'Soldier' help :'(

Lounge
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If you are uncomfortable about sex related issues, well this thread just ain’t for you. Cheers!

For starters: I am a pretty healthy 20 year old HUNK 'O BURNIN LOVE :smiley:. I workout pretty much all week (weight/cardio). I also eat pretty healthy, I don’t smoke, don’t really drink, and if i do, its only like a beer or two. For the past year I’ve been on Anti-Depressants (first Remeron and Zoloft, but have been off the Remeron for about 4-5 months now) and have been on Ritalin for about 8-10 months now. Before starting my AD meds , I was able to perform at ‘full-mast’ even though I was pretty depressed. Now I know AD meds (especially SSRI AD’s) decrease sex drive, cause some impotence, and delayed orgasm (although that i don’t mind :wink: ). I also am aware that Ritalin has similar effects as the zoloft, though not as bad. I also have a bit of Hypothyroidism and take 50 mcg (micrograms) of synthroid, but that’s been taken care of for the last 2-3 years so that’s not the problem.

Now, I don’t feel depressed at all tbh, but i know better than to stop taking the meds, as I should ween off of them as directed by my psychiatrist. I have done the Weekends off of Zoloft/Ritalin (basically take my last does of the two on thursday morning, then resume on sunday morning so that they have less of an effect) and it only helps a little. My erections are only like 60-70 percent at best.

there’s the medication background…now onto my gf

Ok, well for I’ve been with my gf for about 4 months now (officially it was 4 months yesterday, the day GTA 4 came out :wink: ). We disscusssed the topic of sex and I told her that I only feel comfortable having sex once I know there is a connection between the two of us (basically i don’t see one night stands/fbuddies/etc as being very moral, but that’s a nother topic in itself). Anyways, for the past two months/month and a half we’ve been trying to have sex. I can get aroused while kissing or cuddling while watching tv or doing something else, but It isn’t rock hard like my good old days :frowning: .

When it comes time to go to bed, she’s already horny as hell cuz of my ‘smell goods’ (check my other topic for more info on that :slight_smile: ) and when we start making out i’ll massage her whole body, and get her relaxed. Then i’ll start working on her more flowery parts, nice and slow, until she has climaxed 1-2 times, and usually after about 30 mins to an hour of foreplay she’ll start to whisper, “I need you inside now,” or “take me to bed,” etc… so after a bit more teasing we finally start to have sex. More often then not I’ll only be at 50-70% hard, but i don’t focus on that at first. After a little bit though, i realize what’s goin on and I usually end up goin back to getting her off a couple more times and then we cuddle, and slowly drift off to sleep. Only rarely do we actually get to finish.

She knows now that it isn’t her, but that it’s probably my medication that’s the problem. I am also able to, on occasion, get to about 80-85% by myself, but it doesn’t last for long. I am able to ‘relieve myself’ but it sucks that I can’t get a full and firm erection that i used to be able to get. I don’t feel nervous about sex at all, but I do want to be able to feel closer to my girl. She says she doesn’t care at all that we don’t have sex, but we talke about sex stuff alot, whether it be jokingly, or what positions we like, etc. All other aspects of our relationship is AMAZING, and i am still very happy. I just feel a bit inadequate, not depressed though, that i’m 20 and that I know that this level of intimacy would just take us to a higher level.

I have started doing Kegels again (3 times a day usually, with random little mini kegel excercises inbetween if i’m bored) and I have been noticing a bit better sexual function overall. I’ve tried Horny Goat Weed, but that didn’t help much, and gave me some diahrrea (sp?), just made my already strong skepticism even stronger.. I’ve looked into all natural herbal supplements, but i’ve always been skeptical about “all natural blah blah blah” stuff. Read into Aspire36 (which has been recalled) Paravol, tongkat ali, zencore, etc… but still very skeptical, cuz i don’t wanna pay for crap. Free samples would be cool :smiley: . I’ve just started to look into trying to raise my testosterone levels through supplements. I take protein shakes througout the day and that helps w/ the testosterone production a bit. I know i should talk to my dr. about this, but i would like to see if there is an alternative to switching AD medication (i know welbutrin is supposed to have no sexual side effects.), but I’d rather not since my medication is working very well at the moment.

Well that’s it for my novel for right now. Sorry it was sooooo long winded, but I would rather get information from a sources i feel I can trust, rather than random google searches linking to sites saying i’ll poke a whole through her stomach with this stuff, or shoot load that could fill a bucket… (seriously, do they get high before writing these oh so ‘unbiased’/clearly not paid off/employee reviews?)

HELP

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Have you considered taking nutritional supplements? Or taking superfoods like maca? I’m not a pro at this nor will I pretend, so I’ll wait for another member to elaborate or give their opinion.

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tell to your endocrine about taking t3(cynomel)spite sinthroid(t4)

it will helps you very much with the sex problem.
It rises testosterone levels,and energy too.

Zoloft rises prolactin,and thats the antisexhormone.
Why Does A Lover Pull Away after Sex? | Reuniting

it lowers dopamine production,and dopamine is the key for rise libido(ritalin helps recovering it,but its not enought,if taking zoloft)

t3 will lower prolactin too.

talk with your endocrine…
if he can help you after some monts…search to another endocrine.

There are many endocrine doctors..but not all are enought good spite the title.

metabolism is the key for neuroendocrine health.

depresion,and psiquiatic problems are a consecuence of endocrine disorders..

improving endocrine disorder will improve the psiquiatric disorders too…

and sexual health is very related too.

i will search for a good endocrine.
Perhaps dont help you…but perhaps he is not enought good.

But when you find a good endocrine doctor..you will find the solution to almost every health problems you can be suffering.

upsss..in the same web,we can read a very interesting article,about how alpha male pheromones produces neurogenesis in women brains..

pd:im not a doctor..so..this was just a personal opinion.Bealive in your doctors :slight_smile:…they will help you more in recovering health.

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Doctors kill more people a year than gun related accidents in america :X.

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yes…BIG TRUE..
spanish too :frowning:

i guess the blame is of the pharmaceutical industry,and all the lies and manipulated investigations they pay for aprove their drugs..

But doctors sometimes could be more carefull about this,spite trust all what the industry says them.

At this time,science goes faster than medicine in some things…

so manytimes the pacient can learn about a discover,and his doctor will not..untill for years later´.

A good doctor should be learning everyday,in this times when medicine researchs change faster…probabilly is no very compatible,working 10 hours every day,and arrive home,and spite playing with their kids and kissing their partners,keep studying this new changes…

pd:probabilly psiquiatric drugs companies will be the next judged as the tabacco companies were…

psiquiatric medicines=diabetes 2,pcos,parkinson,altheimer,cancer and heart diseases(metabolic syndrome x)

the correct neuroendocrine,would help recovering to many more pacients than psiquiatric doctors

but…its not easy finding the good one
New Guidelines Say Millions More Are at Thyroid Risk
Fall, 2002 – According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), what was normal last year, thyroid-wise, may now be abnormal.
According to the AACE, doctors have typically been basing their diagnoses on the “normal” range for the TSH test. The typical normal levels at most laboratories has fallen in the 0.5 to 5.0 range.
The new guidelines narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function, and the AACE is now encouraging doctors to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now.
At a press conference, Hossein Gharib, MD, FACE, and president of AACE, said: “This means that there are more people with minor thyroid abnormalities than previously perceived.”
AACE estimates that the new guidelines actually double the number of people who have abnormal thyroid function, bringing the total to as many as 27 million, up from 13 million thought to have the condition under the old guidelines. These new estimates would make thyroid disease the most common endocrine disorder in North America, far outpacing diabetes.
AACE made the decision to narrow the range because of data suggesting many people may have low-level thyroid problems that could be improved with treatment and a narrower TSH range will give doctors reason to more carefully consider those patients.
“The prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disease in the United States is shockingly high - particularly since it is a condition that is easy to diagnose and treat,” said Dr. Gharib. “The new TSH range from the AACE guidelines gives physicians the information they need to diagnose mild thyroid disease before it can lead to more serious effects on a patient’s health - such as elevated cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility, and depression.”

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fish oil in high doses,is better than zoloft and ritalin,but without their secondary effects.

this man,got a medicine Nobel price…

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.and there is a wonder neuropsichiatric scientist named Stoll,working on the Hardward``s university,getting research investigations about the influence of fish oil fats in mood and neurologic disorders.

Good luck with your problem..

dont worry… it never rains all the time…
health will come back to u :wink:

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Do you know the book “Dealing with depression naturally” by Syd Baumel? You might want to have a look at it - it’s full of advice about what you could do to defeat depressions without having to take medicine.

TDaos’ advice with the fish oil is actually a good bet - I think it has helped me, too!

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wow, great advice from everyone.
I think that antidepressents have their place, but they should be temporary (less than two years), to help us deal with significant transistions while being taught the appropriate emotional tools (by the therapist) to deal with life’s difficulties moving forward. I have battled depression and empathize. Positive self talk is extremely important. It was helpful for me to start making small goals and when I achieved them, celebrate my success. This helped me build confidence and self esteem, that lack of which which was the core of my depression.
For the ED, be very open with your doctor or change doctors. Buproprion has a lower incidence of sexual side effects, but it could increase your ADD symptoms. Stay away from TV (it’s bad for add) and get plenty of rest (more than 8 hours a night).

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It is very nice to see how members of this forum unite and express their simpathies and good advice to another member in need (no pun intended..lol). But if I may add my two cents in here, I would also include a question to your doctor whether if any of the current ED pills (Viagra,Cialis) could be appropriate for your condition/age/health history. Since you mention that currently you are not feeling any symptoms of depression while in her company, it makes me think that some side effects of AD meds might be vaso-constricting the very same blood vessels that help you keep a full blown “Stand Up and Be Noticed” effect.
At my age, I know that I am not the same “Flag Pole” I used to be in my twenties. But once in a while, I pop a Cialis and takes me back to those days! Even though most ads for them show aging, gray haired men in them, maybe your doctor might determine that you may be a candidate for a test drive..they also provide free samples.
Believe me when I say…they make a BIG difference…specially Cialis, which gives you a longer time to make up your mind as to when and where. The only warning they all claim is that you are not on a nitroglicerine pill regime for chest pain.(Heart Disease Cases) Since that could be dangerous.
Hope this helps

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The problem with Cialis is you have to sit in that damn bath tub.:open_mouth:

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So you’ll ween off the SSRIs? Why not wait until you’re totally off them before worrying and countermedicating?

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I am sorry but that comment was neither required or desired. I think you should be a bit more thoughtful before you make comments.
Ponderu

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Fixed: took out the second part, as the OP must have been suffering from depression in order to have been prescribed these meds.

On another note: it’s generally forum inetiquette to quote the entire post immediately before your own. Edit and correct your own post accordingly.