His and Her Health

I'm very interested in the wellbutrin therapy idea. After reading some articles on it, it seems like it might be very helpful for me (maybe). I am encouraged that it might help my libido, am scared but interested that it might lower my anxiety level (in everyday life and thus helping with my sex life also). Not to mention the fact that I'm a smoker and am planning on quitting as soon as these next two packs run out. So, whom do you talk to about it? Your therapist? Your regular doctor (with HMO, I don't even have one of these), your OB/GYN? Who?<P>Bess

Bess,<P>You can get Wellbutrin from your regular doctor, or a psychiatrist (a psychologist cannot perscribe meds). Your gyn can also perscribe it, but many won't since it's not really their area of expertise.<P>What I mean by that last is that Wellbutrin IS NOT intended to raise libido or improve sexual function. It is an anti-depressant. To my knowledge (please correct me on this if anyone has found different research--I'd love to find new research stating it can help), Wellbutrin only raises libido in DEPRESSED people, most often those who've been on other meds first. And even then, it's not the majority of the time. The key is that Wellbutrin is *less likely* to cause negative sexual side effects than SSRI's, not that it can raise libido in those without depression. Also, as with any antidepressant, it can actually lower libido. There are other side effects, and at last check no long-term studies (meaning on folks taking it for longer than 6 months) on the effects of antidepressants on the brain had been released with the exception of the one that found SSRI's change actual brain structure, much like the drug Ecstasy.<P>In other words, I'd not look to Wellbutrin for an answer for your libido if you've not been diagnosed as depressed, or with a chronic stress syndrome. It can help you quite smoking, and can relieve depression in a percentage of the population; but, unless new research has come out fairly recently that was conducted on individuals without a history of depression, it is unlikely to have a libido-boosting effect for anyone who isn't taking it for it's primary functions.