Posted by Racer on September 28, 2004, at 12:02:32
In reply to Funny - Ha Ha, posted by AdaGrace on September 28, 2004, at 11:09:39
Believe me, I'm not making fun of your predicament -- I'm in the same boat myself, except that my husband has no interest whatsoever in touching me and my libido is so far into the basement because of my own depression that I hardly care enough to try it on my own. I, too, am suffering from anorgasmia.
The three things I mentioned in that thread -- med holidays, Wellbutrin, and Periactin -- are from various medical boards, including Psycho-Babble Tips. They were not things I made up, they were real advice.
The Periactin, while it is technically an anti-histimine, is hardly ever used for that purpose anymore. It is used for a lot of other things, though, from treating Cushing's Disease (and Cushing's Syndrome), to mitigating side effects of chemotherapy, to adjuctive treatment of eating disorders, to veterinary problems that don't fit this board -- and it is the first line treatment for sexual side effects from SSRIs.
The reason that Periactin is the first line treatment for SSRI-induced sexual side effects is that it blocks the reuptake inhibition which causes the anorgasmia. That blockage is strictly temporary, which means that this drug doesn't interfere with the depression treatment, only provides a window during which this side effect is absent. Most of the other options will interfere more with the treatment. Periactin is a short acting drug, and it just blocks the side effect for a few hours, then allows everything to go back to normal. It doesn't interfere with the steady state of the AD, just blocks the effects for a few hours.
I'm very sorry you took my post in a way I hadn't intended. As I said, this is what worked for me. Cyproheptidine is not the same as over the counter anti-histimines, which will not work for the sexual side effects. As far as I know, this is the only AH that does affect serotonin receptors, and so it is the only AH that will work. It is also dirt cheap, because it has been around for a long time, which can also be a benefit.
I hope that this post is more helpful to you, and that you can see that I truly did and do mean to be helpful about this. Anorgasmia is a real problem, and it does interfere with treatment of depression. Again, I understand this inside my own skin, because I, too, experience it. This post is based on what has helped me, in hopes that it will help you, as well.
Peace.
poster:Racer
thread:395734
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/relate/20040917/msgs/396303.html