# Paxil and Sex



## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

Okay, so I'm curious since I've just started Paxil...does Paxil tend to decrease SEX DRIVE or just the ability to orgasm???


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## wraith (Feb 22, 2010)

Yes, it can definitely do that.

Here's a question.. when it comes to SSRI's it is often stated that "sexual side effects can last for months or years after the drug has been completely withdrawn". (And that in rare cases it can be permanent).

Is there ANYONE here who have experienced/are experiencing sexual side effects long after coming off an SSRI?


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Heh, your username confused me there for a second! 

I find it doesn't decrease my sex drive, but that it does interfere with the "big O" -- as in it decreases the sensation, and takes longer to climax.


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

Neptunus said:


> Heh, your username confused me there for a second!
> 
> Anyhoo, it just so happens that I'm on Paxil, so I can answer your question. I find it doesn't decrease my sex drive, but that it does interfere with the "big O" -- as in it decreases the sensation, and takes longer to climax.


ahaha on the username!  I'm just new to any med like this and I'm worried about all the possible changes that may take place. I guess I should probably just wait and see what happens...Liero's question got me worried a bit too though! As long as it's not permanent...


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## wraith (Feb 22, 2010)

I think what I'm asking only happens in very rare cases though, but it has be a bit freaked as well. I just started lexapro (been on seroxat and some other i can't remember the name of before and I haven't had any long lasting sexual dysfunction, but it still scares me)

Edit. Also, I'm taking tolvon in combination, which works as sort of cocktail to boost things up a bit, but the reason I'm mentioning it is because it's supposed to counter act some of the sexual problems as well, so if you find yourself having trouble you might wanna talk to your doc about prescribing a second medication to try and help with this)


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## broflovski (Feb 1, 2011)

Paxil initially increased my libido, but not very much or sustainably. And anorgasmia was total. (Fluoxetine does a kind opposite - loss of libido, but orgasm capability remains, though not on the normal level).


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

liero133 said:


> Is there ANYONE here who have experienced/are experiencing sexual side effects long after coming off an SSRI?


for what I can tell there's no such thing.


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## wraith (Feb 22, 2010)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_discontinuation_syndrome#Post-SSRI_sexual_dysfunction


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Nah, I doubt the sexual side-effects will become permanent. This is my second time on Paxil, and when I got off, everything returned to normal. How much you're affected also depends on the dosage. If you just started, then it will take a few weeks for your body to adjust before you can really tell. 

That said, you're pretty much guaranteed to have some sexual impairment while you're on the drug. Unfortunately, that's one of Paxil's most notorious side-effects. That, and being the worst SSRI for weight gain. 

As for the username, there's another person on this board named "KaiserNeptune." We should start our own group!


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## Nogy (Feb 13, 2011)

I was on paxil for a little over a year. I don't think it lowered my libido much, but it did make it harder to climax. Not sure i considered that a bad thing though. And as for the sexual side effects lasting for "months or years after complete withdrawal"...i would say bs, at least in my case. I've been off paxil for 6 months now and no problems. Be careful of the weight gain while on it though


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

thanks for the info liero, definitely something worth remembering. bro- i'm not sure which is worse, loss of libido or loss of orgasm lol...i'd say the latter, but then again if you have no libido things would be pretty boring in that department eh? swim, thanks for the encouragement


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

haha, I'm down for a Neptune group! and ugh, this weight gain thing does have me pretty scared...I'm actually probably more concerned about it than the sex thing...because well, the sex thing I think would return to normal if I ended up quitting, but...would my weight?!?! Does anyone find there is a good way to maintain their current weight while on Paxil? I'm pretty happy with my weight now, but my weight does tend to fluctuate a bit and I'm gonna be pretty bummed if it goes up a lot. I can live with gaining about 10 pounds, but more than that and I'll start to get :/


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## wraith (Feb 22, 2010)

You just need to be aware of it i guess. It's not the paxil that makes you gain weight, but the increased appetite while on it so if you avoid gorging too much you should be okay. Try to fill up on foods that don't contain too many calories if you feel the need to eat unusual amounts.


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

thanks liero! i'm hearing different things on whether the weight gain is due to increased appetite only, or a slowed metabolism as well. i'm hoping it's mostly just the former. i admittedly have a love for food which developed over the years, but recently i've cut back a lot on my intake (in large thanks to trying to maintain my budget and starting a new job, so i can't just sit around being bored and getting the desire to eat so much haha)...so, hopefully, i'll be good! if not, it's not the end of the world. i weighed myself yesterday so i'll know in a month or so's time if the Paxil is making me gain a lot


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

yeah paxil is notorious in males more so than females for sexual dysfunction and delayed orgasms mixed with lack of or NO libido seems more common in paxil than in the other SSRIs, although sexual side effects are noted in all of the ssri medications it seems paxil is the strongest libido killer but thats probably because its the strongest of the antidepressants in its class and is better for SA

i found paxil and fluoxetine increased my sex drive as it caused mania in me so on a high i had increase but on a low i had a decrease in libido


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

thanks for the info Arisa! I hear of a lot of people going into a manic phase due to Paxil. I wonder, does that mean you have a pre-disposition at all to bi-polar disorders? My dad could "possibly" have a milder bi-polar disorder and I definitely seem to have some touches of a mood problem myself (though I can't figure out if this is due to my SA or if its a mild unipolar/dysphoria/bipolar 2 i dunno). The psychiatrist I recently saw said she doesn't like to label people and instead likes to treat the symptoms/problem. I was only there briefly though (had other things to do that day), so have yet to talk to the "therapist" (they give you a therapist/case worker and then they give u a psychiatrist who can prescribe meds)


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Neptune said:


> haha, I'm down for a Neptune group! and ugh, this weight gain thing does have me pretty scared...I'm actually probably more concerned about it than the sex thing...because well, the sex thing I think would return to normal if I ended up quitting, but...would my weight?!?! Does anyone find there is a good way to maintain their current weight while on Paxil? I'm pretty happy with my weight now, but my weight does tend to fluctuate a bit and I'm gonna be pretty bummed if it goes up a lot. I can live with gaining about 10 pounds, but more than that and I'll start to get :/


I run 24 miles a week and gained 40. If I watch what I eat (which I have not been doing :lol), I could be about 20 lighter.


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

24 miles a week! holy mackerel!! go you! i know diet is essential in weight loss though...and it's a hard one to stick with! i love food and it'd be hard to give up a lot of foods!


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

paxil destroys libido and causes anorgasmia.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Yep, diet is definitely important. I gained @ 25 lbs over 3 years. It just crept up on me! Fortunately, I've managed to lose @ 20lb over 4 months through exercise and diet. So, you do have some control over the battle of the Paxil bulge! But it's a lot of hard work!!!

Here's my routine if you're interested: http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/1059044702-post14.html


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

Who needs sex and orgasms. Give me the happy pills.

Well, it does suck bringing yourself to the point of orgasm to then lose it for seventeen days, but that's the breaks.

And with weight gain....oh never mind. Don't take Paxil if you're concerned about these.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Mercurochrome said:


> And with weight gain....oh never mind. Don't take Paxil if you're concerned about these.


I disagree. I've found the benefits far outweigh (no pun intended) the costs.

For me, the weight gain is nothing compared to how much it's helped with my anxiety and depression. Plus, not everybody gains weight -- some people lose, and some aren't even affected.

When it comes to psychotrophics, unless the side-effects are dangerous, I don't think someone should write-off a drug until they've tried it.


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

Thanks Neptunus, I'll definitely check your routine out. I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a weight gain problem, but if so, I'm definitely going to need some exercise routine and diet restrictions! 

P.S. I believe someone in chat mistook me for you today, haha. Someone had to explain that, "Nooo, that's Neptunus"


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Neptune said:


> Thanks Neptunus, I'll definitely check your routine out. I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a weight gain problem, but if so, I'm definitely going to need some exercise routine and diet restrictions!


You're welcome! 



> P.S. I believe someone in chat mistook me for you today, haha. Someone had to explain that, "Nooo, that's Neptunus"


Lol! Yeah, you're probably going to get that a lot! :b


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Paxil has a short enough half life that the inorgasma side effect can be bypassed if you simply take it right AFTER having sex. Who cares if you can orgasm AFTER you have sex (if your a guy anyways) lol.


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

Neptunus said:


> I disagree. I've found the benefits far outweigh (no pun intended) the costs.


Yeah, I won't say it, but I was just being stupid.

Paxil has helped me, but I've had to take a large dose (120 mg/day). I'm very med resistant.


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## heyJude (Aug 1, 2009)

I've been on Paxil for the past two years and it has helped me tremendously with my anxiety but on the negative side, I find that it does decrease both my libido/ability to orgasm. :/ BUT right before "that time of the month" (about a week) my libido dramatically increases. I haven't experienced any weight gain, *knock on wood* so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones...


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

Dr House said:


> Paxil has a short enough half life that the inorgasma side effect can be bypassed if you simply take it right AFTER having sex. Who cares if you can orgasm AFTER you have sex (if your a guy anyways) lol.


haha Dr. House (love, love, love that show and character btw), well then, I guess I'll just have to make love in the wee morning hours (I take my meds around 10 a.m. before work)


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## Neptune (Jul 1, 2011)

heyJude said:


> I've been on Paxil for the past two years and it has helped me tremendously with my anxiety but on the negative side, I find that it does decrease both my libido/ability to orgasm. :/ BUT right before "that time of the month" (about a week) my libido dramatically increases. I haven't experienced any weight gain, *knock on wood* so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones...


that is interesting jude!


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## beaches09 (Feb 1, 2009)

Paxil didn't mess with my erection ability like Zoloft did. Actually I experienced better erections, and of course the delayed ejaculation which is obviously a plus.


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## CrimsonTrigger (Jun 28, 2011)

My sex drive didn't go down, but it would take me forever to orgasm.


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## spartan7 (Feb 25, 2011)

my sex drive increased on paxil go figure


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## rockyraccoon (Dec 13, 2010)

Paxil for me caused major insomnia and anorgasmia immediately. I was only on this drug for about 1 month. The side effects went away within days of discontinuing the medication. My weight was unchanged while on this medication, mind you, no med had ever increased my weight.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

They need to come out with the ultimate anti-sexual side effect/anti- sexual dysfunction pharmaceutical, cause clearly Viagra or Cialis doesn't address all the areas associated with this problem. I bet this drug would top ALL pharmaceuticals in sales worldwide as anti-depressant/sexual side effect inducing med use is on the rise.


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

YA Paxil 40 and it takes like 4 hours to orgasm! Its so annoying! Like u gotta try REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to orgasm and it hurts when u orgasm!! it SUCKS. The only thing that boosts sex drive is Vyvanse.....Makes it Really intense xD


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## Cuauhtemoc (Jul 22, 2010)

liero133 said:


> Yes, it can definitely do that.
> 
> Here's a question.. when it comes to SSRI's it is often stated that "sexual side effects can last for months or years after the drug has been completely withdrawn". (And that in rare cases it can be permanent).
> 
> Is there ANYONE here who have experienced/are experiencing sexual side effects long after coming off an SSRI?


Well, it delayed my orgasm. 2 days without paxil and I could cum just fine.
Depression on the other hand can kill your sex drive for a long time.

And to be honest, paxil probably increased my sex drive and made me actually able to have sex.


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## senrab (Apr 23, 2006)

Paxil is an orgasm killer, it doesn't interfere with actual sex drive as much. The weight gain is a b*tch. I never gained any weight while on 0-60, then I had to go up to 80 and boom! Gained 30 pounds, I'm hungry all the time, and I don't recognize myself in pictures anymore. I'm trying to taper off it now as I'm tired of it, been on it for over 12 years. Down to 60mg currently.


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

I didn't notice any sexual changes... besides more stamina, but paxil caused me much greater problems. I've said this on this forum a few times before: Paxil is the only SSRI that did anything for me, it just did too much though. First of all it kind of made me a zombie; nothing made me too happy and nothing made me too sad. It made me irritable and unable to sit still. It did however allow me to take more risks, which sounds good because that's the point of it right? (i.e. social risks). But it made me take some really stupid/dangerous risks that I would literally not even consider in my mind if I was not on the drug. Most people would be dead if they did what I did. 

So I advise everyone on paxil to be careful and think to themselves "would I do this If I was't on paxil" before making any decisions.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

The Professor said:


> I didn't notice any sexual changes... besides more stamina, but paxil caused me much greater problems. I've said this on this forum a few times before: Paxil is the only SSRI that did anything for me, it just did too much though. First of all it kind of made me a zombie; nothing made me too happy and nothing made me too sad. It made me irritable and unable to sit still. It did however allow me to take more risks, which sounds good because that's the point of it right? (i.e. social risks). But it made me take some really stupid/dangerous risks that I would literally not even consider in my mind if I was not on the drug. Most people would be dead if they did what I did.
> 
> So I advise everyone on paxil to be careful and think to themselves "would I do this If I was't on paxil" before making any decisions.


What risks were they ?
Also how long did it take to kick in ? Did you just wake up one day and it started working ?
I have been on it 4 weeks now at 40 mg and notice nothing yet


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

blakeyz said:


> What risks were they ?
> Also how long did it take to kick in ? Did you just wake up one day and it started working ?
> I have been on it 4 weeks now at 40 mg and notice nothing yet


I'm going to pm you


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## Nogy (Feb 13, 2011)

Okay, so i was on paxil about 2 years, then quit for about six months. I just recently got back on it though, been on it for about 12 days now. Im having some very frustrating side effects this time around though....i cant orgasm. Which surprises me, because when i was on it before i could....it took a bit longer but i still could. Is it possible that my side effect might lessen after awhile? i know side effects are suppose to get better afterwhile, but im not sure about the sexual side effects. Im not sure if i'll be able to continue taking this if i won't ever be able to orgasm again!


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

Nogy said:


> Okay, so i was on paxil about 2 years, then quit for about six months. I just recently got back on it though, been on it for about 12 days now. Im having some very frustrating side effects this time around though....i cant orgasm. Which surprises me, because when i was on it before i could....it took a bit longer but i still could. Is it possible that my side effect might lessen after awhile? i know side effects are suppose to get better afterwhile, but im not sure about the sexual side effects. Im not sure if i'll be able to continue taking this if i won't ever be able to orgasm again!


I have read a lot that when people go back on a SSRI that helped them before that it doesn't work second time around


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

When I was on Paxil that thing destroyed my sex drive. I could not get an erection easily I had to really work at it and even when I finished the job it just didn't feel the same. Most of the meds have some form of sexual side effect and for me it just wasn't worth i:afrt.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

QuietBoy99 said:


> When I was on Paxil that thing destroyed my sex drive. I could not get an erection easily I had to really work at it and even when I finished the job it just didn't feel the same. Most of the meds have some form of sexual side effect and for me it just wasn't worth i:afrt.


You really should only take these drugs if your suffering is bad enough that side effects are worth it.
Personally i had/have the same side effect you mention but it doesn't bother me in the least. The pain of depression, social phobia and negative thoughts is much worse.


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## Nogy (Feb 13, 2011)

Nogy said:


> Okay, so i was on paxil about 2 years, then quit for about six months. I just recently got back on it though, been on it for about 12 days now. Im having some very frustrating side effects this time around though....i cant orgasm. Which surprises me, because when i was on it before i could....it took a bit longer but i still could. Is it possible that my side effect might lessen after awhile? i know side effects are suppose to get better afterwhile, but im not sure about the sexual side effects. Im not sure if i'll be able to continue taking this if i won't ever be able to orgasm again!





blakeyz said:


> I have read a lot that when people go back on a SSRI that helped them before that it doesn't work second time around


Has anyone else heard of this? Paxil tremendously helped me with my depression before, thats why i decided to take it again. If they really don't work the second time around...well that scares me. I don't want to be wasting the next 2 months waiting for results that won't come, when i could try something else


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

blakeyz said:


> You really should only take these drugs if your suffering is bad enough that side effects are worth it.
> Personally i had/have the same side effect you mention but it doesn't bother me in the least. The pain of depression, social phobia and negative thoughts is much worse.


These meds were never really worth it for me; true I was suffering but meds are not the answer for me at least. I believe a man's sex drive is very important and that is something I will not sacrifice. I use positive thinking, eat healthy, fish oil and vitamins those are better solutions for me than "quick-fix" meds but that is me.


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## Cuauhtemoc (Jul 22, 2010)

If paxil messed with my ability to get an erection I would drop it immediately lol.
But it only affected my orgasm and not that much...so...


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## isurfallday (Nov 7, 2011)

......in terms of holding out, paxil is the best thing ever.


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## DK3 (Sep 21, 2011)

Neptune said:


> Okay, so I'm curious since I've just started Paxil...does Paxil tend to decrease SEX DRIVE or just the ability to orgasm???


OK apologies for the graphic nature of this reply (please stop reading if you're easily offended)..

When I took Paxil I noticed my sex drive was affected and reduced but not massively.

Paxil has significant sexual side effects though, particularly for men. Not only does it delay the ability to orgasm (which for me took AGES), but it changes (reduces) the quality of orgasm, I even found my ejaculations were affected (watery) and my girlfriend at the time complained they tasted of "chemical". The other thing is my erections just felt weird on this drug. Difficult to put into words..there was like a numbing feeling and lack of hardness compared to normal, and a significantly reduced sensitivity, it actually felt like my penis wasn't attached to me! Very difficult to explain.


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## A Sense of Purpose (May 8, 2011)

DK3 said:


> Difficult to put into words..there was like a numbing feeling and lack of hardness compared to normal, and a significantly reduced sensitivity, it actually felt like my penis wasn't attached to me! Very difficult to explain.


Bang on. Several drugs have had this effect. Amitriptyline, Topamax, Lexapro. Mirt was fine though


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

Paxil was the first antidepressant I was ever on and it murdered my sex drive. It was so difficult for me to organism not to mention ruined my relationships. So to answer your questions it's both.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

When I first went on Zoloft I noticed a HUGE drop off in libido and well...I just couldn't orgasm for a few weeks. Now, my sex drive is back to normal and it just takes a little longer to orgasm which isn't all that bad for us guys...if ya catch my drift???


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