Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)?
Ireland
How did you find this forum (Google search – if so, what search terms? Via link from a forum or website – if so, what page? Other?)
Google
What is your current age, height, weight?
27, 75kg, 5’9’’
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Isotretinoin, escitalopram, risperidone, citalopram, venlafaxine, vortioxetine
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
Isotretinoin: 30-50mg
Escitalopram: 10-20mg
Risperidone: 0.5mg
Citalopram: 20-30mg
Venlafaxine: 75mg
Vortioxetine: 10mg
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Isotretinoin for acne
Antidepressants for social anxiety disorder/GAD
Risperidone for misdiagnosed psychosis
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
Isotretinoin: 5 months
Escitalopram: 1.5 years
Risperidone: 3 months
Citalopram: 1 year
Venlafaxine: 6 months
Vortioxetine: 1 year
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
Isotretinoin: 20-21y/o
Escitalopram & Risperidone: 22-24y/o
Citalopram: 24-26y/o
Venlafaxine: 26y/o
Vortioxetine: 26-27y/o
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
Discontinued isotretinoin at 21y/o
Discontinued citalopram for several months at 24y/o
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Discontinued isotretinoin cold turkey
Discontinued citalopram by tapering off
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
Noticed decreased libido within a week of taking an SSRI. Eventually tried to discontinue due to this, only for libido to almost completely disappear thereafter.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.
Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[x] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[x] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[x] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.