Thousands of common medications often have a long list of side effects that could accompany them, warning those who take them about weight gain, fatigue or headaches.
But while millions of people know to expect this, some may not realize that the fine print also includes increased sexual desire, or hypersexuality.
Hypersexuality, or compulsive sexual behavior, is an intense focus on sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that may be difficult to control.
These can cause stress or lead to health problems, interfere with your work or relationships, and may even lead you to cheat.
Medications can affect people in many ways and each person taking a drug will have a different experience, but a pharmacist has revealed to DailyMail.com which medications could lead to an increase in sexual desire.
Certain medications can cause hypersexuality in people taking them, leading to an insatiable sexual appetite that can cause them to cheat on their partner.
There are many factors that influence libido, including physical and mental health, lifestyle, and relationships. But biology (the body’s hormones and brain chemistry) plays a major role.
Sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and oxytocin regulate libido, so hormonal changes throughout life or medications that affect these factors contribute to the ebb and flow of sexual desire.
Dr Hussain Ahman, consultant at Cick2Pharmacy, told DailyMail.com: ‘Some medications can have the side effect of increasing libido, and this is due to how they interact with the body’s chemistry.
‘For example, dopamine agonists… work by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain, and since dopamine is closely linked to the brain’s reward and pleasure systems, it may increase sexual desire.’
Stimulants: Adderall, Concerta, Vyvanse
In 2021 (the latest year for which data is available), there were approximately 41 million prescriptions for Adderall and millions more for other stimulants used to treat ADHD.
Adderall contains the stimulants amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which act on the body’s central nervous system to increase energy and focus.
Stimulants increase dopamine, the feel-good hormone in the brain, as well as norepinephrine, which influences arousal.
While some users may experience a decrease in libido, others report a huge increase in sexual desire.
Reddit users complain of arousal so “relentless” and heightened that it interferes with work and can be “incredibly uncomfortable and unmanageable.”
Others admitted to having “crazy masturbation binges” and said their sex drive “intensified to the point where I’m really worried and can’t get any relief.”
A 2020 review Of men taking stimulant medications, these were found to be associated with hypersexuality and excessive masturbation.
A similar stimulant also prescribed to treat ADHD, called Vyvanse, has also shown an association with hypersexuality.
Sertraline – Zoloft
Zoloft, the brand name for the drug sertraline, belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is used to treat anxiety, OCD, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Approximately 39 million prescriptions for sertraline were written in 2021.
While SSRIs are often associated with a loss of libido, there is growing evidence that sertraline may induce hypersexuality and experts say sexual side effects are very common but underreported in patients taking SSRIs.
A case report The case of a 42-year-old man taking sertraline details how the man developed increased sexual desire, constant sexual thoughts, and compulsive masturbation throughout the day, including strong urges to masturbate at work.
The case report said his hypersexuality was taking a huge toll on his marriage and career.
A seperation report detailed how a 55-year-old man taking sertraline had increased sexual desire and increased demands for sex, “resulting in marital distress to the point of marital discord.”
There are numerous online forums discussing the sudden increase in arousal, and there is one notable post titled, “Sexual desire increases exponentially. Anyone else feeling hypersexual on Zoloft?”
Aripiprazole – Abilify
Abilify is prescribed approximately 8 million times a year.
It is used to treat a wide variety of mental health disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as Tourette syndrome and behavioral problems associated with autism.
The drug works by regulating dopamine levels in the brain and has the side effect of causing compulsive sexual impulses.
The FDA warned In 2016, impulse control problems were reported in people taking aripiprazole, the active drug in Abilify.
The agency said: ‘The FDA warns that compulsive or uncontrollable urges to gamble, overeat, shop, and have sexual intercourse have been reported with the use of… Abilify.’
An analysis of the FDA’s Adverse Reporting System and available medical literature found that five percent of adverse events reported by people taking Abilify involved compulsive sexual behavior.
One Reddit user reported masturbating two to three times a day after starting the drug and engaging in risky sexual behavior, such as hiring prostitutes for sex.
Another said he noticed “a substantial, almost problematic sexual compulsion” about two weeks after starting Abilify.
They posted: ‘I’m worried I’ll end up doing something I normally wouldn’t do because of (Abilify).’
NDRI: Zyban and Wellbutrin
Used as an antidepressant and as an aid to quit smoking, Zyban was prescribed 29 million times in 2021 (the latest data available).
Zyban and similar medications like Wellbutrin are dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs).
Dr Ahmad told this website: ‘Unlike many other antidepressants that can decrease sexual desire, Zyban affects neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine and can lead to an increase in sexual desire.’
It works by increasing the levels of these hormones in the brain and contains the active ingredient bupropion.
One patient on Reddit who was taking bupropion said the drug “upped my libido to 11.”
They added: “I was excited all the time, to the point where I could barely walk down a hallway without exploding. I made some pretty risky decisions.”
Pramipexole – Mirapex
Pramipexole, a common drug used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS), a condition that causes an almost irresistible compulsion to move the legs, and Parkinson’s disease, is a dopamine agonist, meaning it activates dopamine in the brain.
While there is no data on how many people take the drug, restless legs syndrome affects 33 million Americans and 1 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease.
Some side effects include fatigue, nausea, and weakness, but a serious one that people have reported is addictive and compulsive sexual behaviors.
One study An association between the drug and compulsive masturbation has been reported, leading some users to self-gratify up to eight times a day.
A patient detailed in a case study taking pramipexole for restless legs syndrome would have to excuse himself from the table at home or in restaurants or retreat to the bathroom at friends’ houses to masturbate.
He also woke his partner up in the middle of the night “to satisfy his needs.”
Another patient taking the drug for Parkinson’s disease saying He experienced severe hypersexuality.
He spent $100,000 (his life savings) on sex in one year, including going to strip clubs, obsessively watching pornography, and hiring prostitutes.
The 60-year-old added that his behaviour affected his relationship with his wife and children: “My behaviour resulted in the breakdown of my marriage… My wife and I are now separated.”