delayed orgasm and RLS

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Aipulu
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Location: Maui, Hawaii

delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Aipulu »

Now that I have found this discussion board, I can ask a question I have been wanting to for many years. Over 25 years ago I started suffering from a mild form of delayed orgasm, which means that I have difficulty attaining orgasm. I didn't know about RLS back then but I believe that I had some early symptoms, which I overcame by getting out of bed and doing yoga. Then about 20 years ago I got RLS bad and this went untreated for 9 months. My inability to ejaculated also got much worse. I understand that the legs and arms are controlled in the same area of the brain as the penus so it seems possible that this sexual disfunction is cause by or related to RLS. So I am asking other men with RLS to respond if they too have experienced difficulty with orgasmin

Richard

sleepdancer2
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by sleepdancer2 »

Are you on any meds that could play a role? Dopamine agonists are often used to treat RLS - check out the list of possible side effects.
My Augmentation Sleep Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7WA_5c73c

Rustsmith
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Rustsmith »

I have experienced this, but it was only after I started taking gabapentin. It is listed as an occasional side effect of gabapentin for males. I have not looked for it on the list for Horizant, but I would be very surprised if it is not there. I did not have this problem prior to initial treatment of my RLS (which is quite severe), so it is definitely the drugs and not the RLS.

The good thing for me is that it seems to be slowly become less of an issue each time (on the order of weeks) after I increase the dose. It also helps that my wife has been very supportive and understands that this is an issue with the medication and not something caused by our relationship.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Aipulu
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:12 am
Location: Maui, Hawaii

Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Aipulu »

For me the problem with delayed orgasm started several years before I was diagnosed with RLS so it was not caused by medication. And that was about 25 years ago. Only recently have I tried gabapentin. I am interested in hearing from others who have delayed orgasm and whether is was trigger by RLS meds or started before taking RLS meds.

badnights
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by badnights »

Well, I'm not a male, but I have RLS/WED and I have had mild issues with delayed orgasm most of my adult life. I never noticed a correlation, as you have, though.

What I did notice was medication-related - when my dose of hydromorphone was higher, orgasm was almost impossible.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

ViewsAskew
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by ViewsAskew »

As a female, my experience mirrors badnights' closely. For me, pramipexole made it impossible. Higher doses of opioids make it difficult. Normally it's mild.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Aipulu
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:12 am
Location: Maui, Hawaii

Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Aipulu »

It is nice to know that, although I had delayed orgasm issues before I went on dopamine agonists, that my increasingly difficult time with orgasms is also a medication issue. I am in the process of shifting from Mirapex to Horizant (gabapentin encarbel) so perhaps it will get better.

badnights
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by badnights »

ha ha the stuff we talk about, once someone opens the door
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

Polar Bear
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Polar Bear »

Actually...... now that I think of it..... these last two or three years I've had this issue, but put it down to my age..... :oops:
I have been taking ropinerole for many years, codeine and tramadol for a few years. Hmmm....
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

badnights
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by badnights »

opioids maybe
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

rvjimzhr1
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Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:46 pm
Location: Medford, OR

Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by rvjimzhr1 »

I've been on 1.5MG Requip around 6PM daily for nearly 5 years after augmenting on Sinemet after about 8 years. Over the years I have had erection problems and have taken Viagra and more recently Cialis. Both have become less and less effective at providing a sustained erection. Ability to achieve orgasm gradually got more and more difficult over the years. For some time I've also used an injectible called Trimix and it has always given me the sustained erection resulting in orgasm. Over the last year I have gradually become unable to orgasm thru intercourse or masturbation. I can only attribute this to the Requip and my urologist is convinced that is the problem. He provides no solution and says I need to choose between orgasm and relief from RLS.

I'm now trying to take myself off Requip while I try to find and consult with a local Neurologist or maybe a Pulmonologist, both of whom claim to be familiar with RLS and augmentation. I have been reading night and day about the myriad RX and non-RX options for RLS management. Without exception, I find none of these options to be free of the sexual side effects which I think Requip is causing. It's a bit discouraging to think that even if I get off Requip and head down that 'long road' of experimentation and hope for RLS relief that I'll always be dealing with the same issues re: sex.

I'd sure like to hear from RLS sufferers who have found satisfactory relief from the leg movements and insomnia while avoiding these sexual side effects. Are there any out there?

Jim

Rustsmith
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by Rustsmith »

I have not experienced ED, but did have the issue of inability to finish for a while. At the time, I was using the Neupro patch and was also taking 1200mg of gabapentin. I do not remember whether this was before I started to augment on Neupro or not, but I eventually determined that the problem was the high dose of gabapentin. I dropped it back to 900mg and the issue resolved itself, even during the time that I was augmented on Neupro and later had to use a higher than normal dose of pramipexole due to logistical issues that prevented me from switching to methadone.

I have now been on a combination of 5mg of methadone and 900 mg of gabapentin for a year and the combination has not caused any issues with respect to sex. The methadone does a good job of managing my need to move symptoms and the gabapentin works wonderfully for me as a sleep aid. I also use a very small dose of edible form of THC to help me stay asleep since the gabapentin seems to wear off after about 4 hrs. I can still manage to sleep for 8 hrs without the THC, but I find that I am waking up almost hourly after about 4 hrs (but can fall back asleep fairly easily). With the THC, I sleep straight through the night and wake up more refreshed than without it.

However, we all respond to these medications differently, so what works for me might now work for you. But in that respect, just because the side effects listed for a medication indicates sexual side effects, that does not necessarily mean that you will have that problem. Often, the side effects that are listed for these meds occur at doses that are higher than what you may need to manage your RLS.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

rvjimzhr1
Posts: 101
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:46 pm
Location: Medford, OR

Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by rvjimzhr1 »

Steve, thanks for your comments. I understand what you're saying about side effects varying from one person to another and the relationship to the dose. That said, I guess I'm still holding out hope that there is that "one" drug or drug combo that will solve all my problems. I know, not necessarily realistic. I've been on the 1.5MG dose for quite some time and the orgasm problem has just come on in the past year. If I could just get back to how it was before......

For now I'll just try and get through this withdrawal period and then hope I am able to see a doc who is particularly knowledgeable about augmentation and drug therapy. I know I'd be extremely lucky were I able to control the body movements, insomnia and sexual issues by diet, vaping marijuana, using edibles and avoiding RX drugs.

Jim

ViewsAskew
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by ViewsAskew »

I will take what Steve said one step farther. Not only are the side effects different from person to person, but they can vary for one person over time.

There is no holy grail for any of us. And, just about guaranteed that when you find it, it will morph and it will no longer be that in a few months or years. After listening to thousands of people here over the last 12 years, I do not believe any of us have it that easy.

That said, I do believe that some of us can manage very well without RX drugs. I hope you get what you want. I have ben disappointed so many times regarding my treatment that I try to keep myself from hoping.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

badnights
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Re: delayed orgasm and RLS

Post by badnights »

Jim wrote:It's a bit discouraging to think that even if I get off Requip and head down that 'long road' of experimentation and hope for RLS relief that I'll always be dealing with the same issues re: sex.


I've learned that "always" is not an appropriate word to use when talking about the span of my problems. A logical person like me, and like you seem to be, will look for all the available information and draw conclusions from it. It seems like there's no answer. But my experience has been that often, something I didn't know anything about will solve an issue for me. Something I couldn't anticipate because I knew nothing about it. There is always something no one knows anything about yet, some answer we can't see.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
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I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

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