| Anti-depressants and
Decreased Libido
Question:
hi I needed to ask someone an important question about sexual dysfunction
and depression. I am a 20
year old college student. The
depression started when I went away to college and broke up with my
girlfriend. Since that time
(about a year and a half ago) After
seeing a doctor, I have tried different antidepressants to help with my
depression. I took Zoloft for
a very short period of time, then Effexor XR for about the same amount of
time and finally was perscribed Welbutrin.
I have been taking Welbutrin now for about six or 7 months. I had many adverse affects with the other drugs one of which
was the loss of sex drive. With
the Welbutrin my sex drive came back mildly but I am still having
problems. I just recently
became sexually active again with my new girlfriend and I am not able to
maintain an erection during intercourse.
My ejaculation is small to none because it tends to
\"leak\" out ahead of time.
My questions are: Can antidepressants have permanent sexual side
effects? Is it possible that
the medication that I am taking isn't working as well as when I first
started taking it, thereby causing loss in sex drive because of being
depressed? Is it possilbe to
lose your ability to have an erection due to nervousness, etc? Can other drugs such as acne medication (Minocycline) have
adverse affects if mixed with antidepressants?
Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
This has been a long and frustration ordeal.
I am so thankful that I have a loving and understanding person to
help me through this rough time.
Response:
Most anti-depressants do have side effects, but they are different for
each individual. Taking
anti-depressants does not eliminate depression; it only decreases the
intensity of the symptoms. In
most cases, counseling is necessary to understand your dynamics to help
change, so that one can quit the use of medication eventually.
If you are not addressing your depression,
then yes, over a period of time the medications will not be as effective
as when you start taking them.
The effects of anti-depressants are not
permanent and will go away after a period of non-use.
Yes, it is possible to have difficulty in
achieving and maintaining an erection due to nervousness.
Most drugs do interact with each other.
You need to inform your doctor about all medications you are
taking, so he can prescribe what works best in combination.
Regards,
Uzma |
