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Study uses Prozac to suppress orgasms while researching women's sexuality


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This CBC article is called "Why did the female orgasm evolve? Experiment supports theory".

 

According to the article, Prozac, like many of the SSRIs, suppresses orgasm, so it was chosen as the drug to use during an experiment using rabbits.

 

Here's the quote:

 

Suppressing orgasms (in both men and women) is a common side effect of antidepressants known as SSRIs. Pavlicev and her team chose to use a drug from that group called fluoxetine, which is sold under the trade names Prozac and Sarafem.

 

The researchers treated female rabbits with the drug for two weeks, then mated them with a male rabbit. They found that rabbits given fluoxetine had 30 per cent fewer ovulations — that is, they released fewer eggs — than rabbits that were not given the drug.

 

"We were actually really, really happy that we actually got such a clear result," said Pavlicev, lead author of the study describing the results, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

The orgasm-like reflex triggered by mating acts via the nervous system to release an ovulation-inducing hormone from the rabbit's brain.

 

To double-check that the Prozac wasn't suppressing ovulation directly, the researchers ran a second experiment where they gave that hormone to the rabbits treated with fluoextine, which restored the normal rate of ovulations.

 

The full article is here:

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/female-orgasm-rabbits-1.5250834

 

 

 

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I know! The poor rats! Life as a rat is probably tough enough, and then some researcher wants to suppress your orgasms! Yikes!
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I know! The poor rats! Life as a rat is probably tough enough, and then some researcher wants to suppress your orgasms! Yikes!

 

LOL  :thumbsup:

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I know! The poor rats! Life as a rat is probably tough enough, and then some researcher wants to suppress your orgasms! Yikes!

 

:laugh:

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Well, I guess all my female partners were on Prozac.

 

It's not just Prozac. As far as I know, most of the SSRIs (and maybe SNRIs) can do that. I've always found that rather strange. These are supposed to be antidepressants, but it's pretty depressing for one's sexual function to be adversely affected by them. For some people, the effects can take a very long time to disappear, even after a proper taper/withdrawal from the medication. Dr. David Healy has done some work in this area.

 

Really, it's no joke. I remember a BB from years ago -- a young man -- who was destroyed by the fact that he couldn't be a sexual being. It was heartbreaking to read his posts. I've thought about him a number of times and wondered what happened to him. I really, really hope he's still around. He was writing some pretty dark posts at the time.  :(

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SSRI's are effing AWFUL. I didn't have much in the way of long term damage from them (that I know of) but while I was on them, especially starting or stopping them, the side effects were horrible. Some caused fewer issues than other but all of them caused problems. You would have to be in a pretty sad state for the side effects to outweigh whatever benefits they provide.
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SSRI's are effing AWFUL. I didn't have much in the way of long term damage from them (that I know of) but while I was on them, especially starting or stopping them, the side effects were horrible. Some caused fewer issues than other but all of them caused problems. You would have to be in a pretty sad state for the side effects to outweigh whatever benefits they provide.

 

I agree -- at least, for me. But that NYTimes article that was written on ADs awhile back made it clear that so many people like these meds and find them helpful. The comments were unbelievable. It's clearly a very individual thing.

 

For me, they were awful - during and after. Plus the combination of the benzo plus the concurrent AD made for an even worse outcome in my case. I regret having taken them at all.

 

 

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As a member who has been on nearly each med that existed on the market - any kind of med (SSRI, benzos, Anti-schicoprhenics., - anti psychotics) kills your sex drive completely.

 

Imagine little Marigold, being med free and then even stopping the anti baby pill.

 

The rise of the phoenix!

And the proof that my beautiful body was TOTALLY able to deliver what I had not dared to dream of.

 

These doctors and these meds have nearly neutered me. This is a field I am really very very very angry. How can they give young women (and men) such meds. And not tell them. They tell you it is the depression that kills your sex drive or orgasms. That it is YOU.

 

(And yes: I have told that several male doctors in their office with a very loud voice. The faces! great!!)

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