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Antidepressants are also increasingly related to lower libido and reduced sex drive.

They have way more side effects than is publicly talked about.

People know more about the side effects of smoking, than they do, doctor prescribed medication. Something is wrong with that picture.


Some forms of antidepressants can be related to lower libido. If your prescribing doctor doesn't talk about this, get a new one.

My psychiatrist was very open about this and we tried different medications to see which impacted this the least. But, you know what else is related to lower libido? Depression. So let's not act as if the antidepressants are only to blame.

I'm not sure who the 'people' you reference are, but if your prescribing doctor doesn't talk to you about side effects, get a different one.

Yes I do in fact know that depression lowers libido.

Here's a HARVARD website [0] that lists sexual side effects to common antidepressants, including anorgasmia (inability to experience orgasms).

I have experienced both (colloquially known as blue balls) anorgasmia and lower libido from depression..

How cruel is that irony! Can't get it up from depression, can't seal the deal from SSRI induced anorgasmia!

There is no act or blame here, only science, observation and lived experience.

[0] https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/when-an-ssri-me....

Doctors I speak to go like this. You want antidepressants? They'll solve XYZ problem. They're good, but they don't always work. Do they clash with any medication or health problems.. no. Anything else? Take these ones with food, here's your script/referral/whatever.

Then I take it and it sucks. Literally the government puts up ads saying smoking is going to kill me, but chemical castration (tiny bit exaggeration!!) from SSRIs is A-Okay!

Better article:

In a 2003 survey, approximately 41.7% of men and 15.4% of women discontinued psychiatric medications due to perceived sexual side effects.4 Given that SSRIs may cause sexual dysfunction in 40% to 65% of individuals, these side effects may exacerbate depression and create a barrier to medication adherence.5,6

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007725/#:~:tex....

I feel you are painting the picture too black. Do one wants to be depressed or can they live with not always being able to 'seal the deal'?

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