Effexor Xr And Sexual Side Effects Posted: 09-02-07 17:09pm
Hello
I was just prescribed to Effexor XR today
for depression and anxiety. This is the
first medication I have ever tried for
this problem, so I am a little nervous
about it. My doctor said that the medicine
doesn't have the sexual side effects like
most other anti-depressants, but after
reading online I am seeing several cases
of "sexual side effects."
Does anyone know exactly what these would
consist of? I am sexually active right now
and kind of rely on it as a stress
reliever for depression so losing that
kind of worries me.
Also if anyone just has any input on
Effexor XR in general that would be
great!
Thanks!
|
Quincybug09
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 41 Location: Birmingham, AL United States
Re: Effexor Xr And Sexual Side Effects Posted: 09-05-07 19:15pm
dbrod1689
wrote:
Hello
I was just prescribed to Effexor XR today
for depression and anxiety. This is the
first medication I have ever tried for
this problem, so I am a little nervous
about it. My doctor said that the medicine
doesn't have the sexual side effects like
most other anti-depressants, but after
reading online I am seeing several cases
of "sexual side effects."
Does anyone know exactly what these would
consist of? I am sexually active right now
and kind of rely on it as a stress
reliever for depression so losing that
kind of worries me.
Also if anyone just has any input on
Effexor XR in general that would be
great!
Thanks!
I have not been on Effexor myself (I
currently take Lexapro for depression and
anxiety.), but when I began dating my
husband he was on Effexor. We never had a
problem with sex. He did not seem to have
a low libido at all! People react to
medications differently. Just because
someone else has had "sexual side effects"
doesn't mean that you will experience
them. Just take note of any changes you
may be feeling and discuss them with your
Dr. If this is the first antidepressant
you have tried, it may not be the right
one for you. Usually doctors are willing
to let you give something else a try if a
medication is not working well for you.
Good luck with this and keep in touch to
let us know how things are going.
- T
|
Fairy Godmother
Supporter
Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 1486 Location: , Georgia USA
Thanks: 80
Thanked:110
Hi Posted: 09-05-07 19:34pm
Been on Effexor XL for over 8
years..........but then again I am also
50....so this could be menopausal or just
age, but I do not have the drive or urge I
use to have. If it happens so be it. I've
had my day in the sun...........guess I
need a break! But I do think taking this
has decreased my desire, as did hte other
things i took well before this. Paxal,
Prozac and Zoloft. I do believe all
antidepressants have this effect, but
don't quote me, Wellbutrin is not suppose
too.........Could just be hormones or
soemthing else.....
|
Quincybug09
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 41 Location: Birmingham, AL United States
Re: Hi Posted: 09-05-07 21:28pm
Fairy*Godmother
wrote:
Been on Effexor XL for over
8 years..........but then again I am also
50....so this could be menopausal or just
age, but I do not have the drive or urge I
use to have. If it happens so be it. I've
had my day in the sun...........guess I
need a break! But I do think taking this
has decreased my desire, as did hte other
things i took well before this. Paxal,
Prozac and Zoloft. I do believe all
antidepressants have this effect, but
don't quote me, Wellbutrin is not suppose
too.........Could just be hormones or
soemthing
else.....
There are a lot of antidepressants out now
that claim not to cause sexual side
effects. That is what they "claim"
anyway. But like I told dbrod1689, people
react differently to medication. If there
is a need for the medication it is best to
give it a try and see what happens. The
benefit may outweigh the side effects.
Depression effects your life, all day,
everyday. You can't have sex 24 hours a
day.
dbrod1689,
That might be something to think about
when you are weighing the pros and cons of
taking the medication versus getting your
antidepressant type "fix" from sex.
Just something to think about.
- T
|
peterh105
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Virginia
Sexual Side-effects Posted: 09-08-07 10:37am
I don't know about Effexor, but I took
Prozac for a while and lost the ability to
have an orgasm. This unpleasant effect
lasted for five years after I stopped
taking the drug, then the ability slowly
returned. I have noticed similar effects
from other anti-depressants and stopped
taking them. Things aren't still working
properly and I really fault the medical
and pharmaceutical professions for hiding
these effects. I say 'hiding' because they
knew about them or should have. I had read
a warning in Playboy or Esquire, and if
those non-scientific journals are hip to
it so should the Journal of the American
Medical Association be. And if you don't
think it's depressing to lose sensation in
your penis, join a monastery. The key
question is whether the effects will
persist after you stop taking the drug. If
it's just a temporary thing, you can
tolerate feeling unsexy if in return your
depression goes away. I bet your doctor
doesn't know of any research on this
question because I doubt the drug
companies are eager to fund it. They know
the likely result would be unreassuring.
Someone should sue the pants off them, so
to speak. And the doctors are to blame as
well for ignoring what is a legitimate
concern for so long. Final point: if these
drugs normalize your brain function, does
that mean that a normal brain causes
impotence and penile anaesthesia? That's
simply absurd. More likely they disturb
your brain function in a way that (don't
ask them how) helps with depression. But I
don't want to scare you. My reaction was
worse than most and it was on a different
drug. But I would say that depression has
to do with more than chemicals and you
might want some 'talking therapy' as well.
Good luck. - Peter
|
marvel
Supporter
Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1104 Location: Toronto, Ontario (but only a private message away)
Thanks: 50
Thanked:8
Re: Effexor Xr And Sexual Side Effects Posted: 09-09-07 21:38pm
dbrod1689
wrote:
Hello
I was just prescribed to Effexor XR today
for depression and anxiety. This is the
first medication I have ever tried for
this problem, so I am a little nervous
about it. My doctor said that the medicine
doesn't have the sexual side effects like
most other anti-depressants, but after
reading online I am seeing several cases
of "sexual side effects."
Does anyone know exactly what these would
consist of? I am sexually active right now
and kind of rely on it as a stress
reliever for depression so losing that
kind of worries me.
Also if anyone just has any input on
Effexor XR in general that would be
great!
Thanks!
Hi!
I was prescribed Effexor XR a little over
a year ago (I'm a healthy 22 year old
male, just to give you a background). I
stopped taking it a year after I started,
and I feel better than I've ever felt. I
hope it works for you, because it has done
me wonders.
With regards to Sexual Side effects: With
me, personally, I felt like I had been
chemically castrated for the first 5-7
days. I wasn't in a relationship with
anyone at the time, so it wasn't a big
deal. It was kind of liberating (dare I
say it). However, after the first week, I
found that my sex drive had returned.
Sometimes I found it to achieve orgasm
when I missed a dose, and took the normal
dosage the next day (this was after that
initial 30 days of taking it). This got
frustrating when I did end up dating. Just
watch your consistency with taking it...
that would be my recommendation. Another
one would be to not get frustrated with
any side effects for the first couple of
weeks.
