Did anyone else suffer with a low libido after PP? I had PP when my baby was 3.5 months old and had little or no libido for months afterwards, and didn't have that problem before the illness. I think it was related to low confidence and loss of self esteem, but also a feeling of numbness and difficulty in letting go. My drugs also made me put o weight which didn't help my body confidence.
Just wanted to know if others had experienced the same as it does not seem to be a documented after effect of the condition.
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vlk86
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Hi there! I've had the same problem and its due to a variety of problems. The number one cause is often medications. Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs at least), lithium and antipsychotics can all reduce libido. If you have any pain/discomfort during intercourse you should get it checked out as there may be a gynecological reason. And as you said, a low confidence will effect this aspect of you life too. If i were you, i'd discuss this with your psychiatrist, GP to make sure you're all ok physically, and then maybe explore counselling. Its something we don't talk about enough!
I’m pretty sure having kids in general has this effect lol it has for me anyway! Maybe natures way to stop us over populating. Myself and my husband are extremely close and afffectionate, but I’m certainly not as up for it as I was Pre babies and we come to some sort of mutual compromise at times as he is exactly the same if not more so! 😜
Yes, I'm 3 years out from PP and feel like for me it is a combination of lower self esteem, lost connection with my partner, having a toddler in the house and still not feeling 100% me.
In the first year after PP I'd say it was related to severe depression that I experienced after PP. Low/lost libido can be a symptom of depression and mine has definitely drastically improved since that first year.
Hi vlk86 , yes I experienced same , all down to antipsychotics in my case. The antipsychotics also caused me to have depression. Nasty drugs. I hope your body will restore itself the longer you'e off them. I would say I'm 70% there 8 months after stopping them. Praying the effects aren't permanent. Good luck!
Firstly, I hope your care is being managed by an interdisciplinary team. It seems that some times patients with PPS (or history of PPS) get poor follow on care once they leave inpatient care or the MBU.
If you satisfied with your team, why not ask if your healthcare providers can suggest a change in antidepressants? Exercise is also a great way to stimulate hormones (I've never tried it, LOL, but I hear it works!) I'm in age group where access to good chocolate is much more critical!
On another not particularly related subject, did anyone on your team comment on the onset of PPS at 3.5 months? That is the time frame at which my daughter became ill twice, and yet I hear it is relatively rare?
Thanks for all your messages and support. It is comforting to hear I am not alone. If enough of us suffer this maybe it could become a documented effect of the condition. I think maybe it hasn't before because people are shy to speak about it.
I did ask my psychiatrist whether it could be caused by the medication but she thought it was unlikely. I take lithium and a low dose of olanzipine. I still hope it will improve when I come off the medication next year though.
Great suggestion about the exercise Peter. This has really helped me and has the added positive effect of improving body image and confidence. So I would recommend this to others.
I didn't receive a great amount of comment about the later stage at which I developed the psychosis. I did have a traumatic accident where I fell down the stairs with my son just days before developing psychosis though and this was suspected to be the major trigger.
Hi vlk86 just to chime in with another "me too", my husband has really struggled with this side effect of the illness/ medication but I also agree with you that it may be partly due to a drop in my confidence following the illness and changes to my body after a baby then anti psychotic medication. I hope that this will improve with time. We've been through a lot and I think for women, more so than men, sex is tied up with our emotional wellbeing.
I hope that you continue to make strides in your recovery.
Thanks Hazello. I agree that for women sex is tied up with how we feel about ourselves and it's hard when you are trying to rebuild your self esteem. I feel like it is only now, 9 months later, that I have almost got my confidence back. I hope things improve for you too.
Definitely experienced the same thing. I also put a lot of weight on through being on quetiapine. For me i feel it is a self confidence feeling. I also think going through something as traumatic as PPP will put you off sex. It's such an all consuming illness and really hard to move past.
Stick in there and do things that make you feel good about yourself. Speak to your partner about how you feel and never have sex if you don't want to. I've made this mistake in the past and it only pushed me and partner further apart.
At the end of the day, sex is not a priority. Getting through each day with your little one is what counts.
Hi there, I can most certainly relate to that. I had PP Nov 16 and came off the meds fairly quickly. I too put on a lot of weight, hence coming off them and they dried my milk up. I wondered if when off the meds it would improve, but no. Then I thought once breast feeding stopped, but no. Now although a little better, I am no way near back to how I was sexually. I am now looking into CBT to see if that can help me feel like me again. Has anyone else tried this and how did you get on? It's good to know we're not alone with the lack of libido and I think it should definitely be documented as a side effect. Fingers crossed things improve soon.
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