Nov 12, 2020
This is one of those posts you really have to question yourself but I find pssd such a sensitive topic that I believe it's only right to actually share my experience and findings and others can make there own minds up.
First some background into my encounter with ssri and pssd .
I took citalopram 8 years ago against my GPS advice . Because of the possible sexual side effects. At the time I was under the impression.thise were temporary and would have never believed pssd would develop.
Pssd as in persistent sexual dysfunction caused by ssri that lasted over 5 years before I did my own research and finally bit the bullet.
Before citalopram and even during bouts of depression in still had a healthy sex drive and libido.
I always had a high libido.
I had had my testosterone levels checked prior but not related which came back in the 95th percentile so my test levels were amped . At the time I was only 22. So always healthy sex drive even with depression.
When I took citalopram within 3 weeks I lost all sexual function . No nocturnal morning wood I mean at all. And simply going to toilet to urinate was completely void of any sensation within 3 weeks something had been switched off in my brain and my groin area subsequently.had become completely numb.
I came off the ssri immediately because of this but I never recovered. It took 8 months to regain sensation when urinating. But as it stood there's was full on sexual dysfunction. I had also lost the ability to feel turned on or have any sexual desire or interest and basically women went unnoticed because of this. This is a complete alteration of a normal life. And not what I would be expecting from a drug called an anti depressant.
This went on for a few years hoping it would eventually return to some normality .
I had my hormones tested and tried various different supplements I even tried methamphetamine which yes it increases sexual sensation but not function in the case of pssd. And shows no lasting effects.
I had pretty much summed it up that it was a lost cause .
Over time i did more and more research about the underpinnings of ssri and how they effect the brain. Hormones side effects are etc
It all came down to this .
Ssri increase estrogen they increase prolactin and they increase shbg they also down regulate dopamine .
High estrogen and prolactin in men is bad high estrogen and prolactin will cause you to lose sensation general sexual function and cause your groin area to sit tight against the body instead of naturally . Shbg sex hormone binding globulin is increased by ssri which when high binds tonypur free test and makes it useless So you could have a normal test level and a normal free t level from the doc but if your shbg is high that free t may aswell be low .
So you have lowered testosterone and higher estrogen and prolactin aswell as downregulated dopamine
= sexual dysfunction . Loss of emotions. And sexual interest. It's a terrible state to be in but it's the chemical state that ssri create. With pssd it's a state that doesn't seem to recover on its own.
Long story short how I fixed it to without a shadow of a doubt .
Again I'm not telling anyone what to do or what they should do I'm simply only sharing my experience with what I have done and what measures I took to find a solution to this and for me it has worked .
The cure for me was TRT followed by PCT which basically compleltey reset my hormone profile to recover on its own .
That's a whole other discussion and people can do.there own research or pm me if they want to ask me anything it's not something to be taken lightly.
But I can say for an absolute certainty given the research I've done and my experience with the measures I've taken that I'm 100% cured from pssd .
I have been for sometime now I just felt i should share with this sub because I know pssd is rough but that from my experience there is a way out of it