PSSD Forum

Redx07664 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:27 pm Wondering what others think about this... have had PSSD (no erections, muted orgasm, numb penis, usual stuff) for 3 years after 6 months of 50mg Paxil CR. About a year ago, I happened to get a bad rash from poison oak and received an injection and pills of corticosteroids that reversed all the PSSD symptoms 100% for about a day. I've found some information about corticosteroids and apparently they regulate 5-HT1A receptor. What might I try if corticosteroids temporarily did something? Buspirone? For anyone wondering, the injection was dexamethasone and the orals were prednisone.

Bruv of course, they help with autoimmune reaction.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12838042/

Please actually READ this article. I have posted it before, but it didn’t get much attention. It says in very clear terms that antidepressants can permanently change the function on the HPG axis. It also says very clearly that the corticosterone response to sexual stimuli was changed rather than testosterone response. This is why increasing testosterone alone doesn’t seem to help.

This IS the basis of pssd….. Focusing on testosterone or isolated neurotransmitters is spitting in the wind. I just don’t know how to fix the problem.

supertucker1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:34 am https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12838042/

Please actually READ this article. I have posted it before, but it didn’t get much attention. It says in very clear terms that antidepressants can permanently change the function on the HPG axis. It also says very clearly that the corticosterone response to sexual stimuli was changed rather than testosterone response. This is why increasing testosterone alone doesn’t seem to help.

This IS the basis of pssd….. Focusing on testosterone or isolated neurotransmitters is spitting in the wind. I just don’t know how to fix the problem.

I’m not sure I follow. Cortisol/corticosterone are involved sexual inhibition. The only way I see a higher plasma of concentration resulting in increased libido is if there is an immune reaction that’s suppressing libido which is countered by the cortisol.

The study demonstrates that the male rats (with sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressants) still had a normal testosterone spike when introduced to estrous (in-heat) female rats. What was different, in these rats, is that they had a much lower corticosterone response. There is obviously a response that begins in the brain (hypothalamus? amygdala?) that triggers cortisol and causes libido. Any thoughts or ideas?

KJP21 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 8:08 pm

supertucker1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:34 am https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12838042/

Please actually READ this article. I have posted it before, but it didn’t get much attention. It says in very clear terms that antidepressants can permanently change the function on the HPG axis. It also says very clearly that the corticosterone response to sexual stimuli was changed rather than testosterone response. This is why increasing testosterone alone doesn’t seem to help.

This IS the basis of pssd….. Focusing on testosterone or isolated neurotransmitters is spitting in the wind. I just don’t know how to fix the problem.

I’m not sure I follow. Cortisol/corticosterone are involved sexual inhibition. The only way I see a higher plasma of concentration resulting in increased libido is if there is an immune reaction that’s suppressing libido which is countered by the cortisol.

Exactly.

It’s oversimplifying the issue to say that cortisol causes sexual inhibition.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33250723/

“We revealed that cortisol associates with the anteromedial prefrontal cortex activation during the approach towards sexual stimuli. Moreover, this anteromedial prefrontal cortex response was dependent on individual differences in sexual inhibition and the improvements of negative mood as a result of sexual activity.”

supertucker1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:34 am https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12838042/

Please actually READ this article. I have posted it before, but it didn’t get much attention. It says in very clear terms that antidepressants can permanently change the function on the HPG axis. It also says very clearly that the corticosterone response to sexual stimuli was changed rather than testosterone response. This is why increasing testosterone alone doesn’t seem to help.

This IS the basis of pssd….. Focusing on testosterone or isolated neurotransmitters is spitting in the wind. I just don’t know how to fix the problem.

Nailed it

Also forgot to mention this. As I have tried hundreds of things over the years and I wish I had kept a journal.
I did have some luck in resolving some issues with the circadian rythym t3. It somehow helps regulate cortisol. Because t3 is instant, you want to take it when the body would normally produce it. I have other issues due to my cfs when I try to supplement thyroid. But I do think for many if you this could help a lot.

Delfador wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 2021 5:06 pm I think I figured this out.

It's because exogenous corticosteroids suppress hypothalamus production of ACTH. Which leads to a temporary calming of the adrenals, without activating the glucocorticoid receptors in the brain the way cirtisol does, thus limiting the overconversion of dopamine into neuradrenaline, and limitting the upregulstion of 5ht2c receptors (both mechanisms are mostly cortisol mediated,)

Your pssd is caused by an excess of cortisol, or an abnormal cortisol release curve that is flattened by taking a single punctual dose of prednisone

I think you're onto something but the cause of pssd is not excess cortisol. Pssd is caused by excess serotonin in the synapses from decrease sert expression which causes hyper activation of the 5ht1a receptor. Acth is released in the hypothalamus by 5ht1a activation. This explains why I'm extremely sensitive to stress and symptoms become terribly worse during normal stressful situations. It also explains why my cortisol levels are normal because atch is the problem not cortisol. Glucocorticoids cause decreased secretion of acth. Elevated acth would also explain why I have extreme insomnia and high blood pressure too. We need to upregulate sert to reverse these down stream effects of excess serotonin..

Redx07664 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:27 pm Wondering what others think about this... have had PSSD (no erections, muted orgasm, numb penis, usual stuff) for 3 years after 6 months of 50mg Paxil CR. About a year ago, I happened to get a bad rash from poison oak and received an injection and pills of corticosteroids that reversed all the PSSD symptoms 100% for about a day. I've found some information about corticosteroids and apparently they regulate 5-HT1A receptor. What might I try if corticosteroids temporarily did something? Buspirone? For anyone wondering, the injection was dexamethasone and the orals were prednisone.

If corticosteroids cured u there is a chance ur gut has intolerances and probably also dysbiosis i would make stool and food antibodies test and care of your gut.