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
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)
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.