Sopgirl introduction

[sopgirl]

Hi everyone!

I have just signed up after lurking for a while. I am eager to read all your progress and suggestions for recovery.

I am a female in my late 30s and I believe I have PSSD caused by sertraline. I started taking it in 2013 for premenstrual syndrome. I developed total anorgasmia for the entire time I was on it (18 months). After stopping the drug I did recover my ability to orgasm, but unfortunately the orgasms were entirely a muscular event, devoid of all pleasure. (I would now say that orgasms are about as pleasurable as sneezing.) I have realised that I suffer from fairly odd sensory problems in my external genitalia. I can pinch my labia hard- it doesn't hurt. I would not say I am *numb*, it's just that my genitals are nowhere near as sensitive as they used to be. During sexual arousal I do not see any increase in sensitivity in my genitals or nipples.

I have tried a couple of medications. Tadalafil causes a vascular response and a slight lubrication response. The fact that this has had some effect shows that I am at least capable of some sexual response- PDE5 inhibitors have no effect if the person taking it is not able to be mentally 'sexual'. I have also taken bupropion. It has had no effect whatsoever as an antidepressant or to improve my sexual response.

What has made me sad is the response from medical professionals. They refuse to even entertain the possibility that I have a problem: "Some women are just like that." "Things can change!" I think that they are quite happy to fob me off for a couple more years until I start to go through the menopause and then that will be the hook on which my symptoms can be conveniently hung...

[silverstar]

I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you. I'm completely numb as well, it was from other drugs and supplements though. I'm in my 30s, female, have the exact symptoms. It's very frustrating... And no it's not normal or "some girls are just like that" that's insane, but sadly that is where the medical community still is much of the time with women's sexuality.

I have tried wellbutrin without much change, it seemed to work once though for about 12 hours, but then never worked again. I wonder why it won't work again?
Even waiting years between doses... It's so weird.
I have mostly been severely depressed since. I'm really hoping for a cure. I hope you feel better soon and heal...

[sopgirl]

Thanks for your response.

I note that most people in this forum are male and that PSSD is thought to affect men more than women. I wonder how much of this is due to women being told that losing their sexual response is 'normal'. Men have a more uniform (and obvious!) sexual response: they pretty much all get erect, orgasm once and are then done. With women there's far more variation to begin with. Then there's also the fact that women's libido gets mucked up with hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, lactation, hormonal contraceptives and menopause. Pretty much all women can have any sexual slump attributed to one of those factors; no doctor need consider whether PSSD might be a thing. My worry is that if PSSD has not been described in men, given their more uniform sexual response (across the male population and within the same man throughout his life), then there really isn't much chance of it being described in women...

I'm very interested in your remark about your numbness being caused by drugs and supplements. Which chemicals do you think caused your problem?

[Knifli]

Hello! Welcome to the forum

I'm also a female with PSSD. But i got it when i was 18 (20 now). Intresting that you mention the menopause. I also have some 'menopausal' symptoms since PSSD, like a tiny bit more hair grow, hot flashes, dryer skin... i guess PSSD is due an endocrine disruption. My menstruation cycle is still quite regular.

[sopgirl]

Very interesting that someone as young as you had these symptoms on withdrawal. When I came off sertraline I realised I had huge problems with vulval dryness (with the itching that goes with it), vulval atrophy, which doctors are not interested in. Again, "Some women are like this'. I did have my female hormones checked and they were normal. I'm pretty sick of the 'some women are like this' routine. Some women are obese, depressed or have cancer: it doesn't mean we don't help them. Before sertraline I was able to have enjoyable orgasms fairly easily. My genitals were sensitive and not dry. The fact that some women never orgasm or always have vaginal dryness is not my concern- it's not normal for me.

Honestly, if I compare myself before and after 18 months of sertraline, you'd think my genitals and reproductive system had aged 10 years. If a doctor told me that sertraline had induced an early menopausal hormone crash I'd have totally believed it.

[Yellow99]

Very interesting that someone as young as you had these symptoms on withdrawal. When I came off sertraline I realised I had huge problems with vulval dryness (with the itching that goes with it), vulval atrophy, which doctors are not interested in. Again, "Some women are like this'. I did have my female hormones checked and they were normal. I'm pretty sick of the 'some women are like this' routine. Some women are obese, depressed or have cancer: it doesn't mean we don't help them. Before sertraline I was able to have enjoyable orgasms fairly easily. My genitals were sensitive and not dry. The fact that some women never orgasm or always have vaginal dryness is not my concern- it's not normal for me.

Honestly, if I compare myself before and after 18 months of sertraline, you'd think my genitals and reproductive system had aged 10 years. If a doctor told me that sertraline had induced an early menopausal hormone crash I'd have totally believed it.

Omg that’s exactly what I was thinking to myself. I took Citalopram for only 5 days. Before I was completely normal and now I sometimes think I have menopausal symptoms. Vaginal atrophy, dryness, also (sorry for being a little too graphic now) I don’t smell down there anymore and that smell is known to be because of sex hormones

[sopgirl]

Thanks for posting this! There are so few women who have PSSD* that I don't know which symptoms could be PSSD and which could be something else. The men at least have strength in numbers, even though it's rare.


* I reckon there's loads more of us but they just haven't realised and have attributed it to age, crap partner, tiredness or hormones.

[silverstar]

I'm experiencing the exact same thing! The dryness is an issue now (never had that before!) It's just happened over night. Also noticed a significant change in odor and discharge. Sorry again if it's too graphic but hey I guess we are all going through this horrible shit. I'm going to look into the androgen theory more because it feels like a seed hormone imbalance to me more and more. I'm also tired and sluggish since this happened. What I took is a long story I hope to post it all here day when I actually have the energy. It's also very hard and traumatic to discuss for me.

[PittieLady]

Hi ladies. Wanted to chime in and say I'm another female suffer. Went on zoloft from age 16 to 19 and was off it until age 32. Since I can remember, I've had no interest in sex and orgasms are very, very weak (a tickle at best) and when I use a vibrator, I feel the muscles contract but get pleasureless orgasms. Your description of the sneeze sounds like me. I know its over and I don't feel a thing. Its awful. Only had 1 or 2 good orgasms in my life - the last being like 15 years ago when I was in a timed exam and I got so worked up I had a good orgasm. It's not happened since. I remember having feelings down there when I was younger but I wasn't sexually active at 14/15. The hardest part is that I never had the chance to have a normal sex life.

Are there things either of you have tried that help? Also you have more/less success with different types of stimulation? For me the only way to get the "tickle" orgasm is by rubbing against a hard surface. Vibrators always give the pleasureless orgasm of death that I don't understand.

I'm following mesolimbos guidance (flibanserin and vortioxitine) with some positive shifts in the libido area but orgasms aren't there yet.

I also have lyme and confections with a messed up gut so I'm trying to work on that to see if I get my health and mind better under control I'll see a change.