Old 10-24-2017, 06:51 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
MindfulMan
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Originally Posted by Wizzooo View Post
Has anyone taking depression medicine that doesn't cause sexual side effects? Hopefully I can get these things straight so I can continue staying sober...
I dropped my dose of an SSRI (lexapro specifically) to nearly nothing because of sexual side effects. I will probably discontinue it completely.

Wellbutrin (buproprion) doesn't cause sexual side effects, in fact it can boost your libido, and for me has no anorgasmia. However, it is stimulating and can increase anxiety. In my case I started slow and I didn't have the anxiety problem.

I managed the anxiety in early sobriety with gabapentin, and still take 300mg at bedtime for relaxation and sleep. I found that as I progressed in sobriety, my anxiety drastically decreased to where it was considerably lower than my baseline when I was drinking. For me, time was the best anxiety medication.

The non-medication approach to managing anxiety given above is also extremely useful. Psychotherapy can also be useful. I found that AA was helpful to give me a sounding board for addiction issues that many people can't relate to who haven't been through the process. It also made me feel a lot less lonely.

Hopefully your doctor is a psychiatrist, preferably one who specialises in addiction, and can address these concerns.

You can do this, the anxiety and depression gets easier. It should not interfere with your sobriety!
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