f/u to Low Sex Drive:

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
f/u to Low Sex Drive:
10
Sat, 10-09-2004 - 8:35pm
my endo told me that being hypo DOES NOT cause decreased sex drive. he told me that what i have read is wrong. he wants me to talk to my OBGYN and says i prob. do not have enough estrogen. i am having this problem major and i am on an ideal amount of thyroid hormone. last TSH has me at a .6. i see my OBGYN on Oct. 21. so i hope she has some answers for me. i do not know why my endo vehemently says this... i told him where i got my info and he just says they are wrong. is he a nut? it is hard for me, cuz he is well known for what he does and got me squared away in one hit with my meds.

not sure what to think.

Erika

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-21-2003
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 9:48am

Well all points aside from what your doc said and medical points aside...the lack of energy from having hypo DOES cause a decrease in sex drive.......


iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 10:18am
Hi Erika and Kelly!

I have seen low sex drive listed in about eight different places as a symptom of hypo. And isn't there new research linking thyroid regulation to female hormone regulation?

My fertility endo cautioned me not to ask my "regular endo" about fertility issues... she said "he won't know anything about pregnancy." Sure enough, when the issue came up he said "hypothyroidism does not cause miscarriage" and I almost laughed out loud thinking of my fertililty doc's warning. My GP acutally once said to me "well, I don't know anything about ovaries."

I'm not sure why the female hormone/reproductive system has to be treated separately when it is SO clearly inter-related to thyroid imbalance (and since women are the majority of thyroid sufferers)... !

I find it infuriating.

Anyway, your OBGYN (or if you can find an endo in that department, even better) probably will have better input.

Good luck,

Dee.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 1:36pm
Hi Erika - I'm sorry that you have to go through this because of your doctor's advice. I'm no expert but I've seen this listed on every single hypo symptom list since I was diagnosed 3 years ago!! And I've never seen anything that refutes it. Not once. So ... I guess the thing to do is to take Dee's advice and talk to your ob/gyn about it.

You also need to filter out any of the other things that could cause a low sex drive, like taking anti-depressants or other medication with this side effect; going through perimenopause; being depressed; not getting enough sleep .... you know, the list can be endless!!

Are you taking the additional T3 supplement now? That's what finally helped you, isn't it? I'm just trying to remember!!

I think Dee is right about the whole hormonal thing - it's just so complex. But since your TSH is normal, and if you're taking the T3 and that's helping you, then perhaps it isn't your thyroid at this point. It's certainly worth talking to your ob/gyn at this point because it doesn't seem like your endo is going to give you any other advice on this. Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-12-2004 - 8:09pm
thanks ladies. i see my obgyn next week and plan to discuss this with her. now, i do take an antidepressant, but i took one before all this too. we did switch the brand tho, from paxil to lexapro (because lexapro is known to have LESS sexual side effects. on the paxil, i had a normal drive, but had anaorgasmia, when we took me above 10mg. so that is different... so that could be it, but i kinda doubt it just because the chemicals are so close together and lexapro is even more refined with more of the effective chemical and less of the one that causes the sexual side effects.)

i see a new psychiatrist and my OBGYN next week. for some reason, i still think it is hormonal. but i have never had like 0 drive. it is weird to me. just nothing at all. i am going to ask to switch back to the paxil just cuz i do not know what else to do, and talk with my OB. thanks for responding.

Erika

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 10-12-2004 - 9:56pm
Well your ob/gyn can take a test of your hormones and see where you're at with all of them. That's probably the best thing to do. I know low estrogen causes a lack of sex drive and so does too little testosterone. So your instinct may be correct!! Cathy
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2003
Tue, 10-12-2004 - 11:28pm
On a personal level, since my thyroid issues, my sex drive has decreased.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 10:49pm
Hey:

Also on a personal note, I have suffered from this for about 3 years since my daughter was born. I felt it was hormonal from the start. I adore my husband; he is sweet and doting and wonderful and it is awful to just plain not respond physically to affection. I think my thyroid problems started when my daughter was born, so I'm sure it's related.

As an aside, my husband comes with me to endo. appointments (as back-up), and he always mentions low sex drive before I do, which makes me feel horrible... because I know he's being neglected, and he never says anything about it otherwise.

Let us know what you find, OK?

Dee.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 8:10pm
saw my OB. she said that the hormones in birth control can cause low sex drive. so we decided i would go off the Nuvaring and see what happens. the odd thing, is that she tried to fit me for a diaphram and it was really painful. it made me remember that sex is sorta painful at first. she mentioned it could be endo? seeing as tho, i want one more baby... should i be concerned about this. if anyone out there knows. thanks. so far i have been with out the ring for a few days and there is no difference in my sex drive. it is still nill.

Erika

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2004
Thu, 10-28-2004 - 5:30pm
Hi Ericka

I have endo, and it can prevent you from getting pregnant. I would get a lap right away to rule that out. Sex can be very painful when you have endo.

Jada

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 10-29-2004 - 8:22pm
the pain just started after i have had my baby. could it be from that or endo?

ET