PSSD from Escitalopram (Cipralex, Lexapro)

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)? Austria

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 search

What is your current age, height, weight? 24, 6’3, 85

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

What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 10mg daily

What condition was being treated with the drug? Anxiety

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 7 to 8 months

Date when you started the drug? 03/2020

Date when you quit the drug? 10/2020

Age when you quit? 22

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

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? 3 days after starting

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? Complete loss of libido, numb genitals, pleasureless orgasm

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
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ x] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] 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
[ ] 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
[ ] 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)
[ ] 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)

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? I tried taking trazodone for 2 months up to a dosage of 200 mg with only small windows of improvment, however it didnt do anythin permanent

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)? no blood tests

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.

Im a medical student from europe currently in my last year of studies. in 2020 due to uni related stress and anxiety i went to a psychiatrist and she gave me escitalopram without mentioning sexual side effects whatsoever. I remember it so vividly, 3 days after i started taking Escitalopram it was like a switch went off, libido dropped to zero, genital numbness was almost complete and i had a very pleasureless orgasm. It was like everything sexual was erased from my mind and therefore i didnt care really about it. after 7 months i tapered off as the escitalopram didnt help the anxiety at all. after cessation i didnt really see any improvment, especially in the libido which is 0% percent and which bothers me extremely. The problem only became subjectively important to me when i wanted to start a relationship and i didnt feel anything during sex. Of course the relationship couldnt go on which hurt both of us because we love each other but due to my asexuality this is impossible. A friend of mine had the ame problem and tried trazodone which helped him. So i also tried it for 2 months but except for giving me small windows it didnt to anything. Thats when i also noticed the watery sperm and how escitalopram blunted me emotionally. its unbelievable for me how i could go from a alive, always horny go to this mess. In ca. 1 week i will try bupropion to help me out of this situation, but im so afraid it will not work… I just want to get my old self back and be a good doctor :frowning:

Thank you for your support in advance!

DerHerrS

1 Like

Hi @DerHerrS ! Welcome to the forum, and I’m sorry to hear about what you’re going through.

It’s so sad to see careers and relationships cut short by these terrible drugs. So much of this suffering could’ve been averted if we had just been told that the side effects can be so long lasting.

For those considering SSRIs, the risks might still be worth it, but I suspect most would never have taken them.

BTW, here’s a page that explains what productive steps you can take next - New user? START HERE

Oh, and don’t forget to report your side effects to the Austrian medicine regulator!