Low sex drive can be caused by multiple factors, which vary from patient to patient. Fatigue, the daily responsibilities and multiple roles women often assume, and many possible psychological causes can impact a woman’s sexual function. It is also known that certain health conditions and medications can affect a woman’s sexual desire. Depression and anxiety disorders can interfere with sexual desire, but so can some of the drugs used to treat these conditions. Many antidepressants, in particular Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, also called SSRIs, have side effects that have a negative impact on women’s libidos. Alternative medications are available that do not seem to cause sexual dysfunction.
In addition, birth control pills, mood stabilizers, pain killers and other medications have been shown to decrease libido. If you notice a drop in your sexual functioning around the time you start a new medication, talk to your medical provider to see if there is a connection. Do not stop taking any medication without talking to your doctor first.
Luckily, there are often alternative medications to treat conditions that have less or no affect on sexual function. Medications That Can Affect Sexual Functioning Source: Drugs that cause sexual dysfunction: an update. Med Lett Drugs Ther 1992;34:73-78
