Hi,
I'm on citalopram 20mg for anxiety and it causes me to be a bit numb down below, I haven't had a morning erection in years and can't figure out if its the medication or part of my anxiety disorder. Are SSRI'S meant to completely wreck your sex life or do you think its the anxiety and state of mind that contributes as well?
I'm otherwise a fit & healthy 25 year old male with no physical health problems dispite anxiety/low mood. I've had blood tests for my erectile dysfunction and they all came back normal my testosterone levels etc.
My GP gave me viagra, but been scared to take it as heard in rare occasions people have had heart attacks after taking the drug.
Ive only just found this out that the medication can cause low sex drive. Your GP will have given you viagra, to help the worry of having a heart attack is proberbly the anxiety like me. worrying!!! Maybe you should start with a small dose of viagra to see how you get on?
Unfortunately its one of the effects of citalprom, viagra should help the GP would not giv u unless its safe thats why he checked your blood pressure, it does eventually get back to normal have been on it for 5 years now.
Happens to us ladies too :-( and yes it a side effect of the medication. I used to be on 20mg and after a few years reduced my meds to 10mg and am now on 5mg. That does help.
Something to consider if you ever decide to come off meds - when you're off Citalopram try a natural SSRI called 5-HTP which needs to be taken with l-tyrosine. Both can be bought from Holland & Barrett (if you're in the UK) and you need to take them both. Read a book called 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity by Michael T Murray ........ it's a really interesting read.
You need to be off SSRI's completely before starting 5-HTP as they must not be taken together.
I took these for a year and had excellent results. You get no side effects as with Citalopram etc. Unfortunately I did restart Cit a year ago due to the stress of family illness began to cause my anxiety to rear up, so restarted before I sunk too far and I needed to be well for my family. As all is has past now I've already reduced to 5mg and next year will go back on 5-HTP and l-tyrosine.
Something to keep in mind if you get fed up with the medication.
K x
Hi Andrew, I have benn on 30mg of citrellapram for about 5-6 years now and I have had a similar problem not with erections but with climaxing taking such a long time I often give up. I'm 29 when this 1st happened I spoke to my doctor and he said to me to just persist as it was a mind matter. I still have the proble. During sex however erections are not a problem and even after climaxing I still somehow am fully erected to for about 10 minutes after, I don't know if that is a side effect too but thought I would share my experience with u.
Im 2 weeks in n thank christ sum1 else is having the failure to orgasm side effect. Like said earlier, u think that u may as well give up.....at least its not just me, plus am sweating like a pig as well whilst at it??? Come on side effects, bugger off n leave me alone.
Yea it can be tough mate but the tablets do work just those side effects that are a pain. my doctor told me that they are sold on the black market for premiture ejaculation so least we don't have that problem lol. but just keep at it buddy