24 days so far and had no loss of sex drive yet, I'm hoping it does slow things down a bit, normally its all over in < 2mins for me.

[robw]

mohc, you are right. You may be aware that citalopram is also indicated for premature ejaculation (i'm not saying you definitely have that, just that most horny men can finish quickly if and when they want to) but this drug does numb things, so I guess it depends where your starting point is

[sickandtired]

ive been taking fluoxetine for about 8 months now and although i am 100% better mentally i have absolutely no interest in sex.I feel totally numb down below (sorry tmi) I thought it woudnt bother me as i just wanted the old me back,but my hubby's getting fed up now and although we,ve tried......i have no joy whatsoever and it is starting to upset me.Im thinking of asking my doc if i can change to Wellbutrin,but Im on 2 lots of meds for blood pressure and Ive heard some frightening reports of Wellbutrin and higher chance of seizure.....omg why does everything have a downside??!!

[Dom2727]

Ohh! like what?

Celexa is also known to cause ejaculatory problems. Generally, these problems are usually delayed ejaculation or the inability to ejaculate. In fact, Celexa can be used to treat men that have problems ejaculating too early.

In clinical studies where side effects of Celexa were documented, ejaculation problems occurred in up to 6.1 percent of men.

4 day (5mg) on this stuff and feel great. Tested my ejaculatory problem last night and erupted and was rock hard. But I dont think about sex as much

[Fay_elizabeth]

Its hard for me to tell if its affected my libido at all because I was disinterested in sex before taking citalopram too. I think it was part of my anxiety, I would get anxious and stressed about it and having low self esteem didn't help.

I have noticed that I felt more 'loving' towards my partner since taking it however, like I sometimes just feel warm rushes of love for him, although its kind of not sexual? This is depressing seeing as I'm only 25!

[FoxyMiss]

Your site is absolutely wonderful. Wish I'd found it when I was taking my anti depressants. Anyway, yes I found citalopram def affected my sex drive. One of the previous posts said they lost about 90%, that was what happened with me. Sex was just such an effort esp when you have a loving caring partner who you have had a brilliant sex life with before taking anti depressants.
I came off them gradually with my GPs help and gradually my sex drive has returned, but it is not as strong as it was before. I am hoping that, in time it will return.
I do have a related question, which again is quite embarrassing, has anyone out there had a problem with recurring cystitis after coming off citalopram. I am at present working with my practice nurse to get to the cause of the problem and after disgarding all the usual causes, i wondered if anyone else has suffered this too?

[Sparkle1984]

Welcome to the forums Foxy Miss. :) How long have you been off the tablets now?

[sickandtired]

still no return of sex drive .....after 16 months on Fluoxetine.....Im going to join a convent :roflmao:

[martin222]

ive been on citilopram for 3 weeks n my sex drive has gone through the roof, so its kinda swings n roundabouts

[keithwms]

Martin I also had an initial surge in interest. That calmed back down though around week 4 and now I'd say I am back to normal. I think the startup phase throws all manner of impulsive feelings at most of us.

[sickandtired]

im pleased to announce that i have had my first o in nearly 2 years of being on fluoxetine!!!!!!!!! :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo: sorry if this is too much info,but im elated!!! just thought id share that with u all :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

[Mrs Mul]

Completly agree, no sex drive at all on citalopram ! I think it increases a little in the early days of treatment because it raises your mood and stress anxiety and depression are not great for libido! Problem is you then become numb. Good news though....I am currently weaning off citalopram and my mojo has returned lol x