Where are you from (country)?
United States
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?)
PSSD Forum
What is your current age, height, weight?
- Athletic.
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
PSSD from Fluoxetine, previously took sertraline with seemingly no issues.
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
Up to 40mg. Quit at 20mg or 10mg.
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Brain fog diagnosed as depression.
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
8 monthish
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
18
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
19
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Quit from 10mg or 20mg.
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
A couple months
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Sexual
[*] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[*] Erectile Dysfunction
[*] Complete Impotence
[*] Loss of Morning Erections
[*] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[*] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[*] Watery Ejaculate
[*] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[*] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[*] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[*] Confusion
[*] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[*] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[*] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] 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
[ ] Increased hair loss
[*] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
Copied from my PSSD Forum intro.
I am a 29 year old male living in the United States. When I was 15 I began experiencing severe cognitive impairments (brain fog, short term memory problems, anxiety, difficulty socializing). I went to multiple doctors and specialists pursuing an answer.
At 17 I was told that I had “depression” so I took their word for it and began seeing a psychiatrist and prescribed Sertraline. Google yielded stories of miraculous recovery with these drugs. I told the psychiatrist that it wasn’t helping, so every visit he increased my dose (I think I got up to 80mg). Nothing improved, so I was switched to Fluoxetine because according to him it was more “energizing”. Again, he continued to increase the dose despite never seeing any benefits. I think I got up to 40mg. Somewhere in there, I developed PSSD. Towards the end I was also put on Adderall XR for “ADHD”.
I realized what was happening to me but by then it was too late. I quit (from either 20mg or 10mg fluoxetine, about 2 years into being medicated) and things never normalized. It has been about 10 years now since I’ve been off all medication. Pretty crazy thinking about it.
I figured out that the cognitive issues that I was told were “depression” were from infrequent cannabis consumption. It flipped something in my brain and I have never been the same since. I do not smoke now and haven’t touched it in 7+ years. I came to learn that the same thing happened to a family member. I am convinced there is a genetic component and now know other people who have experienced the same thing. I have had those issues for 12+ years now. Cannabis can be devastating to the developing brain.
Recently a study came out demonstrating a link between these symptoms and modulation of the GABAa receptors https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-11645-8 I know there is some speculation about GABAa in regards to PSSD. If there is a link between the two, I wonder if I made myself more vulnerable to developing PSSD.
Typical PSSD Symptoms are:
-ED
-PE
-No libido
-etc etc.
Cognitive symptoms are (unsure at this point how much of each can be attributed to my initial issue vs PSSD):
-Severe brain fog
-Poor concentration
-Awful short term memory
-Social Cognitive deficits
I have used almost every supplement imaginable. The only thing that I noticed any real effect from was supplementing N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid (not normal DAA) after first loading for 2 weeks with high dose Piracetam. (Piracetam has been shown to increase NMDA receptor density). One time after the first dose of N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid (dosed at bed time) I experienced two nocturnal emissions in one night. This was a side effect I experienced with some regularity throughout the times I have used N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid (used over the course of a couple months on several occasions). N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid has an effect on pregnenolone and progesterone levels which are hormones of interest in some theories of PSSD.
I respond to PDE5 inhibitors (thank god), but require a high dose.
