Posted by Bob on February 10, 2002, at 13:53:02
In reply to Re: Sexual Side Effects SUCK (ok, bad choice of wo, posted by ethan on February 10, 2002, at 4:15:54
Gee, Ethan.
See below...
> Yeah, I was near suicide when I asked for help in 1992. So don't patronize me with the "some people are trying to save their lives" stuff. Of course they're trying to save their lives -- so am I; you think I'm on medication because I Want To Be???--------------------------------------------------
I never implied that you haven't been through as much hell as any of us here. I don't understand where you got the idea that I thought you were on medication because you wanted to be.
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> It's all a big compromise, and one concession I refuse to make anymore is the sexual side effects. When I read people complaining about sexual side effects I encourage them to talk to their doctors about whether their medication can be modified. What's Wrong With THAT?--------------------------------------------------
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but here I defer to my original point, which is that the handful of effective antidepressants that don't have sexual side-effects may not work for a person (e.g. your experience with Serzone), and then they are left with the main line treatments, and suffer from the effects.
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> Since I went on meds back in the early 90s I've been on just about any and everything they can try on me, with sometimes benefits and sometimes not. What you say about all medications producing sexual side effects which adversely reduce sexual function is simply NOT TRUE. Not ALL drugs do this. SSRIs do, but some may do this less than others, and it's better to TRY something else in case it is a more appropriate choice than settle for a life of sexual purgatory.--------------------------------------------------
No where in my post did I say ALL meds produce sex side effects. However, SSRIs are notorious for sexual dysfunction. Tricyclics are notorious for sexual dysfunction. MAOIs are not not friendly to sex. But sex isn't the only thing to consider. Someone may find an
AD in one of these groups that they can manage to perform on, and then any one of myriad other problems could surface, necessitating them stopping.--------------------------------------------------
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> Exercise and socializing (rather than isolating) also have more to do with saving lives from mental illness than you may be imagining. Without either the medications are simply Not Enough. For those who think their sex lives are "over" (and believe me, on Paxil that's just what happened to me), there are alternatives. But it takes diligence and experimentation.--------------------------------------------------
I don't need to take your word for it with Paxil, I tried it also. I don't refute your idea of exercise and socializing, but if depression becomes severe enough, people cannot do this.
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> Wellbutrin does not depress my sex drive. When I was on Serzone with the Wellbutrin my sex drive actually increased. Serzone made me dopey, so I had to stop it. I nearly crashed my car on that stuff. But it might work for someone else. The important thing is to be proactive with the doctor and insist on being given information about every possiblity available rather than just "settle" for whatever the doctor prescribes. I've seen people in group do this, completely unaware of the fact that their are other drugs out there than Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.--------------------------------------------------
How do you know that people are unaware that there are other drugs?
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> I'm not unsympathetic with anyone who is placing as a lower priority their sexual function over other matters; that's a matter of choice. However the benefits of medication for ME were never good enough compared with the sexual side effects. I know others feel the same. It's a topic that warrants discussion.--------------------------------------------------
I agree here. I have pretty severe anxiety and depression, and even if I'm helped by a med, I eventually become very, very frustrated with the sexual side effects, as well as weight gain. I fully realize that you are speaking for yourself, and so am I.
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> So please don't tell me it's hard enough to fiind something that makes you feel better -- I've been there and I know that, and sometimes those drugs make you feel worse because of the side effects. There's nothing worse in treating depresesion to find drugs that work that you can not tolerate -- it's worse still when you are torn over living a life of sexual abstinence (as though you are being punished for getting well).--------------------------------------------------
I still contend that it is hard enough to find something that works. That doesn't go for all people, but everybody is different. I never said you hadn't "been there". I know what you mean about being "punished". I have felt that about all the intolerabilities of these meds.
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> I never said I was freed of sexual dysfunction. You obviously read into what I wrote, not what I wrote. I still have problems -- but the drugs are likely no longer the main issue. Now my concern over these drugs is whether I can tolerate the other side effects (and that's a whole other story). But I would encourage anyone on SSRIs to talk to their doctor and insist on being given alternatives, IF they are unhappy with their sex lives as a result of the medication.
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I think this was your statement: "I will not tolerate sexual side effects with these drugs (it isn't a matter of whether I can or not -- I simply will not)." I don't think it is such a great leap in logic to assume from that statement that you refuse to take any drugs that give you sexual side effects. Ergo, you must be free of drug side-effects that affect sexual function. Obviously my assumption has proved wrong, but I feel your first post didn't make that very clear. You mention later on that you are still experiencing some sexual dysfuntion, but you don't attribute this to current side effects, so my assumption would still be understandable. I totally agree with you (and I said something to this effect in my first post) that there are many other tolerability issues to these drugs besides the sex issue. That's why I'm contending that there are other issues to consider. The drugs that didn't affect my sexual funtion, also didn't adequately treat my problems and/or I could not tolerate them for other reasons.
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I've tried Welbutrin. I have anxiety and OCD problems and this drug was very inappropriate for them. It didn't have much sexual dysfunction. I tried Serzone, but it knocked me flat on my ass, so I couldn't tell you what the sex side effects were. I tried Remeron, and never got passed the sedation, not to mention the weight gain. It did not affect sex. Welbutrin and Remeron did help somewhat with depression, but that's only part of my problem.
You never mentioned what cocktail you finally have arrived at that gives you minimal dysfuntion. I assume from your wording that you are no longer on Welbutrin or Serzone (and I do allow for the possiblity that this assumption is wrong).
Bob
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poster:Bob
thread:91928
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020208/msgs/93605.html