Antidepressants...

[CRUNCH]

I know they can cause some sexual problems. I've got a question for those that have been on them: which one was the worst in terms of decreasing desire, the worst in lowering sex-drive?? How long did that side-effect continue after your last dose? Any other bad sides?

Thanks!

 

[rampage jackson]

Anecdotally, I've heard that paxil causes the worst sexual sides.

 

[greenwing7]

Welbutrin (bupropion) works differently than most anti-depressants and has a much lower incidence of sexual side effects. i will try to find more info at work tomorrow afternoon

 

[supersoldier]

I took wellbutrin for a while, never had any sides at all. There's an old Mind and Muscle article about using it for BB'ing purposes too.

 

[greenwing7]

be cautius about using wellbutrin with steroids, it can lower the body's threshold for seizures, sorry for that off the wall info, crunch why do you want to know what antidepressants lower libido, do you have a younger sister you are trying to protect or something

 

[Rogue Drone]

Always looking for a possible edge, but not necessarily needing an anti-depressant therapeutically, I've read most of the anecdotals and cited references on these that's shown up on M & M over the last year plus.

I've concluded that the Selegiline (Deprenyl/Jumex) transdermal would be my first choice for probable effectiveness and least side effects if in need. The use of oral Jumex has been very positive for me in a general mood and motivation sense.

 

[Lacradocious]

I have taken paxil and zoloft in the past. About 6-8 weeks for each one. First thing that happened, was I couldn't finish sex. I remember my girlfriend at the time getting very upset about this because she thought that it was because I wasn't attracted to her. Eventually, the libido was completely gone, along with my appetite. So I quite cold turkey, had some shatty withdrawals and now I will never touch the stuff again.

My friend took Paxil and he gained weight and didn't have any disfunction with his johnson. I guess I may be sensitive to medication.

Paxil is supposed to be bad as far as sides. Zoloft did make me feel better but it wasn't worth losing my libido and my appetite

 

[CRUNCH]

be cautius about using wellbutrin with steroids, it can lower the body's threshold for seizures, sorry for that off the wall info, crunch why do you want to know what antidepressants lower libido, do you have a younger sister you are trying to protect or something

My doc is hinting around at me going on some. There's some personal stuff going on that's kinda hard to deal with.

Thanks for the replys everybody.

 

[PumpingIron]

Buspar sucks. Plain and simple.

 

[pistonpump]

what about prozac?

ive been thinking of going on antidepressents lately too....

This is a good topic for me as well as it seems my sex drive and interest in sexual intercourse is not there, i have been wondering why and i dont think its from anything that i have used as ive been off everything for a long time but there could be other reasons but im leaning towards depression. Now, a prescribed medication that could help with depression therefore fixing my drive for sex and all the other problems would not be much help if they actually physically impaired my sex ummmm....organs and function? i think you get it.

 

[CRUNCH]

what about prozac?

ive been thinking of going on antidepressents lately too....

This is a good topic for me as well as it seems my sex drive and interest in sexual intercourse is not there, i have been wondering why and i dont think its from anything that i have used as ive been off everything for a long time but there could be other reasons but im leaning towards depression. Now, a prescribed medication that could help with depression therefore fixing my drive for sex and all the other problems would not be much help if they actually physically impaired my sex ummmm....organs and function? i think you get it.

That's one hell of a catch-22!

 

[PumpingIron]

PP, that sounds more like a test imbalance than anything.

 

[pistonpump]

i should get bloodwork then? I think ive always had low test levels but problem is at age 23 i dont think any doctors would do or say anything about it.

 

[gdbear65]

My doc is hinting around at me going on some. There's some personal stuff going on that's kinda hard to deal with.

Thanks for the replys everybody.

Might I suggest you try something natural first? My wife suffers from depression, but since she started taking New Chapter Holy Basil she feels great and is much more motivated.

When in New Delhi, we visited with the leader of India’s Ayurvedic Medical Association. We asked that “vaidya,” or Ayurvedic master, why Holy Basil is considered the Mother Medicine of Nature in his tradition. He replied that Holy Basil is “anti-mutagenic and anti-inflammatory.”* It is, he said, a “rasayana,” or an herb that on its own nourishes a person’s growth to perfect health and enlightenment. We asked why people in the West find that Holy Basil promotes a positive stress response and elevates their spirit, and he replied that “Holy Basil delivers nutrients to the mind necessary for the experience of enlightenment.”

 

[CRUNCH]

I check into that. Any experience with St. John's Wart?? That's still used to help with depression, isn't it?

 

[greenwing7]

Hey no worries about being on an anti-depressant but I believe that most have a high probability of sexual side effects, minus wellbutrin, also called Zyban and used to quit smoking. here is a list on antidepressants by generic name
you have a lot of choices to choose from but remember that most of these are in one of about 4 classes and drugs in the same class tend to act similarly to one another.
this will give you a good starting poing if you are feeling frisky and doing some research.

Amitriptyline Hydrochloride (elavil)
Amoxapine
buPROPion hydrochloride (Wellbutrin)
Citalopram Hydrobromide (Cilexa)
clomiPRAMINE hydrochloride
Desipramine Hydrochloride
Doxepin Hydrochloride
Duloxetine Hydrochloride (Cymbalta)
Escitalopram Oxalate (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine Hydrochloride (Prozac)
Fluvoxamine Maleate
Imipramine Hydrochloride
Imipramine Pamoate
Isocarboxazid
Maprotiline Hydrochloride
Mirtazapine (Remron)
Nefazodone Hydrochloride
Nortriptyline Hydrochloride
Paroxetine Hydrochloride (Paxil)
Phenelzine Sulfate
Protriptyline Hydrochloride
Selegiline
Sertraline Hydrochloride (Zoloft)
Tranylcypromine Sulfate
Trazodone Hydrochloride
Trimipramine Maleate
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride (Effexor)

 

[CRUNCH]

Thanks for the info Green!

 

[Jayhawkk]

Cymbalta had no real sides of any kind for me.

 

[pistonpump]

Cymbalta had no real sides of any kind for me.

did it do its job tho'?

 

[bioman]

SJW worked for me, but it gave me terrible insomnia which then goes pretty far towards spoiling my mood. lol..kind of a win-lose situation.

Rhodiola, folic acid, selenium, chromium, b12 and theanine are my staples and work OK. Still have bad days here and there but IMO, that's just part of the normal human condition.

 

[Jayhawkk]

Yes, did the job very well.

 

[CRUNCH]

SJW worked for me, but it gave me terrible insomnia which then goes pretty far towards spoiling my mood. lol..kind of a win-lose situation.

Rhodiola, folic acid, selenium, chromium, b12 and theanine are my staples and work OK. Still have bad days here and there but IMO, that's just part of the normal human condition.

I've already got terrible insomnia which I've had for years. Don't need anything making it worse. My next doc appointment is scheduled for Friday. I'm leaning towards the medical route and thinking Prozac, Lexapro, or Zoloft. Everything seems to say they are pretty effective with depression but do have the sexual sides. Maybe I can experiment with them and see which is better. May take several months to figure out, but hopefully worth it. Paxil scares the hell out of me.

 

[Jayhawkk]

Cymbalta and Ambien When I came off Cymbalta I had no rebound either. No sexual sides that i'm aware of. I just felt better and normal during a very stressful time in my life. I wasn't knocked out or felt like I was in a cloud or anything.

 

[pistonpump]

i think they prescribe ambien alot with antidepressants.... I got to get me some freakin ambien!

 

[Jayhawkk]

The stuff works well and I have yet to have any dependancy issues or crashes. I take about 3 months to go through 30 pills. Don't mix that **** with alcohol though...Not a good thing.

 

[bioman]

There's my old standby..Jim Beam. He lifts me up when I am low.

Just kidding. Whiskey makes me crazy.

 

[gdbear65]

I check into that. Any experience with St. John's Wart?? That's still used to help with depression, isn't it?

I had my wife on St. John's for a couple months or more - didn't help that much and from what I've read it is only good for mild depression. I knew that hers was more severe than that, but wanted her to try it anyhow and although it helped a little, it's nowhere near as effective as Holy Basil has been.

 

[greenwing7]

CRUNCH prozac(fluoxetine) is an SSRI
Zoloft(setreline) is also an SSRI
and so is Lexapro (esclatopram) so all three of these are going to have very similar mechanisms of action on your body and will also have very similar side effects, on the up side Prozac is available in generic and Zoloft went generic in the past year I think lexapro is still brand name only but I'm not 100% sure on that one

 

[CRUNCH]

Thanks green!

 

[Jayhawkk]

Man i've seen that stuff eat people up though.

 

[Beau]

I have taken paxil .... First thing that happened, was I couldn't finish sex....So I quite cold turkey, had some shatty withdrawals...

Paxil works well, but although your schwan will still be ready, willing and able, the twins will rarely toss fat, or only after a tremendous amount of time and various techniques. Great for cardio.

Don't ever quit Paxil cold turkey. The sides are bad enough when it is tapered down.

 

[greenwing7]

it you are going to experiment your best bet is to jump between the different classes of drugs that you are going for the desired effect

 

[TripDog]

I check into that. Any experience with St. John's Wart?? That's still used to help with depression, isn't it?

i used st. johns wart for a while and it did wonders for me.....thinking of actually going back on....safe, minimal sides at all....

 

[CRUNCH]

i used st. johns wart for a while and it did wonders for me.....thinking of actually going back on....safe, minimal sides at all....

Thanks Trip! How long do you think it took to start working, and what dose did you use per day.

 

[TripDog]

Thanks Trip! How long do you think it took to start working, and what dose did you use per day.

900mg a day spaced into 3 seperate doses....so 300,300,300....i was seriously very impressed with this stuff.....it really didn't take long,maybe a week...and i felt like a different person..in a good way....i just started post cycle..so my mood is blah....i took my first dose last night..and gonna start back on it actually...

 

[CRUNCH]

Hmmm...maybe I'll give that a try before the prescription stuff. Worth a shot.

 

[jomi822]

crunch...if there are personal things going on then how will an antidepressant help? you obviously have a reason to be depressed, rather than a chemical imbalance.

 

[TripDog]

i somewhat agree jomi..something like st johns wort only helps your natural seritonon levels..it's not a synthetic drug....kinda like using a natty test booster.....in life sometimes to grow we need to feel down...but when it effects your productivity in life,then i say veiw your options......i have anxiety issues..and i hate taking something that turns me into a pile of sh*t....that inner energy is what makes me train so hard..without it,i guess im like some regular mofo...FUKC that

 

[Jayhawkk]

Depression is depression even if it is justified. Believe me

 

[jomi822]

i just never understood how a medication was supposed to treat life issues?

 

[Movin_weight]

my girl is taking lexapro and her libido wen't up significantly, and her mood change was like night and day

 

[TripDog]

my girl is taking lexapro and her libido wen't up significantly, and her mood change was like night and day

my doc put me on that........ended up feeling like a imobile retard.........this wasn't that long ago...lexapro= for guys no personallity at all!!!

 

[Jayhawkk]

Sometimes they help you cope. Although life issues are real sometimes people's coping mechanisms aren't working properly and it makes dealing with them that much harder.

 

[CRUNCH]

Sometimes they help you cope. Although life issues are real sometimes people's coping mechanisms aren't working properly and it makes dealing with them that much harder.

That sounds like me the most. It's not like I feel a chemical imbalance so-to-speak, but just coping with somethings that are getting pretty rough. I've had a therapist for about 4 months now to help me with this. She is helping some, but not much. Since there is no end in sight with what's going on, I just feel like I could work through some of this if I could get rid of some of the stress (that's killing me) and stuff that's bringing me down with something that could lift my mood for a bit. My wife is awesome, but it's getting tough for her to help get my mood up anymore, which is starting to stress her out now. I just need something to lift my mood for a while, and make it feel easier to deal with what's going on.

Did all that make sense? And thanks Jay.

 

[Beau]

That sounds like me the most. It's not like I feel a chemical imbalance so-to-speak, but just coping with somethings that are getting pretty rough. I've had a therapist for about 4 months now to help me with this. She is helping some, but not much. Since there is no end in sight with what's going on, I just feel like I could work through some of this if I could get rid of some of the stress (that's killing me) and stuff that's bringing me down with something that could lift my mood for a bit. My wife is awesome, but it's getting tough for her to help get my mood up anymore, which is starting to stress her out now. I just need something to lift my mood for a while, and make it feel easier to deal with what's going on.

Did all that make sense? And thanks Jay.

First off, good luck. There is a stigma needlessly associated with depression (and its meds). Don't buy into it. Herbs may work (I tried them first), but they take three or four months to kick in - why torture yourself in the mean time?

I'll go on record: I am no fan of meds of any type. But, with depression, and for me, they were a blessing. It made all the difference in the world, between being able to cope, not obsess, sleep, you get the idea.

I put my pride behind me and started the meds. It was a decision I'll NEVER regret; all things considered.

It isn't my place to butt in, but you might want to re-consider your prayer life as well.

 

[AE14]

i think they prescribe ambien alot with antidepressants.... I got to get me some freakin ambien!

I have been hearing this as well. I Ibelieve both my wife and I will be on something for depression eventually with everything that has been going on, but from what I have heard the most recent discussion have been about lunesta

 

[striker17]

I know they can cause some sexual problems. I've got a question for those that have been on them: which one was the worst in terms of decreasing desire, the worst in lowering sex-drive?? How long did that side-effect continue after your last dose? Any other bad sides?

Thanks!

Prozac was pretty bad. Zoloft not much better. I'm married so it does not matter. Not getting any anyway.

 

[pistonpump]

First off, good luck. There is a stigma needlessly associated with depression (and its meds). Don't buy into it. Herbs may work (I tried them first), but they take three or four months to kick in - why torture yourself in the mean time?

I'll go on record: I am no fan of meds of any type. But, with depression, and for me, they were a blessing. It made all the difference in the world, between being able to cope, not obsess, sleep, you get the idea.

I put my pride behind me and started the meds. It was a decision I'll NEVER regret; all things considered.

It isn't my place to butt in, but you might want to re-consider your prayer life as well.

good point. what did you use?

 

[Beau]

good point. what did you use?

I used Paxil at 40mg, then went to 30mg, and finally 20mg. I'll say this, most anxiety and a lot of the stress we have comes from things we cannot control (they may happened in the past, or - if in the future - we may be filling in the blanks with negative self talk and "as a man thinkest in his heart, so is he").

For men (and this applies to me especially) a good deal of depression stems from bitterness (hope deferred/unmet needs) and a lack of forgiveness. Forgiveness, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, is the most freeing thing (daily process, actually) to distance yourself from past hurt.

I wish the process of forgiveness was easier/more natural - but whatever the cost - it is well worth it.

 

[pistonpump]

I used Paxil at 40mg, then went to 30mg, and finally 20mg. I'll say this, most anxiety and a lot of the stress we have comes from things we cannot control (they may happened in the past, or - if in the future - we may be filling in the blanks with negative self talk and "as a man thinkest in his heart, so is he").

For men (and this applies to me especially) a good deal of depression stems from bitterness (hope deferred/unmet needs) and a lack of forgiveness. Forgiveness, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, is the most freeing thing (daily process, actually) to distance yourself from past hurt.

I wish the process of forgiveness was easier/more natural - but whatever the cost - it is well worth it.

well said.

Forgiving others is easy, forgiving one's self is alot harder...

For the sake of the thread did you have any sexual sides with the paxil?