Possible PSSD symptoms

Posted by melissa333 @melissa333, Oct 17, 2016

Hello all I'm new to this forum. I have been suffering with these symptoms for over a year now I will explain. I don't know exactly what brought all of this on but I was taking a Serie 2 no chick supplement called 5-HTP for two-and-a-half years which I went cold turkey off of in January. I have lost all sensation in my genital region. I went to a neurologist I have gotten X-rays and MRIS it seems to be something neurological but they can't quite figure it out. I've had all my blood work done I've been tested by several different doctors everything is coming out normal so I think this has to do with a neurological disorder I'm not exactly sure how to describe what happened to me but I do know that I have these horrific symptoms that don't go away. I had a very normal active sex life before all this happened when I went cold turkey off of the 5-HTP supplement I woke up one morning and I was completely numb my entire genital region has no feeling in it I couldn't even feel when I had to urinate that has lately returned in the past year but the erogenous Sensations any type of pleasure from that area is completely gone and sex is completely lifeless. There's so much Social stigma surrounding this issue I have been told I am crazy I've been told that I'm not experiencing this nobody has any answers I am sending out a plea to this community if anyone has heard of this disorder happening in anybody else please let me know. I know that mine was not caused by an SSRI type drug reaction but I was taking a serotonergic supplement for a long. Of time that is not been tested for long-term use and I feel like maybe something happened. I know there are risks with any supplements and pharmaceuticals that you take but I was not expecting this big of a risk. It has affected my social life and has affected my sex life my life with my partner that I'm completely in love with it's causing me severe PTSD anxiety depression and I am unable to function in reality I don't have a job I don't see my friends anymore I've made a complete 180 from the person that I used to be I feel like my life was taken from me in a way. I don't know who to turn to I don't know what medications to get on I'm so depressed I can barely get out of bed for an entire year I lost a lot of weight I used to be very athletic and very motivated in my life. I have a master's degree I was on track to have a very fulfilling life with my partner and my education and my career and everything has basically stopped because I feel like my life force is gone. I know this is very hard to understand people who have never been through this this is more than just a simple sexual dysfunction this is almost like a loss of a drive for life and it's a complete numbness in your brain and genitals both there's just no connection there's no desire for the life spark there's no desire for the creative Spark It's almost like it's just been erased. I know I am suffering from depression but does depression cause severe numb genitals like a dentist needle look like anesthetic. My symptoms have maybe gotten 3% better since January when I was completely numb and I couldn't even feel urination now I can at least feel urination but none of my libido arousal or general feelings have returned it's almost like that entire area is just rubbery and numb. I know many of you may have never heard of anything like this and this may be disturbing for you but this is actually a disease that can happen to people and I think we need to raise more awareness about it because doctors and psychiatrists and therapists simply do not believe this is possible which in fact it is because it is a neurological and brain disorder that can be brought on by pharmaceutical drugs and supplements in my opinion and from my experience. There are several forms on the internet that people are trying to Cobble together and find Hope and help it's a very desperate situation for people who have this disorder. Any advice or ideas that you have are greatly appreciated please don't shut me please don't shame me please don't tell me I just have depression because I was highly active before all of this and I actually took 5-HTP for a nerve pain issue that I had and not for depression. I never had true depression until after I got pssd and became completely immobilized and disabled emotionally. I'm not trying to scare anybody for medications I think medications definitely have saved my life and certain ways I know that antibiotics are super important there's cancer medications there's things that people need and I know that people do need mental health drugs and I'm not demonizing them in the least I am just trying to find information on how and why this happened to me and how I can get better that's my only goal my goal is not to demonize the pharmaceutical industry or anything like that I am simply a human being who wants to heal. Thank you for listening and thank you for reading my post.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

This is happening to me right now and everyone treats me like I'm crazy. I never knew depression til 5htp. I was healthy before and only took for a short time guided by a doctor which helped my nerve pain until it didn't. Like ssri's I truly believe 5htp carries the same iatrogenic adverse reaction since it is involved in serotonin production & it's criminal that it isn't advertised to warn people of this. I hope it has improved in some ways for you, I myself am worried about my future.

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Hi! I’m sorry you as well are dealing with this issue. I stupidly quit cold turkey 1 year ago and then reinstated Luvox but it was too late. I have genital numbness, loss of arousal and libido. I wish I had known better or been informed.

I hate my life because of it right now and I’m not sure who to contact or what to do, it’s destroying my relationship with me and my fiancé and I can’t stand it.

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@sadxblush and @modestmouse99 welcome! I am so sorry you both are going through this obstacle in your life.

Here is an article and case study surrounding PSSD:
"There is still no definitive treatment for PSSD. Low-power laser irradiation and phototherapy have shown some promising results. Conclusion: PSSD is a debilitating condition that adversely affects quality of life. Aug 1, 2017"
Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction & other enduring sexual dysfunctions:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/postssri-sexual-dysfunction-other-enduring-sexual-dysfunctions/8343798C6C29E850661020EF0CEA8968
Feb 2019 -- Towards Improving Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction by Using Nutriceuticals: Lessons from a Case Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30640584/

Has your physician spoke with you about laser phototherapy at all?

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@amandaa

@sadxblush and @modestmouse99 welcome! I am so sorry you both are going through this obstacle in your life.

Here is an article and case study surrounding PSSD:
"There is still no definitive treatment for PSSD. Low-power laser irradiation and phototherapy have shown some promising results. Conclusion: PSSD is a debilitating condition that adversely affects quality of life. Aug 1, 2017"
Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction & other enduring sexual dysfunctions:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/postssri-sexual-dysfunction-other-enduring-sexual-dysfunctions/8343798C6C29E850661020EF0CEA8968
Feb 2019 -- Towards Improving Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction by Using Nutriceuticals: Lessons from a Case Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30640584/

Has your physician spoke with you about laser phototherapy at all?

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The low-power laser phototherapy treatment is mentioned a lot, but this is based on one study with a sample size of 1 that was never replicated.

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@modestmouse99

This is happening to me right now and everyone treats me like I'm crazy. I never knew depression til 5htp. I was healthy before and only took for a short time guided by a doctor which helped my nerve pain until it didn't. Like ssri's I truly believe 5htp carries the same iatrogenic adverse reaction since it is involved in serotonin production & it's criminal that it isn't advertised to warn people of this. I hope it has improved in some ways for you, I myself am worried about my future.

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Hello to all. My story is that I took Paxil for 2 weeks for selfconfidence, I wasnt depressed, and after 2 weeks I stopped taking it because side effect. That was in 2010. and since then, for 12 years I have PSSD. I still have memory issues, low concentration, my sleep isnt that good as before Paxil SSRI, my erection is not firm and the same is before. So, after 12 years I did improved, I would say around 60%. But my erection, my libido, my sleep, energy is not THE same as before I took that SSRI. I was stupid to listen to doctor to take this drug. All best to new people that have this...

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