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)? USA
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? 27, 183cm, 85kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? Fluoxetine
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 20mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug? Panic disorder
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? ~10 years
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?16 years old, 2009
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 27, March 2019
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Taper
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? I had no side effects for around 9 years
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? Erectile dysfunction, low libido, emotional blunting, penis curvature, genital 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
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ x] 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
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[x ] 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
[ x] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? Current regimen: shilajit 250mg,butea, fish oil, multi vitaminn, coq10, b12, chromium, pregnenolone, proviron, LDN naltrexone, TRT, HCG.
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)? On TRT so not applicable
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.
Some more info from ~11 months ago - https://pssdforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=2965
1- What is your gender?
Male
2- Why did you take antidepressants in the first place? and for how long were you on them? which med?
I have anxiety/panic disorder. I have been on Fluoxetine for ~9 years. I started at the age of 17 and am now 26 years old.
3- How was your sexual and emotional function before antidepressant intake?
It is difficult to remember exactly. I would say I may have bordered on depression like symptoms but this is strongly tied to stress induced from outside factors. I could be happy or sad. In fact the last time I’ve cried was a year or so before starting SSRIs. Sexual function was always good but again I was a teenager going through puberty. I do remember having a very short refractory period, morning wood, random erections, etc.
4- What are your symptoms exactly and when did they start? sexual dysfunction alone, or cognitive/emotional/hedonistic as well? which symptom is bothering you the most?
Erectile dysfunction
Low libido
Some anhedonia
Some numbness to happiness/sadness, very little empathy
Brain fog
Difficult to feel “love”
Reduced genital sensation. Also loss of sensation in areas of my big toes but this may be unrelated.
Erectile dysfunction and low libido bother me the most.
5- What meds/suppplements have you tried so far?
Creatine, L-Citrulline, Proviron, Sildenafil, Cialis, Gingko Biloba, Choline Bitartrate, Pregnenolone, DHEA, Clomiphene, Arimidex, Anastrozole, Niacin, Vitamin C, Tribulus Terrestris, Boron, Fish oil, Selenium, Kelp (Iodine), Glutamine, L-Carnitine, Phosphatidylserine, ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, B6), Korean Ginseng, Theanine, Fenugreek, Mucuna, Taurine, Wellbutrin
This is what worked:
Sildenafil/Cialis - Works for getting an erection in most cases. A slight libido boost as well at times. I think this stems from the thought that my penis will actually work.
Proviron - This was the only other thing that worked. I had a great window of 5 days where I felt great libido wise. I felt much more assertive, confident and all around better. Spontaneous erections, strong desire, no ED during sex. These effects occured on 50mg/day. At the end of 5 days I noticed the effects decreasing. I tried 75mg and then 100mg without any improvements. My “baseline” while being on Proviron is better than not being on it but the small boost isn’t worth continued use I believe.
6- Do you have access to meds without prescription (buy online), or would strictly require a prescription for meds to try?
I live in a country where I can get most prescription meds OTC. If I cant find it here I can buy them online.
7- Can you tolerate galicky foods? what about proteins?
No issues with food
8- Have you done any blood testing? what were the results?
I began working with a doctor 3 years ago to help my low testosterone levels. I was on Clomiphene, DHEA, Pregnenolone and Arimidex. Other than slightly high cholesterol levels I have no other issues. After Clomiphene, my free T and total T levels were at the top of the range. I don’t believe in using aromatase inhibitors anymore and have stopped AIs 3-4 months ago. There was windows of good sexual function after stopping AIs but it didn’t last while on SSRIs. I’ll be doing another round of blood tests soon.