If low sex drive is a symptom of depression, why do SSRIs cause low sex drive?
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Let’s be honest….like anaesthetics, we have no fucking clue why ssri’s work. Or anti psychotics.
Maoi’s were found by accident when they gave them to tuberculosis patients and instead of helping them vreathe it made them super cheerful and happy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4471964/
As the article states more clearly than I, adding drugs THEN measuring the outcome is NOT how you do science.
I dont know, I was on zoloft for about a year and had same drive, took longer to get off but no complaints from wife on that side effect…
Your question is apt–it took a while after their release for the sexual side effects of SSRIs to be fully appreciated, because there’s such a high baseline rate of low sex drive in major depression. In the studies, the group that took SSRIs started and ended with a similar percentage of sexual dysfunction, with the improvement in sex drive with improved depression roughly balanced by new sexual side effects. In many patients, the effect is delayed orgasm rather than low drive.
The mechanism isn’t perfectly understood but it probably involves a direct effect of serotonin on certain receptors that regulate sex response.
The most realistic answer is that: there are no regulations or laws concerning what is too “bad” of a side effect for a medicine to have before it can be released to the public. As long as it has some demonstrable, positive effect on the disease or disorder, its gets released. Most medicines cause side effects. The ones with really bad side effects usually get pulled, and sometimes the pharma company is sued if its a severely harmful or fatal side effect.
Sexual dysfunction or reduced sex drive is not considered “bad enough” for the drug to no longer be marketed.
No, the law does not consider irony. Working with a doctor they can usually find a dosage and medicinen that helps you the most while balancing your concerns. Not all ssri’s impact sex drive the same, plus there are other ones such as wellbutrin that basically dont cause that at all.
Because one causes the the other not the other way around.
Its kind of like asking: If a car crash causes your car to reduce its speed, why does driving slower reduce car crashes? You are mixing up causes and effects.
Both depression AND SSRIs can have the side effect of lowered sex drive, but its just that, a side effect. SSRIs aren’t a cure for lower sex drive, so why would it be expected they would improve it? They might indirectly by reducing depression, but there is no guarantee because thats not their purpose.
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