Could my anti-depressants be affecting my… sexual desire, my arousal, my orgasm??? Yes!
You are not crazy, and you are not imagining things.

The class of anti-depressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and their sister group : NSRI’s work extremely well as anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety medication. I love them for that. I really, really do.

However, for many, many individuals (some studies show as high as 70%) they can have immediate and dramatic impact on desire, arousal and ability to orgasm. But some of them have a much lower side effect profile. And just because a lot of people react that way, doesn’t mean YOU will.

So if you think these drugs would help the bigger problems of anxiety and depression, the best thing to do is discuss this issue with a knowledgeable prescriber. You can see if they can either try you on different SSRIs to see if any have fewer side effects or to see if you can try a different class of anti-depressants. Because there are many. The other possibility is to add another drug that can help.

Knowledge is power here. Talk to your health care professional. And if they don’t seem to take this seriously, find another one!