mugatu: introducing myself

[mugatu]

Hi there. I just found this site about 1/2 hour ago.

I was searching online for help with PSSD.

I am not currently taking antidepressants. I am taking clonazepam as needed for anxiety, but I may or may not go back on some form of antidepressant.

 

Why am I here?

I've taken antidepressants for roughly 15 years. The majority of that time was on Zoloft, or Zoloft + Wellbutrin, but I've tried in total:

• Zoloft
• Wellbutrin SR
• Wellbutrin XR
• Cipralex
• Effexor
• Abilify
• Xanax
• Buspar
• Clonazepam

 

When I first started antidepressants I noticed I could last as long as I wanted to when having sex. However, as time wore on, that benefit went away, and more and more I noticed it was harder to get and keep erections, and my libido was less and less present. I also noticed my emotional responses fading. For example, I could watch a YouTube video about some horrible tragedy, and have a rational reaction of "that's awful", but not actually feel it viscerally.

 

I came to realize that while antidepressants were blunting my anxiety and depression, they were also blunting these other aspects of my humanity, since they work from overlapping neural pathways.

Once I noticed this, I decided I needed to take my treatment with antidepressants into my own hands. It felt like my doctors were asleep at the wheel.

 

Also, at an earlier point in this journey, I had a psychiatrist who did not convey his prescription properly - whereby I ended up taking far more Wellbutrin than I should have. This caused me to develop irritable bowel syndrome - a condition that has not resolved since.

 

While I am thankful for the way antidepressants helped me initially, I now feel a little bit stuck with some physical/emotional/hormonal problems that I don't feel I have adequate help to resolve.

I feel very much on my own, and as if, in order to make any progress, I need to try herbal remedies and armchair science since that's all that's available to me.

 

Basically, I am looking for help wherever I can get it, trying to get back to the person I was pre-antidepressants.

I sincerely hope that is possible.

 

EDIT: I am also wondering how to find a psychiatrist, or other doctor that is PSSD friendly; a doctor who acknowledges PSSD as a legitimate issue/concern and is conversant in the latest scientific approaches to treating it.

I have a hunch that a lot of psychs have an arsenal of medications that they work with regularly, and they're uncomfortable prescribing anything outside of that arsenal. In short, they stick to what they know, and once they're well into their careers they don't tend to explore new territory. That's problematic when PSSD is not an officially recognized medical condition in some circles.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Gridley
Wanted to add more about what I am looking for. Also, formatting.

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, mugatu.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

We're a site for helping people taper off psychiatric drugs and to deal with withdrawal.  Our specific focus isn't on PSSD except insofar as it is one of many withdrawal symptoms resulting from psychiatric drugs.  It has been our experience that the only cure for withdrawal syndrome symptoms, including PSSD, is time.   You can read about the experiences of some of our members with PSSD by using a search engine + SurvivingAntidepressants.org PSSD.

We don't have a list of PSSD-conversant doctors per se. You can take a look at the following link and see if some of the more recent listings might be helpful.

 

Recommended doctors, therapists, and clinics - Page 7 ...

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Gridley