So, it’s about talking to people about date night and scheduling it as a priority and making sure you have a babysitter and making sure there’s private time for intimacy. And you know, I always normalize it. I’m not talking about penetrative sex. When I’m talking about my patients, I’m talking about intimacy, I’m talking about whatever that means to you.
I have a lot of men who have impotence because of their arthritis or because of their medications. I have a lot of women who can no longer tolerate vaginal penetration. I have a lot of women that can’t tolerate orgasm or haven’t been able to achieve orgasm because of neuropathy. And it’s kind of re-establishing that communication.
Rebecca Gillett: Well, you mentioned some medications. Are there specific medications that can hinder sex drive or motivation to even participate? Is there specific medications out there that might be an issue?
And how to maintain that healthy emotional relationship with your partner
Iris Zink, NP: Yeah. There’s an appendix in the book. I think probably the most common offender that I see is gabapentin, believe it or not, which is an anti-seizure medication. I check hormone levels on my new patient visit. Cortisol rushes will make your hormones low, too, just from the stress of the diagnosis. Your prednisone is affecting your adrenal axis.
How do you start that conversation, Iris, when it comes to your partner, without hurting their feelings and saying, you know, whether it’s a man or a woman, saying, “I love you, but I’m not in the mood
Pete Scalia: Vicky, you said off the bat that you had a patient who actually mentioned the mechanics of it to you. Continue reading
