Prozac Sexual Side Effects: Libido, Orgasm and What Helps
Lower desire and delayed orgasm are common on Prozac and often don't ease on their own.
By withClaro Editorial · 2026-11-02 · 4 min read
Clinical section reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan , Consultant Psychiatrist, on October 27, 2026.
Key takeaways The Prozac label says SSRIs can lower desire and delay or block orgasm in women and men, and in men can also cause erection and ejaculation problems. When people were asked directly, a 2001 study found sexual side effects in 58% of people on fluoxetine; the label's own trial figure of 4% is, by its own account, likely an undercount. On r/prozac, of 71 people who said how it went over time, 37 said it was still there while they stayed on Prozac, so it is worth raising rather than waiting out. The label says they occasionally last after stopping; if that happens, tell your prescriber. On this page
What 131 people on r/prozac said about sexual side effects How common are sexual side effects on Prozac? Do Prozac sexual side effects go away? What helps with sexual side effects on Prozac? What should you tell your prescriber about sexual side effects? Prozac (fluoxetine) can cause sexual side effects, most often lower desire and delayed or absent orgasm. The FDA label describes them separately: in women, lower desire and delayed or absent orgasm; in men, delayed or failed ejaculation, lower desire and erection problems. It also asks prescribers to ask about them directly, because people often don't bring them up.
What 131 people on r/prozac said about sexual side effects
We read 100 recent threads on r/prozac, comments included, and 131 people described their own sex life on Prozac. These threads were picked because people posted about sex and libido, so they can't show how often it happens; people with no problem rarely post. What they show is what the effects look like and how they went. Of the 127 who said whether it was affected, 99 said yes and 28 said no; one of the 28 wrote:
No libido changes or trouble orgasming for me
Of the 99 who said it was, 88 named the effect, and one person could name several:
What they described Of 88 who named it Lower desire 49 Delayed or no orgasm 38 Erection problems 5
For most of those who said how it went over time, it did not pass on its own. Of the 71, 37 were still on Prozac and still had it, and 20 said it eased while they stayed on it. The other 14 had stopped Prozac: 7 said it went away and 7 said it was still there. That is too few people to say how often it lasts.
One person on r/prozac wrote:
Killed my libido both times.
Another found a way through with their prescriber:
adding Wellbutrin to my prescriptions, which helped offset that problem. I sometimes still have a little difficulty getting there, but I can at least finish again.
How common are sexual side effects on Prozac?
More common than the label's trial figures suggest. In its US trials for depression, OCD and bulimia, decreased sex drive was reported by 4% of people on Prozac against less than 1% on placebo. The label itself says such figures are likely to underestimate how often these effects happen, because people and doctors are reluctant to discuss them, and that no well-controlled study has measured them for fluoxetine. The label lists the effects separately for women and men.
When people are asked directly, the numbers are much higher. A 2001 Spanish study questioned 1,022 people with normal sexual function before treatment, using a questionnaire on desire, orgasm, ejaculation and erection. Sexual side effects appeared in 58% of the 279 on fluoxetine. Men reported them a little more often than women, 62% against 57%, but women's were more severe.
Source What it found FDA label, US trials lower sex drive in 4%, against less than 1% on placebo Montejo et al., 2001, asked directly any sexual side effect in 58% on fluoxetine Our count of 100 r/prozac threads shows what the effects look like, not how often
Do Prozac sexual side effects go away? Medically reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan on October 27, 2026, this section only.
Sometimes. On Reddit, 20 said it eased while they stayed on Prozac, but more, 37, said it was still there. The clinical view:
Sexual side effects are common with many antidepressants and often do not ease on their own, so they are worth raising.
They include lower desire, difficulty with arousal, and delayed or absent orgasm. Depression itself also lowers desire, which can make the cause hard to pin down.
Your prescriber can discuss a lower dose, a medication less likely to cause them, or an added treatment. For most people sexual function returns after stopping. If it does not, tell your prescriber. The label adds that symptoms occasionally persist after fluoxetine is stopped. If they do, that is worth telling your prescriber rather than waiting.
What helps with sexual side effects on Prozac?
The label asks prescribers to ask about sexual side effects and to discuss ways to manage them. On Reddit, only 17 people said what helped, so these are single stories rather than shares: 6 named adding bupropion, 4 a lower dose and 3 waiting. How bupropion combines with Prozac is covered in Prozac with Wellbutrin .
What should you tell your prescriber about sexual side effects?
Tell your prescriber what changed and when, even if it feels awkward to bring up. The label asks them to ask, and a specific account helps them choose between waiting, a dose change or another option. It helps to tell them:
Whether desire, arousal or orgasm has changed, and since when. Whether it started after a dose change. How much it affects you and your relationships. Whether your sex drive was low before starting, because of depression. Any other medications you take. Download on the App Store Side effects that are hard to bring up are easier to discuss with a record in hand. The withClaro app lets you log mood, sleep, energy and side effects each day, linked to your dose, and turns it into a report for your prescriber.
Frequently asked questions Is Prozac worse for sex than other SSRIs? In the 2001 study that asked people directly, fluoxetine had the lowest share among the SSRIs: 58%, against 63% on sertraline, 71% on paroxetine and 73% on citalopram. People were not assigned drugs at random, so this is not a direct comparison. Mirtazapine, a different class of antidepressant, was much lower, at 24%.
Can Prozac cause delayed orgasm? Yes. The label lists delayed or absent orgasm among SSRI sexual side effects. Options exist, so raise it.
Does a lower dose of Prozac help sexual side effects? For some. In our count, 4 of the 17 people who said what helped named a lower dose. Ask your prescriber before changing your dose; don't adjust it on your own.
What if sexual side effects last after stopping Prozac? The label says this occasionally happens. Tell your prescriber rather than waiting to see if it passes.
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Sources PROZAC (fluoxetine) prescribing information, US Food and Drug Administration via DailyMed Montejo et al., 2001, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry: Incidence of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressant agents, a prospective multicenter study of 1022 outpatients Claro articles are for self-monitoring and educational purposes only. They are not a medical device, therapist, or diagnostic tool, and do not replace care from your prescribing clinician. If you are in crisis, contact your care team, emergency services, the Samaritans (UK: 116 123), or the Crisis Text Line (US: text HOME to 741741).