Every day life can have an effect on your libido. Too much stress, too much to do, and not enough time to get everything done can leave you little time for sexual intimacy. What about your medications? Did you know that some medications can actually have a negative effect on your libido? Many people who suffer from a loss of sexual desire have found it’s actually a side effect from their medications.
Medications work in different ways and effect people differently. Some medications cause negative side effects like depression, lethargy, and drowsiness which in turn cause a lowered libido. If you are feeling tired or sleepy, you aren’t going to want to try and have sex; mostly because you might fall asleep. Other drugs may actually affect the chemicals of the brain and directly lower your sex drive. Either way, talk to your doctor about the side effects of certain prescription drugs and possible alternatives.
The biggest libido killers are antidepressants. The link between serotonin and libido seems to be much greater than expected by doctors. Antidepressants limit the amount of serotonin being released into the brain, which affects the desire to have sex. If you need to take antidepressants, talk to your doctor about possible side effects. If you are on antidepressants and have a lowered libido, talk to your doctor and you may be able to find something with less side effects.
Surprisingly, oral contraceptive can cause a lowered libido. Pills that have large amounts of progestin in them cause a hormonal shift in the body, dropping libido levels. This comes mostly from birth control pills. If you find your pills are causing you to lack any sexual desire, talk to your doctor about switching to some other form of contraception like the patch or a shot.
Any medications which are sedatives or tranquilizers like Valium and Xanax will reduce the sex drive. These medications directly affect the central nervous system causing total relaxation of the muscles. The entire body is normally affected by these drugs, including libido.
There are also a number of over-the-counter medications that can cause problems with libido. Cold, cough, and allergy pills often cause drowsiness, which makes sex a thing of the past. These medications can also decrease the production of lubrication, making sex uncomfortable. Often times, people will blame themselves for the lack of lubrication and not the medication. This leads to feeling nervous and self-conscious when things begin to turn toward sex and being self-conscious and nervous leads to a lowered libido.
Other over the counter medications like Tagamet or other acid reducers have been known to cause impotency in men. Some anti-inflammatory drugs may also cause impotency as well as lack of lubrication.
Many people often take more than one medication at a time, which can lead to even more problems with libido. Start developing an open dialogue with your doctor. The more comfortable you are now the easier it will be to talk to him or her when problems with libido and medications arise. If you find problems with your sex drive or your libido being lower, take a look at the medications you are taking; they may be the biggest cause of your issues.
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