question for the group

[Guest guest]

Has anyone ever had PSSD and later gone back on SSRIs? Did you notice

any changes? If you later discontinued the medication [again] did your

sexual symptoms persist as before?

I ask because some people have theorized that PSSD results when people

discontinue their medication suddenly rather than by a gradual

decrease in dosage. If this is indeed a factor, or if these drugs do

in fact cause neurogenomic changes that down-/up-regulate receptor

expression, it might be possible to catalyze positive changes in

sexual function/sensitivity by re-medicating for a period of time and

then slowly tapering the dose to discontinue.

Personally, my side-effect profile and treatment response has varied

between separate treatment courses with the same medication (ie.

effexor during 1999, and effexor during 2005-2007) - so perhaps it is

possible to reverse PSSD symptoms by trying another season of

medication followed by controlled discontinuation?

Just a thought...any comments, ideas?

[Guest guest]

Gwistik wrote:

” Has anyone ever had PSSD and

later gone back on SSRIs? Did you notice

any changes? If you later discontinued the medication [again] did your

sexual symptoms persist as before?

I ask because some people have theorized that PSSD results when people

discontinue their medication suddenly rather than by a gradual

decrease in dosage. If this is indeed a factor, or if these drugs do

in fact cause neurogenomic changes that down-/up-regulate receptor

expression, it might be possible to catalyze positive changes in

sexual function/sensitivity by re-medicating for a period of time and

then slowly tapering the dose to discontinue.

Personally, my side-effect profile and treatment response has varied

between separate treatment courses with the same medication (ie.

effexor during 1999, and effexor during 2005-2007) - so perhaps it is

possible to reverse PSSD symptoms by trying another season of

medication followed by controlled discontinuation?

Just a thought...any comments, ideas?”

My PSSD coincided with my abrupt discontinuation of

Efexor.  Efexor is one of the most rapid-acting SSRI:s, so I´m pretty sure that

it was the actual discontinuation that triggered the PSSD.

I feel like I´m swearing in the church when saying it on

this site, but I have to ”admit” that I´m back on SSRI:s (again,

Efexor).  When PSSD struck I tried all kinds of things,  both to counter PSSD

and to counter the absence of SSRI medication (with CBT). To no avail.  Sexuality

didn’t come back, and I felt lousy. For me, being without SSRI-medication

is not an alternative. If I have to choose between PSSD and being without SSRI,

I would choose PSSD any time.  I went back on SSRI after much deliberation, including

taking the risk of never recovering from PSSD as a result. 

I´m recovering now from PSSD, whilst on SSRI medication.  Reading

the post above the thought occurs to me that, just maybe, my recovery could

have been helped by going back on SSRI-medication. If not from any possible

direct effect of the kind allluded to by gwistik, from the simple fact that feeling

good in life in general (which SSRI-medication, in my specific case – I´m

not preaching anyone else should take it – is excellent at) could have

helped my recovery.

I was on SSRI:s for around nine years, when PSSD struck. I

was back on SSRI:s for over three years when recovery finally started.  It´s

been five months now, and my sexuality is still slowly growing stronger.

Ulf