Never stop, pause, reduce, or change a prescribed medicine because of anything on this page. Some of the medicines listed here are dangerous to stop suddenly, and the condition being treated does not pause while you experiment. Everything here exists to make your next conversation with a prescriber more specific — not to replace it.
Sometimes reportedNeurological medicines
Gabapentin and pregabalin and sexual side effects
Both are prescribed for nerve pain, anxiety, and seizures, and both have reports of reduced desire, difficulty reaching orgasm, and erection difficulty. Sedation adds to the picture. Because they are so often prescribed for chronic pain, the pain itself is usually part of the sexual picture too, and separating the two takes a conversation.
What the rating means: Sexual effects turn up in the reporting for this class without being the typical experience. Worth knowing about, not worth expecting.
What is reported
Editorial categories, not percentages. Published rates vary enormously depending on study design and on whether anyone thought to ask the question.
Wanting sex less often, or losing the spontaneous interest that used to arrive on its own. This is the effect people most often assume is psychological and most often is not only psychological.
Arousal works but orgasm does not arrive. When this starts within weeks of a new medicine and had never happened before, the timing itself is information.
Erections that are slower, softer, or do not hold. Because this depends on blood vessels and nerves, it can also be an early signal of something cardiovascular — which is why it is worth a clinical conversation rather than only a product.
Multiple sclerosisDirect nerve effects, plus fatigue, plus the medicines — all three at once.
Spinal cord injuryLevel and completeness determine what remains — and a great deal usually remains.
Inflammatory arthritisPain, stiffness, fatigue, and a body-image burden that goes unmentioned.
Anxiety disordersArousal and anxiety compete for the same nervous system.
What to ask the person who prescribed it
Is this a recognised effect of the dose I am on?
Is my pain controlled well enough that a review is reasonable?
Are there non-medicine parts of my pain plan we have not tried?
Things that help without touching the prescription
Positions and timing that work around the pain the medicine is treating usually do more than anything aimed at the medicine.
Extra time and direct stimulation if orgasm has become harder to reach.
Common questions
Can gabapentin and pregabalin affect your sex life?
Sometimes reported for this class. Both are prescribed for nerve pain, anxiety, and seizures, and both have reports of reduced desire, difficulty reaching orgasm, and erection difficulty. Sedation adds to the picture. Because they are so often prescribed for chronic pain, the pain itself is usually part of the sexual picture too, and separating the two takes a conversation.
How soon would gabapentin and pregabalin cause a change, and does it reverse?
Usually reported within weeks of starting or of a dose increase. These also need a planned taper rather than a sudden stop.
What should I do if I notice this while taking gabapentin and pregabalin?
No. Never stop, pause, or reduce a prescribed medicine on your own because of a side effect — several medicines on this site are dangerous to stop suddenly, and the condition being treated does not pause while you experiment. Bring the observation to the person who prescribed it; a dose review, a different preparation, or a different approach may all be options, and only they can weigh them against what the medicine is doing for you.
What should I ask about gabapentin and pregabalin at my appointment?
A specific question gets a better answer than a general one. For this class: Is this a recognised effect of the dose I am on? Is my pain controlled well enough that a review is reasonable? Are there non-medicine parts of my pain plan we have not tried?
Educational information about categories of medicine only — not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a statement about your prescription. It does not cover doses, interactions between medicines, or alternatives, and it cannot know what else is going on with your health. Sexual symptoms often have more than one cause at once. Pain, bleeding, or a symptom that is new and unexplained always deserves assessment.