I am a 22 year old Male and I consider myself to have a pretty healthy sex life however I do have anxiety problems to which my doctor prescribed Lexapro. I am just worried that I am going to lose my sex drive and or have some sort long term effect in that area. What are the percentages of males that actually have problems with their sex drive, and is there a way to prevent such a thing from happening and if it does happen how long does it last?
Does Lexapro Decrease Sex Drive?
- Posted:
- 22 Jun 2010 by lowly
- Topics:
- lexapro, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder
Details:
Added 22 Jun 2010:
Here some general health details about myself I forgot to add, which may help other people in the future who are concerned with the samethings I am.
I am 22 years old as you already know, 6'0, 158 pounds and in good shape. I do not smoke, do drugs, nor drink alcohol, and my anxiety is not terrible it just limits and effects my life in ways that prohibits me from living life the way I desire and has effected my education negatively.
I was also given an extremely small dose of Lexapro, 5mg pills to which I then cut in half, and was asked to take a half a day.
My Questions and concerns are
- What are the percentages of males that have had noticable problems with their sex life and sex drive while on Lexapro or other SSRI's
-Are there ways to prevent such things from happening or is just the luck of the draw?
-If such a thing were to happen how long does it last and are their long term effects?
And here is a new concern I have
- If I maintain my current regime of eating and exercise will I still gain weight? And if the answer is yes, can you explain to me in simple terms as to why.
Thank you to anyone who is listening.
Responses (5)
maso416922 Jun 2010
Don't mean to bring you down but this is the way it is:
Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate), like all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is known to cause certain sexual side effects. "Lexapro sexual side effects" may include:
* A decreased sex drive
* Ejaculation problems
* Impotence (also known as erectile dysfunction or ED)
* Decreased sexual satisfaction
* Orgasm problems
* A prolonged and painful erection (priapism).
A Decreased Sex Drive
Lexapro is known to cause a decrease in sex drive (known as libido) in both men and women.
Ejaculation Problems
Lexapro is also known to cause ejaculatory problems in men. In most cases, the problems were noted as delayed ejaculation rather than a complete inability to ejaculate.
Sorry... I myself have gone through this with other meds... it's ( no words)
Anonymous 22 Jun 2010
i take paxil, and yes it will decrease your sex drive, but at your age the effects are minimal, maybe lasting longer with your mate, that's not such a bad thing.
if your anxiety is bad like mine was, it's more than worth it, if lexapro doesn't work out for you I suggest paxil it has a more of a sudated affect opposed to all others, good luck
mattspunk...23 Jun 2010
I'm a female, but maybe I can help anyway. I took Lexapro 10 mg for 3 yrs and then 20 mg for about 5 months. It really worked great for my GAD for the first 3 years. I had NO side effects at all! No sexual side effects. I think Lexapro has a pretty low side effect profile compared to other SSRI's out there. I think since you are also on such a low dose, you shouldn't have a problem. Also, if you do have an issue while taking it, once you stop it, you shouldn't have any permanent sexual dysfunction. Once its out of your system you're good to go. I really liked this SSRI, it does effect everyone differently, but its def worth a try. You seem to be really healthy, so I don't think you should have any issues with it. I did have a bit of weight gain, but I'm pretty sure it was me just overeating. LOL. Lexapro is the best drug I've been on to date.
ocmike926626 Jul 2010
I am a 20 year old male who has been taking lexapro for the past 3 years. This response is my experience, so it might not be yours.
I have noticed a severe loss in sex drive over the past 6 months or so. I want to blame it on the lexapro, but as I have been taking it for 3 years, i can not come to that conclusion.
It is extremely detrimental in the sex are as my girlfriend works at an adult store, and wants to have sex constantly. It has come to the point where she will practically throw herself at me, and i decline. I would much rather have this minor side effect than live in the hell i lived in for a long time..
I would also like to add that overall, I am not a very depressed person. I am taking the Lexapro for GAD (generalized anxiety disorder).
That is my experience, and i hope that i dont deter you from getting the help you need. As I understand, most SSRI's will cause a loss in sex drive, but i can not confirm this as i have only been on this one.
Please let me know how this goes for you,
Mike
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.
Similar questions
Quitting Lexapro - symptoms?
Hi. I stopped Lexapro last week and started on Prozac generic (20mg). Starting yesterday, I've been experiencing nausea, severe irritability, ...
2 answers • 29 Sep 2009 • 
My fiance & I are both on medications for anxiety/depression... its killed our sex life. Suggestions
We are both in our early 40's. Due to our jobs, dealing w our ex's, the kids and the many other issues in life, we struggle if we ...
1 answer • 14 Aug 2010 • 1 star
Can anyone tell me if coming off lexapro and straight onto prozac will give noticable side effects?
I was on lexapro 20mg for 8 months and my pysc changed me last week(as the lexapro was'nt working for me)so i'm taking 10mg of prozac for 1 ...
4 answers • 16 Feb 2011 •
AndroGel - How many pumps should I take?
I have a total testosterone of 234. I'm 42 years old and feel tired all the time and began feeling anxiety during times thatcive never felt ...
1 answer • 13 Feb 2012 •
Is there weight gain and sexual side effects associated with Prozac?
While Lexapro worked great for my anxiety, the 30 lbs I gained and lack of sex drive I had made me crazy! Looking for an antidepressant without these ...
1 answer • 9 Mar 2012 •
Thank you, I have been talking to a lot of people about the effects of Lexapro and SSRI's in general. Maybe I should also give a little more detail description on my general health as well. I am 22 years old as you already know, 6'0, 158 pounds and in good shape. I do not smoke, do drugs, nor drink alcohol, and my anxiety is not terrible is just limits and effects my life in ways that prohibits me from living life the way I desire and has effected my education negatively. I do want to get better but I do not want to lose my sex life, which I think is understandable. Thank you very much nugentis, you have put my mind at ease a bit but I have also decided to put off taking the medication until all of my concerns are put to rest.