Zoloft how do you handle the sexual side effects?

Question

I have been putting off taking zoloft for ages due to the sexual side effects. Psychiatrist said a lot of patients have this effect but still put there mental health first. I just feel like I will go made if I dont have an o****m for months. How do others handle this frequent problem.

Answer 1

I was on Zoloft a few times the 1st time it didn't have any sexual side effects. However this last time it was horrible. I had NO interest in s*x none! So it wasn't that I was not able to get off I just didn't even wanna try. My husband was very frustrated and after like 2 weeks of not have even the slightest interest in anything sexual I had to stop taking it!! So I guess it depends on how important s*x is to your mental health!  

Answer 2

i've been taking zoloft for about 5 months.

i'm not sexually active, so i can't directly answer your question, but i can offer some insight on the other effects.

during the first week or so i was feeling slightly suicidal. not in the way that i would actually carry out any thoughts, but the thoughts were coming to mind that i had never had before, and i was a bit shocked to hear myself thinking that way.

then for a while i didn't feel it was working. but when i combined it with adderall for my ADD i instantly saw results in the combination. the only thing is that i don't know if its the adderall alone that i feel effects from or if its from the combination of the two.

i personally would suggest giving it a shot, because along with myself feeling better, i've seen it help others. but keep in mind the side effects that include suicidal thoughts- you should probably see a therapist for the first couple of weeks (s***w the psychiatrist for the emotional stuff- they really don't know **** outside of medicine). if you really think it's effecting your s*x life, just stop taking it and maybe try something new

hope this helped. good luck!

Answer 3

that happens with most anti depressants. i felt that way with lexapro and cymbalta. good thing was that it makes u last longer in bed but yah, no o****m is horrible. its either or though man, not relaly anything u can do about it. just think though, is s*x more important then ur mental health? well lets just say. i stoppped the anti depressants haha. dont stop though unless u talk to your doctor first so ur safely taken off. good luck

Edit- With cymbalta i had VERY MINIMAL sexual side effects, second to none. tlak to your doctor about switching to cymbalta.

Answer 4

ANTIDEPRESSANT OR DEPRESSION RELATED SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION: Occurs often: Ginkgo Biloba is recommended to help counteract it, and Damiana to increase libido (s*x drive). If unavailable locally in Australia, there is a product in supermarket vitamin & supplement shelves called Horny Goat Weed. View www.theroadback.org/

An SNRI, such as Wellbutrin, if taken alone, is said to often not produce sexual dysfunction, or take away the ability to achieve o****m.

Serzone is also reputed to have less sexual dysfunction, but check out the risks and side effects first at http://www.drugs.com and http://www.rxlist.com

Thanks must go to Opester for the following: Very common on any of the SSRI's-Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Luvox, etc.

You can try a couple things to resolve it:

1) Try Periactin (Cyproheptadine) a few hours prior to having relations-it's an antihistamine that is generic and inexpensive, but I believe it requires a Rx. It works for some people, but not all. You need about 4mg usually.

2) Ask your doc to add Wellbutrin-it often is prescribed to help with this side effect and is usually effective, but can add some other side effects (like sweating) but not everyone gets side effects.

3) Reduce the dosage or try a drug holiday occasionally, but check with your doc before decreasing.

4) Men can try Yohimbine or Viagra/Cialis if not otherwise contraindicated.

5) Try another SSRI-not all produce the side effect in every person. You can also try Cymbalta or Effexor which are both combined SSRI/SNRI and tend to diminish this side effect (similar to adding Wellbutrin).

Answer 5

I have tried 3 of the SSRIs and sympathize with you about the sexual side effects.

Some of this you probably already know. The sexual side effects come mostly from SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc.) and other fairly new antidepressants, like Effexor and Cymbalta.

The good news is that a few fairly recent antidepressants---Wellbutrin, Remeron and Serzone---have relatively few sexual side effects. Also, an anti-anxiety med called Buspar might help and, in some cases, may even increase your libido.

For men, there are meds that can stimulate stimulate sexual performance--viagra, levitra, cialis, yohimbine, and periactin. These are not antidepressants; they are meds that can counteract the loss of sexual interest for men.

I ain't a doctor so obviously you should talk about these meds with your doctor. I have found that if I see my MD and have done some homework on medications, I have a better chance of getting some medication that are helpful to me.

Also, before the days of Prozac, there were a bunch of meds called tricyclic antidepressants. Most of these don't affect your libido (some do). However, these meds usually have more yucky side effects than the newer ones.