BlueLeader Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 (edited) Hello all I have been a lurker on this site and PP for the past year. I quit my Celexa 40 MG in Feb 2014 after developing severe sexual dysfunction after being on the medication for 5 months. Previously I had been on the meds for six years prior and never had one bad side effect. Go figure I was on medication for almost 7 years (2006-2013), mostly due to issues I was still dealing with in my 20s. I continue to struggle with PSSD and hope to one day recover. This has been one of the hardest years of my life, going through Celexa withdrawal along with the PSSD, and the depression resulting from having your sexual identity taken away from you. I am glad to be here, hope to get some good information from those here, and help where I can. Edited August 5, 2016 by scallywag tags added Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Frustrated Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Welcome to the site. I hope you will find it both useful and comforting. It helps to speak to others going through similar issues. 2002-put on amitryptiline for fibromyalgia. 10mg.2004-stopped abruptly. Didn't think it helped.2006 approx.-put on Paxil for mild anxiety 20 mg.2007 upped to 40 mg. not sure why.2011- tapered from 40 to 10. went nuts and went back to 20mg2014- tapered from 20mg to 0 from April to The end of June.current meds- Metformin(type 2 diabetic) and low dose aspirin.Take multi vitamin and vit b12, vit. D and magnesium. 5 months off Paxil. Still suffering.recently added 1.2mg of Paxil to alleviate withdrawals.(Nov 30)Dropped to .9mg because having symptoms from reinstatement.(dec 23)<p>taper to .76mg-.8mg (Feb 3) approx. weight .010 to about .008-.009 on scale..6mg (march 19th.) .5mg(April 19th).4mg(April 27th).2 (June 27th) 0mg. done taper at beginning of August. Link to comment
Lookingforhope55 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I'm new here to and going through CELEXa withdrawals. It's a struggle. I recently had to updose to function at work. I love this site. The mods are really trying to help people. I pray we all feel better. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Amen to that. Anyone have any experience with PSSD?? Recovery? I've had this for almost a full year and loosing hope it will ever resolve. . Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted December 31, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 31, 2014 Hi BlueLeader, we have a discussion on PSSD: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/52-post-ssri-sexual-dysfunction-pssd/ Please add to it if you wish. 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 Link to comment
selena Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Hey there. I have PSSD as well! Let me know if you need someone to talk to about this as I am going through the same issue. All the best Selena Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted April 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 8, 2015 Hi BlueLeader , how have you been doing? Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Well, both good and bad. PSSD remains. There is an old military acronym that ends with "situation remains the same". I have come to realize this is probably going to be here a long, long time. Another poster summed it up "It is the last thing I think about when falling asleep, and the first thing I think about waking up" Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
crimsonking Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Hey BlueLeader, I suffer from various sexual dysfunctions. Firstly when I was 15 isotretinoin damaged my body really badly but libido was still there, maybe weak but I was still functioning. After starting prozac when I was 18 it almost completely dissapeared, but real killers were sertraline after which I developed persistent genital arousal (in my cas neverending blue balls), the citalopram and duloxetine finished the job. Today Im almost 23 and completely dead down there, cant really be bothered with sex, no libido, no function, nothing. The worst ist PGAD which is there 24/7 and it drives me insane. But Im still deep into withdrawal from previous meds and for now Im just happy that Im still alive. I now that I may never regain my sex drive or sexual function, but think I made peace with that. Its like you said "the last thing I think about when falling asleep, and the first thing I think about waking up", but I know that I cant really do anything about that. And only time can make a change. I've been all around the web looking for miraculous cure, chemical or natural and realized that only time can really make a true change. And taking care of your mind and body. If anyone want to talk about these issues feel free to drop me a line. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 Dortheatos and others, Dropping in for a little update, I am starting to maybe feel little glimmers of libido coming back in my brain. Downstairs is still unresponsive but I have not felt these sensations since before starting the medication in 2013. It could also be due to me feeling a lot better regarding my outlook on life, and have not felt an despair or depression in several weeks. I am also on my last bit of Xanax tapering, and while I feel withdrawal anxiety from that, I feel much better in my body overall. Kind of hard to explain feeling 'better' while still withdrawing but there it is. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Purplestars22 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I am glad that you are able to see small improvements wish you many more. Celexa 20mg 2008-2012 for Social Anxiety Failed attempt to stop reinstated 1 year taper skipping doses Celexa free 12/2013 1/2014-5/2014 took 5 htp every other day Failed Reinstatement 5mg of Celexa on 12/2014 for 5 days only Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 What's up team dropping by for another update. Good progress has been made! Past months and especially the past few weeks I have experienced major feeling and function returning to my sexual functioning! I don't want to jinx it by being premature but I'm so excited to finally see some progress. It could be a window but I will enjoy this window! This marks me coming to a close of my second year of PSSD. However, I was on Trazadone most of 2014 and that is drug that affects serotonin. Once I kicked Trazadone I immediately felt better and I think the real healing began. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted December 2, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 2, 2015 What a difference a year makes !! That's wonderful news BlueLeader. I hope you weren't being premature too , lol. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted December 2, 2015 Administrator Share Posted December 2, 2015 Very happy to hear you're doing better. I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering. Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually! 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. Link to comment
ricardo7 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 BlueLeader, I am glad you are better. Do you have(had) the symptom of genital anesthesia? What are your symtoms? 4 times on SSRI'S in the past, I have never had such serious problems. Septemper 2013-November 2013: Paxil (60mg) After discontinuation (cold turkey):anhedonia, severe emotional anesthisia, severe PSSD. xanax: daily use for 4.5 years at doses 0.5 mg -1.5mg. taper september 2014 from 1.5mg. current dose: 0.87,5 mg.(8AM, 2PM, 8PM, 00-01AM) Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 Well, the pessimistic side of me thought it would be a temporary window and alas-it was. Now back to what I had but now a little bit more function is back. I went from 50% back to 25% but still, this is a gift and shows healing progress is taking place. Will I ever be back to full function? I don't know but exercise and good eating with the company of friends definitely helps. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted December 15, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm sorry your window closed BlueLeader, but 25% recovery is still very good progress and your next window will probably bring more improvement. You have a great attitude, which I'm sure helps a lot. You can now update your signature with this positive change 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 Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Update: My window back in December 2015 closed and closed hard. Function is barely 15% since the winter really kicked in. I believe a big part was the fact my immune system is very weak after the drugs weakened it and my body spends more time fighting to be healthy and warm during the winter. Used to be I got a minor cold once every other winter that cleared up in a day. After Celexa damage I get 5-6 colds that last for a whole week. Hopefully see some more improvement in the spring and summer. Keep on fighting the good fight my friends. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted August 5, 2016 Author Share Posted August 5, 2016 Hello team, checking in again for the summer. I have been down and sexual function and feeling is barely there. Been very tired and stressed out since March and April, I think because of my work. Honestly, I am starting to despair of ever being whole again. I "know" in my head negative thinking contributes nothing good and actually has a negative effect on physical well being - but this is what I feel inside. Spring into summer I pushed myself really hard trying to get too many things done at once and it affected my health. It really sucks when you want to make up for lost time but can only do a little bit because you're still damaged from the drugs. Take care Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted August 5, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 5, 2016 Hi BlueLeader, Thank you for dropping by and giving an update. I'm sorry to hear about the symptoms you are suffering. How are you cognitively and are you feeling emotions? * 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 Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 ChessieCat, Cognitively I am doing quite well actually. Getting much better at processing complex and simple data and no longer seem to have the cognition problems that so many of us suffer from. Emotionally? Lately have been very flat last few months. I attribute this to the annhedonia and the fact I am starting to despair of ever being whole again. It's a cruel twist of fate we find ourselves in. Taking pills for feeling down and out and then becoming so jacked up I wish I could go back to what I was before all this started. I'd throw a party to be back what I was before this all went down. Anyway, I need to get back on track of taking better care of myself again. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Hopefull Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Hi BlueLeader, Your last post rings true for me too. I wish I could go back to how I was before this whole thing started. But we can't change the past. The despair that you are feeling is very common. Don't beat yourself up over it. It is only human to question and ponder over things that bother you. Just don't loose your self in it. You will heal and recover. Look on the bright side. Your don't have cognitive issues and you are doing quite well. I feel dumbed down. My memory is not that great and I find my self stumbling for words when talking to people or writing. Enjoy the summer months. It is winter here. Spring will be upon us in 3 weeks. I look forward to warmer weather tremendously. Going through WDS in winter sucks. Best wishes, Hopefull . DRUG HISTORY: November 2013- Zoloft, ( Bad reaction). January 2014 - March 2014 Seroquel.( Quit Cold Turkey). January2014- Mirtazapine, I was taking 15mg at one stage, reduced to 7.5mg, Pgad reactions to Mirtazapine. Doctor kept increasing it to 37.5mg, until July 2014. No improvement, experiencing panic attacks, on 37.5 mg. I had enough by October 2014. Began tapering. October 2014- Started tapering Mirtazapine from 37.5mg. September 2015- Down to 4mg of Mirtazapine. Crashed. September 16th- Up dosed to 5mg. Held this dose for almost 5 months. Stabilised. February 2016- Began tapering again. From 5mg to 4.5mg of Mirtazapine. (Rocking the boat, again)! Lol. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 Hopeful, Thank you very much for you kind words. I believe one day I might recover but part of pessimistic personality works against that sometimes. It will be Fall here in the Northeast soon. Oddly, I have the hardest time with depression during the late summer and seem to be pretty stable in the winter. Very odd. Good luck to you on your journey towards recovery. 2016 is two thirds of the way complete and this year was a wave so far. A wave drowns you under and then pulls you further from your destination-the shore. Still, I am quite thankful for all the good friends that have lent a hand helping me through this. I have learned to appreciate people for who they truly are. Keep fighting the good fight team. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 Update for the Fall of 2016. Despair all I feel is despair. I so desperately want to be whole again and not be in pain. There was a time when I was afraid of the world and retreated from it. As a teen and early 20's I hid and sat on the computer and did not interact. Now, I desperately want to be more involved in the world but can only go so far because of what happened. What a cruel twist of fate. What grinds me the most is how much time I have lost and am still loosing. I have started doing hard cardio every day in an effort to shed the excess fat I put on. Was on Lunesta for sleep but tapering off of it. Benzos and Z drugs(Ambien, Lunesta, ect) inhibit REM sleep which is most needed for recovery. Cardio and good sleep for the next year and we'll see where we are. Thank you for reading and Hold Fast Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted October 19, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 19, 2016 Here's what I've read when I've been in despairing times: It Gets Better: Living Well While Being Sick The author had to cope with absolutely awful w/d for a very long time - how she has done so is inspiring, and practical too. 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Thank you Karen. While this week was extremely busy, I felt emotions of peace, anger, fear, hope, calm and it all felt good! Emotions are starting to come back I think. My sexual functioning is worse though so who knows. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Spruce30 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I too have PSSD, although some of my remaining sexual issues might have been caused by benzos. I have seen improvements since coming off benzos 18 months ago, but currently stuck in a horrible wave and all my sexual issues feel as bad as ever. My genitals feel so numb they almost ache with numbness. Have a lot of people recovered from PSSD? Last took an SSRI January 2009. Last took a benzodiazepine May 2015. Free from all prescription medication since May 2015. Everything has mostly healed apart from PSSD which is still very bad, and is my most distressing symptom. Also i have developed some allergy problems/ sensitivities to things in the environment which i believe was possibly caused by the prescription medications (SSRI's and benzos). Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted January 12, 2018 Author Share Posted January 12, 2018 Happy 2018 all, Been awhile since I had an update. Towards the end of the 4th year of having PSSD started to experience windows of good function and feeling, with some windows having good function AND feeling at the same time. What has helped most for me was strength training with weights. Lifting iron made me look and feel better and I noticed the PSSD was definitely improved after a lift session for the rest of that day and beyond. Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Cyclone84 Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 How's it going, BlueLeader? EffexorXR 150mg - on and off since 2003-2004 Last Taper August 2018 - October 2018 Reinstatement of EffexorXR - December 2018 Started mirtazapine 15mg - December 2018 - dose increased to 30mg, now down to 22.5mg Hydroxyzine - December 2018 - 25mg, as needed EffexorXR - 75mg Link to comment
hussy Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Hi Blueleader. Please update on how things are now with you mild depression: took effaxor XR 75mg From nov 2016 - feb 2017 for 4 months PSSD : Since then along with continuing withdrawal. cognition problems, headache , fatigue, concentration problems, anhedonia, PSSD ( erection 2/10, Libido1/10, orgasm 4/10) no significant improvements in any withdrawal symptoms or any PSSD symptoms Link to comment
BlueLeader Posted July 12, 2019 Author Share Posted July 12, 2019 Hi there, Been awhile since an update. A lot has happened trying to put it all down is tough so here goes. I take medication for sleep, Lunesta 2 MG. Always had trouble falling and staying asleep since I was a kid. Celexa damage just made it even worse. I tried to wean off the Lunesta last year 2018. It was one of the worst years of my life, the sleep withdrawal and trying to go without the Lunesta. After 7 months early August 2018 I went back on Lunesta and sleep stabilized after several months around January 2019. Through this up and down my body and mind went through hell. Sleep deprivation is no joke and and I totally sympathize with people who give up from lack of sleep. Not getting enough rest made me barely able to get through the work day, much less exercise in the evening. Weekends were spent resting. As a result my weight shot up. A few months ago started running and exercising again on the regular and I feel so much better physically and mentally. I still have PSSD and sadly the hell of no good sleep made it even worse. Feel like I lost so much of the gains I made in previous years. . . Going on 5.5 years having PSSD condition and I think this my new normal. But I don't feel despair like I did for so many years. Why is that? My faith keeps me going and I asked the question of what can I do with my life now?? This is essentially what Viktor Frankl asks in his book Man's Search for Meaning. I highly recommend it. Another good one is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Mentally and spiritually I have accepted this is what I am now. I no longer feel the despair that I once did. I grieve for the life that was lost and will probably not get back. The upside is I have adjusted my life completely and now focus on taking care of myself and not chasing after acquiring stuff that is so glorified in our culture. I lost what I thought was important before this happened and now value others things. Just trying to make the best of what I have to live with. Will I ever be whole in this life? I don't know and cannot answer that for anyone else either. To that end, I will continue with running, start lifting heavy again, and continue the journey. Lifting heavy is the only thing that really helped daily with the physical symptoms of PSSD. Also, I get out and be around people a lot more. Even started volunteering a little bit. At the very least it gets me out of the house and at the best helps others and connect with other people. Stay Strong and Hold Fast Mid 2006-Early 2013 Celexa 40 MG, Xanax .50, Trazadone 50 MG - No problems with side effects Very fast-few weeks taper in Early 2013 off all medication. Crashed summer 2013 Went back on all meds same dosage (different brand of Celexa) Sept 2013. Sexual Side Effects (which I never had before) begun December 2013. Off Celexa February 2014. Xanax remained while Trazadone done in August 2014. Continue to experience complete PSSD to this day with sadly no signs of improvement yet. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted July 12, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 12, 2019 13 minutes ago, BlueLeader said: The upside is I have adjusted my life completely Great update, BlueLeader! Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
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