DrugsAreBad intro 2

[DrugsAreBad]

1- What is your gender?

Male.

2- Why did you take antidepressants in the first place? and for how long were you on them? which med?

I took vinpocetine for anxiety twice. One capsule the first time and two the second. I don't recall their specific dose. The results were the same both times, but the first time I bounced back within a day or two. The second I didn't. That was several years ago.

Clearly these aren't SSRI:s. However, everything people talk about here sounds familiar. In addition I have been on SSRI:s previously and felt somewhat similar. The difference between this state and the one I was in on SSRI:s is that when I quit SSRI:s I bounced back.

Studies have also suggested that vinpocetine can inhibit phosphodiesterase (PDE) type-1 inhibitor in isolated rabbit aorta,; inhibit IKK in vitro, preventing IκB degradation and the following translocation of NF-κB to the cell nucleus; and increase DOPAC, a metabolic breakdown product of dopamine, in isolated striatal nerve endings of rats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinpoceti ... _of_action

3- How was your sexual and emotional function before antidepressant intake?

Hypersexual. I dreamt about sex every night, got erections by looking at women and had a refractionary period of minutes.

4- What are your symptoms exactly and when did they start? sexual dyfunction alone, or cognitive/emotional/hedonistic as well? which symptom is bothering you the most?

Vinpocetine removed my anxiety shortly after taking it. Colors seemed more vibrant and although I had anhedonia, I had no anxiety, so that was a relief at the time.

Unfortunately I quickly realized that my negative reactions disappeared together with my reactions to women. No emotional reaction, no erection, no fantasies. No dreams even. Erection requires manual stimulation. Little pleasure from orgasms. I don't enjoy music much. Some emotional blunting / reduced affect. No cognitive issues. Today anhedonia is less of a problem and the lack of interest in sex is a bigger problem.

Novelty / new situations can induce erections. However, as soon as I calm down, they do gown without manual stimulation.

5- What meds/suppplements have you tried so far?

• Psilocybin: Effective at low doses. Discontinued due to severe problems with vision. Effects do not last after discontinuation.
  
  Ibogaine: Took enough to get noticable effects like nausea and minor ataksia but no psychedelic effects. Three days later anhedonia seems slightly less than normal, psychogenic erections have improved and I had a sex dream last night which is the first in long time. I plan to wait and see if the results remain and if they do I will keep doing this. Unfortunately visual static has also increased.
  
  Cannabis: Can occasionally resolve issues for a few hours. Seems to coincide with a feeling of pressure in my head.
  
  Wellbutrin: Effective for about a day and then stopped working.
  
  Inositol: Makes me severely anhedonic and physically numb at <1g doses for about 8h, but improves symptoms a lot the next day (removes anhedonia and makes erections great). I'd be afraid to take larger doses since my breathing gets very shallow even at low doses. Also I can't even take low doses because I'm worried about the negative effects and because I need to function not just every second day. Effects do not last after discontinuation.
  
  Loratadine: Temporary improvement the day after.
  
  Omega-6: Seems to have some positive effects after a few days. Not certain.
  
  Alcohol: Minor improvements for a few hours the day after drinking.
  
  Ginkgo: Minor benefits. Effects do not last after discontinuation.
  
  Muira puama: Minor improvements for a few hours.
  
  Licorice: Anxiolytic, makes anhedonia worse. Only tried occasionally, not over time.
  
  Curcumin: No benefits.
  
  SJW: No benefits.
  
  Omega-3: No benefits.
  
  PRL-8-53: No benefits.
  
  Tyrosine: No benefits.
  
  Tribulus: No benefits.

6- Do you have access to meds without prescription (buy online), or would strictly require a prescription for meds to try?

I would need a prescription and I've had no luck finding doctors who know anything at all or who would be willing to investigate or experiment.

7- Can you tolerate galicky foods? what about proteins?

Yes to both.

8- Have you done any blood testing? what were the results?

Creatine kinase and leukocyte count are multiple times over the limit indicated on the test. Everything else (10-15 other values), are within limits.

[Meso]

Vinpocetine works mainly through blocking of sodium channels and possible inhibition of VMAT2.

Sodium channels are important for sensory serve function, on a spinal level. Sodium channels are also involved in neurotransmitter release.
Vinpocetine selectively inhibits neurotransmitter release triggered by sodium channel activation:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10591410

More importantly, vinpocetine is a potent glutamate release inhbitor - even moreso than antiepileptics. This is mediated through presynaptic sodium channel blocking and altering some potassium channels permeability.
Vinpocetine inhibits glutamate release induced by the convulsive agent 4-aminopyridine more potently than several antiepileptic drugs:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21737246

Sodium channels are important for spinal signaling of the pudendal nerve. SSRIs (serotonin) also inhibit voltage gated sodium channels:
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/22/16/6846
https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article ... 09/3056199

So, yes, Vinpocetine could induce a condition semi-similar to PSSD in the genetically susceptible by altering sodium channel function.

You seem to be responding favorably to glutamatergics. I think you'd benefit from NMDA potentiation (Sarcosine, or D-aspartic acid). Try drinking a litre of diet coke daily and see how you feel.

[DrugsAreBad]

Thank you! I'm so glad there is someone who has any idea what they're talking about.

Diet coke it is.

What about Aspartame pills? They're sold separately as a sweetener.

[Meso]

Thank you! I'm so glad there is someone who has any idea what they're talking about.

Diet coke it is.

What about Aspartame pills? They're sold separately as a sweetener.

No, I'd stick with diet coke, since it can also contain sodium butyrate - a HDAC inhibitor, which could, in theory, reverse bad epigenetic changes.

[DrugsAreBad]

Initial results after two days:

No change in libido or psychogenic erections.

I feel slightly stressed, making it difficult to sleep. I don't think this is due to caffeine as I only drink diet coke in the morning and coke zero with no caffeine in the evening.

[Snake]

Initial results after two days:

No change in libido or psychogenic erections.

I feel slightly stressed, making it difficult to sleep. I don't think this is due to caffeine as I only drink diet coke in the morning and coke zero with no caffeine in the evening.

This is a comment concerning diet coke?

[DrugsAreBad]

Yes, aspartame breaks down to d-aspartic acid in the body and works as a full agonist of the NMDA glutamate receptor. I guess if levels are glutamate are low, that should lead to improvement?

Also massive amounts of aspartame lead to an increase in cortisol. Not sure if that's good. Maybe chronic administration could lead to downregulation of glucocortisoid receptors?

[Meso]

Initial results after two days:

No change in libido or psychogenic erections.

I feel slightly stressed, making it difficult to sleep. I don't think this is due to caffeine as I only drink diet coke in the morning and coke zero with no caffeine in the evening.

Maybe you are feeling stressed due to dopamine -> NE conversion.

I haven't found something that can restore glutamtergic function better than psychedelics. mGluR2 inhibition makes sure AMPA/NMDA and other mGluR are activated. So, potentiating NMDA doesn't come close to psychedelics, but it's worth a try.

I'm currently finding relief from glutamatergic dysfunction through Baclofen-induced rebound effect and ACTH release (cortisol -> glutamate). But not all people would respond as favorably. It comes down to trial and error. Reversing the glutamatergic dysfunction would mean partially reversing PSSD, more a step on the direction of a "cure".

[DrugsAreBad]

Ok thanks for the info. I'll try psilocybin again and report back. The tricky part is figuring out a regimen that minimizes HPPD while maintaining benefits, because HPPD lasts longer than benefits (months compared to days). Hopefully there is an effective dose that won't cause HPPD if properly spaced out.

It seemed like nicotine might also be and option and of course there is the yolo option of psilocybin + mdma + alcohol that someone here claimed success with.

[DrugsAreBad]

Intro (5- What meds/suppplements have you tried so far?) updated with Ibogaine.