I take antidepressants too. It lowered my sex drive for a while, but then it came back. Maybe then you and Donna will find a happy medium.

I was on Zoloft for about 3 years. It was a blessing and a curse. The first year was bliss. There were so many things that I was able to do that I can't name them all here. My biggest victory conquering my severe phobia of flying. My smallest victory with the greatest reward was being able to have conversations with people I had never met before.

I started taking it for social anxiety and generalized anxiety. One drawback was it worked a little too well. Being able to speak whatever is on your mind after 25 years of bottling up took some time to master. So for a few months I came off as a bit of an a-hole. I just needed to learn what I should and shouldn't say. After some practice it was great.

The longer I took the stuff the more things I was able to accomplish. Things like flying which I didn't think I would ever be able to do. However, the longer I took it the more side effects I would have. In the beginning the benefits out weighed the side effects. My libido did return after a while as well.

Then there is the curse. Over time (several years) it got to the point where the side effects were not worth the benefit. I had reached a point where I felt like a normal person with respect to anxiety. Physically was a different story. My libido was fine but I had a very difficult time achieving orgasm. My memory was terrible, short and long term. Diarrhea had become the norm. To top it all off I had gained 40lbs. I felt sort of like a blank slate, not much feeling.

So I talked to my doctor and took myself off of it, gradually. The withdrawals where not pleasant. I didn't have any sort of craving mentally but I intermittently experienced a sort of electrical jolt in my head frequently for several months that eventually just faded away. My anxiety did return more and more for the first three or four months but then it subsides and you sort of find a balance. You are able to recognize the anxiety and the things that trigger it. Which helps you sort of manage it better. I'm now 31 and I don't have much anxiety I do take 0.5 mg of Xanax from time to time when I need to relax or if I'm flying. I also avoid caffeine like the plague. Even a small amount can trigger anxiety for me.

Now understand I'm not trying to scare you away from the stuff. Zoloft really is a wonder drug for people that need it. I just want to give you some fair warning so you sort of know what you may expect. Of course everyone has a different chemistry. The typical dosage for a male is 200 milligrams, 100 milligrams was too much for me. I was basically a zombie without any sort of feelings or motivation at all. So my doctor had me break the 100s in half and I was pretty balanced at 50. I had a co-worker that would take more than 200 milligrams even though I don't think you are supposed to.

None-the-less, overall I am glad that I took it and would do it again if I ever had to. On that note I wish you well and hope that it helps you as much as it did me.

I looked around some more and actually answered my own question to your other post. My husband is in the process of weaning himself off the Zoloft, mostly because he has zero libido. He is on the Zoloft for use as an anti depressant. The depression was leading to alcoholism and self medicating with pot and sometimes cocaine. He has been sober since last Nov (yeah!) He really needed the Zoloft to help him through the first bit of sobriety (he had tried to before with out the Zoloft and never had any luck). I on the other hand take Lexapro because I have generalized anxiety and panic disorder. It works VERY good, I am much calmer during trigger times (for example: severe weather here in GA, can't stand when the damn tornado sirens go off...I grew up in SLC and never had to deal with this kind of shit). I also have Xanax for intense situations, but I rarely need to take them. The Lexapro affected my libido for the first few months, but now I am ravenous! Sucks that I am over the top and he could care less about the sex.
Any how, he should be weaned off in the next few weeks, Dr said to give it a month to see how he does. It is open to get back on or switch to something else.
Good luck to you. I feel ya as far as the anxiety goes, it's no fun, and really not fun that those with out it, just don't get it.

I feel you on wanting to do away with anxiety. I experience it from time to time to this day, although it was much worse as a kid. I couldn't stand crowds, hated public speaking and found myself self medicating often. I've heard similar stories to anti-anxiety drugs as mentioned above, the decreased sex drive, the problems remembering, etc and for me its just not worth it to take it. I just throw myself into the lion's den now and know that it will all be over before I know it. A good portion of the population suffers from anxiety, its a normal part of life. The hard part is being able to push through it to the other side. You have to be able to get it under control to an extent and work through it.