Hi All,
I’m from the US, and I found this community via PSSDForum. I am here to fill out the survey. I go by the the same name on the other forum.
Age - 24. Weight - 150. Height - 5’10.
I took fluoxetine at 20mg/day.
I was treating heavy anxiety (GAD, agoraphobia, and some anxiety-induced depression).
I took the drug for approximately 8 months. I was 21 when I started the drug (sometime around February 2016) and still 21 when I quit (September or October of '16).
I quit nearly cold turkey. I started spacing out my doses a bit (so every other day instead of every day). When I experienced no physical discomfort from skipping days after a couple weeks, I discontinued the drug entirely. I experienced no withdrawal whatsoever.
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
I noticed sexual side effects immediately. The numbness was present after the first pill. However, I could still get erections and ejaculate just fine (although it took longer). I did, however, lose all nocturnal and morning erections. I thought these sides would surely go away when I eventually discontinued the drug, so I was not worried at all (besides, I didn’t even have a partner at the time).
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Libido, erections, and anhedonia became worse after quitting. I’ve also experienced restless leg syndrome, cold feet, facial numbness, among other symptoms. Loss of nocturnal erections remained. The only symptom that has improved is numbness.
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
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] 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
[x] Severe Depression / Melancholy (not sure if the chicken or egg though)
[x] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[x] Increased hair loss (potentially)
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[x] Other (please explain)
I’ve experienced head pressure/stimulation. I’m unsure if it’s related to antidepressant use or not. I will be getting it checked out by a neurologist soon.
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Almost every supplement imaginable. The following have led to the largest windows (but not really any permanent improvements): Naltrexone and boron, arginine, inositol, SJW, alcohol, alcohol + bacfloen.
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)?
None. I don’t think my T levels are low, however, as I easily put lean muscle on at the gym (more easily than most of my friends).
Please send me a survey link. I want to add more antidepressant records!