![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 12:35:01
I have been off SSRIs for just a few weeks, but as a 32 year-old male I dont feel as though sexually I am the same as I was before 3 years of usuage (Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac). Is this possible? I have heard PERMANENT damage can occur? I hope this isnt true, please let me know what you know.
THanks
Posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 12:47:01
In reply to SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 12:35:01
3 years post SSRI, close to zero sexual function.
Linkadge
Posted by TheMeanReds on April 14, 2007, at 14:03:50
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 12:47:01
I was on SSRIs around 3-4 years. In my experience, the SSRIs were horrible for my sexual function.
Now off of them for 8 months. My sexual function is perfectly fine. Almost too fine. Haha.
Posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 15:03:39
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by TheMeanReds on April 14, 2007, at 14:03:50
ThemeanReds- did it come back right away or take a few weeks/months?
Posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 15:05:42
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 12:47:01
wow, scary- what do you do now? Viagra or nothing?
Posted by bipolarspectrum on April 14, 2007, at 15:36:00
In reply to SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 12:35:01
Hi,
Difficulty question, somewhat analogous to the cognition problems people experience with meds... did the meds do some permanent damage or is the illness itself causing problems post-meds...Were you having any sexual problems before the you tried the meds??
And many ssris, such as prozac, take weeks to leave your system, so you can't pass judgement quite yet...
bps
> I have been off SSRIs for just a few weeks, but as a 32 year-old male I dont feel as though sexually I am the same as I was before 3 years of usuage (Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac). Is this possible? I have heard PERMANENT damage can occur? I hope this isnt true, please let me know what you know.
>
> THanks
Posted by Phillipa on April 14, 2007, at 18:22:28
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by bipolarspectrum on April 14, 2007, at 15:36:00
Hummm good question meds or disease? Love Phillipa
Posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 19:08:44
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 15:05:42
Well I guess I just fell by the wayside.
Linkadge
Posted by flmm on April 14, 2007, at 22:14:07
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 19:08:44
I do not believe ssri meds cause permanent sexual side effects!
Posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 23:13:10
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by bipolarspectrum on April 14, 2007, at 15:36:00
well...I guess I had some problems before, because of my depression/anxiety. Now I just have major premature ejaculation, which was far from an issue when I was on them. It's difficult to say. I guess in short, yes I had some problems, just dont remember them being this much...
Posted by linkadge on April 14, 2007, at 23:31:53
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by flmm on April 14, 2007, at 22:14:07
Well, I suppose I'd like to proove you wrong, but there is no way to do that now is there.
I would consider it kind of a dogmatic statement to say that SSRIs *cannot* cause permanant sexual side effects, especially seing as other evidences of permanant brain dammage have been noted from many psychaitric drugs ie. permanant dyskinesias from AP's and SSRI's.
It is my contention that SSRI's can permantly aleter serotonergic function in a manner that drugs like Ecstacy have been noted to cause permanant alterations in serotonergic function.
Linkadge
Posted by crabwalk on April 15, 2007, at 0:48:06
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by flmm on April 14, 2007, at 22:14:07
you'd believe it if it happened to you, which it clearly has not. it has happened to a significant number of people, including me.
> I do not believe ssri meds cause permanent sexual side effects!
Posted by linkadge on April 15, 2007, at 9:41:28
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by crabwalk on April 15, 2007, at 0:48:06
It goes like this for me. Even in my worst of depressive states, I still had some degree of quality sexual function. It slowly diminished on high doses of SSRI's to the point of nonexistence. Since then there has been a persistance of genital anesthesia, as well as absense of desire etc etc.
I am a 24 yr old male in good physical shape. Eat great, exercise etc. There is no other medical or psychological reason I should have this problem. It seems fairly cut and dry to me.
Linkadge
Posted by flmm on April 15, 2007, at 9:57:10
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by linkadge on April 15, 2007, at 9:41:28
I agree ssri meds screw you up sexually. But when i stop taking them, things return to normal, and then some! Maybe things were messed up before, or something else is wrong.
Posted by canyon17 on April 15, 2007, at 10:52:59
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by flmm on April 15, 2007, at 9:57:10
quote:
Paroxetine and other SSRIs have been shown to cause sexual side effects in most patients, both males and females. Although usually reversible, these sexual side effects can sometimes last for months, years or possibly indefinitely even after the drug has been completely withdrawn. This disorder is known as Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction.
Posted by crabwalk on April 15, 2007, at 11:01:19
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by flmm on April 15, 2007, at 9:57:10
It seems that your case is in the majority, most people get 'unscrewed' sexually after stopping the drugs. However, there is a growing number of people for whom the effects simply do not change in the least after quitting. In practically all of these cases there were no sexual problems before taking the drugs. If I were the only one, or one of two or three people, I'd probably be inclined to think that it was 'just me'. But the descriptions I hear from other people are uncannily similar to mine. Furthermore, the lingering effects are those that don't seem to arise naturally with depression, e.g. genital anesthesia and abnormal ejaculation (i.e. leaky). Finally, just based on personal experience, I have no doubt that the sexual problems I have now are identical to the ones I had on the drugs, and as an otherwise healthy 24 year old male, there is no way these problems could have arisen without drug effects.
> I agree ssri meds screw you up sexually. But when i stop taking them, things return to normal, and then some! Maybe things were messed up before, or something else is wrong.
Posted by falconman on April 15, 2007, at 11:27:28
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects? » flmm, posted by crabwalk on April 15, 2007, at 11:01:19
When I started on ssri's about 10 years ago my sexual desire and functioning changed drastically for the worse. I was deppressed so my desire was not great anyway, however something more fundamental clearly went wrong about a week into taking my first dose. I have been on 4 ssri's over this period and more often than not they have been augmented with several other meds, so I can't be sure that it was just down to the ssri's. My gut tells me it was this class of meds that screwed me and not any of the others. However I stopped taking citalopram about 6 months ago and I've got to say there has been no positive changes. SSRI's completely wrecked my sex drive and functioning and I am now preparing myself for the propbability that I'll never recover from this.
Link , I completely agree with you.
Posted by linkadge on April 15, 2007, at 11:59:40
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by falconman on April 15, 2007, at 11:27:28
There are other factors too. For instance flmm, I am supposing that you didn't take high doses of SSRI's during youth periods, where these sorts of things are in development/maturation etc.
For a fully grown adult it may be a different situation.
Something tells me that this is more than a group of people just using the situation as an excuse for impotence / sexual dysfunction.
Its just like any side effect from any med. I did not, for instance, suffer any permanant dyskinesias from antipsychotic use. I had movment disorders while on them, but it went away when I discontinued. This does not mean, that I deny the fact that some people have indeed suffered permanant movement disorders as a resut of AP use.
Same with PSSD. For those in which in went away, I can understand how one would assume that it would go away for everbody. But it is not neccesarily the case.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on April 15, 2007, at 18:06:33
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by linkadge on April 15, 2007, at 11:59:40
Umm kind of feel uncomfortable on an all med thread but was thinking if the males of the species are having problems what happens to a new generation of children. I mean a woman can fake a man can't???? Love Phillipa
Posted by canyon17 on April 15, 2007, at 18:52:24
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by Phillipa on April 15, 2007, at 18:06:33
well of course but after posting this original thread now reading everyone else's I assume although its happened to a couple males here who have responded it has to be very uncommon, true? Otherwise there would be a HELL of a lot more men who would not set foot near it
Posted by linkadge on April 15, 2007, at 20:55:05
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by canyon17 on April 15, 2007, at 18:52:24
I'd say that the majority of men recover, true, but it is a big enough problem for some that there has been a (unnoficial?) name given to the phenomina. PSPSD. Post-SSRI-persisistent-sexual-dsyfunction. I think there is acually a wikipedia page too.
Linkadge
Posted by TheMeanReds on April 16, 2007, at 11:47:18
In reply to Re: SSRIs-post sexual side affects?, posted by canyon17 on April 14, 2007, at 15:03:39
Canyon, my sexual desire came back pretty quickly after SSRIs.
While on the SSRIs, I would skip a dose or two, and sexual excitation would be back, and the ability to orgasm as well.
I do not have the answer as to what is causing your premature ejaculation. But as a healthy 24 year old female, I've found that doubling up on the condoms or taking viagra helped a couple of my past partners who had the same problem.
And if you keep up the 'exersises', eventually it may cease. Also, do you have trouble with the 'first round', and the 'second', or 'third'? It seems to me the 'second round' is easier for premature ejaculators, and the female is a happier camper during the second round.
Just some tips from the other side of the fence.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.