Page 1 of 3

I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:19 am
by frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8
I have taken Fluoxetine 1 capsule per day for 12 or 15 days and stopped 30-35 days ago. Now I think I am having PSSD. From sexual disfunction side, I would say the only effect is anesthesia/anhedonia (also other effects, but those are caused by these two). I have lost sensitivity, mostly but not exclusively on penis, but I also lost sense of my head, sense of weight, sense of wakefulness, taste. I probably do not have physical ED right now. When it comes to emotions, I am not sure if they are affected. Currently I am unable to feel happiness but probably that is just normal depression. Also I am having strange, unpleasant vision, and a feeling that a small, inside part of brain is disabled.

What I know previously was just "Symptoms of sexual dysfunction have been reported to persist after discontinuing SSRIs, although this is thought to be occasional". This wasn't that scary, maybe both because of supposed rarity of those effects and thinking that effects are mild and will not persist on the very long term. Now I have read that this shit can also affect epigenetics/hormones/reproductive function/etc., and PSSD isn't that trivial as wikipedia likes to describe (btw there has been a long PSSD page on wikipedia but that is deleted now). I am terrified.

The thing is, side effects became intolerable while I was off the medication, things became really bad when I had emotional problems and stress.

My question is, what is prognosis and best (safe+effective) possible treatments for me at this stage? I have done research but I have no definitive answer.

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:56 pm
by Delfador
Do bloodwork.

I believe aromasin can help with genital anesthesia

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:11 pm
by arahant
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:19 am I have taken Fluoxetine 1 capsule per day for 12 or 15 days and stopped 30-35 days ago. Now I think I am having PSSD. From sexual disfunction side, I would say the only effect is anesthesia/anhedonia (also other effects, but those are caused by these two). I have lost sensitivity, mostly but not exclusively on penis, but I also lost sense of my head, sense of weight, sense of wakefulness, taste. I probably do not have physical ED right now. When it comes to emotions, I am not sure if they are affected. Currently I am unable to feel happiness but probably that is just normal depression. Also I am having strange, unpleasant vision, and a feeling that a small, inside part of brain is disabled.

What I know previously was just "Symptoms of sexual dysfunction have been reported to persist after discontinuing SSRIs, although this is thought to be occasional". This wasn't that scary, maybe both because of supposed rarity of those effects and thinking that effects are mild and will not persist on the very long term. Now I have read that this shit can also affect epigenetics/hormones/reproductive function/etc., and PSSD isn't that trivial as wikipedia likes to describe (btw there has been a long PSSD page on wikipedia but that is deleted now). I am terrified.

The thing is, side effects became intolerable while I was off the medication, things became really bad when I had emotional problems and stress.

My question is, what is prognosis and best (safe+effective) possible treatments for me at this stage? I have done research but I have no definitive answer.
It's is still one month after quitting the medication.
For the sake of your mood: stay away from reading internet neuro-bulshit/receptors/down/up/hormone/regulation on mesolimbic pathways alongside "nucleus accumbens", for example.
The chances of you getting more terrified after reading about scary names are huge, especially if you have no background to understand it by doing "your research".
Give it more time and talk to your doctor.
Also, hope for the best.

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:29 am
by frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8
arahant wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:11 pm It's is still one month after quitting the medication.
For the sake of your mood: stay away from reading internet neuro-bulshit/receptors/down/up/hormone/regulation on mesolimbic pathways alongside "nucleus accumbens", for example.
The chances of you getting more terrified after reading about scary names are huge, especially if you have no background to understand it by doing "your research".
Give it more time and talk to your doctor.
Also, hope for the best.
The doctor said this is psychological and prescribed some non-AD drugs and psychotherapy, says it will pass. Also says, "'psychological' does not mean what you think". Honestly, it wasn't convincing. Any thoughts?

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:19 pm
by arahant
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:29 am The doctor said this is psychological and prescribed some non-AD drugs and psychotherapy, says it will pass. Also says, "'psychological' does not mean what you think". Honestly, it wasn't convincing. Any thoughts?
I see what you mean. But the meaning of "convincing" can vary a lot from person to person.

At least this doctor did not give you a diagnose of monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis and an antipsychotic prescription.
"'psychological' does not mean what you think"
There's a common misunderstanding about "psychological", usually, people interpret it as saying "it's all on your head", which is not what happens.

Take the case of intrusive and terrifying thoughts:

A shy person can experience many uncomfortable body symptoms and paresthesias just by getting an invitation to speak in public. Interestingly, it can be reproduced by giving an adrenaline shot without an invitation to speak in public. The thing is, the symptoms are real and people experience them. Not by coincidence, these symptoms are usually paired with some excess sympathetic activation.

You have nothing to lose by giving you time and having a psychotherapist to talk about it, you can even learn coping mechanisms.

It's way better than getting doomsday diagnoses from strangers on the internet.

Sometimes we need to be modest enough to understand that we don't know what is going to happen in the future.

Just let it happen.

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:29 am
by frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8
arahant wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:19 pm At least this doctor did not give you a diagnose of monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis and an antipsychotic prescription.
I am afraid this was the case because the doctor did prescribe antipsychotics and said this is obsession.
arahant wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:19 pm A shy person can experience many uncomfortable body symptoms and paresthesias just by getting an invitation to speak in public. Interestingly, it can be reproduced by giving an adrenaline shot without an invitation to speak in public.
Does this mean anesthesia (mostly genital in my case), as opposed to paresthesia, is also psychological? I didn't experience anything near this in past.
arahant wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:19 pm You have nothing to lose by giving you time and having a psychotherapist to talk about it, you can even learn coping mechanisms.
Can you explain what 'coping' means here? (And btw, by psychotherapist I probably meant CBT.)

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:37 am
by Meso
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:29 am I am afraid this was the case because the doctor did prescribe antipsychotics and said this is obsession.
Wait, what did he prescribe for you?

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:41 am
by frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8
Meso wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:37 am Wait, what did he prescribe for you?
Aripiprazole, Quetiapine (I have been receiving this since long ago for complicated reasons, but this time dose was increased).

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 2:14 am
by Meso
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:41 am Aripiprazole, Quetiapine (I have been receiving this since long ago for complicated reasons, but this time dose was increased).
Oh, so these are used for another problem.

My sincere advice to you is to stop reading about PSSD whatsoever. A month is nothing to base something on, and you will most likely improve gradually and naturally over the next months. Don't take anything to address 'PSSD' because you most likely won't have it with some luck.

There's something called nocebo effect. It's the opposite to placebo effect. Which means if you think you have a harmful condition or taken a harmful drug, your brain will give you symptoms of it. Please don't fall in that trap.

Best of luck! <3

Re: I think I am having PSSD, can anybody give advice?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 10:29 am
by arahant
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:41 am Aripiprazole, Quetiapine (I have been receiving this since long ago for complicated reasons, but this time dose was increased).
You have already taken it for a while for other complicated reasons, which is an important thing to note.
Most of the reports on the internet are just the tip of the iceberg, maybe there are other important issues going on.
You cannot compare yourself to others just because they listed a common drug and its side effects.
Does this mean anesthesia (mostly genital in my case), as opposed to paresthesia, is also psychological? I didn't experience anything near this in past.
Paresthesia is a kinda generic name for a cluster of body symptoms, It can be many things. Just to give an example, excess masturbation, which is quite common to happen in a state of "obsessive checking":
Like fapping many times to "check if the dick working or the feeling will happen"

Can produce anesthesia like symptoms (dead-grip syndrome).

Some sensations cannot be felt by forcing them to happen
frhfu398hhf9hf3hf8 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 1:29 am Can you explain what 'coping' means here? (And btw, by psychotherapist I probably meant CBT.)
Coping means skills to deal with moments of distress. CBT is quite practical and it can teach you tremendously.
I have been in CBT for many years and I am sure it gave me resilience in difficult times.
Like relaxation techniques to let "intrusive thoughts" go away without bothering much about it.
It can even help to stay away from doing "your research" on the internet, giving you free time to enjoy something else.

Best of luck.