PSSD Forum

The last time people heard from me - in this thread - I was experimenting with Addyi and getting treatment for my PTSD. It turns out that Addyi did not do anything for me, and I discontinued after three months. Sometime in May, my psychiatrist prescribed lithium for my depression because I told him I was tired of SSRIs and their horrible side effects. I worked up to 450mg of lithium and have remained there. Combined with intensive psychotherapy and twelve weeks of pelvic floor therapy, I can now say that I am completely cured. I experience sexual desire, fantasies, lubrication, it's all back. It's like being back to my pre-SSRI self. These effects have remained since June or so. (For my OCD, I am actually low-dosing paroxetine, but this hasn't had an effect on my sex drive at all.)

After ten years, the nightmare is finally over. I want to kick myself because the solution was there in plain sight the whole time. This is why it is so important to be heard by your healthcare providers -- I was written off for years by psychiatrists, gynecologists, and even myself; I had too much pride to face my repressed emotions and deep, deep, deep psychological issues. I was very fortunate to find providers who would listen to me and not automatically prescribe SSRIs or tell me that sexual functioning is "not important for women." Ironically, when I decided that I was going to get my mental health in order before I considered my sexual functioning, that is when sexual functioning returned.

The future looks bright now. I still have OCD, but I'm finding a way to work through it. My many thanks to the people on this forum who remained positive and recommended treatments. I hope that everyone can find the same relief I have.

I'll be making one last post in my introductory thread, and then I will probably only check back here once in a while.

Oh wow! I'm so happy to hear that Bunny! So pleased for you, congratulations! Did you not have any libido at all for 10 years? Any windows of arousal?

Thank you! I had windows, but they were few and far between and relied a lot on taking things like bupropion, which was a spotty drug in itself. This feels like a cure, because the effects have been very consistent for the last few months.

Congrats! I love seeing these posts, as I'm sure everyone else dose. This is great. At what time frame did the paroxetine get added and how much you taking?

Finally you got it watch out infos about lithium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_( ... _of_action

Awesome news!!! Great to see an old forum regular recover

Good news, I wonder if it could help us,but I am male, is anyone going to try it, I'm going to try see if can get it prescribed.

Juvo: I introduced the paroxetine a couple of weeks ago, 10mg to start. We will try to keep it at as low a dose as possible.

Glk87: I don't know if lithium helped for sexual dysfunction as much as it did the major depression. I started it in May, but didn't see any sexual improvement until several weeks later.

north4: Quite right that I need to be careful with lithium, in fact my doctor has me check my blood lithium levels and thyroid every month to monitor for potential complications.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I should probably set out a timeline for all this:

December: started weekly pelvic floor therapy (to eliminate pain during sex)
January: started weekly trauma psychotherapy (for PTSD/depression and to rule out a personality disorder), also started weekly chiropractic treatment
May: started lithium to deal with major depression and suicidal urges
August: started paroxetine (for OCD)

I began seeing sexual improvements in June. I think it was a combination of everything working together.

Also, unsure if this is unrelated but: I decided that while I was working on getting better (since December/January), I would not masturbate at all and would only have sexual activity with my SO. At first it was easy because I had no urge to do it anyway, but I also chose not to "force" sexual feelings by trying to masturbate, as I had in the past. I stuck to this decision even when my sex drive came back. In a weird way I think it has helped.

Bunny, you said you had PSSD from 2009 until this year. Were you SSRI free for those 10 years? Like, were you not on medication from 2009 onwards?