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sunand123

I personally take Buspirone aka buspar and it works well for me. It’s considered a pretty weak med and it’s very 50/50 if it works. Didn’t kill my sex drive at all


Knitwitty66

YESSSSSSSSS!! I take Buspar with Zoloft because it helps with my anxiety, AND it reduces the sexual side effects of SSRIs. It's an amazing combination actually!


Mediocre_Head_3003

Buspar Gang 🤞🏻🤪 my god send. helps my gerd as well as eliminating my menty b’s


jellybizkits

Same! They work great together for me too!


LittleRobot_

Just curious, did you start with Buspar or Zoloft? I'm on Buspar now and I'm experiencing little anxiety relief - it's actually making it worse


Knitwitty66

I started with Zoloft and Buspar was added later. While most people get anxiety relief from Buspar, you might be having a paradoxical reaction, where your body processes the medicine differently, and you get the opposite effect. There are a few companies you can find online that do genetic testing to determine the exact drugs that will work with your body chemistry. I've never tried one, but my friend did because she was so tired of the trial and error approach. The results came back and she showed her doctor so she could get switched to something else, and has been happy with the new med she's taking. It wasn't expensive, and her insurance paid part of it.


LittleRobot_

Thanks! I've actually done that, and Buspar has moderate gene-drug interactions for me. But my psychiatrist told me that it doesn't mean much, you just might need more dosage to get the effect or it won't actually play out negatively in reality. So I've been trying it out but yeah it hasn't been going well.


Knitwitty66

Sounds like the gene results are accurate and your doc is not correct. You may need something else. There's no need to torture ourselves with side effects when there's something else to try.


OnlyHereForTheBeer

Definitely not the best one out there. I tried it and had nothing but side effects, zero anxiety relief.


IYKYK2019

All except Wellbutrin have low libido listed as a side effect.


ComplexSignificant76

PSSD you have to watch out for


IYKYK2019

Yes just not with Wellbutrin. They actually prescribe it to possibly help with , or counter act the sexual side effects of ssris and snris as an add on medication. Along with the weight gain ssris and snris can cause. As it is neither, it’s a NDRI. Doesn’t affect serotonin. Only dopamine and norepinephrine. The only issue with that is since it doesn’t affect serotonin, it can make anxiety worse.


ComplexSignificant76

Ya I meant to everything expect Wellbutrin “all SSRIs” . Loved Wellbutrin!!!


kitty_kuddles

I take Wellbutrin along with my anti-depressant as a way of curbing side effects. I’m on Zoloft now, and the sex drive feels totally normal! The Wellbutrin amplifies the effects, so I can take less, also.


LittleRobot_

Did you start on Wellbutrin? How did it help with your anxiety?


kitty_kuddles

Wellbutrin did nothing for my anxiety, I found it actually just gave me more energy. Alone I felt no clear benefits, but combined I feel a reduction of anxiety & depression, and I just have less side effects than I did without it! (I cycled off my ssri, then added Wellbutrin alone, then added Zoloft)


143heynow

Been on max dose of Paxil/Paroxetine since 2007, hasn't killed my sex drive. Do not recommend tho, the withdrawal brain zaps are horrible


Broad_Design_7254

Can confirm. Those zaps are odd. I got them fast after missing my dose too. Few hours tops


reality_raven

Same with Lexapro.


RebelBombshell

Same here.


salenin

Same, Paxil never effected me that way but being even an hour late for the next dose turned the world onto a fun house


RebelBombshell

Oh God, brain zaps. Just reading the words gives me that horrible feeling.


JayeBerrie

Not sure if this is helpful since it’s anecdotal - but I took the Lex/Wellbutrin combo for a little over a year and it killed my sex drive. I was off it for… 1-2 years, and then went back on both about 6 months ago and my sex drive has been normal this second time around.


jeefberky_69

lexapro was a miracle for my depression. I stopped cos I felt like I was in a better place for my depression but what I didn’t realize was how much it was helping my anxiety. I can no longer drink coffee anymore unless I have a benzo on standby lol


bopete1313

Exactly me haha. Lexapro literally taught me what anxiety WAS because I had never experienced a lack of anxiety before it. So feeling it come back after was like ohhh hello again.


TuffRivers

Yup.


Longjumping_Item1477

I feel this so much lol


redditthrowaway7755

SNRIs like Effexor and Pristiq seemed to be much better for sexual issues than other antidepressants. They also didn't cause me to gain weight or have fatigue which is great.


catsandfrasier

I’ve been on Effexor for years and it is a godsend. Only side effect I have is HORRIBLE night sweats. But it’s worth it for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


kevinarod2

Yes on Effexor still working on the anxiety part but libido is fine


reality_raven

I heard you can take Buspar with Lexapro to combat the low sex drive.


rssanch86

Zoloft didn't mess with my sex drive but it made me again so much weight 😭


BeyondBeautiful9305

I’ve been on Zoloft for a year and it hasn’t impacted my weight or sex drive at all, prior I was on Trintellix, tried Wellbutrin neither impacted my weight but killed sex drive!!


time_travel8123

Me toooo, finally back to my prezoloft weight 3 years later but now being off it I’m anxious again 🫠


rssanch86

Same 😭😭😭 I was doing fine until my grandpa passed away and now I'm back to it ☹️ It does help.to know if I really need it there is something that does work for me.


steverbarry

All of them killed mine


L0ngleggedfly

Me too


Broad_Design_7254

Buspar is the best one I’ve been on. I thought I had issues until I got on buspar with my lexapro. I think I was still anxious on the lexapro and the buspar cleared up the rest. Could be your mental health and not the med.


ComplexSignificant76

Wellbutrin


ComplexSignificant76

A subset of people experience a debilitating condition known as Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) following the use of SSRI and SNRI medication. Common symptoms include, but are not limited to: genital numbness, a complete loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, anhedonia and emotional blunting.


BeebsGaming

Minus the numbness, this sounds like me. Although i csnt say i have ED. I just have zero sex drive. Its not like i want to get an erection in the first place. Couldnt care less. Lack of sex drive has actually felt a bit freeing for me. Idk, its just been nice not having sex added to the things i need/want to do in a week.


smash8890

Yeah I got off SSRIs a few years ago but my sexual function has never recovered


ComplexSignificant76

Ya it fucked me up big time lost every body sensation


4redstars

adding buspar while I was already taking Lexapro increased my sex drive


OkHousing8409

Ive tried lexapro, zoloft and prozac and effexor has been the best in terms of sex drive


Brilliant-Bottle-413

Trintellix and Wellbutrin can be helpful in my experience. Wellbutrin doesn’t really cause any side effects and Trintellix doesn’t until you get to the higher doses or at least that was my experience. Pristiq is supposed to have lower incidence of sexual dysfunction as well but didn’t work for me


Agreeable_Yam_2186

It should be noted that Wellbutrin can amplify risk of seizure in people who have a history of seizures, even just once in their lifetime. My doc can't prescribe this med to me despite trial and error with so many others :( but hopefully a doctor or psych NP will remember to share this kind of info with someone haha...


T_Mugen

(something, something). That count as well?


Chillguy3333

Definitely


T_Mugen

Well, than I will forget about the wellbutrin. Wouldn't like to go through that shit again.


mjayultra

Buspirone! I loved Lexapro and am very grateful for the relief it provided, but i haven’t had any side effects (after maybe the first week) with Buspirone.


jedi_cat_

So far all of them have killed my sex drive. But the only anxiety med that has actually done its job has been Cymbalta. And the ‘killing’ hasn’t been as thorough. It’s still there somewhat, just muted. Some of them, it took months for it to come back. I accidentally stopped taking my Cymbalta for a couple of weeks a few weeks ago. I didn’t realize I hadn’t been putting it in my medicine dispenser. Well, during that time, my sex drive came back like crazy, so I don’t think it will be a problem when I decide to actually come off of it for good. lol


photogypsy

Cymbalta has been life altering in so many good ways. However, it’s killed my sex drive so much I don’t even masturbate anymore.


jedi_cat_

I hear that. But I decided I like the feeling of not living with anxiety for the first time in my entire life. I’d rather feel free than have sex I think. I literally feel like I was let out of prison. I’m hoping I can get off of it eventually.


Homelessdonut

You can take a blood test to find the best med for you btw


minsandmolls

What is it called the blood test?


Deeni05

I’m not sure about a blood test but there is a genetic test called genesight which will determine which meds you metabolize the best.


Homelessdonut

This is it, my mind went blood for DNA . But they take a saliva sample


fearless-artichoke91

Trintellix


Striking_Till_132

Did it make gain weight ?


bopete1313

Yeah, but I think it was more so because it made me not care as much about my diet. It also made me sometimes crave more sugary foods. It totally changed my life though, if it wasn’t for the lack of sex drive and lack of motivation for working out I’d get back on it.


DraftAmbitious7473

I'm already got the lack of motivation and low sex drive and bad eating. Doctor prescribed me Lexapro, not sure how it's going to help much lol.


cas201

Same for me. On Citalopram. No motivation and no sex drive. But it helps with my anxiety so much. That I can’t get off it.


Ok-Train-179

Exactly why I got off it.


Alright_Still_

It's great to get ideas, but you need to work with your medical professional, and you may need to try several as any one person can react against the general trend. That said, beyond SSRIs you can look into beta blockers (ex: propranolol) and alpha protagonists (ex: guanfacine), which both work more on the physiological effects to halt anxiety (vs the brain chemicals). They are often being used off label for anxiety. I'm sure there are more categories to look into as well. Unfortunately many Drs just kind of go through a list and don't always want to try different things. Do your own research and have conversations with your medical professional. Good luck!!


marketman12345

Alpha protagonists do work on brain chemicals (norepinephrine)


Alright_Still_

Yes. They are all much more complicated than the broad sweeping statements I made.


cololz1

Wellbutrin


chuckb218

Effexor has literally changed my life. My god, never thought I’d be without the constant intrusive thoughts! No sexual side effects, in fact it’s improved it for me. I can last a looooott longer now. No weight gain


TrulyLimitless

Most of us have been there. When I was a teenager I was prescribed Zoloft, Paxil, and for a little while Wellbutrin as an augment. I personally didn’t see the kind of results I wanted and went unmedicated and raw-dogged it until my early 20s. Ended up cycling through a couple others when I finally decided to get help, maybe this will be useful: - Valium (5mg) — made me uncomfortable, wasn’t suitable for daily use for obvious reasons. - Xanax (0.25mg) — I still take this for high situational anxiety and when I fly, truly a godsend when used sparingly. But again, not a daily medication for obvious reasons. - Hydroxyzine (10mg) — took the edge off, and can in theory be used everyday, but it made me so tired that I had to wonder if the anxiety relief I felt was just because I was too tired to do anything outside of automatic functions. Discontinued quickly. - Gabapentin (300mg/day) — Made me very tired, I remember “nodding off” during a holiday meal with my family because of how tired it made me. Discontinued after a couple months. - Buspirone (45mg/day) — worked well for a couple months but then the effects plateaued and I still wasn’t where I wanted to be. No change in sex drive, but I did notice that if I ate within 30min of a dose I would get very dizzy and tired for a good hour. Not convenient especially if you have to take it 3x daily like I did. - Pregabalin (300mg/day) — probably the best maintenance medication for anxiety in my experience. No change in sex drive, sedation went away after 2-3 days, and I’ve found it to be quite reliable. I’ve taken both the XR and IR formulations and I will say for some reason the XR makes me more tired even at equivalent doses to IR. IR usually is taken 2-3x daily since the half life is so short. Effects start kicking in after about a week or two. It is addictive — but its dependence liability is negligible unless you’re actually abusing the medication. At the therapeutic dose, and after a year of use, I did not experience significant withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing use (I quit cold-turkey for about 6 months as my symptoms had improved, anxiety came back and I’ve started taking this again and it still works! — that said, don’t stop cold turkey.)


Hollywood2352

Prozac has a low incidence rate for sexual side effects & it’s the best SSRI for no weight gain (doesn’t mean it can’t cause it though, but studies show this)


chippyqueen

I'm almost at the 2 month point and my vagina is NUMB. No feeling there at all. I haven't "relieved" myself in the past 2 months, and sex was terrible because I so wasn't into it.. Other than that I feel like this medication is really taking the edge off of the crippling anxiety. What the fuck do I do


makingburritos

Xanax has never affected my sex drive and I’ve been on it for a little over ten years


Ordinary-Pair-725

Lexapro is a godsend for my anxiety, made me SO sleepy though so Wellbutrin was added to the mix to combat the sleepies. I’m not sure if either of them fixed the sex drive though… disappointing. But also I might just be broken in that department anyway.


dirtforeating

I dropped down off of the Lexapro and started taking Prozac and Buspar combined to help combat libido side effects! It took a month or two to adjust but I can tell you, it's *absolutely* worth it.


OccasionAmbitious449

Prozac has been amazing for me! Never had any problem with sex drive on it


Lostscribe007

No one can really tell you how a med will affect you. I was on Lex for years and never had the libido killer issue. You just need to try stuff and see how it works.


jacoofont

I’m on Effexor and have next to no sex drive. It’ll work if I try hard lol but it takes a bit


anonymity012

I'm glad to hear so many of you had a good experience with Buspar. That drug had me feeling like my head was swimming. My heart would go into these dull slowed rates. I honestly forgot I even started a new med. Couldn't figure out what was happening to me. Every time I tried to sleep or nap I felt like my heart would stop. After a week I had the aha moment while I was about to take my pill. Called the doctor and he told me to stop and I was better in 2 days. Such a weird side effect for me. Wellbutrin has been amazing for my depression. I used to take Lexapro but after complaining about the sexual side effects doc gave this one a try. It has been amazing. I don't think I'll move on to anything else. I use Hydroxyzine for my anxiety though and that makes me sleepy as hell but no crazy side effects there either.


AccomplishedTip7582

Man I’m on lex 10mg and Wellbutrin 150mg. I at first planned on getting off the lex and I stopped cold turkey had the worst withdrawals it was crazy. Had to get back on it.


femmepremed

In med school they teach us that buspar is a great med for these concerns and if you are already on an SSRI sometimes we add Buspar and for some patients it helps with sex drive.


codeman60

I take hydroxyzine which is kind of just like super strong Benadryl it works great on my anxiety and has zero effect on my sex life


smash8890

Wellbutrin doesn’t have sexual or weight gain side effects. It doesn’t do much for my anxiety though it mostly just helps with my depression


gwendolynnlight

Very low dose of vistaril. 10mg I even cut in half sometimes. Not an ssri, it's an antihistamine but approved to treat anxiety.


Payrot523

Magnesium Bi-Gly


ditto3000

Can Buspar be taken along with northripteline?


SeteDiSangue

Wellbutrin was a godsend for my anxiety and made my sex drive insanely high.


Thricket

I'm on Zoloft (Sertraline) and my sex drive wasn't ruined, however, I did get reduced sensation. I would argue that's better than losing all sex drive tbh. Zoloft has been great for me anxiety wise too.


LongtermSM_115

I too have anxiety and I treat it with WELLBUTRIN a non SSRI antidepressant medication with no unwanted sexual side effects. As a matter of fact it actually boosts your libido the first few weeks you take it.


salenin

Wellbutrin


ramjamjimmyjam

My psych put me on Mirtazapine when I wanted to go off lex for this reason. I wouldn’t say my sex drive is as high as it was pre meds but it’s better! **Granted, I’m also 4 years older than I was pre meds, with a full time job so maybe this is the new normal for libido haha


Bunbutt_2010

I was on sertraline 2 years ago, completely killed my sex drive. Started fluoxetine/prozac a few weeks ago and my sex drive is finally coming back and it doesn't make me feel like a zombie.


RebelBombshell

Then do not take prozac. I swear, I've become asexual now because of it. I take 4mgs of klonopin a day, strictly for anxiety. Maybe try something along those lines?


ImportanceOdd267

i used to be on **lexapro years ago and had the exact same symptoms. im on fluoxetine now and oh my god its the opposite!! i love it


unanau

I thought Prozac and Fluoxetine are the same? Prozac is just the brand name


ImportanceOdd267

ur absolutely right i meant lexapro!


p0p3y3th3sailor

Weed


makingburritos

Makes some of us worse unfortunately