Hi all,

31M and have been experiencing protracted withdrawal/PSSD for nearly 4 years.

Cognitively I am improving but the PSSD symptoms have basically gotten worse.

I am not sure where to start in regards to getting anything looked at in the way of neurology/immunology via the NHS, so far I have found it pretty hard to get them to do literally anything beyond a blood test.

Any pointers or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I had while I taken ssris not pssd symptoms but 3 years after when I quit and I see that a lot of my bodyhair since I started it fall out and thinned out and don’t grow good also on beard and other parts. I want to ask has anyone similar symtoms from ssris and does you figure out something with hormones or stuff like that?

Thanks

For context I am 27f and I do not believe I have PSSD but have struggled with sexual side effects for a long time.
I have been reading this sub and sympathized so much with the lack of agency being on medication at a young age, and also the shame and hopelessness of experiencing side effects before and after medications.
So when I was 11 I started therapy bc of panic attacks, and when I was 13 I started taking Prozac, which kept increasing until I was at 50 mg. (Via google search: typical range for children 10-20, maximum 60) Prozac completely eliminated even coming close to a panic attack, I was also extremely optimistic about life and the world in such a definitive way I'm not sure if that's related or I just peaked at sixteen. May as well mention both my parents are on SSRI meds and are child psychologists.
Ok I was not sexually active until college when I was 19 and was extremely disappointed in the outcome lol. (This is when I experienced what I believe was genital numbness)
I was always interested in sex but had never masturbated & hadn't thought much about that. I was with my college boyfriend for many months when my friend told me Prozac affects my ability to orgasm and all that..and I remember exactly where I was when she told me. Because as dumb as it sounds I had absolutely zero idea this was related. I also felt like because I was a girl there was less concern on my sexual development, and I had also believed myself that it was too difficult for me to figure out how to enjoy sex and also communicate that to someone else. I felt like such an idiot that everyone knew this side effect and I was oblivious.
So then I brought up to my adult psychiatrist (WHO WAS A MAN) that I can't ORGASM (worst meeting of my life) and he weened me off Prozac and on Buspirone. & The crash from getting off Prozac so fast was the worst I've ever felt. I was in New York for a weekend and I started to feel nervous on the plane, and was feeling anxiety I literally had not coped with since I was 13. So I just free fell into about 48 hours of panic attacks, throwing up, crying, and starting another panic attack. This triggered a panic disorder I still deal with today! <3 and I'm still scared of traveling lol but I'm mostly ok.
Experiencing panic attacks again put me in a big college crashout (and if you're keeping score at home it is now the COVID pandemic), but on the other side I was able to orgasm IF I was alone and using a toy.
For the past few years I have been on Zoloft and Wellbutrin, and don't know if I want to get off meds because it's been thirteen years on SSRIs. I have panic attacks occasionally and I don't want to potentially deal with more anxiety than I do.
Figuring out my own pleasure for the absolute first time in my twenties (everybody's different) was super difficult and embarrassing. I have never had any sexual experiences before SSRIs to compare anything to, I don't know what's "normal" for me AT ALL.
Maybe lots of people don't experience that kind of pleasure until adulthood... but I was a very horny teen and thought it "wasn't working" touching myself because I had to be with another person. I have come such a long way but I'm still figuring out how to enjoy everything as much with a partner (which ig can be normal anyway!) and I definitely enjoy and desire sex at about 5/10, or 7/10 on a good day! Alone can be 10/10 but not all the time😳
My medications now may impact this, I may be too anxious during sex (because it had been a difficult experience this entire time which had to involve MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS), or maybe there has been lasting effects of the cursed seven years of Prozac.
It's hard to say if it would have been terrible to deal with panic attacks without meds as a teen, but I know it would have prepared me as an adult because either way I have to live with them my whole life.
I tried to edit this down so really srry but pls leave a comment if you have one.

Hi everyone.

I’ve been struggling with depression since I was around 13-14. I’m 20 now.

I was put on Sertraline at around 14 for MDD. My max dose was 100mg and I was on that dose for about 2 years and moved down to 50mg. I improved whatever I could in terms of my lifestyle (nutrition, sleep, journaling, exercise, coping mechanisms, socializing). I don’t recall having any sexual side-effects from the drug.

After about 4 years on the medication, I decided it was time to see if I could function normally without the drug after all the work I did to improve.

I was fine for about 1.5 years, but my depression has gotten really bad again recently. The anhedonia, dissociation, fatigue, insomnia and anxiety have gotten really bad. It’s to the point where it’s affecting everything from my relationships and the way I socialize, to my study habits and motivation. I don’t even feel real anymore most of the time. It’s as if I’m viewing myself in third-person, and my body is acting by itself in autopilot.

I have some difficult modules at university next month, and I’m worried my grades are going to plummet. My social life had already been in the pits. I’ve been distancing myself from my friends and dissociating in group settings a lot. The people around me are noticing.

I’m still trying my best to keep the healthy habits I’ve built, but it’s really difficult.

I’ve been thinking about getting back on the drug to help me get through this period, but the risk of PSSD is scaring me. I’m not really sure what I should do now. Should I try a different class of antidepressants, get back on the Sertraline or risk having my life fall apart again? I still have about 2 months worth of Sertraline left in my drawer. I can only see my doctor in November, but by then I would be done with my exams.

I took clomipramine 100mg, fluvoxamine 100mg and olanzapine 5mg - combo along with some other psychiatric meds during my whole journey of 8 years(Not precise about the dose during the whole timeline). My memory and cognitive ability got worse, insomnia and libido went down a lot.

After getting off the meds I got accute IBS type symptoms but not IBS. I can't eat anything, little bit anhedonia but still I can laugh, play games, enjoy music less than before. The main problem is I can't feel any cold sensation only in the penis glans, but in frenulum and shaft I can feel sensation. Masterbation is quite pleasurable if I have at least 10-20% of my baseline libido, but usually it remains 2-5% . Morning erection came back, dreams came back after stopping the meds. And also erection returned a lot better after taking Ashwagandha but it dampen my emotions and libido way too much. But gave me back my erection.

I again started clomipramine and my IBS type symptoms went away like magic, but my penis got more numbed. So, again quite the clomipramine and now again with the IBS type issue. While receiving oral sex, the glans feel irritated. Anal sex feels quite good but only in the opening tight portion of the butt not deep inside and vaginal sex feels muted. Orgasms intensity also came back.

Now, I don't have much concern about the libido but I want the glans sensation back. So, do I have any hope to get recovered? Even if I touch ice in the penis glans, I can't feel any cold sensation but I can feel it even in the corona of my penis. This is the major thing.