Speaking of sexual side effects....is there anything to help with them??
Some Drs suggest adding wellbutrin sr

Serzone did not have a sexual dysfunction for me, but it turned out I couldn't metabolize it, had to get off of it.

Both of my doctor's (ob/gyn & family prac) are convinced that Effexor does not lower the libido. As a matter of fact, (they are both women) one takes twice as much of Effexor herself as I do and she says that hers has increased with her dosage increasage. I haven't noticed any drop in my libido either. On Zoloft, it was totally nonexistant... so I am quite happy with Effexor as far as sex is concerned and as far as my anxiety and mood swings are concerned.
GREAT STUFF!!

Personally, no matter what anti-anxiety meds I'm on, my sex drive comes and goes.
I guess that's the case with so many other factors as well.. like stress, problems in relationships, bad diet, sickness, surgery, etc.

I experienced the difficulty reaching orgasm with Paxil, and, in the past, with Prozac. One professional told me that if you experience it with one AD, especially SSRI's, you will probably experience it with any of them. However, my current psychiatrist says not necessarily so.

Ironically, since my anxiety started, my wife and I are enjoying the most closeness we have had in a long time. It's a little disheartening to give up good sex at this point, but I guess love is not just sex, and if need be, we will overcome! (Excuse the bad pun)

I know that SSRIs are the culprits in my case. I've gone off them from time to time, and bada-bing bada-boom, my sex drive is back on track. Unfortunately everything else falls apart, so I go back on the meds, my sex drive takes a hike, and I return to being the delightful young woman I've come to define as "me." The sex thing is definitely an inconvenience, but it's NOTHING compared to the alternative.

If Paxil and Prozac didn't work for you, maybe you need a different class of medication. If so, you probably wouldn't experience the sexual side effects. I'd ask your pdoc to let you know what your other options are. Good luck!

I was on 112.5mg of Effexor in the AM and 200mg of Serzone in the PM for many months, and now I'm in my week of increased Serzone (250 week 1, 300 this week) in the hopes that more S will mean less E (and more SEx ).

The liver damage thing is fairly recent, but Bristol Myers Squibb is being required to put a warning on Serzone to that effect. There are some posts in the "Other Medications" section on this subject. Like I say, I think its pretty rare, but many docs are backing away from Serzone nontheless.

I considered Wellbutrin, but it doesn't sound like its used for anxiety
that much, in fact anxiety and insomnia, two of my big issues, are fairly
common side effects of Wellbutrin.

I have avoided this topic...mostly because I have been EMBARASSED! While on Prozac, I have to admit that I never ONCE had a problem with the big "O." Not once. My friends tell me that this is truly unique...I think I'm a freak!

Yesterday was my last day taking effexor. I had been on it for about 8 weeks. I had no sexual desire, zero interest. Prior to this med. I was taking prozac for 3-4 years. I stopped it because I no longer felt was helping me - although it did not effect my sexual desire, it just stopped working, i became sad all over again.

effexor and SSRIs work by preventing the reuptake of hormones and some of those hormones control our libido so it can reduce or prevent ejaculation/orgasm or cause impotence.

I've been on 300mg Effexor (and 50mcg cytomel) per day since AugustUnfortunately, my libido has always been very transient (baffling the men in my life) and I don't know anymore if it's the meds, the guy I'm dating, hormones, or regular life stresses... Basically I have zero interest; read: enjoy the closeness of it, but 'numb' for all the good parts. Prior to the effexor, I was on zoloft augmented with wellbutrin SR to try to target the low libido, but it wasn't doing much for me (I think) I am much more emotionally stable on the effexor and, except for the above, don't see many side effects. This 'state' however is a real stumbling block in relationships. The last one pretty much ended because of it and the current one is convinced that it's 'him', that if he was 'enough of a man' he could pull me out of it. I'm really opposed to 'faking' but what else is a girl to do??