Blaise (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:57 pm I've used most of the major SSRI drugs. I have found Lexapro to be the most effective for me. I did not like Wellbruten because it was not effective against my depression. I still don't know that I am going to continue to use medications. We will see.

This post is also for the fella above that was taking Paxil.

The thing a lot of people don't realize about Wellbutrin is that it can be added to almost any other antidepressant and it will reverse the sexual side-effects. I had a friend on prozac several years ago who had completely lost his sexual function. After six weeks on Wellbutrin XL he said sex was the best and most intense that it had been in his whole life.

Yes, I thought is was. Thanks for the suggestions.

Thanks Blaise for all of your posts about Lexapro. Your experiences with the drug give me confidence, as I am using it for a different purpose to you. I want my sex drive removed. I have read about others using it who haven't been as effected (libido wise) as much as you.

I got my first sample today and take my first pill tomorrow. Can't wait for it to start to take effect (though I will wait.....and I realise that I shouldn't expect miracles in the first week or two). For week one I am just on 10mg a day, then this will be increased to 20mg a day. How much were you taking?

Sorry for you that the drug works well for your general happiness while being a negative for your sex drive (for you creating sadness). But I'm hoping for a win/win for me.

loveableleopardy (imported) wrote: Thu May 27, 2010 1:45 am Thanks Blaise for all of your posts about Lexapro. Your experiences with the drug give me confidence, as I am using it for a different purpose to you. I want my sex drive removed. I have read about others using it who haven't been as effected (libido wise) as much as you.

I got my first sample today and take my first pill tomorrow. Can't wait for it to start to take effect (though I will wait.....and I realise that I shouldn't expect miracles in the first week or two). For week one I am just on 10mg a day, then this will be increased to 20mg a day. How much were you taking?

Sorry for you that the drug works well for your general happiness while being a negative for your sex drive (for you creating sadness). But I'm hoping for a win/win for me.

I thought SSRIs just removed or curtailed the ability, not the actual sexual desire.. ?

twaddler (imported) wrote: Thu May 27, 2010 1:46 pm I thought SSRIs just removed or curtailed the ability, not the actual sexual desire.. ?

An interesting point and question, and I'm not sure that I have the answer. I can say that my desire to masturbate has almost completely disappeared (which I am very happy about), and I haven't looked at anything erotic online since the drug took effect. The last time I ejaculated was in the early hours of May 28, which was when I had only taken one pill of Lexapro. A couple of days later I had zero desire to masturbate. So it's been almost two weeks now since I've done this. In the past week I have had some 'morning glory,' but once I get up and have the pill I have nothing going on for the rest of the day (I'm still just on the 10mg).

Maybe I will still have to ejaculate once or twice a month, since what I am taking is sort of a blocker (right?), so would there still be a buildup of sperm? As I suspected, I seem to have a lower sex drive to most other men, which is why the drug has worked so effectively (and another reason why I was able to look at going down this path in the first place.....eventually I was able to see past my penis!).

The drug is not changing my needs.....I am happy to say. I still need to be with a woman, and this has proven to me (which I have been VERY cynical about) that I can and do love women genuinely. It does not have anything to do with sex (others would still argue this with me, but the important thing is that I know it within myself).

And as far as curtailing the actual sexual desire? If an attractive woman suddenly appears on the television I am partly compelled to look, and when the shot goes elsewhere I still 'want' the camera to pan back to her. But at the same time I have no desire to masturbate as a result.

Things had been going well for me until four days ago. Suddenly the effect of the drug (Lexapro) from a reduced sex drive standpoint disappeared, and I've done the deed 3 times in quick time after in excess of a two weeks break. I am seeing my therapist tomorrow so I will ask him about doubling my dosage to 20mg (which I had planned on doing anyway). I am not sure how much this will help. It makes sense that I still have to masturbate since my testicles are still producing sperm. The drug acts as a sort of a blocker to that for a while......until there is too great a build up or something. Or maybe my body has just become too used to the 10mg. I do not want to be masturbating any more than about six times a month, and currently it seems like I'm back to normal, which is strange considering how I felt only a week or so ago (no desire or capability for sex). It is only early days for me on this drug and perhaps the 20mg can do the trick. If not, there are other drugs to try out later on.

Other than that I don't feel that Lexapro is effecting me negatively in any way. And my parents are being of great support through all my drama's (though I haven't told them that my sex drive has kicked back in). All in all I am feeling relatively positive, and am going to do my best from here on to not make life so difficult for myself (which can be my want). Instead of being so extreme I'm endeavouring to be more in-between. I know that I can return to a life of more innocence and maybe get back to laughing more, which I rarely do in this past year (even though I still find some things funny).