New Topic (How Long have you had PSSD?)

[brian6211]

Hey guys,

I have stopped SSRIs(escitalopram/Cipralex{in Canada}Lexapro in the U.S.) November 20th 2014. After 1 year and 7 months of use. I still have PSSD to this day. I got a window 2 weeks ago with 3-4 days of 70% full functioning. My symptoms at the moment: Moderate to low libido, erectile dysfunction(30% of normal), genital numbness(60% of normal).

The 1 year and 7 months was my second time on escitalopram. First time was 8 months in 2012, from April 2012 to December 2012. I stopped due to sexual side effects and all came back to normal within 1 1/2 week after stopping.

Please pitch in your info if you want so we can compare...

Just to add: I know our experience is relative as everyone is different and there are a lot of other variables into play, so comparing might not bring us any conclusions but still I am curious to know your experiences. Also I just turned 30 years old btw..

[Beetlebum]

Hey!

I am almost 33 years old and have PSSD since (about) 20th April 2011 after taking Citalopram for 5 - 6 months. Like you I experienced my first windows after one and a half year. Since then my condition went up and down, with a constant trend upwards. At first my windows were only mild improvements, but now they make my life pretty enjoyable. Even the non-window times are much better than the windows I experienced in the beginning. I did not take any medication until recently. I take SJW now, because it seems to help some people.

[Ghost]

Escitalopram. 4 days. Sept 2014. PSSD 6.5 months.

[apachuri]

Celexa 60 mg for 9 months. 2 years 3 months PSSD. Slowly seeing changes and spurts of improvements.

[cyrus91]

HI, Brian, mine sounds very similar to yours. I am in Canada and took ecitalopram (Cipralex) for three months from Feb-April 2012. I started at very small dose of 5mg. and stepped up to 10mg after about a week and started stepping back to 5 mg after about 6 weeks. I tapered off for about 5 weeks going with 5mg every other day gradually stretching out between doses but still came away with full-on PSSD. Have had PSSD for three years now. I have always had mild OCD ( as it seems a lot of people on here do, could be a relationship to PSSD?) but it has never really interfered with my life..perhaps takes me longer to get things done as I am very particular and have some rituals but I think the people around me wouldn't be aware of this and think I am just particular about what I do. I too have only about 30% erection function and genital numbness. I feel as though things shrink up when I'm awake and even moreso when I exercise. Although if anything I have more frequent night-time erections now than before PSSD but I think it is my body's way to compensate and protect those tissues by perfusing them with blood and oxygen when I'm asleep, it gives me some optimism that at least things still have the physiologic ability to become erect although unfortunately not at the most opportune times for me and not under my control.

[Beetlebum]

Five entries so far and everyone took citalopram/escitalopram. What a poison!

[Blackout]

Sertraline, February-October/November 2011. PSSD since then -although already with no libido and ED since the beginning-, and worsened thanks to many failed experiments up to now.

[anacleta]

I assumed 8-9 months of citalopram (Elopram) 8 drops. I'm out one year exactly.
then I no longer have my sexuality 1 year + 8 months.
I still take abilify 10 ml, but I know it's not that it gives me sexual side effects (when I took only abilify before citalopram, I did not have sexual problems. and when I have suspended both drugs 1 year ago, after some months I had the PSSD yet).
I would say no improvements (except some days bupropion 300 mg, a few days of substantial improvement, not 100%, then it is gone).

[brian6211]

HI, Brian, mine sounds very similar to yours. I am in Canada and took ecitalopram (Cipralex) for three months from Feb-April 2012. I started at very small dose of 5mg. and stepped up to 10mg after about a week and started stepping back to 5 mg after about 6 weeks. I tapered off for about 5 weeks going with 5mg every other day gradually stretching out between doses but still came away with full-on PSSD. Have had PSSD for three years now. I have always had mild OCD ( as it seems a lot of people on here do, could be a relationship to PSSD?) but it has never really interfered with my life..perhaps takes me longer to get things done as I am very particular and have some rituals but I think the people around me wouldn't be aware of this and think I am just particular about what I do. I too have only about 30% erection function and genital numbness. I feel as though things shrink up when I'm awake and even moreso when I exercise. Although if anything I have more frequent night-time erections now than before PSSD but I think it is my body's way to compensate and protect those tissues by perfusing them with blood and oxygen when I'm asleep, it gives me some optimism that at least things still have the physiologic ability to become erect although unfortunately not at the most opportune times for me and not under my control.

Well I was on 10mg Cipralex the whole time. At first, on the 2nd time on cipralex, I was on 15mg after a week but came down to 10mg due to the sexual side effects. I think there's definitely a correlation of OCD and PSSD. Sonny has OCD as well.
Cyrus, have you tried inositol?? Give it a try man, I've been on it for more than 6 weeks now and look at my other thread. Things are amazing today. It helps the OCD/anxiety for me...

[brian6211]

Five entries so far and everyone took citalopram/escitalopram. What a poison!

Thats soo true! I was thinking about that yesterday and on the litterature, escitalopram has a better profile for sexual side effects than the other SSRIs. It's all the same CRAP anyway.