Trazodone is working for my PFS sleep dysfunction but has severely impaired my sex drive

[anonymous1968]

Causes non-PFS sexual dysfunction. Ouch!

Pls see my previous threads for more details about my atypical PFS journey. Briefly, I inexplicably naturally fully recovered from worst-case scenario PFS in June 2017 after three traumatic years. But freakish sleep dysfunction alone has persisted. I quite impossibly get by with brief rest naps, very rarely sleeping.

Two weeks ago Dr. Richard Waldhorn, a top notch sleep doc in Washington DC, listened to my saga and read excepts from PFS sleep med articles and prescribed old-school trazodone, 50mg. It has worked extremely well for two weeks for sleep BUT severely impaired my sex drive, which has been perfect since June 2017. So it’s a double-edged sword.

I have carefully contemporaneously recorded sleep the last two weeks:

You could try it but be aware of its drawbacks.

PS On a lighter note:

[anonymous1968]

Dates are mislabeled! Covers March - today 4/2

[vkg1]

I believe that Trazodone is 50% responsible for my “PFS”. Are you not aware that Trazodone is one of the most problematic medications you can take?

[Dvir]

I’ve seen this already happening few times here. Pfs suffereres claiming to get better, but still having insomnia, then deciding to to take an anti depressants. Don’t you guys aware of pssd? I mean there’s endless stories here about how pssd wrecked people’s life and you are predisposed to endcorine disasters as you know. There’s even a guy who was active here, who took his own life because of tradozone. Hope you will be ok when discounting the med.

[Forwardsnotbackwards]

I thought the Belsomra was working for you?? I took trazodone for a month right when I discontinued Finasteride and my insomnia was at its worst. It worked for a few weeks and then just kinda wore off. Around this time I was going through some serious sleep patterns like how you describe in your diary here . Mine have improved with time though …my sleep function seems to have repaired somewhat . I took Eszopiclone for a while but now just go in between Valerian and Melatonin , sometimes don’t take anything at all and can still get to sleep . Couldn’t have dreamed that was possible 6 months ago. What did your sleep doctor say specifically about your situation? A lot of these doctors don’t recognize 5AR inhibitors as being causes of insomnia , they just go with the usual ‘it’s all in your mind’ crap

[vkg1]

That is because there isn’t enough research. No doctor will ever recognize any claim that doesn’t have research behind it. A doctor’s job is to look at what medical research says and dispense medicine in accordance with it. That is why our first order of business is to do everything possible to support efforts to stimulate research.

[johnnyfin]

Didn’t you develop some sort of neurological movement disorder? What happened w that? Did the high dose steroids from Mayo help w that?

[lbv]

Glad you slept but Trazodone is a 5AR1 inhibitor, it can cause PFS.

Edit - He’s not reading comments, or else he would’ve known Trazodone was risky when he first posted about it.

[vkg1]

Do you happen to have a link to that information? As a victim of it I know it causes PAS, but would be interested in seeing what you are referring to on it being a 5ar inhibitor.

[Greek]

@Forwardsnotbackwards

A lot of these doctors don’t recognize 5AR inhibitors as being causes of insomnia , they just go with the usual ‘it’s all in your mind’ crap

Please help document our problems by filling in the survey.

[lbv]

Common Link Among SSRIs, Accutane, Finasteride, and Bicalutamide: EGR1 Induction

Just some food for thought. There is an interesting link among some of the substances discussed on propeciahelp: Serotonin was found to induce 5-alpha reductase type-I expression in steroidogenic glial cells of the brain via a pathway involving EGR1. EGR1 knock-down resulted in the loss of serotonin-induced 5-ar expression. It is also worth noting that 5-ar type-I has been shown to be negatively regulated by androgens in the brain. Could excess synaptic serotonin levels during SSRI treatment ca…

Serotonergic 5-HT2A receptor stimulation induces steroid 5alpha-reductase...

Seems all SSRI’s are 5AR1 inhibitors too. Probably why PSSD is a thing.

[vkg1]

Doesn’t say anything about Trazodone

[lbv]

It’s an SSRI

[vkg1]

Link?

[pete]

I can only go from an anecdotal experience here. I had a contact who was prescribed trazodone for his Accutane-induced sexual dysfunction and related usual symptoms. He ended up WORSE after the trazodone, got penile pain and a host of other issues that were not previously present. I believe he went on to take his own life.

[vkg1]

Yes that is my situation. I had diminished libido from Accutane and then years later I took Trazodone and lost sensitivity as well. So the Trazodone made me a lot worse when I was already suffering. I’d like to see how Trazodone is an SSRI, though. Of course, it’s often prescribed precisely because it usually do not have the sexual side effects that SSRIs do.

[Forwardsnotbackwards]

Trazodone is not an SSRI , it’s an older drug from the 70’s originally prescribed for depression

[pete]

@vkg1

Of course, it’s often prescribed precisely because it usually do not have the sexual side effects that SSRIs do.

Yes, this is the reason my contact was prescribed it, from memory. Nonetheless he badly regretted taking it and I haven’t heard from him in a very long time, he was in a bad way.

[Dubya_B]

Had a non-PFS friend end up in the hospital with a priapism that lasted over 12 hours, afraid he was going lose his dick, a few weeks into taking trazodone. On the table being given local anesthetics in prep for surgery before it finally went down.

[lbv]

It’s in the same class of SSRI’s, it’s pretty much it.