help with side effects

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
help with side effects
4
Sat, 01-08-2005 - 10:02pm

I've been taking Symbyax (Prozac and Zyprexa) for about two months now, and have improved tremendously. However, I've been experiencing a loss in sex drive and an inability to orgasm at all. It's becoming so frustrating, that I've considered stopping my medication. Will this pass? Do the side effects ever go away? If they do, how long does it take until your body gets used to the drugs? I'm so frustrated by this, but I have no one to give me any advice. Are there other drug treatments available with a lower risk of sexual side effects? Thanks!

Lauren

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-20-2004
Sat, 01-08-2005 - 10:39pm

Lauren,

Hi! I've take zyprex and prozac at the same time but never took Symbyax. I know when I started the prozac I had sexual trouble but it went away. It took a while though. I want to say up to a couple of month ~ 8 weeks. I have no problem at all now. This is just my experience. Hope it helps.

Love,

Jamie

Love,

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-04-2003
Sun, 01-09-2005 - 7:19pm

Cymbalta gave me some problems and the doc cut the dose in half and now I am doing better in that respect. I can go away, but it may not because seritonin in crutial in orgasim and too much of it can give you disfunction. I have heard of docs adding a small dose of another antidepressant, such as wellbutrin, to help counter act this.

Kristin

Avatar for kdvaleski
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2004
Sun, 01-09-2005 - 7:38pm

Hi Lauren. Bummer of a side effect. I've had a lot of trouble with that one, too, and have had to trade my mental health for sexual enjoyment for a number of years. Kind of a crappy trade off, but what can you do? ;) Anyway, to answer your question, there are meds that are better than others when it comes to sexual side effects. Wellbutrin is not supposed to cause sexual side effects, but all the SSRI's are notorious for them, and Prozac is at the top of that list. I have no knowledge of what effects, if any, the antipsychotics have on sex drive. You might want to talk to your doc. I have not been a candidate for Wellbutrin in the past, but I know that I plan on changing over to that from Prozac as soon as it's feasible!

Good luck to you!

Kristen

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-20-2004
Sun, 01-09-2005 - 9:22pm

Hi,

Okay I don't know what I'm talking about. This always happens if I get to talking about anything but my story...that I know! Anyway I NEVER thought about the welbutrin I started on it a couple of months after the prozac. That might be what made a difference. I know you can take wellbutrin and prozac together because I do. I also took both of them with the zyprexa. Maybe you just need to add it instead of changing all your meds.

Just a thought.

Love,

Jamie

Love,