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How to Reduce Sexual Side Effects from Antidepressants

April 12, 2024 Reviewed by Dr Hameed Ibrahim Khokar

Originally posted 2023-05-19 04:18:34.

Depression can cause a loss of sexual desire and trouble performing during intimate relationships. However, these can also be side effects of many of the drugs used to treat depression.

Antidepressants are often necessary to deal with depression, but for many people, sexuality is also a crucial part of a healthy existence. It can be irritating and depressing to have sexual adverse effects with antidepressants, but there are ways to deal with them.

It can be scary to talk freely about sex with a spouse, doctor, or mental health care provider, but it’s the first step to finding solutions. Here’s what you need to know about how depression and its treatment might impair your sexual life, as well as some possible solutions to deal with these problems.

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Coping with the Sexual Side Effects of Antidepressants

Depression and antidepressant drugs can induce reduced libido, dryness in the vaginal area, and problems getting and keeping an erection. People may also find it harder to have an orgasm, or they may not be able to have one at all.

Research shows that these sexually adverse effects happen to a lot of people. A meta-analysis of more than 14,000 participants indicated that having a diagnosis of depression makes you 50–70% more likely to have sexual problems. People who were using antidepressants had a somewhat higher risk (71% vs. 65% for those who weren’t being treated).

There may be many more people with sexual problems because of depression than the numbers reflect. People may feel ashamed and not want to talk to their doctor or therapist about sexual problems. Even if they both have the same side effects, it might not be possible to link the changes in their sex lives to depression or the medicines they are taking.

If you have sexual dysfunction, you can take the first step towards fixing it by admitting you have it and talking to your spouse, doctor, or therapist about it.

Communication will be crucial, not only with your partner but also with the people who are taking care of you. For example, if you wish to try a different drug, adjust your dose, or add a supplement, you should always talk to your doctor and/or psychiatrist first.

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Strategies and Next Steps

Even though these ideas can be good places to start, they might not work for everyone. You might have to try more than one until you find something that makes your symptoms go away.

Ask about a Lower Dose

You may be able to take a lower dose of your antidepressant if your doctor tells you to. Some people find that this alteration is adequate to lessen the sexual side effects while their depression is still being well treated.

Some people with depression who were given a regular dose of 20 milligrammes of Prozac (fluoxetine) per day felt that their symptoms were just as well controlled when they only took 5–10 mg per day, according to research. Plus, when they took a lower amount, they had fewer negative effects.

Have Sex before taking your Pill

When you take your antidepressant, it may also affect your desire to have sexual relations. If you wait to take prescriptions like Zoloft (sertraline) or tricyclic antidepressants until after you’ve had sex, the sexual side effects may be less severe. This is because the levels of drugs in your body are at their lowest while you’re intimate.

When you take your medicine will be determined by a variety of factors, including your daily schedule and any side effects you are experiencing. (such as nausea, which may be reduced if you take your pill with food, or trouble sleeping).

When you decide when to take your pill, make sure to take into account how often you get sexually active. If you usually have sex in the evening, taking your tablet in the morning might help.

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Try different Medications

Some antidepressants may have fewer sexual side effects than others. Trintellix is a drug for depression, and studies have shown that it has fewer sexually negative effects than other drugs. And Wellbutrin (bupropion), which is a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), operates differently than drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil, which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). (paroxetine).

people who are taking SSRIs and have sexual adverse effects may be able to remedy the problem by switching to a different drug.

In other cases, your doctor may advise you to continue taking the first depression medication you were given while also adding another, such as Wellbutrin. They might also suggest medicines that are made to address sexual problems.

Research has revealed that patients with erectile dysfunction can also benefit from taking drugs like Viagra (sildenafil) or Cialis (tadalafil) that are made to treat the disease.

Take a “Medication Holiday”

If your doctor wants you to stay on the same dose of your medicine, you might be able to talk to them about “drug holidays,” which are breaks from taking your medicine. Some people find that taking a break from antidepressants like Zoloft and Paxil for a day or two helps them deal with the side effects without stopping the drugs’ therapeutic effects.

But this method might not work with all antidepressants. Prozac, for example, has a half-life that is significantly longer than most antidepressants. This means that the amount of the drug in your body stays the same for a long time after you stop taking it.

The long half-life of the medicine can be helpful when trying to discontinue or change antidepressants. (as it makes withdrawal symptoms less likely). But it also makes it harder to “take a break” from the medicine.

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Experiment with Alternatives

If you’ve tried changing your antidepressant or taking a different one, but the sexual adverse effects still happen, you may want to try something else.

If your problems are caused by depression, the same things that help with the sexual side effects of antidepressants can also help. You could even discover that these tactics help you deal with your depression better in general.

You could try psychotherapy, acupuncture, dietary supplements, or anything else. You might also try to get your partner to make some of these adjustments as well. You may work out together to get ready for sex or try something new to spice up your routine.

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Consider other Causes

If you’ve tried different ways to treat your sexual problems and they haven’t gotten better, there may be something else going on.

There are many mental and physical problems, besides depression and drugs, that can affect your sexuality.

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a common sexual health issue that is rarely talked about. People with HSDD, which has been separated into two illnesses in the DSM-5 (female sexual interest/arousal disorder and male hypoactive sexual desire disorder), have no desire for sexual or intimate interactions. People with HSDD don’t try to become close to people sexually, and many of them don’t think about or fantasise about sex.

Low libido, or a lack of interest in sex, is not always considered a problem. In fact, for some people, it can be a respectable sexual identity. (asexuality). People with HSDD, on the other hand, are not like this. People with the illness are typically upset by their lack of desire, which they say hurts their relationships in a big way.

Some things people do can also lead to sexual problems. If you use alcohol or other drugs, you might have sexual side effects while you’re using them or when you’re trying to stop.

Changes that come with getting older, being sick or in pain for a long time, having a new baby, or starting a new career can all have an effect on your sexual life. Because of these things, it may be harder to deal with the sexual side effects of depression or drugs.

Talking with your Partner

Talking to each other is a vital element of having a healthy relationship. When you and your spouse are having sexual problems, you need to be able to communicate with one another even more.

It might be hard to talk about these things, and you’ll both need to find (or manufacture) time for the talk, but it’s crucial that you do. Keeping the lines of communication open is one way to keep your relationship strong.

You and your partner can find a place where you both feel safe talking about how you feel. At the end of the chat, you should both feel heard, understood, and that you have the love and support of the other person.

Every pair has their own way of talking to each other, and each individual in a relationship has their own way of letting the other person know how they feel. Your emotional and sexual needs are unique, as are those of your relationship. However, these general rules may help you and your partner talk to each other better.

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Don’t stay silent

You might not want to admit that there are problems, but you can’t find a solution unless they are out in the open and can be talked about. Talking to your doctor or therapist first will help you figure out how to talk to your partner in the best way when you’re ready.

Avoid Blame

Whether you have sexual dysfunction yourself or are with someone who does, try not to point fingers. Don’t put the blame on the other person, but don’t blame yourself either.

Be Honest

It can be hard to talk about disappointment and dissatisfaction in a relationship, but when it comes to sex, these sentiments can be even more painful. You could think that concealing these sentiments from your partner will make them feel better, but neglecting or downplaying your own emotional needs isn’t good for you or your relationship.

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Work Together

Someone with depression can feel very alone. When someone you care about is depressed, you may feel alone. If you and your spouse are having sexual problems in your relationship because you are both depressed, attempt to solve the situation as a team. Don’t forget that you’re all in it together. Remind each other how much you care about each other often and in ways that don’t include sex.

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