Make sure to check all ingredients of lip balms, lipsticks, and lip products your partner is using for 5-ARIs

General Discussion
#1

I have crashed into a very severe form of PSSD with severe anhedonia, horrible insomnia, shrinkage, dry/numb skin and nose after several months of repeated kissing of my partner at night after she applied a lip mask with PHYTO- STERYL/ISOSTEARYL/CETYL/STEARYL/BEHENYL DIMER DILINOLEATE which is one of the main components that blocks 5-ARI in Saw Palmetto. I cannot prove that this ingredient caused the crash, but it is currently my leading suspicion. I had recovered mostly and did not even think about PSSD for 4.5 years besides trying to live as cleanly as possible and avoid 5-ARIs. However, now I am very severe again and not sure if I will be able to get back close to my baseline given the new physical changes.

I did everything in my power to avoid another crash by not trying to treat the issue at all and just give myself time to naturally heal while avoiding all 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Unfortunately, this disease is so insidious that one seemingly inconsequential mistake can have dramatic consequences.

I pray/hope for everyone’s healing.

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#2

I’m sorry to hear that. My partner uses Accutane and we regularly kiss each other, I’m afraid that it will cause me to crash, but according to google the traces of Accutane in her saliva is negligible so hopefully nothing happens.

#3

I think I just may be like an extreme level of sensitivity. I am just so frustrated because I tried to live as carefully as I could to prevent another crash, but still had this happen.

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#4

I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. While it’s impossible to know whether a specific lip product caused your symptoms, I think it’s reasonable for people who believe they’re sensitive to 5-ARIs to carefully check ingredient lists and be cautious. I hope you recover and get back to your baseline.

#5

Yeah I check ingredients of everything I use. I just didn’t realize she was using it and didn’t think it was necessary to check the ingredient of every product my partner was using. Tbh there is not eve a super clear potent 5-ARI in the ingredients so maybe just some mild one impacted me.