Concerned about antidepressants and sexual libido? Read on...

Question: I am on antidepressants due to lots of major depression over the last two or three years. I don't know if it was postpartum depression or something else, but it was serious depression. I tried to go off meds once this year and it was no good so I'm still on them for now. They help but I am really upset that I have no sexual interest. It took a few different meds to find one that helped my depression, so I am not going to try another one at this time. I have to find out what I can do to get my interest in sex back. I miss it, and so does my partner. Any ideas or help would be lovely. Thank you.

Anne and Cathy: Yours is a very common story. Millions of people who suffer from depression have found that the class of antidepressants known as SSRIs (such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox and Celexa) provide invaluable relief. Unfortunately, SSRIs commonly produce sexual side effects such as reduced libido, genital sensation and lubrication, along with difficulty in reaching orgasm. Orgasm can also be muted or less intense.

The good news is that many people find that sexual side effects abate with time as their bodies adjust to the medication. If, after six to nine months, your libido is still depressed, we'd encourage you to discuss your experience of sexual desire and arousal with your doctor. He or she may advise you to experiment with lowering your dosage or switching drugs (and by then, you may feel more receptive to the idea of switching meds again). For many people, Wellbutrin, an antidepressant that's chemically unrelated to SSRIs (it's also marketed under the name Zyban as an aid in quitting smoking), not only has no negative sexual side effects but boosts libido. Your doctor may also recommend switching among the various SSRIs as your individual body chemistry will interact in different ways with different drugs.

In the meantime, try to cut yourself some slack. Many new mothers struggle with desire issues, and in fact, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and changing priorities push most parents' sex lives onto the back burner for the first two years of their child's life. You can help yourself reclaim desire by indulging in simple pleasures that allow you to reconnect with your sexuality (masturbating, cultivating your fantasy life, playing with sex toys, getting a massage). If you take the focus off, "I should have sex to please my partner" and shift it to, "what would make me feel good in my own body right now?" you're more likely to give your libido a successful jumpstart.

All this information and more can be found in the recently updated bestseller, The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex, written by Anne Semans and Cathy Winks.

Questions were answered by authors Anne Semans and Cathy Winks, and were chosen from those suggested by our readers. Perhaps your oncern is one that is on every woman's mind! We invite you to read our review of The Mother's Guide to Sex, as well as additional reviews by our staff located here. A few words about the book from the authors can be read here. Enjoy!