The fight to improve your mental state takes a lot of energy and sometimes requires medication support. But antidepressants have their own side effects, including a drop in libido. If this does not interfere with your life, you do not need to fix anything. But if you are worried that your relationship is suffering, we will tell you what to do if the side effects of antidepressants turn your sex life into hell.
How Antidepressants Can Affect Sex
Antidepressants are prescribed for clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, chronic pain and other disorders . They come in different types and with different principles of operation. The side effects that a patient may encounter depend on this (you’ve probably seen these sheets of paper listing them on the Internet).
=Some side effects are a direct consequence of the drug’s effect on the brain, but it is important to remember that they are also caused by depression itself . The most common are :
- sleep problems – drowsiness or insomnia;
- emotional symptoms – anxiety, irritability,
- dry mouth;
- weight gain, swelling;
- digestive changes – nausea, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion;
- sexual dysfunctions;
- headache;
According to statistics, 40 to 59% of patients have experienced the effect of antidepressants on sexual desire . Here is how antidepressants can affect your sex life:
- desire changes, you just don’t want sex;
- difficulty initiating sex – not enough strength to start contact;
- it is impossible to get aroused: women do not produce lubrication, the vagina and nipples become “anesthetized”– they lose sensitivity, men have problems with erection;
- It is difficult to achieve orgasm, release and pleasure from sex .
It may seem logical to simply give up the pills. This is a bad idea, because not only medications, but also the primary diagnosis can affect sexual desire. Depression can also reduce libido and make it more difficult to achieve orgasm . This is due to its symptoms : loss of interest and the ability to receive pleasure, severe anxiety, sadness or guilt, fatigue, lack of energy. 82.75% of women and 63.26% of men experience sexual dysfunctions during depression . Most often, the desire to have sex itself is turned off – 65% of women and 40% of men reported this problem.
Refusing antidepressants may not only fail to improve the situation, but also make it worse. Other unpleasant symptoms will begin to return to the person. And medications, if chosen well, gradually restore the ability to enjoy life. Therefore, it is better not to refuse treatment, but to try to reduce the side effect.
How to discuss the problem with your doctor
Ask about the adaptation period to the antidepressant
Taking medication does not mean that you will be without sex until the end of treatment. It may become easier after getting used to it. Antidepressants are usually taken gradually with increasing dosage, accumulating the therapeutic effect. Therefore, it would be useful to ask the doctor how long the side effects may last.
Antidepressants are also discontinued gradually. It is very important not to abruptly stop taking pills. This is unlikely to help libido, but it can cause withdrawal syndrome .
Talk about changing your dosage or switching medications
Discuss with your doctor whether it is possible to change the dosage without losing the medicinal properties. But even if he agrees, do not expect immediate improvements. Be prepared that it may take time and several trials to select a drug with a minimum of side effects and maximum benefit.
How to survive a difficult period with a partner
Discuss the difficulties
The unsaid leaves room for imagination. It may seem to your partner that you are refusing sex because you no longer love it. It is better to tell about your diagnosis and how it affects your life in a form that is comfortable for you. Retell what the doctor told you or what you read in the instructions for the drug.
Talk about expectations of sex and how you feel now. It is normal for sex to change when a person is not feeling well. It is important to clarify what options are available to you now. For example, what kind of caresses are comfortable for you, how often would you like to devote time to them, whether you are considering new sexual practices.
Plan sex
It may not sound very romantic. But with antidepressants, spontaneity can only ruin everything: you won’t be ready for intimacy, and your partner will feel rejected.
Research says that scheduled sex helps to cope with the effect of antidepressants on libido. It’s like planning dates in advance. Planning makes the process safer and more certain, more understandable for both partners. Scheduled sex is definitely familiar to partners who live separately. In essence, any meeting is planned in advance. This adds an element of anticipation and conscious preparation to the process.
You can try making love before taking a new dose of the drug . There is a chance that this will reduce the side effects a little.
Use additional stimulation
Women with depression tend to masturbate more often than have sex with a partner. It seems easier and faster.
Consider how you can change sex while taking antidepressants. For example, increase the time of foreplay to get in the right mood. If vaginal dryness is a problem, use additional lube . Don’t be shy about suggesting that your partner add sex toys to their sexual routine . This increases the chance of achieving orgasm , and overall, variety will make intimacy a little more fun.
Do exercises
There is evidence that exercise reduces symptoms of depression and reduces the negative effects of antidepressants on sex. Plus, exercising before sex can increase blood flow to the genitals. This helps trick the nervous system a little and make it easier to get aroused.
The study authors suggest doing 30 minutes of strength or cardio training right before planned sex.