How do I get a doctor to seriously address my absence of sex drive and appetite?
24, male. I work out regularly and have been since the age of 18. I've visited several doctors for physicals over the past few years, and whenever they bring up if I have any "questions or concerns" I mention I literally have no sex drive and no appetite. They brush it off because my bmi is normal and/or because I'm a 24 year old male who appears to be healthy.
After my most recent physical, I got fed up. I want to date women. I'm 24 and I have females that want me to take them out but I refuse to because I have no sexual desires. Shit, now that I mention that, I can't even take a woman on a dinner date because I'll take literally 3 bites and feel full.
I've been going through waves of depression. This summer I just got off prozac after starting in february. The prozac made a slight but noticable difference in appetite, I still never felt hungry but it was easier to swallow food, however the absence of sex drive was the same.
I'm tired of this fucking bullshit. I like this girl and I want to take her out on dates but I just can't because I can't eat and if we end up dating, I won't be able to satisfy her sexually.
My last relationship ended because of this, I never wanted to do dinner dates with my ex and my zero desire for sex made her frustrated and took a toll on our relationship to the point where we broke up.
You need to get a second, third, or fourth opinion. The fact you don't have an appetite is strange. Being a male at 24 and having no sex drive is even stranger. Let the new doctors know you're there for a second opinion, and are worried that no appetite and lack of sex drive could be a symptom of a bigger underlying condition.
Also, have you ever thought about getting checked out by an endocrinologist?
Adam Flores
>prozac >hur dur why i have no libido? Dear op, you are an idiot. Please inform yourself on what chemicals you put inside your own body. drugs.com/fluoxetine.html >loss of apetite >loss of libido
You are literally ON MEDICATION to.combat depression. Now are you actually depressed? Or why are you on such medication? And did you know it can kill your libido for more than a year?
I swear so many people behave like literall NPCs. Have you ever questioned anything? Or do you always do what others tell you without thinking?
i'll look for an endocrinologist. do they only take referrals from regular doctors or would i be able to set up a consultation just cold calling/emailing?
my symptoms have been happening over the course of 3 years, prozac happened just this year for less than 6 months, i know what the side effects are. do the world a favor and just stop breathing
Oliver Thompson
Turn 21 soon and my testosterone levels were above average at 732 ng/dL, yet my libido feels dead, I took cialis for erectile dysfunction and it gives me erections but I still feel nothing.
I also have memory issues and brain damage from it so that is a likely explanation for my my low libido, inability to enjoy food and apathy about life.
You should ask for testosterone levels and then if it’s normal you could try bupropion an antidepressant used for this purpose.
Young people in general don’t get their diseases taken seriously
Hudson Richardson
My cardiologist told me it’s hard to believe someone so young has heart problems, because doctors almost never see people your age, so your health issues are being brushed off
Aiden Foster
Wait Prozac? Doesn't that kill your sex drive? You need to wait a while for the effects of anti-depressants to leave your system. I think a year might be the right amount
Have you had your hormone levels tested?
Evan Robinson
>also have memory issues and brain damage from it
From what? I had a very high T level my whole life and yes, very horny.
One other suggestion OP: gelitinized maca root powder. Try taking it daily for a few weeks. It made me so horny I had to stop using it
Julian Green
>i'll look for an endocrinologist. do they only take referrals from regular doctors or would i be able to set up a consultation just cold calling/emailing? Some specialists do and some don't. Depends on the doctor and your insurance. Probably the first thing they're going to ask you is if you felt this way before taking Prozac.
Ryder Smith
i believe my tests levels are normal, i did a blood lab and urinalysis 2 weeks ago and the doctors office called telling me everything was normal. I also did the same thing a a year ago, test was also normal i think it was in the 700 ng/dL range as well.
yeah...I mean the human body is so complex so I understand where they're coming from
yes, i did a blood lab and urinalysis 2 weeks ago and they said everything was normal. Not sure if it included hormones but I'll call and ask. I DID however did a blood lab and urinalysis a year ago and there were hormones on it and it was all normal, including test. prozac does kill sex drive, but i had no sex drive to begin with since probably like mid-late 2016.
It's been 3 months since I got off prozac, I did a proper taper on and taper off, 40mg was my highest dose.
>gelitinized maca root powder thanks, i'll look into this
Cameron Thompson
You’re depressed and on anti-depressants. Two things that are commonly known to kill sex-drive. That was an easy mystery. And any doctor would have said this to you if you just asked so I’m guessing lazy larp?
Benjamin Robinson
and if I tell them I've felt the same for 2 years before getting on prozac? i haven't felt any changes since getting on and off prozac desu, nothing worth noting at least. Like the only difference on prozac I felt was it was SLIGHTLY easier to eat, and thats probably only because of the psychiatrist telling me it might help/placebo.
absence of libido has remained the same for the course of 3 years. god help me
Benjamin Rogers
do people read anymore? i'm not on anti-depressants, i got off of prozac 3 months ago. I don't think i'm depressed, and I think the pscyhiatrist who prescribed me misdiagnosed because i didn't feel a change in mood before, during, and after prozac. same goes for symptoms
Justin Roberts
A good doctor that you get a second opinion about this will probably ask you a lot of questions. They're probably going to take a look at your lifestyle, past meds, and possible past injuries (e.g. if you've had head trauma). Whether you eat healthy, exercise enough, get good sleep, get enough sunlight, check your hormone levels, check your heart and organ function, etc.
Tyler Martin
Should i find another doctor?
2 weeks ago, the one I just saw asked me "do you have any health concerns or issues you'd like to bring up?" I told her about both the absence of sex drive and absence of appetite.
She replied saying my bmi is healthy so it's not really an issue, then completely disregarded the absence of sex drive.
If it matters, the doctor was a woman and the place seemed kind of outdated/run down.
Jordan Gutierrez
bupropion is used to treat issues induced by other drugs like prozac, there were a few studies noting that bupropion reverses the low libido from prozac and can improve libido why not try it
Some thoughts OP because I had low sex drive and was starting to work out.
I was taking a bunch of supplements. Like 2 fish oil caplets with each meal and other stuff. I cut all that extra shit and tried to get it naturally from food and saw some improvement. So instead of fish oil I just ate like grilled fish with broccoli.
That gave some improvement. Also drinking 65+ oz of water a day.
Also maybe stop taking antidepressants and think about if there are any exterior factors making you depressed. Do you hate your job? Hate school? Is there something making you unhappy that you can't control?
Piggybacking this thread to ask: I have similar appetite issues (no problem with the sex drive). I have always been very skinny and weak, and not until recently have I realized that this is because I consume probably less than half my daily recommended caloric intake. I attribute this mainly to bad eating habits developed in childhood, but I also have a major problem eating a lot of common foods - I just start to feel sick while eating, even food that tastes good will switch off to making me nauseous when eating and I have to force myself to finish eating. Is this indicative of some kind of psychological appetite/eating disorder?
Cooper Lopez
you need to look for foods that are appetizing and force yourself to eat your 2000 a day, I have been unable to gain any weight over 3 months but I have been getting stronger from doing pushups and it makes me feel less sickly.
Robert Price
It doesn't hurt to get a second or third opinion. I don't think gender has anything to do with it.
I got second opinion at about 12 cause I stopped growing. We saw my primary care doctor several times about this, and my primary care doctor said my mom was short, and my father was short around my age so it was best to not worry. He didn't even run any tests despite 95% of other kids being taller than me.
I got a second opinion. The doctor just sat me down, and asked me why I was there. I approached it from the, 'I just want to make sure time isn't running out this isn't a bigger problem.' One growth hormone stimulation test later, and I changed my primary care doctor to the doctor I got my second opinion from. I also started seeing an endocrinologist for treatment.
Doctors shouldn't be put on pedestals, and fuck up more often than we'd like to admit.
Jeremiah Taylor
i did look into bupropion, but I'd much rather prefer a solution that doesn't involve medication :/
im not on anti depressants anymore. i already eat like how you mentioned, healthy and i never really like taking supplements. i also drink plenty of water as I have a bottle with me at all times
I will admit i feel lonely a lot. I make it hard for myself to make any genuine connections with people. With friends, i'll meet some people and talk, we get a bit closer, then the topic of girls and dating comes up, i don't know how to tell them i've had no sex drive for 3 year which is why i haven't had sex in so long. My last girlfriend actually broke up with me because she couldnt deal with my no sex drive along with some other things (completely understandable).
I recently met this girl and we get along great so far. I'm more than certain she would like for me to take her on a date, but at this point I get more depressed thinking about it. Sex is part of a healthy relationship, and I mean if it ever came to the point of us having sex and I'm flaccid in the heat of the moment, it's a clear red flag to her I would think.
hi user, i know exactly what you're describing and i experience the same thing. Does your throat tighten and you feel like throwing up when you eat? god help us lol
Jose Lewis
>Does your throat tighten and you feel like throwing up when you eat Fucking yes and it gets worse as I eat more of whatever is triggering it. Even if it doesn't taste bad or anything. It's like my mouth just gets sick of tasting the food and tries to reject it.
Benjamin Bennett
i know EXACTLY what you're talking about. It's almost like your brain is wired to reject food. I don't know what it is, but i'm sick and fucking tired of this shit
