My interesting story.

[expendable]

Hello, everyone. I'm 23, and this is my first post here, but I've been lurking about for about a month, now. I want to type up my story real quick because from what I've read, it's pretty unique to everyone else's here, a "milder" form of pssd- in my mind, this could be akin to those in-between primates between ape and man, an important piece of the puzzle. Maybe. Anyway, let's begin.

When I was about 15 I took a bunch of different antidepressants that made it VERY difficult for me to orgasm, it didn't feel good, etc. but no ED. I eventually stopped because I enjoyed having a functioning penis, and the symptoms went away completely. Now fast forward to about a month and a half ago. I took about 12 mg paxil one day and then 15 mg the next morning because I was stressed (I don't need to be told how stupid this decision was). Sexual side effects showed up as expected, but weren't going away after about a week, so I started to get worried, and found this forum, which didn't really make me feel much better. But the sexual sides seemed to get better (though not fully back to normal) after about another week.

My symptoms are essentially unchanged since then. I'm able to have sex just fine, but unable to orgasm from it. Orgasm itself feels amazing, in fact it's completely and utterly unchanged from before the paxil. But I do get that numbness, that lack of fire down there (though it's not completely numb). Also, I have the typical erectile trouble, though once it's up it's up, and I can get hard just from visual stimulation if I reeeeally try. No more morning wood or random boners though. And my only other "symptom," or rather, change that I've noticed, is that I no longer get big shivers down my spine when I think of nails on a chalkboard. Strange, but food for thought, I think there must be a connection somehow.

What I have seems unique to me, because from what I can gather, most sufferers have been on the drugs for years, have worse PSSD, and have symptoms in other areas. Perhaps (probably) it's because of the extremely short exposure time. It's interesting how so little of a medication can cause such a mess. I've considered numerous times that I'm being biased, that it's in my head and I'm only prolonging the symptoms by sort of "tricking" myself that I have pssd. At any rate, I hope that this edge case I have going on can maybe shed some light on our suffering.

[Jones]

Hello and welcome!

I hope you will find plenty of useful stuff in here.

Your case is indeed a milder one, however i understand your worry about how this will progress.

One thing to cheer you up : I believe you are very lucky you stopped at only 2 doses since it seems you would have bigger problmes had you taken it for a bit longer.

Consider i had pssd from just 9 pills of cipralex, but i remember i had skipped the dose in the morning of the fourth day and my sexuality had came back. If only i just stopped taking it right then...

If you have erection problems, consider trying sildenafil or other pde-5 inhibitors. If you are a good responder they will do miracles.

Anyway i wish you luck and a good recovery!

[Marksanchez397]

Hello, everyone. I'm 23, and this is my first post here, but I've been lurking about for about a month, now. I want to type up my story real quick because from what I've read, it's pretty unique to everyone else's here, a "milder" form of pssd- in my mind, this could be akin to those in-between primates between ape and man, an important piece of the puzzle. Maybe. Anyway, let's begin.

When I was about 15 I took a bunch of different antidepressants that made it VERY difficult for me to orgasm, it didn't feel good, etc. but no ED. I eventually stopped because I enjoyed having a functioning penis, and the symptoms went away completely. Now fast forward to about a month and a half ago. I took about 12 mg paxil one day and then 15 mg the next morning because I was stressed (I don't need to be told how stupid this decision was). Sexual side effects showed up as expected, but weren't going away after about a week, so I started to get worried, and found this forum, which didn't really make me feel much better. But the sexual sides seemed to get better (though not fully back to normal) after about another week.

My symptoms are essentially unchanged since then. I'm able to have sex just fine, but unable to orgasm from it. Orgasm itself feels amazing, in fact it's completely and utterly unchanged from before the paxil. But I do get that numbness, that lack of fire down there (though it's not completely numb). Also, I have the typical erectile trouble, though once it's up it's up, and I can get hard just from visual stimulation if I reeeeally try. No more morning wood or random boners though. And my only other "symptom," or rather, change that I've noticed, is that I no longer get big shivers down my spine when I think of nails on a chalkboard. Strange, but food for thought, I think there must be a connection somehow.

What I have seems unique to me, because from what I can gather, most sufferers have been on the drugs for years, have worse PSSD, and have symptoms in other areas. Perhaps (probably) it's because of the extremely short exposure time. It's interesting how so little of a medication can cause such a mess. I've considered numerous times that I'm being biased, that it's in my head and I'm only prolonging the symptoms by sort of "tricking" myself that I have pssd. At any rate, I hope that this edge case I have going on can maybe shed some light on our suffering.

The antidepressants you took when you were 15 were SSRI too? How much time did you take them?

[JayR]

Interesting thread.

[expendable]

The antidepressants you took when you were 15 were SSRI too? How much time did you take them?

Yeah, they were SSRI. Unfortunately it was a long time ago so it's a bit muddy, but I believe I took a series of a few different ones for a few months, but definitely not paxil. I know Prozac was one of them, and some other ones. As far as I can remember, there were no effects from coming off them, and my sexuality came back rather quickly.

If you have erection problems, consider trying sildenafil or other pde-5 inhibitors. If you are a good responder they will do miracles.

Anyway i wish you luck and a good recovery!

Thanks, Jones! I was considering that. For the moment, gingko seems to help me- I'm going to go ahead and recommend that to anyone who hasn't tried it, the tea version, drink lots of it.

Now, what's interesting to me is the 100% orgasm but the light numbness/erectile problems still persist. I think I've read that somewhere, other people have had this, but it still strikes me as very odd. What happens during orgasm that's so much different from the buildup to it? Release of dopamine?

[JayR]

Welcome expendable!

[Jones]

Now, what's interesting to me is the 100% orgasm but the light numbness/erectile problems still persist. I think I've read that somewhere, other people have had this, but it still strikes me as very odd. What happens during orgasm that's so much different from the buildup to it? Release of dopamine?

Yeah, that's the case for me also. My orgasm came back very quickly after i got pssd and has stayed in a very good intensity level since then, for the most part.

I also had a few times when i had like a 3 minute orgasm (serious) but my libido and build up was literally 0.

Have no idea why that happens. Other people tend to be alright libido-wise and have orgams problems.

[PLZNO]

Interesting..
In my opinion, this is probably reason why so many people got pssd from citalopram(escitalopram) the most potent ssri
I don't know shit about drugs but paxil is definately weaker than those chemicals
Less damage has done.. lucky you

[JayR]

Interesting..
In my opinion, this is probably reason why so many people got pssd from citalopram(escitalopram) the most potent ssri
I don't know shit about drugs but paxil is definately weaker than those chemicals
Less damage has done.. lucky you

Cus its a PURE SSRI, with no other actions.

[Jones]

Interesting..
In my opinion, this is probably reason why so many people got pssd from citalopram(escitalopram) the most potent ssri
I don't know shit about drugs but paxil is definately weaker than those chemicals
Less damage has done.. lucky you

Judging from many stories i have found online i would say that there is little differenece between the severity and the probability of pssd various ssris cause.

However, if i had to rate them, i would say that citalopram-escitalopram are the most dangerous, judging also by the fact that they cause the most pssd cases from few doses.

I have also read cases of few pills causing pssd from paroxetine and sertaline too, so they could be similary dangerous.

I have never heard of few doses of fluoxetine doing immerse damage though, so if i had to pick a safer one that would be my choice.

Fluvoxamine has poorer evidence since it is not that wide spread used.