Can Antidepressants Affect Your Sex Drive?

Yes, antidepressants can affect sex drive and this is a common and well-recognised side effect, particularly with the group known as SSRIs. They can reduce desire, delay orgasm or affect arousal and erections in some people. This does not happen to everyone and the effect varies between individuals and between different medicines. The most important message is this: if you think your antidepressant is affecting your libido, do not stop taking it on your own, because stopping suddenly can be harmful. Instead, speak to the doctor who prescribed it, as there are often good options to help.

This guide explains how antidepressants can affect desire and what can be done about it, always with a doctor's guidance. This guide is general information and not medical advice, so please speak to a doctor about any personal concern. Depression itself also lowers libido, which adds to the picture.

How Antidepressants Can Affect Desire

The possible effects are worth understanding, so you know what you might notice. The table below sets them out.

Not everyone experiences these and they can often be managed. Our guide on What Causes a Low Sex Drive covers other contributors too.

Depression and Desire

It is important to separate the effect of the medicine from the effect of the condition. Depression and anxiety themselves very commonly reduce libido, often more than the medication does. This means that treating the condition can sometimes improve desire overall, even if the medicine has some effect, because feeling better lifts interest in sex and life generally. Untangling how much is the illness and how much is the treatment can be difficult, which is exactly why a conversation with your doctor is so useful. Our guide on How to Get Your Sex Drive Back covers rebuilding desire alongside treatment.

What Can Be Done

The reassuring part is that there are usually options and a doctor can help you find the right one. These may include waiting to see if the effect settles over time, adjusting the dose, switching to an antidepressant less likely to affect libido, changing the timing of doses or, in some cases, adding a treatment to counter the effect. The right choice depends on your situation and must balance your mental health with the side effect, which is why it should always be decided with your prescriber. What you should never do is stop or change the medicine yourself, as this can cause withdrawal effects or a return of symptoms. This guide is general information and not medical advice, so please speak to a doctor about any personal concern. Our guide on When to See a Doctor About Sex Drive explains raising this with a doctor.

Other Medicines That Can Affect Libido

Antidepressants are the most talked-about but they are not the only medicines that can influence desire. Some blood pressure medicines, certain treatments used for the prostate, some strong painkillers and various other medications can affect libido or sexual function as a side effect. As with antidepressants, this varies from person to person and medicine to medicine and it is never a reason to stop a prescribed treatment on your own.

If you start a new medicine and notice a change in your desire, it is worth mentioning to your doctor or pharmacist, who can tell you whether the medication is a likely cause and whether alternatives exist. Often a small adjustment solves the problem while keeping the treatment you need. The key principle across all medicines is the same: raise it with a professional rather than guessing or stopping. Our guide on Medical Conditions and Sex Drive covers how health and its treatment affect desire.

Browse the complete Sex Drive and Libido Guides library for clear, careful guidance on sex drive.

Talking to Your Doctor

Many people feel awkward raising sexual side effects but doctors are very used to this conversation and it is an important one to have. Your prescriber can only help if they know and sexual side effects are a recognised reason to review treatment, so mentioning it is entirely appropriate. It can help to note what you have noticed and when it started, so the discussion is clear. Your mental health remains the priority and any change is about finding a balance that supports both your wellbeing and your sex life. There is real value in speaking up rather than quietly stopping or struggling. Our guide on What Affects Your Sex Drive covers the many influences on desire.

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The Short Answer

Yes, antidepressants can affect sex drive, especially SSRIs, causing lower desire, delayed orgasm or arousal changes in some people. Depression itself also lowers libido. Never stop your medication on your own, as this can be harmful. Instead, speak to your prescriber, who may adjust the dose, switch the medicine or suggest other options to balance your mental health with your sex life.