Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction

Dear friends,
me and millions of people around the world suffer from Post SSRI sexual dysfunction(PSSD).

Post SSRI sexual dysfunction is caused by the use of SSRIs (mainly antidepressants),during use of SSRIs and after discontinuation of them(permanent)
The symptoms include:

Decreased libido
Impotence or reduced vaginal lubrication
Difficulty initiating or maintaining an erection or becoming aroused
Persistent sexual arousal syndrome despite absence of desire
Muted, delayed or absent orgasm (anorgasmia)
Reduced or no experience of pleasure during orgasm (ejaculatory anhedonia)
Premature ejaculation
Weakened penile, vaginal or clitoral sensitivity
Genital anesthesia
Loss or decreased response to sexual stimuli [3]

PSSD can be lethal,driving sufferers to suicide,destroying marriages and lives.

Latest studies show that 70% of people using/having used SSRIs suffer from PSSD and regarding that millions of people are on SSRIs the problem is huge.
Also,studies on animals and people show that the PSSD is permanent even after stopping SSRIs (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18173768)
This also is the case of hundred-thousands of people on PSSD forums on internet,where having stopped using SSRIs,they have not seen any improvement even after 10 years of discontinuation of SSRIs.
Also most people,like me,suffer from ALL the above symptoms,not only two or three.
This has to do that SSRIs cause permanent damage to brain,hormones,neurotransmitters,genes etc

Currently there is no known cure that could help for PSSD,mainly that we don't understand the causes and I doubt that would be a "magical cure" that could revert all of the symptoms as its a very complex issue.
Some "antidotes" have been reported showing little improvement to only 1-2 of symptoms,which they are also SSRIs,drugs for Parkison,Alzheimer etc meaning again a lot of side effects.

One also very important issue is that pharma companies downplay PSSD for economic reasons and as a result doctors-patients are not informed well about PSSD.
Also companies are not going to do research for PSSD,in this way that means that they would accept the terrific side effects of SSRIs.

Dear friends,I would like to ask for your help.Are there any ways to heal my brain after antidepressants?Or are there any ways to restore hormone balance after antidepressants?

I would be very happy to hear your answers,even though I know that this is a very complex issue.Then,I could try on myself your proposals,of course if they contain minimal risk.Then,if successful,I could share my experience with people suffering from PSSD on the internet,so as to help them to regain their health and life.

Thank you for reading my post,looking forward to hearing from you.



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Comments

  • Strange. I know someone with this issue and they had me do some research already. I'll get back to this after grindfest. There are some substances that have shown potential like yohimbe if I recall showed stat sig. I don't know if this is due to a global effect increasing libido or working on the damaged mechanism. Keep in mind that this board isn't meant to diagnose, treat, or cure anything but I think projects regarding libido and sexual pleasure stuff are close enough that this would be worth looking into.
  • @Cassox:I really appreciate your advice,me and thousands of users really need this.
    If you find something that could help please post it here.
    Thanks again
  • Any options that could help with Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction?
    thanks
  • I've had SSRIs in the past that caused temporary libido issues while on them (and even then, only for the first few weeks), but it all stopped after stopping the meds.

    If you are still suffering from it after stopping the meds i'd see a doctor and ask for a hormone level test.
  • Thank for your info.I am glad you recovered from it.
    Actually,me and millions,suffer from Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction.This happens to 70% of people after stop using SSRIs.This is probably permanent for the whole life,as studies to mouses have shown and also no-one has fully recovered from it.A lot of people have already done hormone level test with no actual results.However I am thinking of doing it.One good thing that next month begins the world's biggest trial to find the reasons for PSSD and if possible a cure.Thanks again for the answer,if anyone knows something,mainly natural that could help,please post it here.thanks
  • I would try an aphrodisiac in combination with erotic stimuli and see if it's that simple.
  • I see what you mean,other people have already tried that with little success.Also Post SSRI Sexual dysfunction is not only a symptom but a collection of symptoms,that most people have ALL of them like me.These include:
    • Decreased libido
    • Impotence or reduced vaginal lubrication
    • Difficulty initiating or maintaining an erection or becoming aroused
    • Persistent sexual arousal syndrome despite absence of desire
    • Muted, delayed or absent orgasm (anorgasmia)
    • Reduced or no experience of pleasure during orgasm (ejaculatory anhedonia)
    • Premature ejaculation
    • Weakened penile, vaginal or clitoral sensitivity
    • Genital anesthesia
    • Loss or decreased response to sexual stimuli [3]
    Actually I am in a process of trying of whatever aphrodisiac to see if have any benefit and of course report that to the appropriate PSSD forum so as other people get help.
    Thanks again for the answer
  • This seems very specific for this forum, and not necessarily in line with transhumanism; I really hate to discourage participation, but this definitely seems like something you should maybe see your doctor about? If your doc has been a failure, maybe consider a nutritionist or a naturopath. I'm far from an expert on such things, but members of my family live and die by it, and according to them naturopathic physicians (is that even an actual term?) will help you find ways to fix the underlying cause rather than treat the symptoms like clinical physicians do to make money. I remain a hardcore skeptic, but I still believe that you can learn from anything if you have the will ,so I will recommend these avenues when they seem applicable.

    It sounds like a serious issue you face, and one that isn't easily answered within the scope of our areas of exploration or of modern medicine; I think you might be best served by hitting up some "alternative practitioners" and seeing what comes of that. As crucial as it is to rely on evidence and logic, when those fail you should explore all possible avenues and then report with results so everyone can learn from it and our industry as a whole can evolve. I know it may not be the most comforting idea, but it's possible that you are a "corner-case" that isn't covered by common knowledge and yet it is absolutely vital that you get that info out in the open so this doesn't happen to anyone else after you've found a solution.

    "The only thing worse than refusing to learn, is refusing to share what you have learned so others may benefit."

    (I'm sure some dead guy said that first, but if not it's totally mine.)
  • zombiegristle Really thank you for the answer and interest.
    The issue is that I am not the only one with this symptoms but thousand of people all over the world.Actually the latest studies show that over 70% of people who stop using SSRI develop PSSD.That is a huge number when thinking that millions of people are on SSRI all over the world.
    The conditions are devasting,people have suicided,marriages and relationships have been destroyed.Currently there is no know treatment as the cause is not known and pharma companies hide this.

    The reason I wrote on this forum of biohacking was if there was any knowledge,not specific to PSSD,but generally healing the brain after antidepressants,as they cause brain damage and as a result PSSD would also possibly be cured.
    I was thinking of things like stimulating the vagues nerve,or stimulating glands,or balancing hormone levels which have been disrupted by SSRIs.Even healing brain with fasting.

    It is in my plan to try alternative medicine,through a naturopath as you say,and try such things like phytotherapies,acupuncture etc
    Of course,if I have any progress,I will report it both here to this forum,or to forums related to PSSD.
    Again thank you for your interest,I hope we work together,to solve our issues and progress as humanity.
    Thanks again

  • I'm with zombie here. You seem more like you need medical advice from a doctor.... Non of this has much to do with transhumanism. If you're looking into healing the brain the only thing I've heard about was the use of psilosybin to help the brain reset itself. the studies are still few due to the legal status but initial results looked promising for a few conditions. They've shown promise for depression and some forms of brain trauma and it's a cheap and easy thing to try  so if you're going the "non traditional route" may as well start there. Natropaths won't help you. You'll just waste your money. They mostly hand out bullshit in shiny packages. The rest of those therapies are placebo and have been shown time and time again to be useless. You're better off taking a sugar pill from a doctor since your brain will see it as more real.
  • Well, the board does seem to shy away from nootropics and such, but overall I see this as a potential to explore different aspects of the sexual response curve. I'll give it a go.
  • I'm going to have to both agree and disagree with zombiegristle: I agree this is a problem that needs medical advice, but I disagree on "alternative" medicine - there's a saying:

    "You know what they call alternative medicine that works? medicine"

    If you need medical advice, don't go to forums like this one and don't go to naturopaths (or even worse, homeopaths - eww), go to a real doctor and get examined.

    Where this might be relevant to transhumanism is as always in discussion of augmenting natural human abilities - so I suppose if someone finds a way to do things like eliminate the refactory period or safely prolong erections far longer that may be relevant, but to my knowledge the only way to do that is with drugs like viagra and they are not known for being healthy for regular use.
  • Seems like the post is in the wrong part of the board more than anything else. This is part of the modern human experience and is relevant to how when we try to augment/change the human body there can be unforeseen complications -- which could lead to research and learning opportunities that yield unforeseen benefits for the community. 

    So here's the long post (with all standard and non-standard disclaimers applying):

    Soc, you said “Actually the latest studies show that over 70% of people who stop using SSRI develop PSSD.”   Citation needed. 

    I find information on how sexual dysfunction starts when taking SSRIs (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23728643) and references to the majority of people having the dysfunction stop when they stop taking the SSRIs. That said, we shouldn’t ignore those who see it persisting. 

    As you rightly pointed out this is a complex topic -- sexual dysfunction can stem from many things interacting, if the SSRIs were the last straw then simply removing them does not repair the damage. 

    Evaluate and Eliminate:
    Use the questions below as a starting point to evaluate the factors that may be contributing and eliminate them. These are annoying but should be brought up and addressed first. They will impair or even prevent attempts to resolve the dysfunction.

     
    1. General physical health - age, weight, diet, biologically male/female, exercise, stress factors
    Any one of these can identified as factors that contribute -- in particular the ones the average people tends to lie about (to themselves and/or others) like getting "some exercise" and eating an "okay diet". Eating right, getting exercise and managing stress is the cornerstone of a healthy functioning body. This requires brutal honesty about lifestyles choices and making changes.  

    2. Specific physical health - the normal list of "do you have X?" Thyroid, heart, blood pressure, diabetes, hormone imbalances, vitamin D deficiency, SADS, allergies etc. In particular, know what's going on with your body chemistry through tests. Facts not guesswork are critical here. It is the only way identify and correct things like thyroid, hormone and vitamin imbalances and deficiencies. 


    3. Mental and emotional health - people take prescription SSRIs for a reason — a reason which likely could include a symptom like emerging sexual dysfunction/low libido etc. Is that reason still around? Frequently people stop taking SSRIs because of the side effects including sexual dysfunction. This is the toughest factor to find a resolution for because if it was impacting someone so strongly that they went on SSRIs there’s a chance it’s still an issue and might be a contributing factor. An additional consideration is the psychological impact of sexual dysfunction and how it can feed into the cycle. 


    Research:

    Your prior SSRI treatment regime- what was taken and what did it do? Most people I know had "cures" shoved down their throats along with the prescribed meds. Depending on the treatment (medical, herbal, snake oil ) any number of biological shit storms could have been kicked off that contributed. Research what each did to identify what nootropics or techniques might be useful. 

    Current information and options that may help  There is a body of work around treatment including other meds and herbs. Some require working with a doctor or sex therapist and others are more DIY. All in all quite a bit to research and see what would be good for you with all the factors considered. Some starting points...


     

    Sexual Health section of nootropic shop: http://www.powdercity.com/collections/sexual-health



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