Persistent SSRI sexual side effects

[Vornan]

I think most people are effected in the long-term, but either they don't say anything, or when they mention it to their doctor, they are told it's "all in your head".

How long have you been off medications?

Vornan

[bluebottle]

Thanks, I've signed up.

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

[seh1980]

I've been off meds for about 4 months now..

[sal]

I guess it takes time to get it all back into persepective and even without the meds how we have being will become habit as we all know too well that can happen.



Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[Vornan]

In my experience it is much more than habit. There is a profound influence on sexual functioning, probably neurochemical, that lasts long after the meds are discontinued. I used to have an extremely high sex drive, but now I don't have one.

Vornan

[sal]

Hi Vornan

Guess we all feel different. The meds i never thought affected me but when i can now look back i see they did and if i had being in a normal 1 to 1 relationship i think we would have suffered.

Everyone suffers differently and i can only say how it made me feel and by judging it it did affect my sex life.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[bluebottle]

Spoke to my GP today and he said Lustral didn't have this down as a side effect. I wonder why not!
Anyway, he said best to stay on them for now and when I'm feeling better we will reduce them. OK, I have already reached that conclusion, but being able to have an orgasm normally wouldn't half lift my mood!

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

[Vornan]

IMHO, if you feel that the meds are essential, than stay on them. But in my experience, the longer you are on them, the greater the chance that you will develop persistent problems that may linger even after you get off them.

Vornan

[sal]

Hi Vornan

In what you say is right but if some of us need to take medication, how much worse would it be without it.

Physically disabilities due to this are hard and so are mental ones but if the mental ones override how we feel and disadvantage that side of our like, what other choise do we have when we need medication.

To me lose it completely or miss out on the advantages of sex for a while or even longer, i know what i would choose and it would be to be more stable mentally.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[Vornan]

if you have to take it, then i understand. but i think the drugs are vastly overprescribed, when other therapies are also effective. have you tried cbt, aerobic exercise, valerian, chamomile, relaxation response, etc? anxiety is often a product of faulty lifestyle imo. difficult to correct, but not impossible.

v