antidepressants and ED

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whygodwhy

im currently taking a medication for depression called viibryd.  when i frist started taking it i got frequent erections very easily often for no reason without stimulation - ie while eating breakfast talking to my family i had a hard on, while driving to work worrying if im going to be late i'd have a hard on.  I've been on viibryd for 2 years now and i can't maintain an erection.  I get fully aroused when stimulated but can't maintain the erection.  After a min or 2 i get soft.  I'm 28.  I went to my urologist and asked for an ed med and they said i was too young and that is probably a result of my antideppresant

I was diagnosed with severe major depression when i was 20 and when im not on antidepressants i cant get hard at all.  on viibryd i can masturbate but i have to work really hard to climax.

anyone out there had similar problems?  Can anyone make a suggestion to an antideppresant that won't give me ED?  

Skjaldborg

This page: Sex on Antidepressants | World of Psychology

Has some useful information on sex and antidepressants.

If your current antidepressant is properly addressing your depression, I would stay on it and find another uro who is willing to prescribe ED meds. If no uro is willing to prescribe ED meds (even low-dose cialis), only then would I switch to a different antidepressant. Mental health is always more important.

Best,

Skjald  

user of no names

I have taken numerous ssri over the years and the ones with the fewest sexual side effects are mirtazapine and bupropion. Hope that helps.

Njnist

SSRI's had the same effect on me. They are well known to cause sexual dysfunction but that went away when I went off the medication. Wellbutrin(bupropion) is an alternative but is not a SSRI but rather a selective norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and has been show to actually increase sexual drive in some, though who knows if it will work as well for you depression. Remeron(mirtazapine) is also not an SSRI but rather a more selective serotonin antagonist.
The side effects can be harsh but I think mental health is more important at the moment than your peyronies...but you should really speak to your doctor about it.

Caesar

I've been taking Nortriptyline (12.5 mg/day), Sulpiride (50 mg/day) and Diazepam (7.5 mg/day) during a year. I started taking a double dosage, 5 months later I felt better and lowered the dose to this.

Both Nortriptyline and Sulpiride cause erectile dysfunction. Many drugs used to treat depression have this side effect.
In the beginning, my penis was like dead. I had no interest in sex and it was difficult to get an erection. Now, with half the dose of each, I'm a bit better, but still missing those erections for no reason you mention. Soon I'll be halving the dosage again in order to say bye bye to medication.

So, to answer your question: yes, I've had the very same problem for like 17 months. And I know how you're feeling (I'm 31).

My piece of advice: have you considered talking to a psychologist?

I was really bad when I started with depression and took me a few months to go visit one. I was assigned one by my health insurance, but the sessions were quite useless (no trust or rapport).
So a friend of mine sugested me to visit another one he was friends with at university years ago: after one year visiting her I have come out from depression and made important decisions with my life for the better. She's a EMDR clinician and that treatment is like woah!

Medication for depression is like using a crutch: it helps but you have to solve your problems and work on yourself in order to "heal".

Here's my two cents  ;)  
Age: 37
First onset: January 2014 (lasted 16 months) | Treatment: Q10 (ubiquinol) + Acetyl-L-Carnitine | Result: 15ยบ curvature to right and narrowing at the base.
Second onset: January 2020.

dioporcolorisolvo

It's very difficult to find an antidepressant that doesn't give sexual collateral effects.

Bupropion is maybe the best in this sense.  

welshwales

I took mirtazapine for a while a good few years ago. It noticeably increased my sex drive, but it also made me emotionally numb.

Rothko

I've been on about every anti depressant there is, since I was in my early 30's.  I was very lucky to be in remission for 18 years while taking Paxil 30 mg.  It did not affect my sexual functioning.  When the depression resurfaced 3.5 years ago, nothing worked.  For me, during a depression, achieving erections was paramount, as I saw this as hope that I would recover.  I was able to have sex, and masturbate successfully for about a hear and a half.  Then, things deteriorated and my erections started to diminish.  My doctor was very accommodating in switching meds and doses to accommodate my need to 'perform' well (even though I was only masturbating at this point).  Next, the signs of Peyronies surfaced, making life even more unbearable and frightening. I didn't need this after suffering so much with the depression on its own.   I have always known there is a complex inter play between the depression and the meds.  Add Peyronies to the mix, and you've got a conundrum on your hands.  For most men, being able to achieve healthy erections is what boosts their mental health, so a breakdown at any level can be extremely stressful, particularly for those men who identify themselves as sexual beings (me).  This is a great loss, of identity, social fluency, lifestyle, self esteem, and overall well being.  

I have no great advice to give just yet, as I suffer greatly.  I do know that, of the SSRI's, Prozac, Paxil are probably the most likely to cause ED.  Next in line would be Setraline (Zoloft), Celexa and Lexapro (which made me very very depressed).  Wellbutrin, Trazadone and Serzone are less, but not as effective.  There are also the SNRI's, such as Effexor, Cymbalta and Pristique (which didn't work for me / Effexor made my dick contract)  Everyone reacts differently to each of these drugs.  Psychiatrists now mix and match them to find the right combination for their patients.  Particularly when using boosters like Abilify, Lamictal and/or Lithium.  However, do your best to follow your psychiatrist's orders, stay away from the benzodiazapides as best you can (they can cause more trauma over the long haul if over used), find ways to reassure yourself that things will get better, live as best in the moment as you can, and remember that winter will always turn to spring.  I know, I had 18 good years, and expect another good run after fighting this battle.