When antidepressants break your sex drive
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Why do antidepressants often reduce sexual desire and performance?
This is an ABC podcast.
I think it goes without saying that shit's been pretty rough lately. If you had mental health issues before the pandemic, it's likely they've been made worse, and you may be experiencing anxiety or depression for the first time. And you might have started using antidepressants to help stabilize your mood. These drugs can save lives, but they can also really mess with your sex life. I'm Nat Tencich and on this episode Anti D's and Doing the Deed. You'll find out what to do when the stuff that's meant to make you feel better takes away one of your big remaining pleasures. And how you might not actually have to choose. This is actually one of the most requested topics on the hookup. Every month or so, someone drops into the inbox with this problem.
I'm on antidepressants and while I feel better, I have no desire for sex. I miss orgasms and I miss connecting with my partner. Help. And
it's a tough one because you can feel trapped. Is it worth giving up your mental stability to come? Could being on meds cost you a relationship. For Alex, antidepressants were causing premature ejaculation. Reporter Jackson Worthington had a chat with him about how almost a decade of being on meds has impacted his sex life and relationships.
It made me a lot more premature than I'd ever been before. Felt like I wouldn't be able to satisfy a new partner or anything like that. That's Alex. He's got anxiety and depression. It's been on and off antidepressants for nearly nine years. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reckons more than 3.1 million Aussies were prescribed antidepressants in 2019-20, just like Alex. And that was before the pandemic started. These meds are meant to help people improve their mental health.
How do personal stories like Alex’s illustrate medication‑induced premature ejaculation?
But just like everything else, they have some side effects. When you first start on one, you get quite a lot of like nausea. I had one where I had some insomnia as a side effect and didn't sleep for about a week. In terms of side effects that continued on, there was some sexual dysfunction which changed from medication to medication. Some of the ones I was on I couldn't bring myself to ejaculate. Regardless of what I did and some of the other ones was the complete opposite where, you know, a flicker the switch would do it. Over the past nine years, Alex's meds have had a pretty big impact on his sex life and his relationships. at points m my partner at the time would feel, you know, inadequate 'cause they could not bring me to ejaculate but it was entirely due to the medication as it was never previously an issue.
It gets frustrating, especially one of the ones I was recently on after being single for a while. And it made me a lot more premature than I'd ever been before and that kind of made me less interested in seeking out anything because I felt like I wouldn't be able to satisfy, you know, a new partner or anything like that. Alex isn't alone in his frustration. Nick started taking antidepressants just after starting uni. Basically, just as he started dating, he started to deal with these side effects too. feel incomplete in a way. You don't feel like you're Normal can definitely hurt your self confidence. and would affect the way that you interact with people, especially women, uh, in that kind of setting.
My girlfriend was very supportive and to be honest, it probably frustrated me more than anything. You kind of feel bad in a way because you're c letting down the sexual experience. Okay, so there's no doubt these medications help a lot of people. But why do so many of them screw up your sex life?
Most antidepressants work by changing the levels of hormones in our brains. And we know that depression is linked to an imbalance in some of these hormones.
That's Dr. Anna Simeki. She's a medical advisor at NPS MedicineWise, a non-for-profit that helps people understand how to safely use their medications.
What does medical expert Dr Anna Simeki say about the prevalence of sexual side‑effects from SSRIs?
She says sexual dysfunction is a super common side effect of antidepressants.
One of the most commonly used classes of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why do antidepressants often reduce sexual desire and performance?
0:02–2:03
2
How do personal stories like Alex’s illustrate medication‑induced premature ejaculation?
2:03–4:10
3
What does medical expert Dr Anna Simeki say about the prevalence of sexual side‑effects from SSRIs?
4:10–6:38
4
How can open communication with doctors help manage antidepressant‑related sexual issues?
6:38–8:50
5
What practical strategies (timing, toys, scheduling) can improve pleasure while on antidepressants?
8:50–11:01
6
How should you discuss medication effects with a new partner to reduce anxiety?
11:01–13:17
7
What mindset shifts does sex therapist Lauren French recommend for balancing mental health and libido?
13:17–15:32
8
When should you seek professional help from a therapist or doctor for sexual side‑effects?
15:32–17:37