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)?
United Kingdom - Originally Polish
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?
23 years old, 176cm, 78kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Escitalopram 3 months, then Psychiatrist added for Pregabalin for 1 month, furthermore switched to Duloxetine for 3 months. All of those meds were causing ED, so lastly we switched to Venlafaxine 75mg (for about 6 weeks ) which caused even more sexual adverse effects.
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
Venlafaxine 75mg every day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
Venlafaxine 75 mg - around 6 weeks
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
20 years old - started at in the first or second week of November 2017
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
20yo - 22 December 2017
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey from 75mg
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
7th day
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
ED, Ejaculatory Anhedonia, Cognitive Impairment, Tinnitus, Digestive Issues.
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
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] 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
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X] 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)
[X] 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
[X] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
PLEASURELESS ORGASM
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
MYO-INOSITOL POWDER - 18G DAILY - helped reverse ED and weak orgasm for about 10 days and then the effect disappeared.
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)?
Everything is normal - my FREE T is even higher than the normal range.
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
NO
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I was simply struggling with depersonalization after suffering from anxiety for a couple of months. I tried a therapy, but it was not working at all. Finally, I decided to visit a psychiatrist and he prescribed Escitalopram - on the 5th day I started experiencing ED, so during the next visit I mentioned it and he said, that adding Pregabalin 150mg will help. It didn’t and at my 3rd appointment he switched my meds to Duloxetine 60mg only. It was causing ED as well, so after couple of weeks he changed it to Venlafaxine 75mg. This medication was causing ED and weak orgasm and digestive issues. I decided to quit it and experienced horrible withdrawal symptoms for about 8 weeks. Developed tinnitus, frequent urination, digestive issues that still persist, and of course ED - erection is about 30 - 40 % weaker than it used to be and nearly completely blunt orgasm.