PSSD, hope of regaining function, and length of time to recover?

[Guest guest]

Thought I would cast a line to see what you all have to say.

I've been on and off of a variety of antidepressant medications since

1994. SSRIs, SNRIs, NDRIs...I've always experienced sexual side-effects

while on medications that usually fatigue with time to a more or less

tollerable level. Whenever I've gone off of medications, I've regained

satisfactory sexual function - perhaps not as stellar as before I

started taking medications, but still conducive to an enjoyable sex

life. The medication I've taken longer than any other is Effexor XR,

and while it's very difficult to go off of with severe discontinuation

symptoms, after a few difficult weeks, things feel fine. I have also

taken Wellbutrin XL 300mg - which did not really relieve depressive

symptoms, but did seem to enhance my sexual functioning - restoring my

ererectile and orgasmic quality to a level similar to my teenage years.

About two years ago I switched to Citalopram 20 mg daily because my

health insurance did not cover prescription medications and Effexor and

Wellbutrin are rather pricey. Citalopram (generic celexa) is listed on

the $4 generic list at most major chain pharmacies which made it an

attractive option. I thought I'd try it. It worked very well as far as

relieving my depressive symptoms, but essentially disabled me sexually

(erectile dysfunction, genital anesthesia, anorgasmia).

I tried to supplement it with Wellbutrin XL, which I was able receive

through the drug company's prescription access program. Even with

Wellbutrin, my sexual symptoms persisted at an unacceptable level. I

decided to discontinue all medications hopeful that I would regain my

pre-medicated sexual function. It has been 10 months now since I

discontinued all meds, and I still have sexual dysfunction. I do not

get spontaneous erections during the day in response to visual or

mental stimulation. I do not have nocturnal tumescence (don't wake with

an erection). I can achieve an erection of less than full rigidity with

significant manual stimulation and a lot of mental focus. The moment

stimulation is interupted, the erection goes limp. I don't feel the

sexual pleasure associated with genital stimulation - it feels numb and

comparable to someone stroking my elbow. Of course, I can feel that

there is contact, but it does not feel the least bit pleasurable. I can

ejaculate, but again, pleasure is a mere hint of what it once was; it

equates more to a feeling of a release than an orgasm per se.

I have read what literature there is on this subject in addition to the

underpinnings of normal sexual function. I've followed this group for

several months now. I've had comprehensive bloodwork done. I take high

grade fish oil capsules for omega-3, a good multivitamin, and a vitamin

B complex daily. (I would do this regardless of PSSD symptoms.) I've

tried PDE-5 inhibitors - which do restore my erectile quality, but do

little to nothing for sensation - not to mention their prohibitive cost.

I am highly skeptical of playing with medications and supplements and

not ignorant enough to jump onto the many treatment bandwagons which

surface in this and other on-line groups. I am not willing to stand on

my head while sucking on a pebble, or munch down a cereal bowl of herbs

in hopes of feeling a tingle " down there. " My research leads me to

suspect these changes are neurogenomic in nature. Increasingly, I have

come to believe that time alone (if anything) will facilitate my body's

return to its baseline state.

At nearly a year after discontinuing medications, I'm wondering whether

I have any justified hope of regaining function over time. This

situation is very depressing in and of itself, but I refuse to treat my

recurrent depression with pharmaceuticals as long as what were

originally billed as " side-effects " are truly front-and-center

effects...and permanent at that.

If you have a similar situation to mine, and have not yet regained a

somewhat satisfactory level of function, how long have you been

waiting? If you HAVE regained function, after how long a time did it

happen?

Please, refrain from submitting theories of etiology or recipes for an

orgasmic diet - I don't need to know any more along those lines.

Thanks.