If treatment is helping your mental health but something feels different sexually, both parts of that experience deserve to be heard. You can ask for a review without having to decide for yourself whether the medicine is responsible.
Name the change in your own words
The NHS lists reduced sex drive, orgasm difficulties and vaginal dryness among possible antidepressant side effects. For some people, sexual problems may persist after treatment stops. Medicines are not the only possible explanation, so a discussion is more useful than a self-diagnosis. [1]
A 2016 clinical review by Lorenz, Rullo and Faubion describes overlapping influences, including the underlying mood condition, and supports asking about sexual function before and during treatment. This is a clinical review of existing evidence, not a single trial establishing the cause of your symptoms. [2] We reviewed accessible indexed manuscript text; detailed funding and conflict declarations were not verified. Its treatment discussion is not a self-help prescribing guide.
A few notes can make the discussion easier
If you want, write down:
- The change you want help with: interest, comfort, arousal, sensation or orgasm.
- Roughly when you noticed it, including whether it started before treatment or around a prescribed change.
- What has improved with treatment and what you would like to preserve.
- All medicines and supplements you use, ready for the clinician or pharmacist to review.
You do not need to keep a sexual diary or produce an exact score. These are optional editorial prompts, not a validated assessment. A simple statement such as “I want help with this side of treatment” is enough to open the conversation.
Ask about options without changing treatment yourself
The MHRA’s 15 October 2026 safety update reinforces discussion of sexual side effects, including possible persistence, and says not to stop medicine without speaking to a healthcare professional. The update concerns clearer communication of recognised risks, rather than a newly discovered risk. [3]
Ask what the next review should cover and who to contact if concerns continue. Do not skip doses, take a “drug holiday”, taper or swap treatment on your own. If you have new or worsening thoughts of suicide or self-harm, seek urgent medical attention rather than waiting for a routine review. [1,3]
Pink Venus is not a treatment for antidepressant-related sexual problems and was not established as effective or safe for this purpose by the cited review. Before adding a supplement, ask a pharmacist or prescriber to check suitability and interactions.
Sources and scope
[1] NHS, Antidepressants. [2] Lorenz T, Rullo J, Faubion S. Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2016), 91:1280–1286. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.04.033. Discovered and fetched through Consensus. [3] MHRA safety update, 15 October 2026. Sources checked 28 October 2026; no drug ranking or individual treatment recommendation is offered.
For adults. General information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice. Prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed; no clinical review is claimed.