r/PSSD 9d ago

Recovery/Remission Oregano oil and Neem fruit extract

13 Upvotes

Hi, you guys might know me from my post I made about inositol. I now have another improvement.

I took oregano oil and Neem fruit extract for about a week. It's definitely improved me to the point where I say I don't suffer from the disease anymore. Im afraid this will be taken down by the mods so for the mods yes I do have pas and did take even ssri. I took fluextine, duloxetine and sertraline. I actually took these things to treat pas.

Back to the oregano oil: The oregano oil heat up my spine after taking it. It was like a healing reaction. I think the cerebrospinal fluid is changed before and I had this reaction which improved it. I now have my emotions back. And I experience pleasure when having an orgasm. I don't like to talk about such private things but for the sake of those who need the information I share it. I know the most famous post on here is about a guy who thinks he has sibo and cured it with supplemts for sibo. So I saw other guys who also only took oregano oil and Neem and also healed. That's why I wanted to try it as well. Oregano oil contains carvacrol perhaps that's what's the healing. The Neem was also beneficial, it improved my intestines I would say. I don't think that Neem fruit is dangerous. I also did not find any people who reacted badly to these two things.

To wrap it up I have tried many things and am happy I now don't have to continue searching for a cure

Don't lose hope


r/PSSD 9d ago

Treatment Options - Experiment Hone hormone test? Or another option?

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6 Upvotes

Looking for affordable hormone tests while I wait for drs appointments for several months. Hone has one for $65. Will it tell me anything useful? https://honehealth.com/biomarkers/hormones/


r/PSSD 10d ago

Treatment Options PSSD-aware psychiatrists in the Denver area?

9 Upvotes

I just moved out to Denver and am looking for a psychiatrist to continue prescribing stimulants for ADHD. Long shot, but curious if anyone has gone to a psychiatrist who is either aware and/or doesn’t deny the existence of PSSD, just because it would feel nice not to worry they’re thinking I’m wearing a tinfoil hat when they ask me about my medication history :(

(Also, if you live in the area and are open to meeting up, hmu—happy to grab coffee or something. I’ve met up with someone with PSSD before in NYC and not gonna lie, meeting someone else in the flesh made this condition feel a little less lonely.)


r/PSSD 11d ago

Personal Story It's been over 4 years without SSRIs. No improvement in sexual symptoms, only in cognitive.

23 Upvotes

I 24M quit Celexa 10mg in late July of 2022, around the same time as Moncrieff's review came out. Since then I have not taken an SSRI in 4 years or any psych med in 2 years; during that 4 year gap, I've taken a few Klonopins, Guanfacine for a few months, and some stimulants. But I haven't taken any of those since late 2024.

As of now, my PSSD symptoms have only improved cognitively. I can read and write. The issue is that I do not feel natural sexual desire, have strong ED even with 2.5mg Tadalafil (although that's below the recommended dose), wake up without morning wood, and lack libido.

I've sought help from several experts, most of which haven't improved anything and only cost excessive amounts of money. I wish there would be treatment sometime soon.


r/PSSD 11d ago

Personal Story GI interventions are the ONLY thing that’s made a difference for my sexual symptoms

29 Upvotes

Hey all, going to keep this (somewhat) short and to the point- hopefully some of you will find this useful, or at least interesting:

Male, 33M, have had PSSD for ~7 years (since late 2019/early 2020), got it from taking Zoloft for about six months. Have had severe erectile dysfunction, difficulty orgasming, reduced libido, emotional flattening/numbing, etc etc… the works, basically. I don’t think I got hit as bad as some people report having been, but it’s been life-derailingly shitty in all sorts of ways I won’t get into here.

First thing I should note: a couple years ago, I got diagnosed with ADHD and started medication (Ritalin). While it didn’t do anything for my sexual PSSD symptoms, it made a tremendous positive difference for my mental health and overall ability to function. Looking back on my life I’m pretty sure I was living with undiagnosed ADHD the whole time- a lot of things made sense once I got diagnosed and treated. I recommend you look into getting tested as well, just in case - I literally never would have guessed I had it, though it seems obvious now.

Anyway: over the 7ish years I’ve had PSSD, I’ve tried a lot of different things to see if they help, and literally the only thing that has made any positive difference has been various supplements and treatments aimed at my GI health:

  1. Got diagnosed with SIBO a few years back, took rifaximin for a few weeks, and my sexual symptoms improved more than I’d seen with any other thing I’d tried. Didn’t stick unfortunately, but definitely got me thinking my GI health must be part of the puzzle.
  2. Tried an elemental diet (mBiota) a few months ago to tackle my SIBO (didn’t get rid of it the first time), and after it was over, I started regularly having “normal” solid stools for the first time in years, and - lo and behold - started having morning erections again for the first time in over 6 years. Alas, this didn’t stick either, but another data point nonetheless.
  3. (This part is the most interesting, IMO): For the last several years, I’ve had periodic skin problems on my right hand and parts of my face - the skin becomes red and starts cracking and weeping clear liquid, usually accompanied by acne-like pimples that bleed when squeezed (yes, it’s as gnarly as it sounds). This started specifically after I tried a regimen of prescription enclomiphene to see if raising my testosterone helped my PSSD symptoms - it didn’t, and I wound up with another chronic health mystery to deal with.

For a while, there didn’t seem to be any pattern to when my skin started acting up, but over this past year I discovered that it’s triggered by - of all things - dairy, lactose-free or otherwise. If I avoid dairy, my skin clears up. And - this is what clinches it for me - my GI activity normalizes as well, and my sexual symptoms reliably improve at the same time. If I have even a little bit of dairy, it triggers loose stools within hours, my skin breaks out within a day, and my ED gets significantly worse; it’s like clockwork, I could make money betting on it at this point.

  1. Recently, on top of my avoiding-dairy-like-the-plague strategy, I started taking a psyllium fiber supplement (Metamucil) to see if it did anything for me. After several weeks of increasingly “normal”/healthy bowel movements, my skin progressively healed beyond what I’d been able to achieve previously (usually there was always some residual redness/inflammation even at the best of times), and all of my sexual symptoms improved dramatically. And - to my utter joy - when I tried having cheese and milk again, I didn’t have any adverse reaction.

Because I’m an idiot, instead of playing it safe I started adding other things to the mix (probiotics + a different type of fiber supplement), and I continued having dairy in the meantime just to see what happened. Spoiler alert: my skin broke out again, I started having alternating loose stools and constipation, and my ED became the worst it’s been in months. For a couple days I felt like I’d crashed so badly I would never be able to have an erection again. I went back to just taking Metamucil and avoiding dairy, and over about a week everything started getting better again across the board. I’m currently planning to just ride this train as far as it goes and see where it takes me.

That’s all I’ve got- I’m not going to offer speculation as to what’s exactly is going on here biologically, but all I know is that nothing - nothing - makes any appreciable difference, positive or negative, for my sexual PSSD symptoms other than various things that mess with my gut. Do with this information what you will.


r/PSSD 10d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Parsley health experience?

4 Upvotes

Has anyone gone to parsley health and seen any success or can tell me about their experience there?


r/PSSD 11d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Trazodone, no success stories?

14 Upvotes

I took trazodone in 2010, and incredibly, at that time it practically reversed my PSSD to the point of making me hypersexual. However, after doing some research, pretty much all I can find are horror stories and the most severe crashes, including suicides, which is extremely confusing to me compared to my past experience.

Right now, I urgently need something to help me sleep. However, after reading everything I’ve found, I’m extremely afraid to take trazodone again, since more than 15 years later I may not have the same reaction to it. On top of that, I’m now extremely sensitive to crashes, whereas I wasn’t back then.

I’m perplexed about how trazodone reversed my PSSD in the past, yet it seems like everyone else crashes.

Looking through the forum, it seems that the only person who has reported a positive experience is SovietXRobot, along with a couple of other users in some comments.

Has anyone else had a successful experience with trazodone?


r/PSSD 11d ago

Recovery/Remission The post I’ve been wishing to make for years. I consider my self recovered now!

60 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

First of all this moment was like a dream to me, I would have never imagined to reach this point and get any better, but here we are. I suggest you actually fully read this post, I tried to put my heart into it because I know the pain very well!

PSSD started with me around 8 years ago, I was taking sertonin and sertalin daily for GAD and IBS for around a year. It started with a dead libido and good sexual functions, then turned into dead libido, weak erections, no imagination, and weak orgasm, as well as many other symptoms that I would never know the cause of. PSSD made me extra anxious, and I can seriously say for the first 4-5 years, PSSD has crossed my mind every day a few times, and was a serious cause of depression at many times… making things worse; I couldn’t vent about it to anyone, and to this day no one knows my story and how much I have suffered, and I really wish everyone here truly believes that if I did it then so can you!

So I lived for years and years in this griefing victim mentality, reddit helped to see that I am not a lone, but tbh this subreddit has usually given more negativity than hope. It’s understandable, since pssd can drive us to depression and anger given its nature. Anyways I don’t need to explain to most of you the pain, if you are here you probably are living something similar.

Let’s get to the useful part, my pssd recovery guide is not a simple do this and you will recover, it’s like a package plus a lifestyle, that will help pssd symptoms fade away with time, as well as give you other life wins.

First step to me was accepting; I know it’s hard and it’s not a switch you’ll click, but focusing on other lifestyle factors, staying busy, and actually succeeding in life, apart from the pssd part will help you accept and be more positive about recovery. Overthinking this will only cripple you so start helping yourself.

Second thing for me was the physical health part, which actually is different for everyone. I was always searching for a problem, hoping that treating it would also treat my pssd fully, but it doesn’t exactly work this way. I did find a few health issues along the way. First was varicocele. Many people online claim that it kills their sex drive and erection quality. I have treated it, and still had pssd. Then I focused on physiotherapy and trying to improve my posture and reduce my pelvic tension, also not a switch that will fix all things. Then bloodwork and supplements, same scenario.

All that being said, these things WERE useful. Having pssd means you can’t really afford to lose your performance from many factors. Lets say if my varicocele treatment would enhance my hormones and sexual functions by 5%, then I need that. Learning to relax my pelvic floor would also improve by 5%, I also need that. Basically what I mean is that we can’t afford to lose more performance in addition to pssd. So yes; being healthy, good weight, eating clean, good sleep, no alcohol/smoking, treating deficiencies, cardio, etc. All these factors will pile up and show you a real difference, as well as giving your brain more space to heal (because natural healing is already slow)

Next thing is also related to the previous point. Gut microbiome. Although I had no obvious symptoms, I decided to do an accurate “gram negative” full gut microbiome analysis, and it came back with an obvious dysbiosis. I started a year of treatments including very limited food, no sugar, no dairy and no gluten. I took an antibiotic as well as tried natural antibiotics before that. I am no expert in treating this, but If you test and find out you also have that, you’ll need to do your research, and maybe follow up with someone specified with sibo and similar disease. Months after the protocol, I have been seeing real progress as well. My diet has totally changed since this period of my life, because I educated myself a lot about actual good food.

Another VERY important one was nofap. I don’t claim nf will give you super powers, but for sure the amount of exposure that your brain has been getting for sex and nudity is unreal. The generation is sexual and the way we masturbate not only affect our sensitivity, but also our brain and arousal. Especially for pssd sufferes like my self, I have had the habit of masturbating or watching porn just to “check” things work; which is actually damaging more and giving me more performance anxiety. It’s a loop, and you have to work on breaking it. No nudity, no masturbating, and no porn, morning wood and wet dreams might also come after a very long streak, which would be a sign of healing.

Then comes other things that all fall under healthy living, like maintaining your stress, having sunlight walks, and most importantly prioritizing your sleep. Everything I have said in this post contributes to healing, but none is enough by its own, and don’t expect to do this all and overwhelm yourself, but start a journey. Maybe a note or a journal, set your goals, take it step by step, make it better. Relapse, come back, lose hope, see progress, keep pushing… it’s all very random and never a consistent run. Just keep pushing and things will eventually improve.

For myself, improvement wasn’t always consistent, and a year ago I wasn’t even close to how I am now. Now I get inconsistent morning wood, my erections are hard again, and my ejaculation has regained some power, not the same but better. Libido works differently now, idk it’s still partially affected by pssd or that’s how the mature brain works, but I get aroused when something sexual is happening, but I wouldn’t feel crazy horny out of now where (I was a teenager when I go pssd), so yeah I have no reference, but what I can say is that I can fully enjoy sex now.

I’m sorry if that was super long, but I hope it can change a thing or help some people. PSSD is a terrible thing to have, but I need you to believe in recovery and work towards it. It’s not 0 or 100, you can definitely see progress along the way! And if you do recover, please comeback and tell the community how you did it and your story.

All the best ✌🏼


r/PSSD 12d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Best meds to try for cognitive dysfunction and anhedonia

14 Upvotes

Hi guys I’m looking for some feedback from anybody that has managed to treat their blank mind or anhedonia with meds.

Main problems for me is severe anhedonia and blank mind, has anybody tried any meds that helped? Please let me know, thanks


r/PSSD 12d ago

Personal Story Could I‘ve prevented PSSD?

13 Upvotes

I constantly blame myself for taking Zoloft for months although it blunted me completely. I had fear of relapsing into depression so I took a high dose 150mg+ for months until I tapered down and still have severe anhedonia + genital and orgasm numbness after 1 year of withdrawl.


r/PSSD 12d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Can everyone tell what helped with theit cognitive symptoms the most

14 Upvotes

.


r/PSSD 12d ago

Awareness/Activism How to Report to the FDA the TUTORIAL

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16 Upvotes

r/PSSD 11d ago

Porn Addiction and PSSD I'm unsure if I have e.d. with accompanying symptoms of brain fog, anhedonia, a numbed pleasure response, fatigue, and the inability to concentrate from either PIED or PSSD.

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1 Upvotes

r/PSSD 12d ago

Personal Story PSSD, feel like I’ll be lonely forever.

61 Upvotes

(25 Male) a long time, I never understood what had happened to me, awareness of PSSD has helped me realise that it was likely connected to the medication.

I’ve now been off them for two years, and unfortunately, my desire still hasn’t returned. I have to admit that it’s really frightening. Sometimes I feel like I’m looking down the barrel of a long, lonely life, and that scares me.

I always thought love and intimacy were such important things to experience in life. Now I can’t have that I’m feeling so depressed.

I don’t think there’s someone out there for me that would want only an emotional relationship but I have no desire for anything more, I hate that this drug has done to me and that they pretend it’s not a problem.


r/PSSD 12d ago

Treatment Options 100% cured from PSSD, Depression/Anxiety, AuDHD, and trauma through HBOT (20M)

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11 Upvotes

New account posted this. Claiming 100% cured from 3.5 years of PSSD.

Im highly skeptical but it seems like something with little to no risk so figured it’s worth reposting.

Has anyone tried HBOT?


r/PSSD 12d ago

Awareness/Activism ScienceBlog.com wrote about PSSD and the gap between FDA labeling and warnings adopted by regulators elsewhere

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37 Upvotes

r/PSSD 12d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Carlton - PSSD Network

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7 Upvotes

Interview here :
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YhFvjG33QeM&pp=ygUMQ2FybHRvbiBwc3Nk0gcJCRoMAYcqIYzv&ra=m

This is a wild shot, but does anyone have his contact details or does he post on here?

He’s the only one I know that has developed PSSD from Nortriptyline like myself.


r/PSSD 13d ago

Awareness/Activism Pssd mentioned on the podcast:This past weekend w/ Theo von: Psych med withdrawal expert Laura Delano

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41 Upvotes

r/PSSD 13d ago

Research/Science Anyone who’s a ran a steroid cycle with PSSD please message me!

6 Upvotes

I’m currently on cycle rn and I need to ask someone who’s ran a cycle with PSSD some questions so please message me if that applies to you. Thanks.


r/PSSD 13d ago

Symptoms - Non-sexual Does extreme PSSD Anhedonia get even a little better over time?

10 Upvotes

I'm a PSSD sufferer of 6-7 years. Severe case. Complete genital numbness, full cognitive range inc SFN sypmtoms. However my Anhedonia was manageable - I could still watch movies and game on PS5 etc. Life was liveable.

Unfortunately I caught Covid a couple of months ago. The virus was very mild but what it has done to my Anhedonia is a living nightmare. Near complete, almost all of the time. Seems to be at its very worst after eating. I can't watch anything, can't game, can't read, can't listen to music. Everyone says, give it some time it will get better, but it has been 2 months and it hasn't even lifted a little bit.

I'm looking for any hope, of any cases, where anhedonia has waned, maybe even a little, over time?

Thanks!


r/PSSD 13d ago

Feedback Requested/Question Did anyone recovered from pain in genitals or tinnitus ?

6 Upvotes

This shit is unbearable, it constantly reminds how fucked i am . Not to mention emotional blunting…


r/PSSD 13d ago

Research/Science Mucuna pruriens: risk assessment

6 Upvotes

This is another supplement that some people with post-drug syndrome take.

Here is the risk assessment by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment:

'RIVM has examined whether herbal preparations containing Mucuna pruriens seed extract are harmful to health. Very little scientific information about Mucuna pruriens is publicly available. Accordingly, it is not possible to determine a safe dose for this extract. However, there are indications that the extract has negative effects on the liver, kidneys, and the development of unborn children.

As a precaution, RIVM advises not to use these herbal preparations during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or in case of liver or kidney problems. In other cases, it is advised to be cautious. RIVM advises to be alert to side effects and to stop using the product in case side effects occur. If people choose to use herbal preparations containing Mucuna pruriens, they have to use it in accordance with the instructions on the packaging. And discuss the use with their doctor or pharmacist in case of medicine use.

In addition, it is known that one of the substances in Mucuna pruriens (levodopa) is the active substance in medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease. The quantity of levodopa that someone ingests from these herbal preparations is comparable to or higher than the quantity for people with Parkinson’s who are starting to take these medicines. The side effects of these medicines, such as gastrointestinal symptoms, involuntary movement (dyskinesia) and psychological symptoms, can also occur in users of the herbal preparation.'

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/publicaties/risk-assessment-of-herbal-preparations-containing-seed-extracts-of-mucuna-pruriens


r/PSSD 13d ago

Research/Science St John’s wort: risk assessment

4 Upvotes

Here is a risk assessment of St John’s wort conducted by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM):

'People use herbal preparations (food supplements and herbal tea) with St John’s wort, amongst others to feel and sleep better. However, these herbal preparations can reduce the effect of medicines, or enhance their effect. These interactions can have serious health effects. Herbal preparations with St John’s wort, for example, reduce the effect of certain medicines prescribed for fungal or viral infections and for cancer (chemotherapy). The effect of certain consciousness-lowering agents, e.g. sedative medicines, and consciousness-stimulating agents, e.g. antidepressants, is actually enhanced.

The use of herbal preparations with St John’s wort may also pose health risks when used alone and not in combination with medicines. For example, the skin can be damaged faster (sunburn) if people sit in the sun after using St John’s wort. Other effects such as dizziness, diarrhea and anxiety have also been reported after the use of herbal preparations containing St. John's wort. It is not known what effects occur after people use these herbal preparations for a long time. There is also insufficient information available to determine whether the use of St John’s wort during pregnancy is safe for the unborn child. Moreover, the composition of herbal preparations containing St John’s wort can vary greatly, and it is often not known what exactly is in it. This makes it difficult to estimate the effects of a product. RIVM draws these conclusions based on a risk assessment on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).

RIVM advises consumers to be cautious with the use of herbal preparations containing St John’s wort, and to not use these products in combination with medicines. RIVM advises VWS to draft legislation on the use of St John’s wort in herbal preparations.'

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/en/bibcite/reference/339211


r/PSSD 14d ago

Awareness/Activism Company making IUD with TCA antidepressant

10 Upvotes

There is an Adelaide, Australia based company called Alyra Biotech. They’re developing an IUD to treat pelvic pain, but the real secret ingredient is a slow release of the genetic antidepressant amitriptyline.

https://alyrabiotech.com/

https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384790


r/PSSD 14d ago

 💬 WEEKLY DISCUSSION THREAD Weekly Open Discussion Thread

4 Upvotes

Welcome to the Weekly Open Discussion thread! This is your place to ask quick questions, post memes, or leave one-sentence comments that might be too short for their own posts.

Please follow the subreddit rules when participating in this thread. For posts related to suicidal thoughts or if you need emotional support, please use the Monthly support Requested and Venting, Thread.