Please help me very severe symptoms(skin,libido,brain)

Member Stories
#1

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)?
Netherlands

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?
28,140 pounds

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Mirtazapine

What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
15mg

What condition was being treated with the drug?
I used it for sleep problems my gp assured me if I dont like it I could easy stop it never had any experience with psych drugs. Never was depressed.

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
After I want to stop it after 3 months I got very sick. I went back on it for a few months and after that I tapered it for 5 months.

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
27,january 2018

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
28,january 2019

How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Tapered off

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
I feel like my body never accepted the mirtazapine. When I went on it I experienced brain shiver and light flashes when I would go to sleep.

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
I now got complete loss of personality,anhedonia,cant think,full pssd and many other symptoms.

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
[x] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[x] 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
[x] Suicidal Thoughts

Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[x ] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[x ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[x] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[x] Increased hair loss
[x ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[x] Other (please explain)
Hundreds of eye floaters,visual snow,after images,hyperacusis,my face Is destroyed.
I get mouth eczema I never had that.

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Nothing yet im to scared to try anything I only used fish oil.

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.

Sorry but English isnt my first language.I used mirtazapine for one year. When I look back my body never accepted the drug but when I stopped it the first time after 3 months I got very sick. After I went back on it ive never been the same. Im off for 6 months now and everything keeps getting worse. It never stops. Since last month I became extreme fatigued like my eyelids are very heavy and tired and I cant keep them open. Im even to tired to talk to people this scares me so much because I cant do anything. I got 2 little boys and it breaks my heart because I cant even play with them anymore and they dont get it. I was always busy with them. My whole life is a mess now I cant do anything and im about to lose everything. Since last month I look very bad the lose skin in the face people talk about on this forum I got that also.I always looked extreme young people thought I was 18 when I was 25 but now my face is a mess. How is it possible mirtazapine caused the same problems that finasteride causes? Ive lost my complete personality. Everything that I ever liked my hobby’s and everything means nothing to me now. I also dont get stressed anymore or angry. I got no sense of time anymore. Something that happens an hour ago could happened 3 weeks ago I dont know anymore. My memory is very bad. I got to think very hard when people ask me what I did yesterday. And I got the sexual side effects also but thats nothing for me compared to the mental effects. I dont know what to do anymore. I feel and look like an elderly who is 90 years old. And what worries me the most that its progressive. My other symptoms are severe eye floaters,after images,very blurry vision,my skin turns very red and leaves marks when I touch it, my tongue is all white and I got mouth eczema. I got hair loss and my hair is very dry. I cant feel hunger anymore. I dont know what to do anymore. What are your thoughts about this? Most people on the forums who got this symptoms never get any better or they are dead. But I want to live.

1 Like
Mianserin reversed numb genitals and brain fog
#3

Thank you for sharing your story @Dtch. A lot of us can relate to what you are describing. While as you say it’s true the condition is permanent or degenerative for some, it’s also true some do experience improvement, and we are all obviously hoping for some breakthroughs in the near future, so there’s reason to keep hope.

It is interesting, as mirtazapine, while sometimes exacerbating or helping PFS symptoms, has not proved to be generating as many cases such as yourself that I can recall as SSRIs. As to a possible common mechanism, a plausible potential route could be through the serotonergic effects of the drug. Mirtazipine blocks alpha2 heteroreceptors, which results in a loss of inhibition of serotonergic neurons and a consequential increase in serotonin release in the brain(1). The common factor in the range of substances causing this syndrome is antiandrogenic endocrine disrupting activity, and serotonin seems to have a striking antiandrogenic effect in vitro and in vivo in multiple prostate cell lines as discussed below.

(1) http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/19453203

#4

Thanks for your reply. I need some relief its going fast now. I lost a lot of muscle and my face look weird. I think its called lipoatrophy. I could live with that but my personality,thoughts and IQ are gone

#5

Read “Chi” his story and nothing else on this whole forum for the next 2-3months. And apply what he has done to your daily routine. It might not help, but it also might change your life. I wish you all the best man, recoveries are possible!

1 Like
#6

Thank you im gonna look into it.

1 Like
#7

I have many similar symptoms to you too, but mine are from escitalopram. So I don’t think it matters which AD one uses, even tho mirtazapine seems to be one of the worst out there…

1 Like
#8

Im sorry for you. Which symptoms do you have? The worst thing is if your family dont believe you. Im almost bed bound and its gonna happen in a few weeks I know it. If it happens they think im going crazy and its all in my head. They are already sick of me. But whats gonna happen if they want me to go to a psychiatrist? I dont even want to know what happens if I take another antidepressant. Can somebody explain to me why mirtazapine is different from other antidepressants? I think its more dangerous. But they give it to people to insomnia and my gp looks strange at me when I say it is dangerous because she never heard of this.

#9

Welcome Dtch, and sorry you are going through this. I am shocked that Mirtazapine is causing these problems as well, had even used it myself. Your case just shows that it probably is not safe for PFS cases to take AD’s of any type.

1 Like
#10

I dont know why but I got the classical symptoms of PFS. I dont see a lot of people with pssd with muscle loss and face changes and dry skin. There are a few but not much. Last week I changes a lot. But the fatigue is not normal I cant do anything.
How is that possible?

#11

Your case appears to be highly significant in many regards. It would be very important that you participate in our survey. May I ask you to please spare a moment to take it?

#12

I talked to you on pssd-forum. I have a lot of similar symptoms, like muscle loss, gum issues, dry skin, hair structure change. Plus all the classical pssd-symptoms. And I know the frustration not to be believed by your family, I experience the same thing. :confused: Sorry to hear about your situation, but you’re definitely not alone in this.

#13

I have PSSD and have many of the anti-androgenic PFS symptoms as well. I know SSRIs are hormonal so it makes sense even though a lot of PSSD people don’t get the hormonal symptoms. But most people are lucky enough not to get the full syndrome period. We got hit very hard. As far as Mirtazapine causing this I can’t really be surprised about what any of these meds do anymore. It’s just criminal.

3 Likes
#14

@jrums01 what are you trying for your symptoms at the moment?

#15

Does anybody knows what I can do about the lipoatrophy in my face? Its keeps getting worse since last week. I also notice my clothes are getting to big in a few days. My biceps and triceps are softer.

#16

I’m under the care of a Dr. Goldstein and I’m taking Addyi and Cabergoline. Also Lyrica and Halcion for sleep and memantine as well. Take DHEA occasionly. Works ok for dry skin but can make you break out. But nothing really noticibly works except high doses of meds for sleep. Maybe feel more aggression sometimes. Could be the Cabergoline. But it’s hard to make a dent in all this damage.

#17

I am 44 year old and I took finasteride for 2 months. 5 weeks all was good , erection normal . 6 week libido go lower. 7 - 8 week loss libido , low erection i coudnt make sex with my wife. I stop finasteride . Now is 9 day after stop and still libido zero , soft penis and cant get erection . What time after side effect and stop finasteride I Should be normal ? Anybody who got side effect on finasteride was permamention ?

1 Like
#18

We say you need to wait for 3 months before you can say that any side effects are long term.

Most people’s side effects go away with time, the vast majority in the first 3 months. It is likely you will be fine. Do not take any other hairloss treatments ever - they are not safe for you.

#19

Never again finasteride

#20

Which hormones should I get bloodtest for? Im sorry I dont know much about this

#21

This week my body changed a lot. All my clothes are too big. I lost my muscles im very skinny. I got a really white skin its scary. And the wrinkles in my face keeps getting worse. I always was a skinny guy but I put on 20 pounds with fitness. Now the 20 pounds is all gone. Everything seems progressive after a half year of mirtazapine. I keep getting more fatigued im almost bed bound. Dont know what to do