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PSSD Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction


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Considering with composure I'm wrecked for ever, I'm nevertheless looking for testimonies.

 

I suffer from what is following in the next paragraph since the first antipsychotics pills. It came overnight. Only god knows if my cells will heal now that I have at least overcome psychdrugs addiction.

 

During your pssd, did you also experienced numbness, cold temperature in the genital area with general shrinkage as well as weird erections at the waking ? By weird, I mean incomplete, a bit painful, hard at the root but flabby at the head ?

 

Thank you.

Mid 2012 : aripiprazole for nothing (actually only 2 reasons : no job and lonely)>serotoninergic syndrome+seizure>psychiatrist denial> amisulpride 400mg +quetiapine 600mg +olanzapine 10mg +xanax 0,5 mg +alimemazine+lormétazepam+effexor+lorazepam during almost 2 years>

 

Saved by a pharmacologist from major seizure during the antipsychotics taper > switched to 16 mg diazepam taper since may 2014. Failed at 12mg in july.16 mg again in july 2014.1mg down every week.failed at 3,33 mg in november 2014,back to 5mg at slower taper rate
febr 2015 4mg  /march 2015 3mg  / may 2015 2mg / june 2015 1,66mg   /july 1,33mg  / aug end 0,66mg  / sept end 0,33mg  /  oct end 0,17mg   /   1st nov 0,14mg  /  10 dec 2015 JUMPED

 

Aged swollen face, huge wieght gain impossible to loose despite healthy diet and workout, belly,insomnia,gastrointestinal disorder,dry sagging skin,genital shrinkage, no libido, muscle+hair loss,wrecked maybe forever but not tortured by drugs anymore.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Xavier,

 

I'm not sure if you have seen this thread:  post-ssri-sexual-dysfunction-pssd *topics merged

 

You might find some answers there.  I am a female but have read similar things to what you have described in other male members' threads (no pun intended there, just can't think of any other way to say it :blush:)

 

Edit:  Just found this:  success-recovery-from-protracted-zoloft-withdrawal-and-pssd

 

and this:  theautomator-recovering-from-pssd

 

To search this site it is best to Google survivingantidepressants.org and then "topic".  In this case I seached:  pssd recovery

 

CC

Edited by Petunia
updated

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Has anyone experience a delay in the start of their PSSD. On the 3th to 4th month off only 2 pills on lexapro I'm starting to get symptoms. Have anybody had this happen? In fact my genital are consistently stringing, this has been going on for a few days. One day I woke up in the middle of the night and my penis was partially numb and continued to go down bullfrog there. Has anybody had this happen? Because I read people getting it on the meds. My other symptoms are clearing up, I thought I was healing?

Short Term Case: 7 pill of 10 mg of Modafinil in a 3 month span, but last 3 I took back to back causing severe withdrawals, lasting 3 weeks. Than 2 pills lexapro to help withdrawal lead to more withdrawal.  I have most symptoms Pssd, emotional loss, cognitive issues, nerve damage in legs.  Also 2 benzodiazepines.  Not much to damage me long term...

 

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I guess I have, my soft glans and ED is worse now at 3 years than it was in the first year.

September 2011 - 75 mg Effexor, 15 mg Mirtazapine
September 2012 - CT. Developed PSSD (mostly erectile dysfunction and diminished enjoyment of sex).
January 2016 - Symptoms persist, no improvements. In fact, things seem worse now than they were in the first year.

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I guess I'll have PSSD I'll the day I die, which I great because I ever had a chance to live my life.

Short Term Case: 7 pill of 10 mg of Modafinil in a 3 month span, but last 3 I took back to back causing severe withdrawals, lasting 3 weeks. Than 2 pills lexapro to help withdrawal lead to more withdrawal.  I have most symptoms Pssd, emotional loss, cognitive issues, nerve damage in legs.  Also 2 benzodiazepines.  Not much to damage me long term...

 

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By weird, I mean incomplete, a bit painful, hard at the root but flabby at the head ?

 

Thank you.

Not painful, but yes, since PSSD my morning erections are often only hard at the root.
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I suppose you mean "soft glans". I have it. The underside of my glans is white from the lack of bloodflow.

September 2011 - 75 mg Effexor, 15 mg Mirtazapine
September 2012 - CT. Developed PSSD (mostly erectile dysfunction and diminished enjoyment of sex).
January 2016 - Symptoms persist, no improvements. In fact, things seem worse now than they were in the first year.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi guys,

 

Have anybody had references of this DR. who treats PSSD?

 

Have anybody had a consultation with him?

 

He believes in PSSD:

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/1080879/The-Truth-about-Antidepressants-and-Sexual-Dysfunctions

 

He has treated people with the condition:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/what-you-must-know-about-antidepressants

 

I´ll give him a try after a consultation with the endocrionologist (low estrogen, low progesterone, low testosterone, hight prolactin)

 

Please, if you have found something that helps you make me know. Thanks

PROBLEM. PSSD 
Symptons:- 1 Not arousal, not libido: the sensation of "I could live without sex" - 2 I can get orgasms but they are much weaker. -3 I have noticed that my breast  don´t get swollen before menstruation (This has improved) -4  Lack of vaginal discharge (this has improved)- 5 Barely absence of vaginal odour
Induced by In Escitalopram 1 year and two months
Begining:10 mg per day -Jun 2013 to May 2013-
Reduce to 10 gr every two days - Jun 2013 to Aug 2013

Eventually quit on September 2013.

Slight Improvements. Window:  3 days on August 2015

WHY STARTING WITH IT?Great general anxiety that Esc. cured . Novemb 2015 anxiety hasd returned
Natural suplements or herbs you are having?: 1500 mg oil fish omega 3 daily since 28/1/2014.

 

December 15. 0,5-1 gr lorazepam per day. 

"if you come up with any good ideas, please let me know"

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I am female cold turkey effexor 2007 still no normal sex life actually sex was not normal when on effexor... I was on it 7 years the first few I was hyper sexual... the last few I had no sexual feeling or urge really had sex for other emotional reasons not for sexual satisfaction... bf birthday was the last time July 10th 2006.... soon it will be 10 years celibate 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I find this topic to be very interesting and am glad I came across this forum.

 

My background: I took various SSRI's between the ages of 12-20 and have been off for about 3.5 years now. Having taken them during puberty, I never really established a baseline for my sexuality and libido. It was definitely there in some ways; for example, I've always had a strong fetish involving females that turns me on. I have also occasionally found contact with females to be pleasurable and do have somewhat of an interest in sleeping with someone, although I'm not sure if this is more related to my fetish or just women in general. Porn is completely neutral to me and I rarely if ever view it.

 

Since going off all medication years ago my anxiety/depression have continued and have even gotten worse in some ways. My sleep schedule, diet, exercise and relaxation habits have been completely out of whack for most of that time. I fully expected this to happen but what I did not anticipate was the lack of a return of full sexual functioning (which I suppose I never really had in the first place). I have windows of increased libido but those usually occur when I am facing much less stress. When I am feeling good (which has been rare while I have been in university) I have been able to obtain partial libido, full genital sensation, decent erections and pleasurable orgasm (still mostly related to my fetish). During down periods I have near non-existent libido and somewhat reduced sensation although I can still obtain a weak erection and decent orgasm with lots of stimulation. I honestly can't remember the last time I had morning wood (probably once or twice last year).

 

I'm honestly not sure if this is PSSD or my anxiety/depression or perhaps a mixture of both. I've had my hormone levels checked and my total test was 476.4 ng/dL while my free test was 17.7 pg/mL. These numbers are toward the lower end for my age but still not a red flag. I'm truly a skeptic at heart and would love to believe that with rigorous lifestyle changes I might be able to restore my sexuality and libido. The brain is a magical thing and I fully believe in it's power to heal but that depends on how much work I put in I suppose.

 

If anyone else has a similar background I'd love to hear your thoughts.

2003-2012:

Zoloft -> Prozac/Buspar -> Lexapro -> Viibryd -> Effexor

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Hello, jbee. As you can see from the other posts in this topic, there are many people who have post-SSRI sexual dysfunction for quite a while, as well as prolonged post-acute withdrawal symptoms, such as emotional anesthesia, that might be misdiagnosed as "depression."

 

You might also start a topic in the Introductions section so we can get to know you.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, it'll be coming up to 5 years for me this summer since giving up Prozac. I'm 22, almost 23 and sometimes it's hard not to feel unlucky.

 

My remaining symptoms now are a general emotional blunting and low libido. I don't feel much for anything, no pleasure when on holiday, and no excitement when meeting an attractive girl. I used to have many fantasies and have big ambitions. I guess socialising more may increase libido, but I have little desire to socialise.

 

The best way to describe the blunting and low libido that you know something is there, e.g. the libido, the wish to do something, but there is no desire that is felt. I feel a physical need for sexual release, but the emotional one seems anaesthetised. 

 

The other sexual side effects cleared up fairly quick after stopping. I don't know if I can separate my anxiety/depression from the PSSD. But given that my only depressive symptom is the anhedonia, it likely isn't depression. It may be other emotional issues. It may be low testosterone, so I could easily rule that out. Another user in this thread mentioned porn use. I'm not suggesting porn has any relation with PSSD, only that it may for me have caused the low libido, which I may then misattribute to PSSD.

 

I get windows of normality. Often if I have coffee I feel normal, but this is soon followed by jittery feelings (I only drink it once in a while). 

 

I'd give anything to feel myself again. I'll hold out hope though, it'll take as long as it takes I guess.

Took Prozac in the summer of 2011 for OCD.

 

Was on it for around a month, but for a week I took double the dose accidentally after I switched to a liquid form. 

 

I had bad sexual side effects including numbness and low libido.

 

Feel fine now, fully healed and recovered.

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There is a condition referred to as PISD (Porn Induced Sexual Dysfunction) that is frighteningly similar to PSSD.  It causes low desire and impaired performance (to put it mildly from what I've read) as a result of over exposure, excessive self stimulation and unreal expectations IRL, brought on by an addiction to porn.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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Well, it'll be coming up to 5 years for me this summer since giving up Prozac. I'm 22, almost 23 and sometimes it's hard not to feel unlucky.

 

My remaining symptoms now are a general emotional blunting and low libido. I don't feel much for anything, no pleasure when on holiday, and no excitement when meeting an attractive girl. I used to have many fantasies and have big ambitions. I guess socialising more may increase libido, but I have little desire to socialise.

 

The best way to describe the blunting and low libido that you know something is there, e.g. the libido, the wish to do something, but there is no desire that is felt. I feel a physical need for sexual release, but the emotional one seems anaesthetised. 

 

The other sexual side effects cleared up fairly quick after stopping. I don't know if I can separate my anxiety/depression from the PSSD. But given that my only depressive symptom is the anhedonia, it likely isn't depression. It may be other emotional issues. It may be low testosterone, so I could easily rule that out. Another user in this thread mentioned porn use. I'm not suggesting porn has any relation with PSSD, only that it may for me have caused the low libido, which I may then misattribute to PSSD.

 

I get windows of normality. Often if I have coffee I feel normal, but this is soon followed by jittery feelings (I only drink it once in a while). 

 

I'd give anything to feel myself again. I'll hold out hope though, it'll take as long as it takes I guess.

 

Hello HPJM, I think I have answered you before haha, your story and mine are scarily similar... I am 23, also took prozac and my remaining symptoms well after stopping (10 months free already) are pssd and emotional blunting, like a feeling of being ok with everything, and never excited or thrilled.

 

In this 10 months free of prozac there has been improvement, but very very slow, and not so much... 

 

Currently, I think meditation is my best shot to recover, and the one I am doing... I think this because I have read about a lot of studies that say that meditation, if done right, have a lot of real effects in the brain and my point is: If my mind is stuck in this pssd state, then every change that can push my mind out of the pssd state is worth to try. (except other substances, I am not going to take any substance to treat pssd).

 

It's not so easy to be consistent with meditation though, it requires effort.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

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Well, it'll be coming up to 5 years for me this summer since giving up Prozac. I'm 22, almost 23 and sometimes it's hard not to feel unlucky.

 

My remaining symptoms now are a general emotional blunting and low libido. I don't feel much for anything, no pleasure when on holiday, and no excitement when meeting an attractive girl. I used to have many fantasies and have big ambitions. I guess socialising more may increase libido, but I have little desire to socialise.

 

The best way to describe the blunting and low libido that you know something is there, e.g. the libido, the wish to do something, but there is no desire that is felt. I feel a physical need for sexual release, but the emotional one seems anaesthetised. 

 

The other sexual side effects cleared up fairly quick after stopping. I don't know if I can separate my anxiety/depression from the PSSD. But given that my only depressive symptom is the anhedonia, it likely isn't depression. It may be other emotional issues. It may be low testosterone, so I could easily rule that out. Another user in this thread mentioned porn use. I'm not suggesting porn has any relation with PSSD, only that it may for me have caused the low libido, which I may then misattribute to PSSD.

 

I get windows of normality. Often if I have coffee I feel normal, but this is soon followed by jittery feelings (I only drink it once in a while). 

 

I'd give anything to feel myself again. I'll hold out hope though, it'll take as long as it takes I guess.

 

Hello HPJM, I think I have answered you before haha, your story and mine are scarily similar... I am 23, also took prozac and my remaining symptoms well after stopping (10 months free already) are pssd and emotional blunting, like a feeling of being ok with everything, and never excited or thrilled.

 

In this 10 months free of prozac there has been improvement, but very very slow, and not so much... 

 

Currently, I think meditation is my best shot to recover, and the one I am doing... I think this because I have read about a lot of studies that say that meditation, if done right, have a lot of real effects in the brain and my point is: If my mind is stuck in this pssd state, then every change that can push my mind out of the pssd state is worth to try. (except other substances, I am not going to take any substance to treat pssd).

 

It's not so easy to be consistent with meditation though, it requires effort.

 

 

 

Hey Theon. Yeah I remember your story.

 

My only manifestation of PSSD now is the low libido, but along with the emotional blunting it is pretty disturbing. I just feel emotionless and flat.

 

I used to do a lot of meditation. Do you have a specific version in mind?

 

You are right, we need to stay positive. I can wait, I just want to know one day I'll feel normal again.

Took Prozac in the summer of 2011 for OCD.

 

Was on it for around a month, but for a week I took double the dose accidentally after I switched to a liquid form. 

 

I had bad sexual side effects including numbness and low libido.

 

Feel fine now, fully healed and recovered.

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I ate Cipralex for 4 months and it numbed my emotions and made me develop PSSD even after discontinued use. My doctors would not believe me and I tried Voxra to restore sexual function which helped a bit but it did not bring back libido, genital sensitivity, orgasm and erection strength. 

 

It was hopeless, and I kind of got used to it.

 

After a lot of research it all boils down to that SSRIs downregulate the amount of 5HT-receptors in your brain, this is caused by the surge of serotonine in your brain. As an adaptive response in this surge of serotonine your body decreases the amount cells that bind serotonine.

 

This is the reason why you experience the sexual side effects from SSRIs and the emotional numbing. This is also the exact point of taking SSRIs.

 

There are about 14 different serotonine receptors.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HT_receptor

 

If you go and look what each of the receptors function is you will that a lot of them govern sexual behaviour & penile erection. Things that the majority of people have trouble with when it comes to PSSD.

 

So if antidepressants downregulate, meaning that they decrease 5HT-cells, could it mean that we could upregulate them back, meaning that we externally can make the brain regenerate these 5HT-cells and regain sexual function prior to our SSRI use ?

 

If so, what substances can we try ? That do not only treat but cure it permanently. 

 

After a lot of studies I have found that Ayahuasca, not only does it alleviate anxiety & depression but is a potent upregulator of these 5HT-cells.

 

Here is one excerpt from a study;

 

Assessment of Serotonergic Functions in Long-term Users of Hoasca (Callaway, et al., 1994)

 

Another objective of the study was to investigate whether long-term use of hoasca resulted in any identifiable "biochemical marker" that was correlated with hoasca consumption, particularly with respect to serotonergic functions, since the hoasca alkaloids primarily affect functions mediated by this neurotransmitter. Ideally, such a study could be carried out on post-mortem brains; since this was not possible, we settled on looking at serotonin transporter receptors in blood platelets, using [3H]-citalopram to label the receptors in binding assays. The up-or down regulation of peripheral platelet receptors is considered indicative of similar biochemical events occuring in the brain, although there is some controversy about the correlation between platelet receptor changes and changes in CNS receptors in patients receiving antidepressant medications (Stahl, 1977; Pletscher and Laubscher, 1980; Rotman, 1980);. However, platelet receptors were deemed suitable for the purposes of our study, as our objective was not to resolve this controversy but simply to determine if some kind of long-term biochemical marker could be identified. Neither did we postulate any conclusions about the possible "adverse" or "beneficial" implications of such a marker, if detected. We conducted the assays on platelets collected from the same group of 15 volunteers after they had abstained from consuming the tea for a period of one week. We also collected platelet specimens from the age-matched controls who were not hoasca drinkers. We were surprised to find a significant up-regulation in the density of the citalopram binding sites in the hoasca drinkers compared to control subjects. While the hoasca drinkers had a higher density of receptors, there was no change in the affinity of the receptors for the labelled citalopram. The significance of this finding, if any, is unclear. There is no other pharmacological agent which is known to cause a similar upregulation, although chronic administration of 5-HT uptake inhibitors has been reported to decrease both Bmax (the density of binding sites) and 5-HT transporter RNA in rats (Hrinda 1987; Lesch et al., 1993). Increases in Bmax for the uptake site in human platelets have been correlated with old age (Marazziti et al, 1989) and also to the dark phase of the circadian cycle in rabbits (Rocca et al., 1989). It has been speculated (Marazziti et al, 1989) that upregulation of 5-HT uptake sites in the aged may be related to the natural course of neuronal decline. Although our sample size was limited, we found no correlation with age, and the mean age of the sample was 38 years. Also, none of our subjects showed evidence of any neurological or psychiatric deficit. In fact, in view of their exceptionally healthy psychological profiles, one of the investigators speculated that perhaps the serotonergic upregulation is associated, not simply with age, but with "wisdom" -- a characteristic often found in the aged, and in many hoasca drinkers.

 

Ayahuasca and its constituents i basically an MAOI and the strong hallucinogen DMT. Interestingly, DMT binds to 8(!) serotonine receptors. And the MAOI is itself extremely healing.

 

If it is the MAOI or the DMT that causes this upregulation is unclear, but there is evidence if we take a look at an antidepressant that is not from the SSRI class, but from the MAOI class.

It is named Moclobemide and this is a direct quote

 

A concern of antidepressant adverse effects is sexual dysfunction; however, moclobemide has actually been found to increase the libido and also improve impaired erection, ejaculation and orgasm.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moclobemide

 

Wether this improvement is seen even after discontinuation after treatment I cannot say. But nonetheless Moclobemide on its own seems like an antidepressant with exceptionally few side effects compared to SSRIs. Perhaps something to try in the future.

 

Anyhow..

 

I decided to try a low dose of Ayahuasca last weekend.. And I can say that just after 1 use I have regained a significant amount of my libido, my genital sensitivity, my orgasms are stronger and my erections come faster and are harder.

 

With repeated use I am certain that I can regain my sexual function as to where it was prior to SSRI treatment.

 

WORD OF CAUTION. DO NOT COMBINE AYAHUASCA IF YOU ARE TAKING SSRIs OR EAT CERTAIN FOODS. INTERACTIONS CAN BE FATAL. GET OFF THEM AND THEN DO IT IF YOU DECIDE TO TRY. 

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Hi Gurkhin -- welcome to the group.  Pssd is a difficult subject to discuss.  The information on the receptors is quite interesting.  I will, however, have to point out that this site does not condone advocating the use of medication to alleviate symptoms.  Thank you for adding the warnings about combining drugs, but please refrain from recommending them in the future.  If people want to discuss them in PMs that's acceptable, but not in the open forums. 

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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I'm at my wit's end with my PSSD right now. My relationship ended, I am totally in limbo. I am sexually frustrated but also have no desire or interest in sex. It is driving me insane. I have no mouth and I must scream. It feels like a death sentence. All my life has fallen apart.

 

I'm so bad I'm wondering if going on something like Wellbutrin could reverse the PSSD. Is there any prescription drug out there that can have the effect of repairing the damage or stimulating the libido/pleasure centres again???

 

I don't wanna take strong psychedelics, I'm not too great with anything like that.

 

I'm getting so damn desperate. This is not life.

 

Help help help!

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My libido completely vanished - my poor hubby. He has been very understanding, but it's s**t for both of us.

 

I think all my energy went into surviving several months of stressful life events and my interest in sex just went.

 

I pray that it will return.

Dose History: 19 Feb 2014 - Escitalopram 10mg daily June 2015 - Started taper, 5mg every other day July 2015 - 5mg every 2 days August 2015 - 5mg every 3 days September 2015 - 5mg every 4 days Sept 14th - Completed tapering, but at 7 weeks "drug free" I suffered serious WD symptoms as a consequence of "incorrect" tapering. Nov 25 2015 - Re-instated Cipralex @ 2.5mg daily. WD symptoms faded. Held at this dose and experienced "windows and waves". 12 Oct 2017 Reduced dose to 1.25mg. 13 Mar 2018 Reduced dose to 0.625mg (approx.). 16 April 2018 0mg. Windows and waves triggered by stress (IBS/reflux, headaches, sinus issues) Aug 2019 Mirena coil fitted 6 Jan 2020 MAJOR Wave hit 19 months following last dose (protracted WD).  Symptoms listed below Mar 2020 Mirena coil removal.

Therapy: Nov 15th 2016 Re-started therapy Jan 19th 2017 Started CBT Dec 2017 Started listening to Hypnotherapy CD (self-esteem). Nov 2019 Started couples therapy.

Supplements: "Bioglan" Biotic Balance Ultimate Flora 10 billion CFU, live Bacteria, Probiotic, suitable for Vegetarians, with Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Longum"Pukka" Vitalise a unique blend of 30 energising botanicals.

Diet: 16 April 2018 Detox cleanse / anti-candida for 90 days. Jan 2020 Started "small plate" diet (i.e child size portions).

Exercise: Stretching, Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, Elliptical/upper body workout, walking.

Medical Test Results: 4 Jan 2017 Homeopathic Treatment starts 24 Feb 2017 Started weight loss program 24 Mar 2017 Naturopathic Treatment + anti-Candida diet started due to suspected Candida Related Complex (CRC). DETOXED for 7 weeks to "re-set" gut. April 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Comprehensive Stool Analysis NEGATIVE; Full Blood Count (Normal) / Blood Cholesterol: 5.6 (Borderline) / Blood Sugar (Normal) / 28 Jun 2017 FSH 8.2 / 14 Nov 2017 FSH 17.7 Dec 2017 Blood Cholesterol: 3.9 (Normal) / Kidney Function (Normal) / Blood Sugar (Normal). December 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Food panel allergy (bloodwork) analysis - a few "VERY LOW/VL" allergens; Mar 2018 "Genova Diagnostics" SIBO urine analysis: High Level of Yeast/fungal markers found in small intestine but NO SIBO.  April 2018 Thyroid (Normal) / Full Blood Count (Normal) / FSH (Normal). 16 April 2018 Started anti-Candida diet - 3 month protocol.   25 March 2020 All test results "Normal". CRP" 5 mg/L (normal range to 0-5 mg/L).

Symptoms:  Flu-like symptoms, anxiety, anhedonia, sinus headaches right-side (severe), IBS issues/reflux (severe)**, tinnitus, fatigue, inner tremor, nausea, chills/hot flushes, pounding heart, muscular issues including stiff left hip flexor, intense anger, PSSD (ongoing).  **Histhamine intolerance (suspected).

Major Life Events: 

Re-located to UK from Canada: Jan 2016

My father died: 5:05pm, Monday 5 Feb 2018 Last Lexapro dose: 16 April 2018 (its now been over a year since I quit ADs)  Moved house: Friday 23rd February 2018  "Divorced" toxic Mother: Monday 26 March 2018 Starting working again: 19 November 2018  Diagnosed with: 5th August 2021 PTSD/C-PTSD Diagnosed with: March 2022 Interstitial Cystitis (IC)/Painful bladder syndrome

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Hi Gurkhin -- welcome to the group.  Pssd is a difficult subject to discuss.  The information on the receptors is quite interesting.  I will, however, have to point out that this site does not condone advocating the use of medication to alleviate symptoms.  Thank you for adding the warnings about combining drugs, but please refrain from recommending them in the future.  If people want to discuss them in PMs that's acceptable, but not in the open forums. 

I continue to not understand the rationale of what constitutes as a drug on this forum.

 

Inositol (found in humans but synthesized in a lab) is ok. Curcumin (from a plant) is ok. But then this plant isn't? Where do you draw the line? Personally it's all very silly to me. Where a chemical compound comes from (nature or a lab) doesn't matter in the slightest to the body. So saying that this herb is inherently not able to be talked about on the forum without researching it or discussing it is...Well I'll let you finish the sentence how you'd like.

 

I encourage people to educate themselves, and to keep their minds open.

Escitalopram 5mg 4 days Sept 14'

Adderal 1mg (Very Rarely Taken) (Not since Fall '14)

Trazodone 50mg: 1 week in Sept '14. Few days Dec 14'. 3 days Jan '16.

Experience with: St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Zinc, Inositol, Ginkgo

 

"I don't want to believe. I want to know" - Carl Sagan

 

Admin on www.pssdforum.com "Ghost"-----Moderator for PSSD subreddit  "GhostPSSD" (reddit.com/r/PSSD)

My Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9564-gh0sts-escitalopram-wd/

My PSSD Theory: reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/46b4w1/ghost_pssd_article/

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  • Administrator

It's not that the plant is forbidden, it's that this specialized discussion of PSSD belongs on a PSSD site for more context. There are too few voices here to report whether something helps or harms, and we don't want to be misleading people.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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It's not that the plant is forbidden, it's that this specialized discussion of PSSD belongs on a PSSD site for more context. There are too few voices here to report whether something helps or harms, and we don't want to be misleading people.

Fair. Thanks for the explanation.

Escitalopram 5mg 4 days Sept 14'

Adderal 1mg (Very Rarely Taken) (Not since Fall '14)

Trazodone 50mg: 1 week in Sept '14. Few days Dec 14'. 3 days Jan '16.

Experience with: St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Zinc, Inositol, Ginkgo

 

"I don't want to believe. I want to know" - Carl Sagan

 

Admin on www.pssdforum.com "Ghost"-----Moderator for PSSD subreddit  "GhostPSSD" (reddit.com/r/PSSD)

My Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9564-gh0sts-escitalopram-wd/

My PSSD Theory: reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/46b4w1/ghost_pssd_article/

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ayahuasca is a herbal brew which gives rise to psychedelic effects. The psychedlic effects of Ayahuasca alone, are extraordinary in giving you perspective on your life, especially us who took anti-depressants for anxiety & depression. It's an intense state of self-evaluation, and tremendous psychological healing that has almost completely gotten rid of my anxiety. 

It will give you benefits that extend your sole purpose of solving your PSSD. It will give you such a perspective on life that you do not think is possible, or even imaginable. I know what some of you are thinking. 

 

It's just a drug, its fake.

These are usually preconceptions that we have in the Western world, because it's illegal in most countries. But, think again. What made you end-up on a site such as " Survivingantidepressants? 

 

Well, it was your faith to your doctor whom prescribed you medicine that has left you with all of these side effects. So think again, is it really good because it's legal or because a person in a lab-coat gives it to you ?

 

I am not here to bash down on anti-depressants, it serves a certain function for some individuals, because there are studies showing that certain populations have too many serotonine-receptors and an increased density of these in certain brain areas, which is speculated to give rise to depressen & anxiety. In that case there is a purpose in treating it with SSRis since down-regulation of 5HT1A-receptor reduces its inhibitory effects on other cells. 

 

There are other people though which do not have that, in fact they have to few where an upregulation whould make sense. It's a very complex and intricate system where science has a lot of catching up to do. There are around 100-500 trillion(!) neurons, and these are organized into a pattern that resemble neural network (Google that).

 

Anyhow. If you look aside on everything, and see it from a purely biochemical perspective. Ayahuasca has the MAOI, which are the harmaline, harmine an tetrahydroharmine subtances, and these are thought to upregulate the receptors again, causing you to get this profound psychological healing that is commonly associated with Ayahuasca.

 

These are legal in most countries and you will not get the psychedelic effect, and you can order it from any online-store. Just search Syrian-rue extract and you will find it. It's been three weeks ago since I did Ayahuasca once, and pure Syrian Rue extract the days after and I have regained my erection, libido, genital feeling, and intensity of orgasms to 60-70% of base level prior to taking SSRis.

 

Now, as I have said before. If you are currently eating antidepressants, or taking any other drugs please stop doing them and wait until all of those substances have cleared your body. If you have taken them for several years, you should wait a long time until your withdrawals are over, and be absolutely certain that you do not have them in your system longer.

 

Syrian Rue extract, is a potent and effective anti-depressant on its own, but you need to be very careful and do your research on what you eat. Because it's a MAOI-A inhibitor. Otherwise, if you would like to have someone giving you a pill in a labcoat, such as your doctor, perhaps try Moclobemide.

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Nice thread, looks like it has expanded quite a bit.

I have a written an entire summary on this, which I will post in thread here. 

It appears there are multiple mechanisms behind SSRI-related sexual dysfunction.

However, trying to generalize whether a treatment will be appropriate for an individual can be dangerous without a look into medical history and which factors, psychological or otherwise account for the presentation of symptoms. This is something you will learn well into any medical school.

Ghost, you should know better than that.

%257E%2523AreA%253D1255%2523%257E%252120

PART ONE of Insights into PSSD

PART TWO of Insights into PSSD

It may be easier to read on the mobile Version (m.area1255.blogspot.com or /m prefix)
 

   After considerable Research and deep-Analysis of the Condition known as "PSSD", I have committed to this following Summary which includes multiple biological changes associated with the condition. This gives us a concise Read on the Factors that are contributing/leading to the negative effects we Associate with PSSD.
 
Some important notes are below the bulleted-list, which are important after-thoughts and which denote specific cautions in terms of application of the knowledges contained within.
 
 
 
 
  • GnRH Downregulation (Central Gonadotropin-Releasing-Hormone Downregulation, leading to decreased sex hormones; including Testosterone and Estrogen) (1)
  • Decreased nNOS protein expression (neuronal-nitric-oxide-synthase), which has much to do with a flood of serotonin activity at the post-synaptic 1A-Receptor/s. (2) (3)
  • Increased NAD-PH activity and nitric oxide degradation leading to diminished vascular-smooth-muscle formation and platelet aggregation/s. 
  • Long-Term Inhibition of Dopamine-signaling which is additive, to number 1 on this list and apparent to No.6. (4)
  • Increased PKC/Rho-Kinase activity which leads to prominent vasoconstriction in Pelvic Muscle and in uterine and penile tissue / smooth muscle. This leads to diminished arousal on a vascular level which is also, additive to the constriction caused by (#2). (5)
  • Inhibition and Downregulation of Glutamatergic-Neuron Systems which leads to hypothalamic-HYPOFUNCTION and a diminished HPA/HPG. (6) (7)
  • Chronically Increased Cortisol / ACTH leading to a state of hypercortisolism and / or Adrenal Fatigue. (8) (9) (10)
  • Increased glucocorticoid Receptor concentration which hastens the above and makes the cortisol excess a stronger Problem - altogether, it is a marvel that most individuals with PSSD haven't lost all hypothalamic function, and interestingly, only a couple have reported complete hypogonadism (Primary, unsurpassed). (11) (12) (13) (14)
  • Finally, a unique Histamine-turnover dysfunction is present and the histamine-deficiency accounts for the loss of wakefulness and *NORMAL* cognition Associated with PSSD. (15) (16) 
  • □The histamine hypofunction may also lead to Violent/Impulsive behavior as Histamine plays a role in  Regulating impulses. (17) (18) (19)      .
 
 
Most, but not all of these effects are a result of desensitized 5-HT(1)A AND 1B-AutoReceptors leading to disproportionate and unusual serotonin EFFLUX and synthesis in key brain regions associated with physiological arousal and sexual desire ( ) ( ). Additionally, SERT-downregulation associated with SSRI-use compounds this Issue - leading to Even More dramatic bursts in Serotonin activity - which leads to these conclusions...
 
DURING & AFTER Long-Term SSRI/SRI Therapy/Treatment/Use - the BASAL (Resting) Serotonin levels and the BURST/REACTIVE/Stress-Associated Serotonin release is also AMPLIFIED. 
The excessive resting, pre-training, Stress and substance induced Serotonin responses leads to exaggerated , Glucocorticoid (Cortisol, ACTH) activity, PRL (Prolactin) and other abnormal neuroendocrine-responses. This creates an UNFAVORABLE neurochemistry in any human being.
 
 
 
 
 
Many of these chemical changes given they are on both an endocrine and neuroendocrine level, can be lasting or even deemed as 'semi-permanent' - so the resolution/s will be equally as long or at least a period just under a year for many sufferers. Of course, this depends on severity and mental health status as well as genetic and social factors.
 
I believe that the sad irony is that when a collective solution is presented, it may have application initially but simple differences in character or bodily health on a multitude of other levels will affect the new treatment outcome. This goes with all conditions. Not just PSSD, but also Depression , Anxiety etc...
 
The new treatment must be adhered to as with Psychiatric medications in much the same time duration in order to provide lasting biological changes in the inverse direction. Because simply put, we are looking to, in some ways, invert the current functional paradigm in terms of that individuals current biological state. 
 
 
 
 
 
Because PSSD is a persistent condition which affects not only quality of life in regards to sexual capacity, but also emotional capacity, it may be (for some individuals), a necessary prerequisite to attend self-help classes and / or take part in behavioral therapy (CBT, Counseling etc) before the healing Process can be truly started.

 

 

 
 
It is likely that given the above list presented, that the answer , even if it affects positively , or prominently, the particular patient, group of patients or large portion of sufferers , will be heavily dependent on that individual, or groups, stride to a better life-Plan and overall health improvement goals. The condition can not simply heal itself based on a drug or medicine alone. They will, however, likely provide symptomatic relief and a short-term or potentially long-term reversal of chemical dysfunctions - but these positive changes will not be complete, or optimal without the above stated overall stride to better Health; both Mental & Physical.

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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ok children don't fight... 

 

I read a lot about pssd over the years and one thing I recall from the paxilprogress site was low estradiol or was it high but a lot of people talked about it ...pssd was the least of my worries in those days too bad the site is gone. It may have helped this next generation that is so keen on research.  A lot of information has been scrubbed from the net if you are hackers maybe you can find old stuff... me I can barely type so that is my contribution to this topic.  Female sexless for 10 years..(almost shy a couple of months whos counting now). also old so who knows at this point. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I read a lot about pssd over the years and one thing I recall from the paxilprogress site was low estradiol or was it high but a lot of people talked about it ...pssd was the least of my worries in those days too bad the site is gone. It may have helped this next generation that is so keen on research.  A lot of information has been scrubbed from the net if you are hackers maybe you can find old stuff... me I can barely type so that is my contribution to this topic.  Female sexless for 10 years..(almost shy a couple of months whos counting now). also old so who knows at this point. 

Yeah, I'm just gonna put him on Ignore. He seeks drama so anything feeding into it just serves his needs.

In regards to estradiol, yes that's sort of true, SSRI's mess with hormones, including Estradiol.

Whether high or low is to be determined, and may vary per individual.

 

 

Toxicol In Vitro. 2015 Oct;29(7):1729-35. doi: 10.1016/j.tiv.2015.07.005. Epub 2015 Jul 7. 

Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on three sex steroids in two versions of the aromatase enzyme inhibition assay and in the H295R cell assay.
Abstract

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are known to have a range of disorders that are often linked to the endocrine system e.g. hormonal imbalances, breast enlargement, sexual dysfunction, and menstrual cycle disorders. The mechanisms behind most of these disorders are not known in details. In this study we investigated whether the endocrine effect due to SSRI exposure could be detected in well adopted in vitro steroidogenesis assays, two versions of the aromatase enzyme inhibition assay and the H295R cell assay. The five drugs citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline, were shown to inhibit the aromatase enzyme in both types of aromatase assays. The IC50 values ranged from 3 to 600 μM. All five SSRIs, were further investigated in the H295R cell line. All compounds altered the steroid secretion from the cells, the lowest observed effect levels were 0.9 μM and 3.1 μM for sertraline and fluvoxamine, respectively. In general the H295R cell assay was more sensitive to SSRI exposure than the two aromatase assays, up to 20 times more sensitive. This indicates that the H295R cell line is a better tool for screening endocrine disrupting effects. Our findings show that the endocrine effects of SSRIs may, at least in part, be due to interference with the steroidogenesis.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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There are a lot of things on this chart and these drugs likely affect them all happy researching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_hormones

 

With so many targets and so much to chance the side effects and withdrawal effects or so varied it becomes something like a lottery.  It would take a ton of money and droves of scientists to sort this out.  Mind you pharma does have both those things and Glenmullen says they still have info in their vaults they need to release things is nobody is making them. I doubt they will tell us a thing if they are not forced to as proprietary secrecy is more important than the health of human beings.. just a fact in today's world with the legal/political systems we have. I am not trying to curse you for wanting to know I too want to know and have spent the better part of 8 years looking with my merger talents... I do honestly wish you well.

peace 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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There are a lot of things on this chart and these drugs likely affect them all happy researching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_hormones

 

With so many targets and so much to chance the side effects and withdrawal effects or so varied it becomes something like a lottery.  It would take a ton of money and droves of scientists to sort this out.  Mind you pharma does have both those things and Glenmullen says they still have info in their vaults they need to release things is nobody is making them. I doubt they will tell us a thing if they are not forced to as proprietary secrecy is more important than the health of human beings.. just a fact in today's world with the legal/political systems we have. I am not trying to curse you for wanting to know I too want to know and have spent the better part of 8 years looking with my merger talents... I do honestly wish you well.

peace 

Yeah, it is definitely a complicated matter,

I trust in Insight, Logic and Diligence, somewhat of a motto of mine.

It's with those three things that I've always done in research and really, in life.

Thanks for the kind words there friend.  :)

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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Your welcome

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • Administrator

If a member's posts annoy you, please utilize the "Ignore" preferences in your Settings (click on your name at the top right of every page).

 

We do not permit fighting between members in the forums. Any further personal attacks will receive warnings. On your 4th warning, you will be automatically banned from this site.

 

No one knows much about treatment of PSSD, with psychedelic herbs or otherwise. That is why we discourage such discussion on this site. There are other sites where such experimentation is the main conversation.

 

Sexual response is a complex function governed by dozens of hormones with precise timing for the influence of each. It is likely the hormonal dysfunction causing PSSD varies from individual to individual. In my opinion, focusing on the activity of a handful of hormones and attempting to supplement any of them has potential to exacerbate the hormonal dysfunction.

 

Please do not urge such treatments; people might hurt themselves following your advice.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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See I told you not to fight... ;) it is best not to wake the bear.  She will bite. 

 

We have had tons of things mentioned on here but recommending is different that mentioning. There are few things that have stood the test of time in wd one is magnesium the other is fish oil... I have reacted to both at different doses at different times in wd. 

 

So as you can see most things can be a problem to somebody in withdrawal.  

wishing you peace 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Several off topic post have been removed, please restrict discussion to the topic.

 

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I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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Topics merged

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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See what I think is that we just need a powerful collaboration of researchers. A lot of areas don't really have the funding but involving places like University of Maryland may be prudent to solve PSSD or at least make progress. Spain has some of the smartest researchers in neuroendocrinology as does Italy. 

http://www.cajal.csic.es/ingles/departamentos/torres-aleman/torres-aleman.html

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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Please...make a good presentation of what our problem is and what would we need from them and I can help with the communication as I'm a Spanish living in Spain.

Unfortunately I don't have the knowledge to make this on my own but if area and ghost you want me in this role I'll do my best with canal institute or others you know they shall help

PROBLEM. PSSD 
Symptons:- 1 Not arousal, not libido: the sensation of "I could live without sex" - 2 I can get orgasms but they are much weaker. -3 I have noticed that my breast  don´t get swollen before menstruation (This has improved) -4  Lack of vaginal discharge (this has improved)- 5 Barely absence of vaginal odour
Induced by In Escitalopram 1 year and two months
Begining:10 mg per day -Jun 2013 to May 2013-
Reduce to 10 gr every two days - Jun 2013 to Aug 2013

Eventually quit on September 2013.

Slight Improvements. Window:  3 days on August 2015

WHY STARTING WITH IT?Great general anxiety that Esc. cured . Novemb 2015 anxiety hasd returned
Natural suplements or herbs you are having?: 1500 mg oil fish omega 3 daily since 28/1/2014.

 

December 15. 0,5-1 gr lorazepam per day. 

"if you come up with any good ideas, please let me know"

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Please...make a good presentation of what our problem is and what would we need from them and I can help with the communication as I'm a Spanish living in Spain.

Unfortunately I don't have the knowledge to make this on my own but if area and ghost you want me in this role I'll do my best with canal institute or others you know they shall help

What area of Spain are you from?

Our forum is more geared towards this issue. You can connect with us on there.

http://www.area-1255.forumotion.info/

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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