Remeron and nocturnal erections.
Question:
IMO, my nocturnal erections (NEs) are the most important erections that I can have!….Sure sexual erections are fun but healthy NEs contribute to my quality/quantity of my sexual erections. Joe D is right….NEs occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when we are the most relaxed and we may dream (even if we don’t remember the dreams). http://www.health.harvard.edu/medline/Men/N0200b.html http://webmd.lycos.com/content/article/1687.50697 I have three risk factors for sleep disorder(s) age (64 yo), HIV+ and Wellbutrin. I generally did pretty well with Tylenol’s Simply Sleep before bed and perhaps supplementation few hours later with Ativan or Ambien. For the past couple of months I’ve added Valerian Root Extract to my regimen….this is plant from which Valium is derived. Thus far I’ve evaluated two brands of Valerian Root (VR).. Nature’s Way ~$10.50/90 capsules…purchased at upscale trendy, organic, health foods store here in Houston Nature’s Resources ~$5.00/100 capsules My routine….Tylenol sleep aid…then at first piss call ~1.5 – 3 hrs later I take three VR capsules. I’ve always been the type that I’m awake when my eyelids open…so pre VR I was usually getting up 4:30 – 5:00. Now taking VR it’s not unusual for me to sleep to 6:00 – 7:00 AM. I’m much more aware of dreaming and very aware of my NEs that begin at 4:00 AM ish….it’s like I’m a text book case for NEs at this hour. http://www.sleepmedservices.com/101questions/sex.html From the above site…. "We have most of our REM sleep in the early morning, usually between 4 – 7 AM. Therefore, each morning we are very likely to awaken directly from REM sleep or, at the very least, soon after a long REM period has ended. Thus, men are very likely to awaken in the morning with a REM sleep-related erection." Four Brands of VR that I’ve bought From Whole Foods Mg/capsule From Walgreen’s Nature’s Resources Just my experiences…. OR eon 64 yo HIV+ GayMan
Response:
Since a long time I did not have nocturnal erections anymore,maybe because of the antidepressants I took.But even when I did not take antidepressants I had no nocturnal erections.Some time ago I went to my doctor because I had sleeping problems.I started to take 15 mg Remeron(which is also an antidepressant but at low dosage a good sleeping aid) and immediately,from the first night on, every time I awake,during the night or in the morning I have a very strong erection which lasts sometimes 15 minutes or even longer.Is there someone who has the same experience with Remeron?On the other hand I must admit that I still have ED and have to use Viagra.So the Remeron does not seem to help for ED.Am I right if I conclude that my ED is psychologically?
Response:
I use Remeron. I can’t say that it helped or hurt ED one way or the other. I also am not sure it helps my depression that much either, however it does seem to help my sleep which in turn no doubt prevents some depression. I took Zoloft and Celexia before starting the Remeron and I can say definately they were the beginning of my ED and caused Anorgasmia. I believe I can truthfully say I did not have one single orgasm while on the stuff. Thus in the long run my mental health was damaged further by the idea that my sex life was gone. I would tell any male unless he were suicidal and despirate to leave selective serotonan reuptake inhibitors alone. They are almost guarenteed to destroy you sex life. This is just my observation and experience. I am sure there is somebody who will argue with something here. I don’t debate but I will discuss my experiences with ED related problems if you like. This group seems replete with trolls who will jump on something in every post. Contact me by email if you want to discuss further.
Response:
Nocturnal erections are affected by REM sleep and your hormone status, esp free testosterone level. If for some reason you don’t get much REM sleep (say due to insomnia) this might gradually cause ED. Remeron is sedating and helps you sleep, so maybe that helped. Did you ever take SSRIs? Remeron blocks the 5ht2 and 5ht3 serotonin receptors thought implicated in SSRI-induced sexual problems. Maybe this somehow gives benenfit even after you’ve discontinued SSRIs but have residual sexual problems. There are several research papers that mention the pro-sexual affects of Remeron (Mirtazapine). Below are some. You should also have your hormone levels tested, including free testosterone, estradiol, thyroid, and prolactin. — Joe D. Relief of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction with mirtazapine treatment. Farah A. J Clin Psychiatry. 1999 Apr;60(4):260-261 <no abstract available Sexual functioning in depressed outpatients taking mirtazapine. Boyarsky BK, Haque W, Rouleau MR, Hirschfeld RM. Depress Anxiety. 1999;9(4):175-9. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA. OBJECTIVES: One-third of patients with untreated depression have sexual difficulties manifested by decreased libido, erectile dysfunction or delayed ejaculation. This dysfunction may be exacerbated by stimulation of post-synaptic serotonin 5HT2 receptors, a side-effect of most widely-used antidepressant medications, especially the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Mirtazapine is an atypical antidepressant with alpha 2 adrenergic antagonist and serotonin 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptor-blocking activity. In theory, it should not worsen and perhaps may improve sexual function. This pilot study investigated sexual functioning and antidepressant activity in depressed patients taking mirtazapine. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Twenty-five (F = 18, M = 7) sexually active adult outpatients with a DSM-IV-diagnosis of major depressive episode entered a 12-week, flexible-dosing, open-label pilot study. The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) assessed sexual functioning and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) assessed depressive symptoms on a bimonthly basis. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS: Desire, arousal/lubrication, and ease/satisfaction of orgasm improved (by 41%, 52%, and 48%, respectively) in the depressed women. In men, desire, arousal/erection, and ease/satisfaction of orgasm also improved (by 10%, 23% and 14%, respectively) but much more modestly. HAM-D, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) scores improved in both groups. There was a 50% dropout rate among women before six weeks of treatment. However, the ASEX and HAM-D scores of the groups terminating before and after six weeks of treatment showed similar rates of improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Mirtazapine has a beneficial effect on sexual functioning in both depressed women and men. Longer-term double-blind research assessing sexual function during the administration of mirtazapine as well as other antidepressants is recommended. Mirtazapine substitution in SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. Gelenberg AJ, McGahuey C, Laukes C, Okayli G, Moreno F, Zentner L, Delgado P. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000 May;61(5):356-60. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Arizona Health Services Center, Tucson, USA. BACKGROUND: Sexual side effects are a common and bothersome reaction to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), frequently leading to cessation of treatment. Mirtazapine, an alpha2-adrenoceptor and serotonin-2/3 receptor antagonist, appears to cause few sexual problems. METHOD: Nineteen patients (12 women and 7 men), with SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction who were in remission from major depressive disorder (total Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HAM-D] score < or = 10), were switched to open-label mirtazapine for up to 6 weeks. Mirtazapine was titrated from 7.5 mg to 45 mg daily, as tolerated. Sexual functioning was measured weekly with the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), and depression was measured weekly with the HAM-D. RESULTS: Eleven patients (58%) had a return of normal sexual functioning (mean +/- SD ASEX score = 12+/-3), and another 2 (11%) reported significant improvement in sexual functioning (mean ASEX score reduced from 24+/-1 to 20+/-0). All nineteen patients maintained their antidepressant response (HAM-D score after 6 weeks of mirtazapine = 6+/-3). The most commonly reported side effects (using moderate/severe rating on a symptom checklist) were initial sedation (N = 3), irritability (N = 6), and muscle soreness and stiffness (N = 3). Weight gain of 10 to 20 lb (4.5-9 kg) was seen in 3 patients (2 women and 1 man). CONCLUSION: Mirtazapine is an effective antidepressant for many patients experiencing SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since a long time I did not have nocturnal erections anymore,maybe because of the antidepressants I took.But even when I did not take antidepressants I had no nocturnal erections.Some time ago I went to my doctor because I had sleeping problems.I started to take 15 mg Remeron(which is also an antidepressant but at low dosage a good sleeping aid) and immediately,from the first night on, every time I awake,during the night or in the morning I have a very strong erection which lasts sometimes 15 minutes or even longer.Is there someone who has the same experience with Remeron?On the other hand I must admit that I still have ED and have to use Viagra.So the Remeron does not seem to help for ED.Am I right if I conclude that my ED is psychologically?
