SSRI Sexual Dysfunction etc
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi,
I've just been prescribed Citalopram today and I've been reading the huge list of side effects...its not good...
I know this is really stupid and insignificant in the grand sceheme of things and i really need to get my priorities in check but one of the biggest worrying side effects is sexual problems like maintaining an erection....because due to my anxiety and low self esteem i already have a problem with :oops: and its really embarrassing and makes me feel completely inadequete as a man.
So if this stuff is gonna make it even worse then its gonna make me feel even more anxious and inadequete and ....... the cycle continues....
so i'd like to hear some experiences in this dept. How is this affecting everyones sex lives? i read on wikipedia that:
\"In more recent studies, doctors have specifically asked about treatment-emergent sexual difficulties, and some have found that they are present in up to 60% of patients\"
Thats not good! 
0 likes, 7 replies
Guest
Posted
I've been on Citalopram for a good few years now. One side effect I've found is that in general it has lessened my libido, but not prevented me from gaining or maintaining an erection at the required time. One good/bad effect depending on how you look at it (!) is that is seems to dull things rather, thus taking a lot longer to reach orgasm.
Good luck with it
Guest
Posted
You people are probably more healthier than I am at the mo, so you have a right to question it, I dont blame you? I think with perserverance and lotss of cuddles you will get there. I hope.
Breezman
Posted
I was prescribed 20 mg Citalopram then 40 four weeks later. I've beenon 40 for nearly 12 months now. On 20 I was fine. On 40 I have no trouble getting randy. Hearing my partner's voice is all it takes. I can maintain an erection. I can not come. I am concerned that I will become impotent, and I have a very loving, caring partner.
When I asked my psychiatrist about this, he said, \"Yes, that's a commomn side effect.\" So why did he not mention this before?
I am trying to work out how to get off the Citalopram and how to deal with depression. My personal belief is that I would have had more serious life issue proiblems without it, but 12 months on I worry about the long=term effects, or side effects. Sorry I can not be more positive. Good luck with it, and do discuss this with your medical advisors.
Guest
Posted
I'm on 20 mg
Guest
Posted
Azuma
Posted
Breezman, I've read a few of your posts and I wish you the best of luck. You're lucky to have a loving caring partner who will be there for you no matter what.
All the best to all of you.
Breezman
Posted
It's good to read of somone who trusts the doctor enough to go back and put a case for not taking Citalopram. I started on Efexor, and the immediate side effects were pronounced and disorienting. I had involuntary muscle spasms in my back which were so severe they would throw me from one side of a queen size bed to the other, and sometimes almost right out of bed; my hands felt like they were subject to a barrage of electric shocks, and they shook so badly I could drink only through a straw, I had a dull headache for days at a time, I was light-headed, could not focus on anything, short term memory was non-existent, felt worthless, was anxious, stressed and had regular panic attacks, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep at night, couldn't stay awake in the afternoon, couldn't hold a conversation without rambling tangentially ... it was a nightmare.
The only side effect (that I'm aware of so far) that I suffer from with Citalopram is the sexual dysfunction of being unable to ejaculate. I get to the same point and then nothing happens, and I am indeed fortunate to have such a loving and caring partner.
Thank you for your post Azuma. Good luck in your quest to beat depression. I'm sure there must be a way to address this condition without drugs, but just have not found it yet. I admire you for trying.