Antidepressants and Libido

What is the link between antidepressants and libido?

Depression can put people in a cloud of gloom, keep them from enjoying their life, and leave them with little desire for sex. And instead of raising libido and the ability to achieve sexual fulfillment, most antidepressants can be what causes low libido, and block the ability to achieve sexual satisfaction. They are one of the most common libido supressing drugs. 

Since many people are on these drugs for months and even years, this can be a devastating side effect that interrupts life and has a detrimental impact on relationships.

Identifying Sexual Problems Caused by Antidepressants

Many people fail to report their low libido to their doctor, or even discuss it with anyone. In fact, many people who are depressed don’t know whether their lack of sex drive is a result of their antidepressant and libido, or their own mind, which they may already have doubts about from being depressed.  

Antidepressants and libido are linked in several ways:

• Decreased or lost libido
• Inability to achieve an erection
• Difficulty or inability to ejaculate (for men)
• Delayed or blocked orgasm (for women)

It is not routine to inform patients that their antidepressants may have an impact on their sex drive.

Experts believe that a series of questions should be asked before the patient begins the medications.  These may include:

• Have you experienced any sexual difficulties?
• Have you experienced any difficulty with lubrication?
• Have you experienced any difficulty with erection?
• Have you experienced any difficulty with orgasm?
• Have you experienced any difficulty with ejaculation?

After taking the medication and noticing a difference, the patient can be asked about the state of their libido once again.  This can be compared to the state it was in before starting.

Dr. Segraves, an expert on this subject cautioned that sometimes the problem comes from the patient’s circumstances.  For example, if the patient can reach orgasm alone but not with their partner, this most likely means that it is not down to the drug.

Available options for Antidepressants and Libido

If it is determined that antidepressants and libido problems are significantly linked, there are many possible options.  These have been outlined by Dr. Anthony J. Rothschild, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.

• Decrease the dose, which is not always possible without losing the therapeutic benefit.
• Engage in sexual activity just before taking one's daily dose.  This is however, often impractical.
• Try sexual stimulants like yohimbine, which can be frustrating because their effects are not consistent, or to give a second drug, like amantadine (Symmetrel), to counter orgasmic failure induced by the antidepressant.
• Dr. Rothschild has tested a fourth solution:  weekend holidays from the drugs, in which the last dose for the week is taken on Thursday morning and the medication is resumed at noon on Sunday. He reported that sexual function improved significantly in the drug-free period for patients taking some drugs, while not worsening the symptoms.

Other options for people who are finding that their a link between antidepressants and libido include taking natural remedies or trying natural therapies. 

There are many herbs that can affectively combat depression without side effects.  Dietary changes can help raise mood, and libido. Yoga and meditation are also proven to have a significant impact on lowering depression, and they may also boost the sex drive. 

Talking to your doctor is absolutely necessary before going off of the medication altogether.