So I have a cousin who was recently diagnosed with severe depression, He has tried 2 different antidepressents. He claims that the drugs work wonders, he has never felt so great in his life. He is now able to move on with his life and has got back to enjoying his old hobbies. Only one small problem with these wonder drugs, erectile dysfunction. He's only 30 just recently got married and wants to have kids some day. What should he do??? Is any one else on this board brave enough to share a similar problem with antidepressents??? I talked to him the other day and he told me that he feels great, except for the fact that he feels like he has just been neutered. He has tried Prozac, and a new drug called Cymbalta and they both give him a "Limp Bizkit.
He really wants to stay on them because they have helped his mood a lot, and he feels a lot happier, but he's worried his sex life is over with.

there numerous other anti-depression drugs to try. and viraga will help. sometimes a combination of two anti-d drugs provides the balance needed. Prozac is known for working quickly right off the bat as your friend has found. Moving on to something else for the very reason you mentioned is quite common.

he might also want to spend more time pleasing his wife sexually first. as they say, although crudely, 'first, lick the clit and the dick will follow.' this is good advice for everybody actually, but that is another thread.

I was on antidepressants in the late 90s and early 2000s. There are a number of sexual side effects that come with the territory. I didn't have ED, but I had the more common side effect where you don't have any trouble getting erect, but it's almost impossible to climax.

Long story short, I went thru five or six different meds before finding one that didn't have nasty side effects (rashes, diarrhea, etc), and found one (Effexor) that worked for me. I still put up with a certain level of sexual side effects, however, 'cause everything else was working out OK, and it took some hunting to get there.

If your cousin is on a good medical plan where he has access to psychiatrists, I recommend going to one of those guys rather than a family doctor. A psychiatrist who is willing to just work on the medication part of your cousin's problem is going to know a whole lot more about the current state of antidepressants than your cousin's GP.

I would recommend a naturopathic doctor as well. We have several top notch ones in Portland and if you email me I can highly recommend one in particular.

I agree with Sutton, effexor seems to be best choice for many, unfortunately many hmos won't prescribe it until everything else is tried first. if one belongs to a HMO, they usually have a person or two who is the resident expert on anti-d drug prescribing and is able to find a balance for one's unique situation.

There once was a time when I started getting the blues, this is going way back before I had the Yugo, I'm talking mid 90's. I started taking antidepressents and they totally took away my manhood! Seriously, i had no desires, no urges,(Now I know what a neutered dog feels like) I could get an erection,(with help) but I could not climax and could not get an orgasm. Finally I ditched the meds because it was not worth it. It was DESTROYING my sex life and I didn't feel like a man. One thing that helped me a lot was joining a club and excercising. As corny as that may sound, excercisie has been proven to decrease depression. You get a natural High that enhances your mood. Plus I stoped eating at Carls Jr and Jack in The Box. Although I still indulge once in a while.( The Chicken strips at Jack in the Box are HEAVENLY).

I know several people who have had good luck with Wellbutrin, which is not your typical type of anti-depressant (not an SSRI like Prozac, Zoloft, etc.). As such, it may not have all of the same side effects, either.

Andrew

Yup Andrew is Right! Infact if you go on the Wellbutrin Website it claims that Sexual Side Effects should not occur. Im always a bit skeptical with antidepressents, you never know if extended periods of use can cause long term damage way down the road. But on the other hand, if someone has a chemical imbalence, sometimes drugs ARE THE ONLY ANSWER!!

I have a 52 year old Aunt who is taking Effexor, not for depression but for her hot flashes. Now that she has started menopause, her hot flashes are out of control. Now here is the interesting part of Effexor, she is so much more fun to be around. I'm not sure what the hell her problem used to be, Im guessing it was PMS, because she was a complete Witch, nobody could stand being around her. Once she started taking the meds she doesn't have these bitchy episodes like she used to and people can actually tolerate being around her.