Sexual side effects???

Meow

Well-known member
This is embarrassing but... I am taking Cymbalta and Clonazepam (klonopin) and altho my sex drive is fine I can't reach orgasm. I get to the point and just cant make it over the edge, I have managed to on the drugs but barely.

Anyone else experience this on either of this drugs, I'd like to know which one is the problem?

My psychiatrist said if it effected my sex drive she could prescribe wellbutrin to fix it, but said nothing about inability to orgasm.

Any ideas? sorry for the gross subject matter! :oops:

Oh I also experienced this on Fluoextine YEARS ago.
 

Septor

Well-known member
Unfortunately sexual side effect and weight gain are very common when it come to antidepressants.It's nothing to be embarrass about it's very common.Clonazepam should have no effect on sex drive.In my experience wellbutrin has less sexual sides affect then Cymbalta but it's different for ever one.

One thing I would suggest is ask your doctor about Buspar.It's a anti anxiety med that not related to Clonazepam.It works more like a antidepressants not anti anxiety med but in some case its been known to counteract the sexual side affect of antidepressants.I thought I would throw that out there.
 

Meow

Well-known member
HereAndNow, thanks you've made me feel a lot better in the fact i'm not alone. I knew I wasn't but I didn't realize it was that common, that does make me feel better. Altho that's still not going to give me an orgasm! haha. I did manage to have one but it didn't feel the same and was almost pointless and too much effort to get there... guess that is normal on these drugs too!! I was hoping being on drugs and feeling better about life and myself would spice up my sex life, now it just feels like swapping one evil for another.

Hey Septor, thanks for your response also :) so it really is that common huh! I might ask my doctor about what you suggested. I dont think it is the clonezepam that's the issue it probably is the cymbalta arrghhhh. Do you think there's any chances of this side effect passing with time? or atleast getting a little better? I wonder why it does this.
 
Meow said:
Any ideas? sorry for the gross subject matter! :oops:

Don't apologise, orgasming is hardly gross lol!! It's just a (really rather nice) part of life :lol: hehe

I haven't had this problem though cos I've managed to cope without meds, but I know a lot of people who have suffered loss of sex drive / inability to orgasm because of meds, could you try another type of med to see if it suits you better?
 

Septor

Well-known member
Meow said:
HereAndNow, thanks you've made me feel a lot better in the fact i'm not alone. I knew I wasn't but I didn't realize it was that common, that does make me feel better. Altho that's still not going to give me an orgasm! haha. I did manage to have one but it didn't feel the same and was almost pointless and too much effort to get there... guess that is normal on these drugs too!! I was hoping being on drugs and feeling better about life and myself would spice up my sex life, now it just feels like swapping one evil for another.

Hey Septor, thanks for your response also :) so it really is that common huh! I might ask my doctor about what you suggested. I dont think it is the clonezepam that's the issue it probably is the cymbalta arrghhhh. Do you think there's any chances of this side effect passing with time? or atleast getting a little better? I wonder why it does this.

Unfortunately if you are getting the side affect now it's not going to get any better and it's most definitely not the clonezepam.You can try Welbutrin,it's less likely to cause that side the affect then Cymbalta but there no guaranty.

As for why it happens.Just like with weight gain there really not sure why it happens.They have a lot of theories but there no concrete answers to the why.Sucks really. :(
 

young

Well-known member
jojosparkles said:
i cant cum either :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

that sounds like a personal problem, and you should have someone actually look into helping you rectifiy that situation. :wink:

Lower sex drive/ and the unability to cum is a side effect of some meds. It was the actual side effect that didn't bother me. If it adds some extra time in the bed. I'mm all for it.. But unfortunatly it killed the drive and made me not want it as much. And that's just a big no no. cause then your girl thinks they are undesireable. and that you don't want them. they don't want to hear about no stinking pill. It's just a big headache. And some unfinished buisness, if you know what I mean. :wink:
 

loneEAGLE

Well-known member
:?: its rather surprizing..butt nice to see so many people getting laid and talking about sex considering we all (atleast i think) have "social" problems here !!
 

Horatio

Well-known member
loneEAGLE said:
:?: its rather surprizing..butt nice to see so many people getting laid and talking about sex considering we all (atleast i think) have "social" problems here !!

Don't worry... my social problems have a far greater impact on my "sex life" than any medication ever has

the average New Zealander over the age of 18 has sex 114 times a year. Im 23 so I need to have sex 570 times to catch up with my peers :(
 

feeltherage

Active member
side effects

I've never taken meds for any mental(or whatever you wanna call it) disorders. I've thought about it but, I do just fine as long as I am by myself( as far as social phobia), its people that make my disorders kick in. :evil:

I agree with jinxed. Any drug your perscribed is just a weak poison, at least thats how I look at it. If you noticed the commercials on tv, "This drug will make your life better by helping with erectile disfunction or heart burn, but, it causes depression, diarea, possibly an erection so intense it may kill you, liver desease, dry mouth, kidney damage.....on and on. Well thats my rant on perscription drugs.

Sorry, no advice for any sexual side effects.
 

tecknohed

Active member
Hi Meow,

Cymbalta (duloxetine) is just another one of the new SSRIs. So sexual problems is something to expect, just like with all the other SSRIs. Still, people do often find one which isn't so bad. Efexor (venlafaxine) & Lustral (Sertraline) are often better tolerated.

& dont be so sure the clonazepam isn't causing problems. I take Nardil which is a killer for sexual problems, but almost always gets better with time & mine had settled months ago. But since starting clonazepam orgasm is impossible for me, at least during sex. I can 'just' manage on my own - with a vid. Sad, but if that frustration hangs around too long its very hard to take!!! :roll:

Lots of people on here are anti-meds, but for what its worth here are a few ideas to think about (always run things past your doc first):

1. Change in meds - whatever your pdoc suggests.
2. Change in pdoc if you lack ANY confidence in him/her at all.
3. You sound female, but whatever sex you are Viagra & similar drugs can help with SSRI anorgasmia. But then, it helps if you're rich too! :? They dont work for other types of antidepressants though.
4. If you can get Nefazodone in your country then its worth a try - its renound for its lack of sexual side effects,
5. & if not then Mirtazepine has a similar profile & may be an even better choice.
6. You could try an antidote. One or two anti-histamines like Cyproheptadine are very effective but may well send you to sleep before you get any 'pleasure'. :oops: Someone mentioned bupropion (Wellbutrin) which seems fine. & if your pdoc really knows his stuff then theres Bethanechol, psycho stims & Yohimbine - an extract from a herb.
7. Speaking of herbs, Korean Ginseng & Ginkgo biloba are often recommended.
8. Stop meds altogether.

Good luck with it all. :wink:
 

Meow

Well-known member
Thanks for all the replies everyone...

I've been on these meds for a while and am able to reach orgasm now, with more effort before... it hardly took me any effort (by myself) before but now it does, but I can do it and it's not that much of a struggle. However I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow and will mention this side effects, as well as the nausea etc i've been feeling.

I don't want to switch drugs so soon because others haven't worked for me, so I want to give it a shot. My different forms of anxiety are feeling so much better, but the depression isn't... but then that just brings in the whole swapping one illness for another. I'm not sure if it's the clonazapam which is causing more depression but helping with anxiety, she is going to start weening me off that tomorrow so i'll just be left with the cymbalta and thyroid pill 8O I guess we'll see what happens....

Thanks again everyone
 

renegade

Well-known member
Good to know you're ok, Meow 8)

I'm on SSRI and benzodiazepines for over 3 months now and it does seem to lower the sex drive a lot, but I didn't had trouble cumming or so....I'm curious when I switch to Zoloft in a week.

Oh, and in my oppinion, a lower sex drive is ok for someone who can hardly get a partner, don't u agree ? :roll:
 

renegade

Well-known member
I seem to have problems too...an erectile one :oops:

I guess the Zoloft does this. It's very stressing cause I can't keep it up for a certain time as I used to do before. I know this is just a minor issuse considering the whole SP situation.

Anyone know how to solve this ? :roll:
 

endoflife

Well-known member
loneEAGLE said:
:?: its rather surprizing..butt nice to see so many people getting laid and talking about sex considering we all (atleast i think) have "social" problems here !!
No, it just makes me extremley depressed, and to, well, look at my name. I came here for support, and this is not making me feel any better about myself reading this.
 

hirzeljm

New member
zoloft..wtf..

:evil:

hey everyone,

i am currently on zoloft (have been for about a year) for anxiety and it has completely killed my sex drive.. i wanted to switch to a new med.. preferrably one that would boost my sex drive BUT i have no idea which ones are better to take. anybody know? i am a really pissed chick.
 

Bearly

Active member
Horatio said:
loneEAGLE said:
:?: its rather surprizing..butt nice to see so many people getting laid and talking about sex considering we all (atleast i think) have "social" problems here !!

Don't worry... my social problems have a far greater impact on my "sex life" than any medication ever has

the average New Zealander over the age of 18 has sex 114 times a year. Im 23 so I need to have sex 570 times to catch up with my peers :(

Hot Damn!! Okay, that does it!! I'm moving to New Zealand :wink:
 
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