Sertraline and Sexual Health
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hi everyone,
I've commented on a few things now and have got the courage up to ask if anyones come across my problem with the side effects of this drug.
I'm 29, in fairly good health, if a bit lazy in terms of exercise. I'm on 50mg Sertraline and 3.75mg of Zopiclone at night for insomnia caused by anxiety, panic and depression.
Now my problem is that the Sertraline has brough on a degree of erectile dysfunction, where I can get him up, but not really for long enough to perform, and before all of this and every other time i've been fine. Has anyone come across this and to what degree?
Yesterday I spoke to a doctor at a pharmacy whos agreed to try me on a dose of Levitra, which I must admit i'm nervous about taking due to side effects...of which i've had enough of recently with the Sertraline! But on the other hand, I love my fiancee (we just got engaged before all this started - just my luck) and I really want to have our sex life back. We've spoken at length about it and she's fine about why this is happening, but I still feel bad hence my decision to try the ED treatment.
Has anyone had this side effect, how long did it last, have you tried Levitra or Viagra with Sertraline and how did it go?
Thanks for listening,
Nementh
0 likes, 6 replies
a-new-day Nementh
Posted
hi, have you tried any other antidepressants apart from sertraline? i'm just wondering if this problem occurs with other ssri meds you have taken in the past
how long have you been taking sertraline by the way? if not more than a month or so, then perhaps this side effect you are having will ease down and pass (because some side effects can last 6 weeks or perhaps even more)
perhaps if you dont find a solution, you could try switching to citalopram instead of sertraline (personally i found citalopram and sertraline quite similar in effectiveness for treating depression and anxiety, but you might be luckier on citalopram and not have the same sexual side effect you are currently experiencing)
Nementh a-new-day
Posted
Hi there,
Yes, 7-8 years ago when I first had a course of antidepressants I was first on Citalopram, which didn't really agree with me as it turned me into a zombie for ages, and yes it also caused this. It wasn't a problem then because I had only just met my girlfriend at that time and I didn't really want sex with her right away. It was after that I changed over to Sertraline and was on that for about a year or so.
This time i've been on Sertraline for 3 weeks, so yeah I'm hoping this will wear off, but in the mean time i'd like confidence to know I can perform if I want to. I can get an erection, but it's still fairly soft, and doesn't really last long enough to have penetrative sex.
mike42450 Nementh
Posted
Taking another drug to mask a side affect is dangerous as it becomes very easy to accept the results and just go on. Look for something to solve your depression that doesn't bring an additional issue along with it.
Nementh mike42450
Posted
Hi Mike
Thanks for your comment, although the reason i'm depressed is actually due to the lack of intimacy between me and my partner, primarily i'm on Sertraline for anxiety and panic.
I spoke to the doctor yesterday who prescribed me the Levitra, and we agreed it's more of a temporary fix to try and get my confidence back as we both believe that it's more psychological rather the side effects of the Sertraline.
mike42450 Nementh
Posted
Nementh mike42450
Posted
Thanks Mike, much appreciated! And good luck to you to, I read your other post and it's plain to see you've had a rough ride all these years so I hope things start to work out for you :-)