Does Ritalin affect sex drive and performance?

[mrshaupt]

DH has been on Ritalin for about 2 years.
We don't remember exactly when, but around 2 years ago he began experiencing a slow but steady decline on libido and strength of erections.
Finally this past month, he has noticed that he has not had many morning erections no spontaneous erections during the day, and that it takes a lot of work to get "things going" He also has almost no libido.

He is thinking of getting blood tests to find out what is wrong - he is only 33 - but then we realized that his problems coincide with when he started on Ritalin.

Has anybody had similar experiences?
As much as Ritalin helps DH, he does not think it is worth messing up his sexual health for it, if Ritalin is the culprit. Are there alternative drugs that don't play a number on sex?

Oh, he also gets very irritable and easily angry on Ritalin. He is otherwise a very calm and relaxed guy.

[andyum]

Well, it does not sound like ritalin is the right med for your husband. I first started on Adderall and it had a negative effect on my libido and performance, a deal breaker for me. I switched to Ritalin and oddly, if anything, it increases my libido. Also, I am combined type ADHD so the ritalin actually makes me calmer and less irritable.

We are all different and your husband might have better luck with something else. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a trial and error process to figure out the right med and dosage.

[Mo The Cat]

Originally Posted by andyum

Well, it does not sound like ritalin is the right med for your husband. I first started on Adderall and it had a negative effect on my libido and performance, a deal breaker for me. I switched to Ritalin and oddly, if anything, it increases my libido. Also, I am combined type ADHD so the ritalin actually makes me calmer and less irritable.

We are all different and your husband might have better luck with something else. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a trial and error process to figure out the right med and dosage.

Not sure how much this helps, but when I was on certain anti-depressants *and* some ritalin, it affected my sexual "stamina" for lack of a better word. The anti depressant was Paxil. It didn't kill any sexual desire or cause difficulty getting erections at all, but it did seem to make me (somwhat) less "sensitive" and able to go for longer amounts of time before climax. Now granted that was way back in like...'93/94 when I was in my mid to late twenties. I'm not sure if it would been the Paxil or the Ritalin at the time that caused this side effect.

I just started on generic Adderall XR (just upped to 20mg/day today) and I do notice that also it extends the amount of time before climax (nowhere near as much as the Paxil/Ritalin combo did - however, I'm 43 now) but, again, it does not seem to cause any erectile issues at all. Sorry for the graphic answers - just can't think of any other way to describe it.

I would say that DH needs to speak to his doctor for sure about an alternate prescription and definitely mention the sexual side effects. It's a vital part of a relationship enough to warrant a change in Rx IMO.

[seraphim533]

I've been on ritalin for years now. as a female, ritalin seems to lower my sex-drive. I'm not sure how it effects men. recently i was put on welbutrin, with the ritalin. earlier this morning i was walking out to get the morning paper, and i almost had an orgasm just going outside to the mailbox. now, this is extremely unusual, naturally. This is certainly embarrassing to talk about with my doctor, but i am going to discuss with him changing the medications. Has anyone else heard of things like this happening?

[Joker_Girl]

Sounds like I need to get me some Wellbutrin.

LOL, heck, who knows? Medicine affects everyone so different.

Ritalin seems like it makes me more "sexy feeling" than I was before I was on it. Not a whole lot, but some. Maybe it's just because I feel normal.

I was on Paxil some time ago, and it was horrible. I could get all kinds of turned on, but I couldn't get off no matter how hard I tried....I was sooooo sexually frustrated. And jealous of my husband who had no problems in that department...

Now, how is THAT gonna help depression?

Sometimes, I'd quit taking it for several days, just so I could finally "get mine".

It was like, "Aaaaahhhh better! Now I can go take my pill!"

[Fima]

yes paradoxly its Ritalins fault, though I wouldn't hate the med too much, its makes sex much more enjoyable, even when the med wears off, and I have crash I enjoy sex, the problem is not the sex drive, he wants the sex, its just something with the blood, its not going there, I am young and still I have like concetrate hard to get eraction on ritalin... but it is not long term effect, as soon as the med wears off, he should have no problem to get errection... and people told me that its commone and the docs know how to treat it.

edit:
about preformance, its diffrent, one day I can get soft, and on other I can be the best...

[pickle11]

Originally Posted by Mo The Cat

Not sure how much this helps, but when I was on certain anti-depressants *and* some ritalin, it affected my sexual "stamina" for lack of a better word. The anti depressant was Paxil. It didn't kill any sexual desire or cause difficulty getting erections at all, but it did seem to make me (somwhat) less "sensitive" and able to go for longer amounts of time before climax. Now granted that was way back in like...'93/94 when I was in my mid to late twenties. I'm not sure if it would been the Paxil or the Ritalin at the time that caused this side effect.

I just started on generic Adderall XR (just upped to 20mg/day today) and I do notice that also it extends the amount of time before climax (nowhere near as much as the Paxil/Ritalin combo did - however, I'm 43 now) but, again, it does not seem to cause any erectile issues at all. Sorry for the graphic answers - just can't think of any other way to describe it.

I would say that DH needs to speak to his doctor for sure about an alternate prescription and definitely mention the sexual side effects. It's a vital part of a relationship enough to warrant a change in Rx IMO.

I also take Paxil and Ritalin. I find that my sex drive with Paxil (60mg/day wooo) only without Ritalin is there but ejaculation is very hard. I take about 60mg Ritalin thru the course of the day now and it seems to cut through that Paxil cloud and it is easier to "go". Especially at the 'end' of a Ritalin dose. When i am on an IR of Ritalin, I personally do not want to focus on sex. It is mostly afterwords in stored energy. hope this is helpful in some way.