Can depression cause low sex drive and erection problems in a 34-year-old male?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 34-year-old male with depression and schizophrenia. I have been on medication for the last 12 years. My medication is Quetiapine 200 mg, Arip 30 mg, Bupron 300 mg, and Nurozenol. Besides being on medications for diabetes and blood pressure. My weight is 277 pounds, and my height is 6 feet. My current complaints are low libido and low sex drive with erection problems. I am unmarried. Please help me. I am not open to medications like Viagra.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Before I answer your question, I need to know some more information. How are your depressive and psychotic symptoms currently? Depression by itself can cause low libido. But you are on a good dose of anti-depressants. Both Bupropion and Aripiprazole help in drug-induced sexual dysfunction. You are already on good doses of both of them. If your psychotic symptoms are well controlled, talk to your psychiatrist about reducing Quetiapine dosage. You also need sex therapy from a qualified sex therapist, which should involve teaching you to pay attention to arousal stimuli. Also, get your blood sugars, HbA1c, fasting lipid profile, and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels tested, as these may have some underlying causes. And talk to your general physician about titrating your anti-hypertensives as some anti-hypertensives by themselves cause erection problems. Also, maintain your sugar levels consistently. Exercise regularly. Brisk walking for 1 hour per day helps improve erections. It would be best if you also lose weight under professional guidance.

Thank you.