Not Tonight, Honey – – I Have IBD
Adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may experience a loss in their sex drive. This side effect can be frustrating for both the person with IBD and for their partner. What causes this lack of sex drive? The causes are varied, and in many cases, several causes may dampen the libido. Sheer fatigue is a major factor. Dealing with a chronic illness is downright exhausting. Getting up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, repeated bouts of diarrhea or vomiting, malabsorption or loss of nutrients, and chronic pain all make for a tired person. Another culprit can be the medications that people with IBD take to squelch a flare up or to prevent a new one. Prednisone can affect the sex drive, too, in addition to all its other charming side effects. More common in Crohn’s
