Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

This is for hypothesis and even educated speculation.
bolor
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Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by bolor »

This is very shameful to me, so I'd beg other fellow members to take this seriously.

I am a 34 yr male. I took SSRIs since my 20s, and then I decided to stop it gradually. Now I am medication free.
I am not feeling depressed. Except...
That since I quit SSRIs I started feeling more and more inclined to have homosexual sex, even though I always identified myself as a straight man, have been married, had a lot of girlfriends and all that, and I was pretty happy with being straight.

So now I am feeling very vulnerable, almost as if I lost all of my masculinity. It's like I can't identify as being a man anymore.

Please help.
Leb89
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by Leb89 »

Hey my friend,

I never heard that SSRIs can change your sexual orientation, but that doesn’t mean it is not possible. My first thought was, that maybe the SSRI blocked some parts of your personality when you were on them. We all have gay parts in us no matter how straight we feel. Maybe the SSRI suppressed those little parts of you and now that there is no suppression anymore after over ten years they might be louder because they couldn’t speak before. I hope you get what I mean, my English is not the best :)

And besides that I understand your insecurities and confusion but what would be bad about being gay or bisexual? I also know a really nice guy who found out he is gay after being married for years and he is living a really happy life right now with a man.

Do you have any classic PSSD symptoms? If not, you should consider yourself really happy. I would cut of my hand to return to my pre PSSD self and be gay. I had so much trouble with women in my life I often wished I was gay tbh 😁

Try not to drive too crazy on this, maybe it’s also just a short episode in your life. And if not, who cares? Why shouldn’t you become a happy gay man?
Kk88
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by Kk88 »

I know a number of people who have become/realised they are gay in their 30's. I think this is much more likely to be a natural change for you and not SSRI related. Maybe, if you have pssd, because your drive for sex is less strong, your drive for a deeper connection is taking over and leading you to this realisation, whereas before, if sex was a main drive for you, you will have found it satisfying (and easier to get) with a gender you actually weren't that attracted to.
CN9
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by CN9 »

if you have pssd, I probably know what you mean: Since I don't feel masculine/sexual potent anymore, like an eunuch, Sometimes I get "devote" in my sexual fantasies. Still don't feel attracted by the same sex though.
arahant
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by arahant »

bolor wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:05 am This is very shameful to me, so I'd beg other fellow members to take this seriously.

I am a 34 yr male. I took SSRIs since my 20s, and then I decided to stop it gradually. Now I am medication free.
I am not feeling depressed. Except...
That since I quit SSRIs I started feeling more and more inclined to have homosexual sex, even though I always identified myself as a straight man, have been married, had a lot of girlfriends and all that, and I was pretty happy with being straight.

So now I am feeling very vulnerable, almost as if I lost all of my masculinity. It's like I can't identify as being a man anymore.

Please help.
Do you have just homosexual thoughts? Are they intrusive and causing distress? Like you are fighting against it? Rule out HOCD first.

If you are getting horny like a teenager and having urges that feels good like when you date girls, it's unlikely to be PSSD.

Both cases can be handled without meds doing counseling/cognitive behavioral therapy etc.
Wellbutrin (2007 - 2018)
Wellbutrin + Sertraline (2015)
Wellbutrin + Ritalin (2016 - 2018)
Wellbutrin + Ritalin + Sertraline (3 months in 2018)
Buspirone (Feb 2019 - Today)
Ritalin + Buspirone (Nov 2019 - today)
finities infinities
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by finities infinities »

CN9- I have identical. I complete loss my narcissistic masculine features.
CN9
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by CN9 »

because there is no faith and even confident connection to my penis... it s no useful tool anymore. How can we even dare to be alpha?
so... if it s "just" that, keep cool. it s like an inevitable side effect.
climb
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by climb »

I think I have seen one other person mention on PSSD forum that this had happened to them.

I also think I have seen someone on propecia help, the post finasteride syndrome forum saying this had happened to them too.

I couldn't begin to speculate how the drugs could cause this, but since they seem to be able to mess about with so many other things and cause huge numbers of epigenetic changes, I wouldn't challenge someone's personal experience if they say this is what happened to them.
Halan
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by Halan »

I've seen some cases like yours. Some people are straight their whole life, but them, somehow, start to show gay orientation.

I think it's very wrong to say these people were homosexual before. If so, they would show these signs since their teens. I think, and evidences points to it, that sexual preference can change during your life. What causes these changes? We don't know. I've seen some gay people turn to straight too.

Chemical reactions rule our brains, so I wouldn't discard this hypothesis that SSRI messed with your sexuality.
bolor
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Re: Change in sexual orientation after quiting SSRIs

Unread post by bolor »

Thank you for all of the replies.

So, based on your ideas and my own research, I got all of these hypothesis:

1. Loss of self identity. I really feel this. Really unsure of who am I anymore. I used to be a very, very sexual guy before the SSRIs, and used to do extreme things to get sex from women. Man completely disgusted back them. I would feel like a "predator" somehow. Now I don't feel this strong masculinity anymore.

2. A dysfunction in my Serotonin balance. They've been linking low serotonin to rats bisexual behavior: https://www.livescience.com/13408-brain ... ation.html

3. Having HOCD

4. Just having realized that I have gay thoughts

5. Having somehow become more to the "gay side" over the years

PS: I am still attracted to women, so I can't identify myself as gay either. This generates a lot of confusion. If was 100% gay I could just rule out women. It's much harder to be on the fence.
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