Friendly reminder that sexual side effects of SSRIs are incredibly common, some medications effect more than one in four, but it is something that’s typically wildly underreported unless the practitioner brings it up, specifically, first. Not just “any side effects”.

There are multiple treatment options for people who encounter those side effects. They can range from poor libido/drive, to inability to obtain an erection or adequate vaginal moisture, to delayed or absent orgasm. All are common and all are frustrating. All can occur alone or with one or more partners.

If it’s impacting treatment or quality of life or your ability to stay compliant with meds, it’s absolutely worth discussing with your provider. There are other medications or alternative schedules to taking SSRIs. There are other meds that can be prescribed alongside SSRIs to accommodate for the side effects.

Relevant article from Journal of Clinical Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6832699/

There's other antidepressants that don't do that. Mirtazapine for instance helps sleep, and has no real impact on sex. It'll make you hungry, though. Buproprion will mess with your sleep but not sex, but you'll have no appetite. They all have their own unique collection of side effects, well worth looking into other options if SSRI's aren't well tolerated