Zoloft causing inability to climax?

[JanaeAshley]

I have only been taking zoloft for one week for anxiety and since then i have recognized a definite decrease in my ability to reach orgasm!
I know that sounds silly, but i swear it is true. Before this medicine i was able to without a problem, almost effortlessly.


My question is if anyone has experienced this does it return back to normal or is this a lasting effect until i stop taking the medication??

[PatRox]

Medicines causing this side effect cost me my marriage. I have a huge sex drive, and when my wife finally felt up to being intimate, I was unable to climax. It obviously frustrated me, but it made her feel like less of a woman; that she couldn't even satisfy a man's basic need. I must have not found her attractive anymore, I was thinking of someone else, etc. How a depression medicine is supposed to help when it simply leads to more depression, I'll never understand.

[specialmom]

That's unfortunate.  I'm sorry your marriage broke up.  Some men do have low testosterone and psychiatric meds compound the problem.  Have you ever had your hormone levels checked?  My libido has been up and down over the years and not related to medication.  I think some docs do a drug holiday to help with that.  Was our anxiety any better by the way?  Was it worth it in that regard?  Not your marriage, of course.  I think too that it would have been good if your wife tried to understand the situation you were in as well.

I just started a thread of natural coping strategies for anxiety.  Join in.  Might not be the same as taking medication to treat the disorder but something for those who choose not to medicate.  

[Paxiled]

I don't think the sexual side effect has anything to do with testosterone.  It affects men and women.  I have had this problem ever since I started taking antidepressants and it has remained even after stopping them.  I have no testosterone problem, never have.  It is a drug problem.  On the other hand, there are ways of dealing with it.  You have to find what really really turns you on and do it.  It can take me forever to reach orgasm.  I eventually get there, but it just takes longer than most women want to spend having sex.  But again, I know what really turns me on, and so I know how to get there.  It's a very hard issue to deal with if the drug is working, because the drug is working.  Some people find relief from it by adding Wellbutrin to the ssri or snri that is causing the sexual problem, if you can handle the stimulation of Wellbutrin without getting more anxious.  That obviously wouldn't work for anyone if the problem were at all related to testosterone.  This side effect is warned about with every drug on the market that affects brain neurotransmitters.  I can't say I know why the drugs do this, only that they do.  The really bad cases are, and this is mostly females, when the urge to have sex completely disappears.  I really don't want to get into stuff that might be too explicit for some people, but as this is such a common problem, I will tell you all, I have for years often had to finish with ways that aren't intercourse, if you get my drift.  Again, there are ways to deal with it if you are open with your partner and your partner is willing to put up with your problems. Often, that just isn't the case.  

[specialmom]

It can be a separate issue for men and if they already have a bit of low testosterone, adding an SSRI can be bye bye sex drive. They can go hand in hand and not saying SSRI's decrease testosterone but that a lot of men have that issue in general.  Coinciding WITH the side effect.

[Paxiled]

I know that all men suffer a decrease in testosterone starting in their 30's, but again that isn't connected to a reaction that starts only when you go on an antidepressant.  Having low testosterone, a disease state, is probably not very common overall, but yeah, we do get lower as we age.  But for all I now it's more of a nitric oxide problem, which is much more responsible for performance than testosterone is.  But I think it's just one of those things that happens when you alter how the body naturally uses serotonin, and is more likely a sedation problem.  If low testosterone is suspected, that can be tested for.  Eventually men do get tested for this.  But the side effect of taking antidepressants also affects the young, not just the old.  I'm not saying you're wrong, I really don't know, I'm only saying my problems started as soon as I started taking antidepressants and I was in my thirties.  Given my ability to put on muscle even into my sixties, again, testosterone isn't an issue.  Given, that's just me.  But this is such as widespread problem and low testosterone is not.  Anyhoo, just my take.  

[specialmom]

Wow paxiled, I feel like I know you so much better after this thread.  "put on muscle", lol  

[Paxiled]

Well, that's in part because I never lifted weights until I met my wife, she liked to go to the gym because she has absolutely no sports talent at all.  I usually played sports and then switched to kung fu when I got too old for that.  So my biceps didn't come until late in life.  But I'm also losing them now, because I'm so injured all over my body that I've stopped doing anything, even walking, and because my anxiety spiked to such unknown levels because of that quack psychiatrist who didn't know what withdrawal was, and my subsequent years and years of working out hard without being able to sleep very well, I've gotten too anxious to go see the orthopedists and have them cut me up all over the place.  So goodby muscles, hello stomach.

[Paxiled]

By the way, remember Gymdandee?  I think you knew him, right?  He got kicked off the site for the third and it looks like final time, but he was putting on a goodly amount of muscle and he had passed seventy.  Frankly, his muscles were a lot bigger than mine.

[Lift_4_Ever]

Omg jana and doctor described my experience to the T! Will masturbate for about 4 or 5 hour. "Almost" about to climax then boom, its gone. By the time i decide to give up, im dripping in sweat and probably dehydrated lol. One thing though, when i do reach a climax it is significantly more intense then when im not on my zoloft. Weird.

[lynnsee]

Yessssssss. Give it time. I've been on Zoloft for almost 4 yrs. And it was like that at first. But trust me. Everything will go back to normal. The first 2-3 wks are the hardest but hang in there.

[Zoloftfan]

I like Zoloft, don't want to switch but want to orgasm. I get so close but not over the hump. How can I restore my orgasm & not switch meds?

[JamesC186282]

I had total orgasmia when I started with Celexa.  I was more worried about depression then sexual climax so I was afraid to change meds.  Fortunately my GDoc changed them anyway.  Wellbutren worked for me without the sexual side effects.

Anorgasmia is SO frustraiting.   Its like a kind of torture.  Talk to your doc asap and ask to try something else.  Some side effects go away after 6 or 8 weeks but I don't think anorgasmia is one of them.   And yes.  Ability to climax did return and I think if you find the right meds your will also.  

[TheDoctor9]

I'm on 200 mgs of Zoloft and while my libido is still really high (I'm constantly horny) I do notice that after I take my Zoloft, like within a couple hours, it is so ******* hard to ***. I need to concentrate HARD to do it and I end up sweating like a pig. And my discharge isn't that much.

Zoloft has definitely helped with my OCD but the **** problems are definitely annoying. Another thing I noticed since taking Zoloft is an increasing amount of anger and recklessness.

[Chriscastro]

I'm on 50 mg doctor will increase till 100 mg for ocd.. Never have orgasm with 50 mg :(

[bullyson]

Forgot to say, the clinical test was of women who took SSRI like Zoloft and developed the same problem.  It also went on to say that it happens much more than the doctors admit.  It was either 50% of patients taking SSRI experienced this problem or 50% quit taking their med for this reason, forget which.  I have the article in my truck.  I already showed my shrinks and left them a copy.  I am going to give this copy to my PCP next month when I go in for my physical, he said it was all in my head and 50mg wouldn't do this!  When I said it didn't do anything for my anxiety, he said you just need a higher dose of ZOLOFT.

PS.  Who cares if Benzos are addictive, if your going to take it everyday!  Also, doctors POO POO me when I tell them about "rebound ddepression" when you stop taking SSRI medication.  I was 3 times more depressed than when I started taking the stuff.  I missed a couple days from work it was so bad!  I was more depressed for a few weeks than I have ever been in my life.  In reality I'm really not depressed, just anxious and worried all the time!  I was on ZOLOFT for quite a few years.  I won't take an SSRI ever again!  Hope you find something that works!

Karl

[bullyson]

I just read an atricle about a clinical test of dozens of women with this problem.  Half were given placebo and other half were given Viagra.  The article said it didn't help with arousal or desire, just orgasm.  Unfortunately they said there was no plan to market Viagra for this use.  How stupid.  I was on Zoloft and it killed my libido!  Doctor said 50mg was not enough to do this.  I went with Wellbutrin and xanax.  Alls good now!  Hope things work out!

Karl

[JanaeAshley]

Everything is all better just in case anyone with this problem reads and is looking for hope.
Give it a couple weeks if you are having this issue.

[JanaeAshley]

I get ALMOST there adn then nothing.
soo its more than frustrating.

i hope that im being honest isn't comign across as too much information haha

I enjoy that zoloft seems to keep me level headed but the fact that i can reach orgasm is going to drive me insane!

I still want sex if that makes any sense.. like im still aroused and still have a desire for sex but cannot achieve what i want.

[cj29]

I agree with lboogie...I actually prefer Zoloft and my main complaint is that sex drive goes down.  It can effect both males and females, but I also think that you should give it time...BUT if you still can't there are other medications, but remember that others have different side effects as well...keep us posted!

[lboogie7729]

It's not silly at all. I'm not sure if it will return back to normal or not. I have never personally been on Zoloft but I have been on Celexa and I know people who have been on Paxil, Effexor, Cymbalta and all kinds of other fun stuff and it seems to be an ongoing issue while on these meds. I took Wellbutrin for a couple of years and that was one of the main reasons I choose it, because it did not have that side effect! It's worth looking into because I know it can cause even more anxiety and depression when your body won't even function in an enjoyable way! Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

[CG822]

I am on it too!  I think once your body gets use to it, you will be back to normal.  Our bodies have different ways of reacting to these meds.  Hang in there..