POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Mental Health & HIV => Topic started by: PeteNYNJ on June 24, 2009, 04:12:45 pm
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Hey All
I have been on the Antidepressant Celexa for like a year now and the side effects have been bugging me lately. I have pretty much no sex drive or no real drive at all. I have also gained weight.
I was wondering what others have done when this happens? I am wary to change regimens due to a very bad experience I had when I switched to Effexor from Lexapro.
Any other antidepressants that won't make me feel so unmotivated?
Thanks for your help and advice.
Pete
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Hey All
I have been on the Antidepressant Celexa for like a year now and the side effects have been bugging me lately. I have pretty much no sex drive or no real drive at all. I have also gained weight.
I was wondering what others have done when this happens? I am wary to change regimens due to a very bad experience I had when I switched to Effexor from Lexapro.
Any other antidepressants that won't make me feel so unmotivated?
Thanks for your help and advice.
celexa and other SSRIs do have low sex drive as a side effect. But only in about 6-7% of people. If you have exhausted the other possible causes (low testosterone, situational), then you may be one of the victims. You can ask your doc about wellbutrin, which may not have this side effect as it's not an SSRI. It didn't do anything to increase my bf's sex drive when he switched away from celexa however. But there are other reasons to his low sex drive. And unfortunately his depression got worse on it. He is back on another SSRI now, prozac.
I have been on celexa since my poz diagnosis. I was taking up to 60mg a day for 1.5years. Now down to 20mg. It never interfered with my sex drive. It's probably as high as it's ever been right now.
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The low testosterone thing is interesting - I might want to ask my doctor about that. Is that a normal test they do every three months or do you have to ask for it?
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The low testosterone thing is interesting - I might want to ask my doctor about that. Is that a normal test they do every three months or do you have to ask for it?
You have to ask for it. If you mention your low sex drive to your doc, he will probably prescribe the test to you.
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Pete
I just thought you would like to hear my story.
I have been taking Celexa for 2 months now. I figured that any side effects would show up by now.....and (I think) they did.
I did notice SOME decline in my ability to achieve an orgasm. It just took longer...not a bad thing. Ha.
What I didnt like was that although I was calm....I still felt tense...my muscles would tense up while just sitting and I would have to tell myself to relax them. I felt "jittery".
When I went to my acupuncturist we discussed all this and he has given me three treatments in three weeks and now I feel fine. I cant say if it would work for you for you, but for me, the acupuncture has helped as much as the Celexa. In combination...the Celexa and the acupuncture....I feel very much better.
Hugs
Joel
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The wiki entry for this discusses this:
Citalopram is a Pgp substrate and is actively transported by that protein from the brain. The efficacy of citalopram in people possessing a certain version of Pgp (genetic TT-allele) is likely to be diminished. This suggests that in non-responders to citalopram a switch to antidepressant which is not a Pgp substrate, such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex) or mirtazapine (Remeron)—but not to venlafaxine (Effexor), amitriptyline (Elavil) or paroxetine (Paxil), which are Pgp substrates—may be beneficial.
For what it's worth I took mirtazapin (Remeron) for years with no trouble -- the only thing to note on it is that it increases your appetite (oddly) and if you're not prudent about this you'll gain weight, but it didn't effect my sex drive (unlike those filthy SSRIs). However, this drug is super great if you have sleep issues as it puts you to bed good.
Have you looked into Cymbalta?
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Thanks guys
I have not thought about cymbalta until this week when I noticed every other commercial on TV during the day is for that drug.
My psychiatrist is thinking of adding welbutrin in low dose to increase sex drive and focus but I dont know if I want to add more drugs to my regimine.
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A couple years back, I was working with a psychiatrist and tried nearly every SSRI under the sun. All had the same effect on me, to one extent or another: they eliminated my sex drive, they made me jittery, and they interfered with my sleep. I also tried some non-typical antidepressants (Serzone, Wellbutrin) and only the latter seemed to have some benefit. I really wasn't willing to try MAOI or tricyclic anti-depressants, as the list of side-effects scared the shit out of me.
Unfortunately, none helped my depression, and I finally decided I had to get off the medication treadmill. My psychiatrist talked to my ID doctor, and said I was one of the most unresponsive persons he has ever seen, regarding these medications. So I've just continued working with my therapist (had to go through a few to find the right one). Though I still go back and forth as to whether the source of my depression is situational or physiological.
Hang in there...
Henry
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Henry
That is a good point, how do you know if it is situational or psychological? I think right now my depression is situational (no job, low finances, blah blah blah) but I have definitly been on the psychological side where I had no idea why I was sad.
I had to stop seeing my therapist due to him being too expensive and have yet to pick up a new one through my insurance company. That is something to do this weekend.
Pete
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The medications aren't really the answer. Wellbutrin which is what i am quiting due to consitpation ( a little personal) was a band aid. Low testosterone is definately a biggie when it comes to lack of energy which is depressing and also low sex drive. All antidepressants casue libido problems and i think the number is larger than one post stated in real life not statistics- no offense person who posted that. Consouling seems to be the best psycological answer. Get to the root of it. That will change the brain chemistry in and of it self. I"m 21+ and depressed about the whole damn thing but I decided to channel my energy into my health and healing. Some have gone sero negative. That exploration keeps me motivated and hopefull. Lessens the depresssion cause i feel like i have some power over this. Alternative seems to help too the holistic stuff. and of course the basics good food, exersize ( those endorphins that make you feel good for hours afterwards) and adaquate rest. Don't for get to not isolate as you will rumunte on things alone. Best Regards. JP
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Me again, check your B12 and opt ofr the injections weekly if your low and also animia. These are energy robber and tend to depress the body and mind. When i can't do squat but sitt around due to fatique and so forth I want to throw it all in . hope this helps.
JP :)
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Unlike you, I just started Celexa recently (after the death of my partner). I've been on Welbutrin XL for some time, and in my case, the Welbutrin really jazzed up my sex drive. I've talked to others who had that same reaction. The Celexa made it hard to orgasm at first, and it still slows me down, but I've learned to overcum it (pun intended).
In the end, these drugs all act different with each of us. I know when I tried zoloft it made me paranoid and I quit it immediately. If you trust your doctor, work with him to find what drug/dose works best. If you don't trust your doc, find another one that you DO trust.
KK
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Push your shrink to apply his/her expertise and knowledge of you to find a better solution.
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Hey All
I was wondering what others have done when this happens? I am wary to change regimens due to a very bad experience I had when I switched to Effexor from Lexapro.
Hi Pete, can you tell me what is wrong with lexapro please?
My psychiatrist says no problem with it.
But well, yes is a little hard to have an orgasm.
Hugs, from Acapulco.
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GodSon83
All we can say here in this forum is, different folks, different strokes..and I'll add a few more, Your therapist can tell ya that "it's nothing wrong with it.." but you feel so so...
Prozac for me was MUCH TOO GOOD....(for example)..the orgasm delay drove me into a SUPER SEX MANIAC behavior..and got HIV infected... :o
Citalopram, did some very good job as I felt into depressive insomnia, and after a year I left it , and feel all right. I told HIV pozfriends and many said that they had horrendous side effects.....Therapist must know about those side effects, but is up-to-you to go back to him and tell about....
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GodSon83
Lexapro was good for me...not a lot of side effects but it kinda stopped working with the depression issues (I was on it for about 3 years). I switched to Effexor which was a nightmare for me.
It really is a crap shoot. Some thinks work great for some and not for others.
I spoke to my doctor about doing a Testosterone test at my next blood draw (next month) and he said that would be valid since I have never had one done.
My psychiatrist is a bit weird but will basically do whatever I want so I will talk to him about changing my meds after I get the results of the Testosterone test.
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Hey Pete ,
I take Celexa ! four years now !
I TAKE CLORAZAPRAM when ever i feel spazzed :o
Oh that would be at breakfast
afternoon , before bed ::)
I do feel like a normal person !
If i do not take clorazapram <sp> i feel shaky and nervous !
But with out the celixa i feel Melancholic !!!!!!!!!!!
My sex drive ? see a hunk get a boner :o :o LOL
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The wiki entry for this discusses this:
For what it's worth I took mirtazapin (Remeron) for years with no trouble -- the only thing to note on it is that it increases your appetite (oddly) and if you're not prudent about this you'll gain weight, but it didn't effect my sex drive (unlike those filthy SSRIs). However, this drug is super great if you have sleep issues as it puts you to bed good.
Have you looked into Cymbalta?
Sorry to get a bit off topic but did you get off the remeron? How? Was it hard? Did you change to another drug?