I have had post ssri pssd since July 2025. I have mild case and still able to ejaculate. I just have low volume and watery semen. Is this something that will go away I feel like it will never go away.

I have cycled through quite a few antidepressants in the past. I distinctly remember insane heat intolerance and excessive sweating begin during my time with Zoloft which I took about 4 years ago. I was not able to stand even a little bit of eat and had to keep my apartment at 65 Fahrenheit to feel even slightly comfortable. I cycled through Prozac and then later Effexor and the heat intolerance remained. I discontinued Effexor in July and the heat intolerance has not budged at all. Is there any luck in it resolving ever? Is there something I can test or supplement that might help with this?

Can you explain in some detail what healing felt and looked like for you? Ive heard of people recovering but i havent heard what it felt like for their emotions to return back in detail, it must be amazing, like unlocking things. I've had small windows of symptom relief yesterday and the week before. Even tho I've had small windows show up, I'm still struggling with these symptoms most of the time and its so difficult. I and others would love some hope to keep looking forward

Hi everyone. Could you please share your experience with treating your stomach? In my city there's no possibility to get tested for SIBO. I wanted to know what GI symptoms you had, and also how you treated it? I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist in a couple of days and I'm thinking about how to explain to him that I suspect I have SIBO. I have the following symptoms: loose/unformed stools, bloating, and also unformed stools alternating with constipation. I'd be glad for any feedback.

Just wondering has anyone here ever organised any meet ups, and if so how did they go?

As everyone that suffers with pssd knows, its so hard to be social and meet with up with family and friends, cause they dont understand the severity of it, and then it can be even more isolating when no one can relate.

I feel if people on here actually met up in person, it could help, because you have someone who understands, and could share stories so you wouldnt feel as alone.

Do the people around you know that you are going through something like this? As a man, in particular, I haven’t shared this with anyone other than my mother. Knowing that no one would understand me makes me feel incredibly helpless.

​

Hi everyone,

I'm a 40m and have been dealing with PSSD and emotional numbness for over 5 years and have tried various things, including an ayahuasca retreat in costa rica, ibogaine retreat in Mexico, iboga treatment in New Zealand, different diets, supplements, neurotransmitter testing and blood work.

My testosterone levels doubled after changing my diet, but unfortunately, my libido or emotions have not improved at all.

After trying so many things without success, I’m now considering medication again and would appreciate advice on three options:

- Bupropion (Wellbutrin)

- Agomelatine (Valdoxan)

- Mianserin

Has anyone tried these for PSSD? Did they help or worsen your libido, emotional numbness or anhedonia?

I’m also looking into rTMS. Has anyone tried it, and did it help?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences. Thanks!

Sometime it deeply saddeens me but I know deep down there I have to fight till the treatment arrives.

Is there just anything simple that just help to reduce numbness. My major problem is numb cold flaccid penis, it feels like there is no signal in penis .

Hey everyone,

I wanted to check whether anyone has tried PT 141 and found that it helped with their PSSD.

Any hope?

Antidepressants: new safety measures for all patients to improve communication of the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and persistent sexual dysfunction

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/antidepressants-new-safety-measures-for-all-patients-to-improve-communication-of-the-risk-of-suicidal-thoughts-and-behaviours-and-persistent-sexual-dysfunction

It's only my i feel like my heart rate is non dynamic or absolutely stuck/absolutely improperly react to physical or don't react to pain or any other related stimulation what must cause change in HR, or just it spike for no reason if you sit or lay down etc. what normally lower it in healthy individuals

cialis and pranic healing cured it for a girl i know but it took many months of healings and meditation and daily salt baths and remaining positive

here is the study that shows slidenafil (viagra) helped a women and in general 5mg per day cialis helps female women sexual dysfunction

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25460030/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22612985/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

i guess experiment with both viagra or cialis and see what’s better

and about the pranic healing thing they were a pranic healer and did the healings on themselves as they were skilled enough to do such an advanced healing so they could do it daily i’m not sure how to prove
it worked but they are many studies on pranic healing in general including on cell studies which for
me disproves the placebo thing, anyway it’s listed here:

they said the pranic healing fixed the numbness 100%

https://www.worldpranichealing.com/magazine/research

i think it’s interesting because if you ask ai to search specifically about the genital numbness symptom people that have recovered they all say it recovered with time and i think a positive attitude is important and you can’t have a more positive healing attitude than with pranic healing etc

i honestly believe them because i know them and they were devasted for years about this before they got
into pranic healing and were able to convince a doctor to try viagra and then cialis

Short version

I have experienced anhedonia and apathy since taking Zoloft—symptoms that have persisted for nearly two years. Memantine helped significantly with the anhedonia and apathy, but it caused such strange sensations that I stopped taking it. Pimavanserin also alleviates anhedonia, but I discontinued it due to QT interval prolongation and its interaction with atomoxetine. Methylene blue combined with vitamin C has consistently helped with my anhedonia over the past year; I intend to continue this regimen, provided no negative side effects emerge.

Full version

My history and symptoms (this may help you determine whether our PSSD archetypes are similar, which could indicate whether these approaches might be effective for you)

December 2024: I began taking Zoloft, and symptoms appeared almost immediately: emotional numbness, anhedonia, executive dysfunction, and a near-total loss of libido. I stopped Zoloft in June 2024; while the emotional numbness and low libido resolved, the anhedonia and executive dysfunction persisted.

Following the use of Parnate in February 2026, I developed genital numbness (which resolved after three months), as well as low libido and premature ejaculation, both of which remain to this day.

Anhedonia: I derive no pleasure from anything requiring intellectual effort—whether it’s anime, video games, or even TikTok. However, I am still able to find pleasure in physical sensations, such as eating or taking a hot shower. There is no "blocking" of substance effects; caffeine, gabapentin, L-dopa, and 9-Me-BC all help—or have helped in the past (tolerance is always a factor).

Now, onto the experiments.

Memantine

In this post (https://www.reddit.com/r/DrWillPowers/comments/1fyc1mg/list_of_treatments_for_post_finasteride_syndrome/), Dr. Will Powers mentions memantine, describing it as an "NMDA receptor antagonist, upregulates dopamine receptor expression" . I decided to give it a try.

By the fifth day of taking 10 mg daily, I noticed a significant improvement in my anhedonia and executive functions. I was able to clean my apartment for two hours and engage in moderately demanding intellectual work for three hours. My anhedonia eased considerably, making it easy to find ways to spark my own interest.

By the sixth day, however, the dissociative effects became too unpleasant and stressful—it’s quite unsettling to have your brain feel that strange. That was my final day on memantine; I couldn't continue. On the seventh day, the positive effects persisted, though it felt as if my emotional peaks were capped—I never felt better than a 6 out of 10, which is still an excellent result considering I usually hover around a 2 out of 10. By the eighth day, both the positive and negative effects had faded, and I returned to my baseline state of anhedonia and apathy.

Pimavanserin

A couple of months ago, a post—which has since been deleted—described a full recovery from Zoloft-induced anhedonia through the use of pimavanserin. It is hypothesized that the improvements are linked to the inhibition of 5HT2C. I decided to give it a try. During the first few days, I took one capsule (34 mg) at a time, and it worked remarkably well. It brought back a zest for life—even inducing a sense of euphoria—and I found great pleasure in everyday entertainment and social interaction. By the third or fourth day, however, the effect began to wane.
In the second week, I increased the dose to two capsules. This provided some benefit—boosting my state from a 2/10 to a 3/10—which is still a decent result. As a final experiment, I tried taking three capsules of pimavanserin. This worked even better, bringing my mood to a 5/10—much like a typical, ordinary day for a healthy person—but it also triggered anxiety, reminiscent of the feeling one gets from overdoing it with energy drinks.

I ultimately had to stop taking it because both pimavanserin and atomoxetine increase my heart rate, intensify my heartbeats, and prolong the QT interval. It was quite frightening, and I became genuinely concerned about my heart health. Atomoxetine is currently my primary hope for restoring executive function, and it must be taken strictly every day to be effective; pimavanserin is simply a lower priority.

Had it not been for the issues with my heart or my use of atomoxetine, I would have continued taking two capsules of pimavanserin daily, as it yielded fairly good results. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it can be helpful for some.

Methylene blue + Vitamin C

I have been taking this combination in cycles for nearly a year now, and it provides consistent benefits. I take 10–30 mg of methylene blue daily, Monday through Friday, take a break on the weekends, and then repeat the cycle. It works by generally improving my mood. Yes, a sense of apathy and a cognitive block—the feeling of "I don't want to do anything, nothing brings me joy"—may persist; however, if you do manage to get something done, it can actually be rewarding. Tasks that can be tackled on the fly—like playing in Clash Royale, watching a stream or some TikToks, listening to a lecture, or chatting with someone—tend to work quite well. Besides, simply being in a good mood is valuable in its own right.

Every medication comes with contraindications and potential adverse interactions with other substances, so please study the information thoroughly before taking anything. My goal here was merely to point you in a direction for further research by sharing my own personal experience.

This new antidepressants workes in different ways unlike SSRI which workes in SERT pump.

Research suggests women with PMDD have altered brain sensitivity to normal hormone fluctuations, particularly estrogen and progesterone. Reduced sensitivity between GABA-A receptors and allopregnanolone (a progesterone metabolite) is considered a main driver of PMDD, and instability in GABA-A receptor subunits may make it harder for the receptor to adapt to fluctuating allopregnanolone levels. SSRIs also raise allopregnanolone, which is partly why they work so fast for PMDD.
Wondering if the brain sensitivity in women w PMDD predisposes them to PSSD

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced today that it will explicitly add the term Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) to patient information leaflets for certain antidepressants, including sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine, and escitalopram.
The agency also instructed healthcare professionals to discuss the possibility that sexual dysfunction can persist after stopping antidepressants. The changes follow a review involving patients, families, clinicians, and independent experts.

https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/antidepressants-new-safety-measures-for-all-patients-to-improve-communication-of-the-risk-of-suicidal-thoughts-and-behaviours-and-persistent-sexual-dysfunction

First of all: I don’t know if I have PSSD since I don’t struggle with genital numbness. I suffer from anhedonia and low libido since I stopped Paroxetine in February.
I read a lot about gut problems like SIBO and Candida in this subreddit and people who cured their PSSD with treating them.
I have some gastrointestinal issues but I am still waiting for the doctor appointments to do the tests.
There seems to be people who made progress with Saccharomyces boulardii. Do you have experience with it? I am going to try that out together with coconut oil and a sugar free diet.
Do you also have gastrointestinal issues?

In the past I was warning people a lot in the comment section not to stop abruptly and hyperbolic taper. I thought at the time it would keep others safe from getting PSSD, but I'm starting to doubt now. I have OCD and ive been in a lot of distress. I dont want anyone to to ever get this side effect and I thought I was helping by keeping others safe. I'm ruminating that I might not be helping and I feel too responsible for others. I feel terrible and I have an irrational fear of causing someone to get pssd by staying on the medication for longer while tapering safer another part of me knows I'm being irrational. I've deleted most of my comments about it. I was only trying to help.

I can't sit with this uncertainty and I keep praying to God that no one will be harmed by taking my advice. I've had hundreds of likes...

I pray and hope a cure comes soon for this

Kinda starting to get worried.

I started taking 20mg of paroxetine about 15 months ago. It definitely affected my libido, but it was still at an acceptable level.

I’ve been wanting to get off this medication, but the withdrawal symptoms have been horrible.

I’ve been tapering really slowly, reducing my dose by 1mg every 3 weeks.

Ever since I started tapering, my libido has been getting progressively worse. I’m down to 7mg now, and I’m not even exaggerating when I say my dick feels completely dead.

No morning wood, no random erections throughout the day, absolutely zero sex drive. Even when I force myself to orgasm, the sensation feels numb as fuck.

What worries me most is that things seem to be getting worse as I lower my dose, rather than better.

I’m really hoping things return to normal once I’m completely off the medication and that this isn’t PSSD.

Has anyone else experienced something similar while tapering off paroxetine? Did your libido and sexual function eventually come back?

Can we fully replace how we use *Crush* terminology, i propose use Crush in case when symptoms appears for frist time or got permanently worse after something like (taken again SSRI's and got crushed) and to other stuff like (i got worse after some kind of supplement vitamins etc), refer this to ("Flare", "Flare-up") when PSSD symptoms got worse for some time, but overtime they get back to baseline, this can reduse confusion overall without affecting meaning and give more precise meaning what happened, especially who look retrospective -comments/reports

This might be a little random but my friend said he wanted to read up on PSSD.

He speaks English, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, German, Norwegian, Czech, a little Hebrew... and some other languages that probably aren't even relevant right now. Please share links to sources written only in those languages.

-Not all of the sources have to be peer reviewed studies.-

I only speak three languages, and I'd love if you could send us anything from posts in international patient communities to news articles to videos... literally anything... so we can discuss it together

Big thanks to anybody who sends me anything useful or interesting.