I hear this often: men can't last as long in bed after SSRI antidepressant withdrawal. Sometimes, they don't last as long as they did before taking the medication.

Can SSRIs cause premature ejaculation - especially after you stop taking it?

We're talking fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, paroxetine and many more. All commonly used in the treatment of depression - around 8 million people in the UK are on a prescription.

These meds boost our serotonin levels, and it's a known side-effect: this dampens down our sexual response. Men and women often find that it takes them longer to reach orgasm.

SSRIs are often prescribed to guys struggling with premature ejaculation specifically for this reason. And there's dapoxetine, the on-demand SSRI developed specifically to treat PE.

So if you're naturally on the quicker side, and you take SSRI medication for any reason, you may well last longer. For some guys it makes no difference, but usually it does. And then if you stop taking the medication, you'll return to baseline - back to your natural duration.

There is some anecdotal evidence of men coming quicker after taking coming off SSRIs. They didn't have PE before but now they do. And if they go back onto the medication, they slow down again. And if they come it off again, they speed up again. This can be massively frustrating and worrying.

And there's at least one reported case in the medical journals: [ Ссылка ]

A couple of caveats here: If any of this is your experience or you're concerned that it might be, you should seek advice from your doctor. Especially around starting and stopping SSRI medication - you should taper on and off, don't just stop taking it.

But if you find yourself in this situation, there are more organic ways to overcome PE.

And that's my point here. You may be missing that superpower that SSRIs gave you. You might feel like your PE has come back, or you have it now - that's plausible.

But you don't necessarily need to get back on SSRIs to last longer again.

Is it really a problem now? Is sex still satisfying, what's your partner's take on this? Remember that the average basline for most guys is around 5 minutes. And that can be just fine for a lot of partners, especially if you get creative with sex.

And if you want to be able to go for longer again, skills not pills may be way to go. There's plenty you can do and see my channel for ideas and resources on this.

Try my Lasting Longer self-help course - the essential skills for men: [ Ссылка ]

The information provided by Jason Dean is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or sexual health conditions. Although Jason Dean is a psychotherapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your doctor before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

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