Am I the only one

[mustangjenny34]

Am I the only one with MS that doesn’t ever feel the want to be intimate?

[agapepilgrim]

Hi. Loss of libido is common MS symptom. I complained to my neurologist and she said what do you expect you are 68! I got so mad. Just because she had no desire didn’t mean all women were like her. I have no desire but mentally so very much miss those moments and those feelings

[mrsmike]

The desire is there, but the body just can't seem to want to.

[jodigirl750]

Same here... You are not alone!

[mrsmike9]

That's me! "Fortunately" for me my husband had ED so I'm not pressed into it. I feel like a horrible wife but what do you do????

[Peruzzot]

You're definitely not alone in that area. It's a common symptom. I've not had any desire for years and it makes my husband mad. He keeps demanding that the doctors prescribe me something that will bring the desire back. The doctors say there's nothing they can prescribe for that. It's caused a lot of arguments, aggravation, and hurt feelings for both of us.

[JJLJO]

Yup this is common- I’m a 19 year MSer- diagnosed at 42- had a very health sex life with my husband- unfortunately we went thru a long period where he thought “I wasn’t interested “ as I had lost all lubrication which in turns does make the drive hard due to pain When I started my Rx regime of BetaSeron almost immediately went they the change. My husband also has ED. 2 whammies. After many years of trying to bring back the bedroom fun—my husband does take Rx —we tried numerous Lund— I did finally talk to my Gyno and we added Premrim. This makes the actual act of intercourse more pleasant which in turns does bring back a bit of the “mood”.

Between that and a NIW very understanding husband we have brought back some of the bedroom games.

Be strong, DO NOT BEAT yourself up over this, make sure your partner DOES NOT blame you — WE DIDNT ASK FOR THIS!

But most of all don’t lose hope and faith— together you can find something to replace the intimacy that you one had and as always talk with your docs and invite your partner along. At 61 I’ve started taking my husband with me.

[TonyiaR7]

There are different ways to be intimate and not all of this is MS. You can talk to women who don’t have MS or any illness and many would say the same thing. Depending on your age, menopause can make intimacy a challenge for some women. Ask your gynecologist. Write down your concerns and issues before hand. Share them with your spouse. Talk to psychologist who specializes in behavioral analyst, who can help both of you. As we do grow older, hopefully our marriages (partnerships) and love mature. There are different ways to be physical and enriching your time together. Mental and spiritual intimacy are just important as physical. And build each other up with kindness and love. Have good, healthy self-esteem. Instead of focusing on the losses, cherish what you do have with each other and build upon that foundation. Get creative and have fun together. Good movie with popcorn in bed, all snuggled up together. Kissing longer. Touching more and differently. Laughter. Talking or sharing more (at appropriate moments). Get advice from a professional.

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

mustangjenny34 There recently was a webinar about this very issue. A forum member, greaterexp posted about it, and the post is ‘For those who missed the webinar’, and there is a link to the webinar included in this post. Look for it.

And, you are not alone with this issue.

Keep Smiling,

Carole