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Sexual Side Effects
Wed, 03/29/2006 - 14:24Comments
Re: Sexual Side Effects
Submitted by sawyerheights on Fri, 2008-08-15 - 14:38
I hope someone is still reading this thread. I've tried every drug available for my simple partial seizure syndrome, and the only ones that work are Dilantin and Lorazepam (primary, secondary). I've been taking them since my first seizure in 1984. My seizures are perfectly in control. However, I suffer significantly from just about every side effect ever documented for Dilantin (that's a long list). My neurologist says I am extremely sensitive to these drugs. In the last 3 years, I developed ED, and my neurologist and my internist have jointly concluded that Dilantin and Lorazepam are the cause. They administered lots of tests tp see if there might be another cause, but everything checked out fine. I've tried various therapies and supplements. Viagra and Levitra don't work. Nothing helped. I'm 56 and my wife is 53. I'm in good shape and she's in great shape. I am very thin and trim, I don't smoke or drink, and I have an extremely healthy, low fat diet. I do everthing I'm supposed to do. Bottom line: I can't get an erection, period. My wife and I used to enjoy sex together a lot before the ED, and she almost always had an orgasm during intercourse, so we were well suited to each other sexually. She never really liked foreplay much, didn't really like cuddling, and didn't like sexual toys much -- she liked to get right to it. For awhile, we tried various things to see if could get stimulated, but it was pretty clear nothing was going to help. She shows no longer shows any interest in me sexually. The Dilantin side effect of unwanted body hair (on my chest, back, shoulders, and abdomen) has really hit hard in the last few years -- I'm not quite Robin Williams, but it ain't pretty (no it's not just aging; no male in my family looks like this). It's just too thick to get waxed, so it's a turn-off for her in addition to the ED. I can't get her really to talk about any alternatives to intercourse, even in couples therapy. She has said during therapy that she doesn't want to go the rest of her life not ever again having intercourse. Don't get me wrong; she's a terrific spouse in every other way and has been very understanding and supportive of my afflliction. But we can't seem to get past this issue. No way I could tolerate her having an affair to satisfy her sexually. I'm pretty depressed about this, and my self-esteem has been hammered. Are we through? I'd especially like to hear from any spouses of epileptics (where the epileptics have low sex drive or ED), and who somehow might come across my entry, to hear some suggestions.
I hope someone is still reading this thread. I've tried every drug available for my simple partial seizure syndrome, and the only ones that work are Dilantin and Lorazepam (primary, secondary). I've been taking them since my first seizure in 1984. My seizures are perfectly in control. However, I suffer significantly from just about every side effect ever documented for Dilantin (that's a long list). My neurologist says I am extremely sensitive to these drugs. In the last 3 years, I developed ED, and my neurologist and my internist have jointly concluded that Dilantin and Lorazepam are the cause. They administered lots of tests tp see if there might be another cause, but everything checked out fine. I've tried various therapies and supplements. Viagra and Levitra don't work. Nothing helped. I'm 56 and my wife is 53. I'm in good shape and she's in great shape. I am very thin and trim, I don't smoke or drink, and I have an extremely healthy, low fat diet. I do everthing I'm supposed to do. Bottom line: I can't get an erection, period. My wife and I used to enjoy sex together a lot before the ED, and she almost always had an orgasm during intercourse, so we were well suited to each other sexually. She never really liked foreplay much, didn't really like cuddling, and didn't like sexual toys much -- she liked to get right to it. For awhile, we tried various things to see if could get stimulated, but it was pretty clear nothing was going to help. She shows no longer shows any interest in me sexually. The Dilantin side effect of unwanted body hair (on my chest, back, shoulders, and abdomen) has really hit hard in the last few years -- I'm not quite Robin Williams, but it ain't pretty (no it's not just aging; no male in my family looks like this). It's just too thick to get waxed, so it's a turn-off for her in addition to the ED. I can't get her really to talk about any alternatives to intercourse, even in couples therapy. She has said during therapy that she doesn't want to go the rest of her life not ever again having intercourse. Don't get me wrong; she's a terrific spouse in every other way and has been very understanding and supportive of my afflliction. But we can't seem to get past this issue. No way I could tolerate her having an affair to satisfy her sexually. I'm pretty depressed about this, and my self-esteem has been hammered. Are we through? I'd especially like to hear from any spouses of epileptics (where the epileptics have low sex drive or ED), and who somehow might come across my entry, to hear some suggestions.
Re: Sexual Side Effects
Submitted by Lucy_UK on Thu, 2008-11-27 - 11:40
I thought I'd add a few comments here since this is a very important and potentially explosive issue. I'm the one with epilepsy and I'm on 3 different meds, sometimes clobazam too when I feel an aura's coming on. I'm happily married but my sex drive is pretty much dead. Maybe my age is a contributing factor - 43 years old - but still I feel the AED's have a lot to answer for.
My wonderful husband has accepted that sex probably won't feature much in our marriage anymore but we have discovered something else, something far more satisfying: holding each other, cuddling, stroking and kissing and talking together is amazingly sensual. Why is it so important that intimacy involves sex anyway? This way I've got to know him better than I ever imagined possible; ok, sex isn't involved, but that's ok - at least for us.
I write this because I realise how important a good sex life can be but there are other options as I've described above. One more thing, and this is for you fellas, women (I think it's fair to generalise) love to feel loved and you can do that by simply holding her and telling her she's precious and wonderful. Non-sexual intimacy can take you to enormous sensual and spiritual heights and who knows, may lead to sex if both want it. A relationship/marriage can be so happy and fulfilling once the stress of having to perform sexually loses its power over you.
My comments aren't designed to lecture or patronise and I hope i haven't come across badly, but please feel hope. Sex just isn't as important as human beings are led to believe. That's my experience, anyway. I hope it's ok to write all this in a male thread.
Love, Lucy
I thought I'd add a few comments here since this is a very important and potentially explosive issue. I'm the one with epilepsy and I'm on 3 different meds, sometimes clobazam too when I feel an aura's coming on. I'm happily married but my sex drive is pretty much dead. Maybe my age is a contributing factor - 43 years old - but still I feel the AED's have a lot to answer for.
My wonderful husband has accepted that sex probably won't feature much in our marriage anymore but we have discovered something else, something far more satisfying: holding each other, cuddling, stroking and kissing and talking together is amazingly sensual. Why is it so important that intimacy involves sex anyway? This way I've got to know him better than I ever imagined possible; ok, sex isn't involved, but that's ok - at least for us.
I write this because I realise how important a good sex life can be but there are other options as I've described above. One more thing, and this is for you fellas, women (I think it's fair to generalise) love to feel loved and you can do that by simply holding her and telling her she's precious and wonderful. Non-sexual intimacy can take you to enormous sensual and spiritual heights and who knows, may lead to sex if both want it. A relationship/marriage can be so happy and fulfilling once the stress of having to perform sexually loses its power over you.
My comments aren't designed to lecture or patronise and I hope i haven't come across badly, but please feel hope. Sex just isn't as important as human beings are led to believe. That's my experience, anyway. I hope it's ok to write all this in a male thread.
Love, Lucy