Wellbutrin and sex drive

Is anyone on it and how does it affect your sex drive?

Carl

Carl schreef:
> Is anyone on it and how does it affect your sex drive?
>
> Carl



It's a very stimulating antidepressant and many anxiety sufferers don't
do well on it for that reason: it raises their anxiety. Still, if used
in a combo with a benzo and if it agrees with your personal chemistry (a
matter of trying, the proof of the pudding is in the eating) it can be
effective.
As to sex drive: a rarity among AD's, it rather enhances your sex drive
than anything else. It is sometimes used to counteract SSRI-induced
sexual dysfunction.

Philip

Agree 100%. Wellbutrin definitely IS stimulating (owing largely to
it's effects primarily on the dopamine and norepinephrine aspects of
neurochemistry). I once thought it might be interesting to try it, and
took exactly one (prescribed) pill, 100 mg XL, and for hours was having
agonizing agitation and anxiety and thoughts of doom & dying (even
difficulty breathing due to high anxiety level). I would not take
another one of those pills, even at gunpoint.

That having been said, *some* people don't find that it messes with
them in an anxiogenic sense - however they seem to be a clear minority.
I personally am acquainted with someone who started on it, as
monotherapy for their depression, and they did become less depressed,
but also became intolerable to be around. I wish I knew some positive
personal stories on Wellbutrin, I'm sure there are plenty of them.

Low dose celexa seemed to be least difficult in the libido dept. as I
think back on it. I take Prozac now, and it seems to have no effect
whatsoever there either, but others will tell you that they've had
difficulty with it. As always, it's very individual. I think I've
finally settled on Prozac, after having stopped it like 3 times, I've
now been using it for about a year or so, and I am almost never "with
symptoms".

I do hear some shrinks talk about Klonopin (esp in higher doses) being
problematic for people in terms of sex drive - not having ever used
much of it, or for very long, I really have no anecdote on that.

Be well Carl,
Gary

Carl wrote:
> Is anyone on it and how does it affect your sex drive?
>
> Carl

Hi Carl,

I am currently taking Wellbutrin to counter the loss of libido from
Paxil, although I am now fully off of Paxil. It has been shown to help
sex drive in post-menopausal women (I'm only 24, but I thought hey why
not?). So far it hasn't helped. I just recently had a relapse of very
bad anxiety, which I'm trying to figure out if it is just my "normal"
anxiety coming back from being off of Paxil or if Wellbutrin is aiding
in this. From the other responses to your post, I'm starting to
wonder. I've stopped taking Wellbutrin two days ago and don't plan on
starting it again yet. If I do start Paxil again, I will try
Wellbutrin in conjuntion since I don't think my relationship with my
boyfriend will last much longer without sex! I'll let you know if it
helps!

Liza

I've been on AD's for several years, Buspar, Lexapro... they destroyed
my ability to achieve orgasm and I had an almost non-existent libido...
for a while it was fine but after a couple of years it got real old...
My doc started me on Wellbutrin (150mg once a day) to try to counteract
the Lexapro but the Lexapro was still overpowering it... changed dr.s
and he put me on the 300mg XL version once a day while still keeping
the Lexapro and buspar the same... still didn't help... I weaned myself
off the Lexapro and Buspar and now am only taking the 300mg
Wellbutrin... as soon as the Lexapro was out of my system (three or
four days) I was back in the game... I don't recommend changing your
med's on your own and I'm sure my dr is going to be at a minimum
annoyed and perhaps pissed, but these guys are just a bunch of pill
pushers anyway and if you tell them you feel a certain way they will
give you just about anything... so I feel that I've pretty much
controlled my prescription from the beginning... I'm happy with the
Wellbutrin though... it does get me a little speedy, so if anxiety is a
problem the Wellbutrin by itself is going to make it much worse... but
you will be able to cum.

Cheers,
T



lbinfeld@gmail.com wrote:
> Carl wrote:
> > Is anyone on it and how does it affect your sex drive?
> >
> > Carl
>
> Hi Carl,
>
> I am currently taking Wellbutrin to counter the loss of libido from
> Paxil, although I am now fully off of Paxil. It has been shown to help
> sex drive in post-menopausal women (I'm only 24, but I thought hey why
> not?). So far it hasn't helped. I just recently had a relapse of very
> bad anxiety, which I'm trying to figure out if it is just my "normal"
> anxiety coming back from being off of Paxil or if Wellbutrin is aiding
> in this. From the other responses to your post, I'm starting to
> wonder. I've stopped taking Wellbutrin two days ago and don't plan on
> starting it again yet. If I do start Paxil again, I will try
> Wellbutrin in conjuntion since I don't think my relationship with my
> boyfriend will last much longer without sex! I'll let you know if it
> helps!
>
> Liza