A low sex drive creeps up on you. You barely notice at first, but the symptoms slowly reveal themselves when you continually choose and welcome a good night’s sleep over sex. You're not alone, though. Between 50% and 70% of people with depression have a low libido.
Stress, alcohol, anxiety, pharmaceutical drugs, and depression can cause sexual dysfunction. Likewise, a dysfunction in the bedroom can lead to depression.
Studies show that using antidepressants is a common approach to managing depression. But again, a survey recently discovered that antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction was the reason a high percentage of drug users quit.
Undeniably, there’s a direct relationship between antidepressants and low libido. Keep reading to find out how your body reacts to the components of depression medications.
Understanding How Antidepressants Affect Libido
Now, let's talk about how antidepressants can affect your desire for intimacy. These meds keep your brain from spiralling and do wonders for your mood, but they can also have some sexual side effects.
How Do Antidepressants Work?
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) are depression medications that increase the body’s serotonin retention.
For context, serotonin is a feel-good chemical. It’s responsible for preventing you from feeling like life’s a sad song on repeat.
The catch, however, is that the higher your serotonin levels, the lower your sex drive. Antidepressants increase serotonin, but high levels of serotonin overwhelm dopamine, which directly affects stimulation and pleasure.
That’s why life on antidepressants feels like throwing a party but forgetting to invite your libido.
Symptoms of Low Libido in Men
Naturally, the desire for sex diminishes over time. However, there are telltale signs of low libido as opposed to ageing in men. These include:
- Infrequent and weak erections. They may also be short-lived
- Lack of interest in intimacy
- Delayed, absent, or reduced ejaculation
- Lack of satisfaction or pleasure during sex
- Little to no thoughts about making love
Symptoms of Low Libido in Women
Clinically, a low libido is a condition where a woman finds it difficult to get sexually aroused, stay aroused, or both.
These symptoms are hallmark signs of a sexual dysfunction:
- Little to no desire for intimacy and pleasure
- Disinterest in sex with a lover/masturbating
- Difficulty getting and staying aroused
- Little to no vaginal lubrication while making love
- Trouble reaching orgasm
- Trouble enjoying sex
- Disinterest in initiating intercourse
Low Sex Drive and Antidepressants
Medical professionals classify the low libido disorders caused by antidepressants into:
- Problems with desire
- Problems with orgasm
- Problems with arousal
- Problems with pain
- Problems with satisfaction
Symptoms of Antidepressants-Induced Sexual Dysfunction
Low libido caused by antidepressants can affect all the phases of intimacy in a relationship. These include desire, arousal, and orgasm in men and women.
The most commonly reported sexual side effects of taking antidepressants are problems with sexual desire (72%), sexual arousal (83%), and orgasm (42%), as discovered in a medical survey.
The survey also showed that men frequently reported problems with desire and orgasm rather than arousal.
However, not all these effects are undesirable. For instance, whether diagnosed with depression or not, SSRI medications can improve the symptoms of serious premature ejaculation in men.
Depression Medications and Their Sexual Side Effects
|
Class |
Drug Name |
Risk Level |
|
SNRIs |
•Desvenlafaxine • Duloxetine • Venlafaxine |
High Risk |
|
SSRIs |
• Citalopram • Escitalopram • Fluoxetine • Fluvoxamine • Paroxetine • Sertraline |
High Risk |
|
TCAs |
• Clomipramine • Amitriptyline • Dosulepin • (dothiepin) • Doxepin • Imipramine • Nortriptyline |
Clomipramine has a High Risk
Medium Risk with other TCAs |
|
RIMA or MAOI |
• Moclobemide • Phenelzine • Tranylcypromine |
Low risk
|
|
Others |
• Agomelatine • Bupropion • Mirtazapine • Reboxetine • Vortioxetine |
Low risk |
Not all medications are created equally, especially in the way they affect your sex life. Let’s break down the impact of some of the most common medications to see how they might affect intimacy:
SSRIs and SNRIs
These are the most common types of depression medication. They increase serotonin or norepinephrine production in the brain.
Normally, after the body releases serotonin in the brain, nerve cells reabsorb the supply, which is medically called a reuptake. SSRIs block reuptake, leaving more serotonin for the brain to absorb.
However, these prescriptions are notorious for causing sexual dysfunction.
The sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs can vary from person to person. They can also be mild or severe.
Some say antidepressants lead to only a slight drop in their interest in intercourse, while others might discover that their sex life is nonexistent or drastically low because of these drugs.
In women, SSRIs and SNRIs make it harder to get aroused or reach orgasm, while erectile dysfunction is the primary effect men have complained about.
One of the challenges of these side effects is that they create a cycle of frustration. When your sex life suffers, it can lead to stress or anxiety, which does not make the side effects better.
When using antidepressants, it’s not uncommon to be faced with the dilemma of choosing between mental health and a better sex life.
Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
Wellbutrin is different from SSRIs and SNRIs - it does not make you better by increasing serotonin. Rather, it focuses on dopamine and norepinephrine. Your brain associates dopamine, a natural feel-good chemical, with pleasure, reward, and motivation.
On the other hand, norepinephrine has a calming effect on your fight-and-flight response. It has the opposite effect your body goes through during an adrenaline rush.
Bupropion increases dopamine and norepinephrine levels in anxious and depressed users without affecting their serotonin. That way, you can manage your mood disorders and avoid the sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs.
Therefore, instead of hurting your sex life, Wellbutrin is one of those anti anxiety meds that don't affect libido.
Buspirone Side Effects Sexually
Low levels of serotonin are responsible for anxiety. It’s not clear exactly how Buspirone works, but it treats anxiety by managing serotonin.
This antidepressant does not heighten serotonin levels but keeps them balanced. Buspirone has no sexual side effects, so you're unlikely to experience low libido while on this medication.
However, if your sex life goes south after starting this prescription, you may have to book an appointment with your healthcare practitioner.
How to Manage Sexual Dysfunction Caused by Antidepressant
Before and after starting antidepressants, keep an eye on your sex life to quickly spot low libido (medication side effects) or improvements (reduction in depression).
If you’re using to cope with depression, you can manage sexual dysfunction with these tips:
Observe the Situation
We discovered, in a medical journal, that 6 to 12% of patients with antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction said that the symptoms subsided within 4 to 6 months.
But again, if you're at risk of antidepressant-induced low sex drive, the symptoms of sexual dysfunction start within the first to third week of commencing the medication. Understandably, you may be unable to suspend your sex life for four months; you don't have to wait that long if you can't. However, you need to observe yourself for a while immediately after identifying the signs of low libido.
Reduce Your Dosage
A high dose and frequent use of antidepressants cause sexual dysfunction. You can gradually restore your sex drive by reducing your dosage by 50% to counter the negative effects.
Sexual Lifestyle Modifications
The best time to have sex while taking antidepressants is right before you take the drug. That’s when your previous pills have nearly left your bloodstream, making the side effects less noticeable.
Change Your Approach
From the table, identify the type of drugs you’re currently using. If you’re taking low-risk medication, switch to high-risk, and vice versa.
Switch out your options if you’re suffering from a low libido while on antidepressants.
Psychotherapy - CBT and Couple Therapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy corrects behavioural disorders, which could include low self-esteem. For instance, Suboxone can help with the depression or withdrawal symptoms that opioid use causes. However, Suboxone side effects in females sexually are unclear and depend on the dosage.
Likewise, healthy relationships, achievable by couple therapy, help in managing sexual dysfunction.
Spice Up Your Relationship
Avoiding the rabbit hole of a boring (regular) sex life can do wonders for your libido. Experimenting with sex toys, massage oils, and spontaneous experiences can bring back any missing spark. This house picks bundle will set you off to a great start.
Exercise and A Healthier Lifestyle
Working out thirty minutes before having sex improves your libido and performance. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet, and you’ll see improvements in your libido.
Conclusion
The problem with antidepressants (SSRIs and SSNIs) is that they work too well. They increase serotonin to a level that’s detrimental to your sexual health. This is because as serotonin levels rise, dopamine levels drop. Dopamine is a key player in your libido and reaction to pleasure. But not to worry, you can get your sex drive back from 0 to 100 with the tips shared on how to manage the sexual side effects of antidepressants.