Sexual Question
Tuesday, November 28th, 2000 (continued).
I’ve been Paxil-free for a few weeks now, but certain symptoms have not completely gone away, namely the short-circuiting electrical disturbances connected to my eyes. Last week I was went through a dull stage where my emotions were almost non-existent. A week or so before that, for about two weeks, I went through the Paxil window, or a peak period of increased all-around vitality. This included sexual vitality as well. I’m 30 years old, but it was like I was in my teens again. No complaints there. That peak period passed, then I had my dull week, and now I’m having a week where things seem to be normalising. At least my emotions seem to be normalizing. The paresthesia and the brain zaps, although still lingering in my eyes a bit, are subsiding. Or at least I hope so. As a result, emotionally I seem to be more stable. I’m still not ready to jump up and take on the world full force, but I’m better (this is an extremely slow process).
So I guess I’m getting better. But what I don’t like is the sexual condition I’m in right now. When I was on Paxil, like many people who take Paxil, I experienced some sexual dysfunction. I had difficulty getting it up and keeping it up, and it took a lot of work to have an orgasm (the female equivalent seems to be exactly the same). Eventually I managed to work around this to where it wasn’t a major problem. Then, like I said, I hit that peak period for about two weeks when I was close to being completely off the Paxil. And now, going through this period where I feel like my emotions are beginning to normalize themselves (e.g., none of the weepiness that I experienced earlier in the withdrawal), my sexual function has disappeared again. Oh joy oh bliss.
I seem to be having the same sexual side effects (the dysfunction) that I had when I first took the Paxil, but what I’m experiencing now seems to be even worse. I’m not in an intimate relationship with anyone now, so it’s not a major problem, but still, it does kind of worry me.
So I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this while going through withdrawal (or post-withdrawal), and if you have, do things get better, or will I have to take Viagra for the rest of my life?
This is one thing I could definitely do without.
First response:
Speaking from a female perspective, the sexual thing did not get better with time for me. I’ve tried everything — it ain’t working. It’s as though the part of my brain that is involved in this process was damaged… and I think that’s just what happened.
Second response:
I have been off Paxil for about two months now and I feel very good, just an occasional brain creep here and there. The sex stuff I was embarrassed to talk about at first and I normally don’t post about it. Someone who visits paxilprogress.org once said that when his libido came back, it came back with a vengeance, and that is what happened to me. As I was reducing, it would come back like that for a week and then subside. When I was off completely it was bad for a couple of weeks. I could not even think straight half the time. Then it subsided way back. But now I am normal again, just right. So I think maybe you will be normal again it just may take you a little longer.
Postscript - February 7th, 2001: There were peaks and valleys (I preferred the peaks), but my sexual vitality eventually returned to normal. It took about a month or so. Right now I wouldn’t say I’m flying off the charts, but for a 30-year-old male, I’m probably right where I should be. (Sure enjoyed those peaks though.)