SSRIs?

Therapeutic Efforts Pharmaceutical
#21

I expect this opinion to be controversial in this community and for very good reason but it needs to be heard. Lots of guys are suicidal on here with zero prospect of treatment and it makes no sense at that point if you are thinking of going through with it to be too scared to try SSRIs. There are other drug classes such as MAOIs, SNERIs, anticonvulsants, atypical antidepressants that don’t carry the same SSRI risks. Every single one of here got burned, but that doesn’t mean we should stop taking medicine for the rest of our lives. Zuranolone will be another antidepressant when it comes out that will carry its own set of risks and potential rewards. I certainly won’t jump to be the first PFS patient to try it but it carries some promise. There’s a reasonable way to approach this that will be different for everybody.

Regarding finasteride, I think it might make sense for professional actors, models, people whose biggest strength are their looks and hair, or people who are really suicidal over the prospect of losing hair. Personally, I think it is a bad idea for most anybody to take this drug and they should see a therapist to work through these issues if they are so attached to their looks, but it isn’t up to me to make this decision for them.

Generally, when you respect the fact that they are really struggling with this decision and you present the facts and risks so they can make up their own decision, they’re much more inclined to properly weigh the risks of finasteride. There are a million PFS patients who go on Reddit and other forums and cry bloody murder and it doesn’t help anybody, especially the credibility of our community here.

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#22

I don’t think this analogy works very well because SSRIs are not the drug class that caused PFS in the first place. Also, finasteride is a cosmetic drug while SSRIs are used to treat significant mental health issues.

You are much more likely to harm yourself if you re-expose yourself to the drug that injured you in the first place.

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#23

There remains the question of whether it is drug class or peripheral effects that lead to manifestation of post-drug syndrome in susceptible individuals. For many here, a 5-ari didn’t lead to PFS during the first exposure. The claim of someone being more likely to be harmed by re-exposure to the drug, or class of drugs that led to this condition, along with the idea that one is less likely to be harmed by a substance outside of that initial class, is unsubstantiated.

To the contrary, there have also been patients across the PFS and PSSD forum claiming favorable responses during re-exposure. I think it’s a terrible idea, but this appears to be one of the few things that moves the needle on symptoms, for better or worse.

As a general site policy, we admonish the use of substances that have ruined lives of members here, and, as you said, there are many antidepressants outside of serotonergic substances and the SSRI/SNRI classes of drugs that can be considered.

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#24

There have been cases of people getting worse after taking finasteride again after developing PFS. PFS can also get progressively worse if you remain on the drug after developing initial side effects. I haven’t seen anybody report improvements after taking finasteride post-PFS so I won’t comment on that, but there is definitely a risk of getting worse.

At a forum where a lot of the guys here are suicidal and without many options, I think its irresponsible to employ black and white thinking and say SSRIs should never be taken.

#25

You are much more likely to harm yourself if you re-expose yourself to the drug that injured you in the first place.

Where is the evidence for this claim?

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#26

There’s a lot of evidence but there’s a protocol used in drug testing called the challenge and rechallenge to see if a causal relationship between the adverse event and drug.

There are also some people on here with PFS that took finasteride because they thought it would help reset them (maybe its possible in some but its speculative), but they got worse.

But in general it’s kind of common sense though. If you burn yourself with a fire, reapplying the fire is going to worsen the burn. These drugs could be an exception for sure, but without a deeper understanding about the mechanisms of these diseases, it is not a great bet that paradoxically taking more finasteride will be the cure to PFS. The more likely case is that you are playing with fire.

#29

Give them time they will get tired of this condition. Its easy to come here in the first year and shame others for taking antidepressants. After some time passes they will get tired of missing out on living their best life (for me that means without brain fog and being able to be happy). Could care less about sex life I care about spending time with family and friends now days.

#30

Are you sure your Zoloft is working on your brain fog?

You seem to be confusing “taking caution of antidepressants” as “shaming” and then proceed to shame us. Projecting much?

I’m skeptical of your story

#31

Let’s end that discussion here no point in arguing over SSRI use. Once Sage is out that will be the medicine to take. No it may not be perfect but I’m confident it is the answer to mental restoration. My real fear is how long, and how much money will it cost. But I’ve come this far I’ve never been more hopeful of a realistic treatment than now.

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#32

There’s no need to be hostile. This will be an emotional issue for many involved. Some of the PSSD guys here suffered greatly as a result from taking SSRIs but they are in the small minority of men. I understand why it would hurt them if this is supposed to be a sanctuary for them, yet people are suggest they may even be useful here. It isn’t easy to consider that something that has caused you so much suffering, may actually benefit somebody else.

I did somewhat get shamed a little in another thread for suggesting SSRIs may be helpful to some and worth considering. It’s not a big deal. Even if some people are considering SSRIs for their PFS, it doesn’t in any way invalidate the harm they can do to others. It’s just not a black and white issue.

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#33

agree its complex.

FYI i got worse from taking 5HTP and frikkin castor oil

htp i was trying to get better sleep

and castor oil i was taking for constipation.

the 5htp damaged me permanently but i recovered from the castor oil

#34

There must be a natural and safe remedy to brain fog/sleep while we wait for this Sage drug. What else can be taken to combat brain fog?

#35

I’m at the point where I am strongly considering trying a medication to calm my racing thoughts, anxiety, and severe depression. I am in a constant state of separated reality. Horrible disconnect from the world and all I feel is hopelessness. It’s completely bizarre.

#36

There are things that can help, Ive had huge relief from Remeron. It Kills anxiety and insomnia.

#37

What about the muscle,skin, hair and all physical changes man? Do these ever resolve or or some of these things just the way things are now?

#38

Better sleep may improve strength and muscle id imagine

#39

It’s not a sleep issue. I don’t have insomnia. I sleep 6-8 hours a night, every night.

#40

To be honest, I’ve never really been clear on what brain fog is. I may not have that symptom perhaps. Occasionally, I will get bipolar type episodes during which my short term memory gets impaired and I will be disoriented but it will recover within a couple months.

I don’t really know about natural cognitive enhancers but my psychiatrist once recommended me rhodiola rosea and L-Tyrosine (dopamine precursor) which are natural adaptogens and mood enhancers. I never really tried them enough to say if they work well or not.

#41

IDK if you have hyperactive mood, but the rest of the symptoms are present in bipolar or mood cycling disorders. If so, I definitely recommend trying treatment to see if anything helps. It can be very tough to get the right mixture of drugs, and I haven’t really even done it myself, but I have found a few things that work to manage problems. When my nervous system is hyperactive, I can take a beta blocker which calms my nervous system which will follow to my mind as everything is interconnected. I can take a few things to take if I have acute insomnia. A lot of guys on here are afraid to try these things, but I have found its worth the risk for me and my life has been made a little more bearable.