PSSD
Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction
Science and Treatment Summaries
Wikipedia
- An old Wikipedia page on PSSD has an excellent summary of the science. Wikipedia is currently an ideological battlezone where some editors wish to downplay the existence of PSSD. The PSSD page currently redirects to a subsection on the SSRI page, where the PSSD content is significantly shorter in length.
Discord
- Boost's Discord server has plenty of resources related to PSSD and PFS.
- See this list of support groups for links to other Discord servers such as the SFN-focused Discord.
To use Discord, install the smartphone app or view Discord using a desktop browser (or the Discord desktop app).
PSSD Lab / Ghost
- An excellent primer on PSSD - evidence that it exists, links to resources, etc.
- Video explaining the 5-HT1A Autoreceptor Desensitization theory.
- Suggested treatment plan with a quick summary of PSSD characteristics.
Recovery stories
u/JacobCook715
While this Reddit user's account is suspended, the research is available online.
- Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/12g5u0n/pssd_recovery_database_100_full_partial_recoveries/
- Excel document: https://1drv.ms/x/s!AsSCWpHHo6fMg4U7iP7gb61d2praow
The PSSD Lab (Wordpress blog) is one source of data used in this compilation.
TalkingAnt
Jrod
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bP3CDR8RKTe-rr74-2Eh-TFIsMrleCFr3luyEGq7ayw/edit
r/PSSDHealing
https://www.reddit.com/r/pssdhealing/
Research
PSSD Network list of published studies
https://www.pssdnetwork.org/literature
Published papers on SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction (not to be confused with POST SSRI sexual dysfunction)
- Genome-wide association study of SSRI/SNRI-induced sexual dysfunction [...] - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2012.01.023 Sci-Hub - This study found that 11 SNPs mapped to the intronic region of the MDGA2 gene were associated with SSRI sexual dysfunction.
u/Bubzoluck (PharmD)
The Reddit user Bubzoluck has posted results of his/her PSSD survey. Findings include:
- Two thirds were male. 80 responses received.
- Young demographic. (It is unclear if this is a reflection of the Reddit demographic?)
- Most people were on their PSSD med for less than a year
- Most people reported having PSSD for >1 year since stopping their med
- SSRIs were the most common cause of PSSD (82.5%). 3 medications were the most common- Zoloft/sertraline (30%), Lexapro/escitalopram (20%), and Prozac/fluoxetine (12%).
Core symptoms were:
- Sexual Symptoms
- Difficulty generating or sustaining an erection
- Reduced genital sensation
- Pleasureless or weak orgasms
- Reduced response to sex stimuli
- Vaginal dryness
- Cognitive Symptoms
- Difficulty concentrating
- Short an/or long term memory impairment
- Loss of creativity and visualization inside mind
- Speaking, reading, writing, solving slower
- Difficulty understanding information
- Mood Symptoms
- Depression and low moods
- Feelings of emptiness or helplessness
- Loss of energy and insomnia
- Suicidal ideation
- Lower self-esteem and lack of pleasure
Sheetrit et al.
Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction; Clinical Characterization and Preliminary Assessment of Contributory Factors and Dose-Realted Relationship by Joseph Ben-Sheetrit et. al Journal of Clin Pharm, 06/2015. DOI:10.1097/JCP.0000000000000300
The paper is available here.
This 2015 paper makes an argument that PSSD is a real condition.
Despite the aforementioned limitations, the current investigation adds to the emerging evidence that SSRI/SNRI-induced sexual dysfunction persists in some patients beyond drug discontinuation and suggests that this phenomenon may not be fully explained by alternative non-pharmacological factors, including depression and anxiety.
GoldenHour515 Survey
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/18wiqi15udhz2e0/AABD1gHfv3Dy0sfJ6TKZlowDa?dl=0
Deleted Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/15982kr/survey_results/
- 5/135 participants stated that PSSD symptoms began after reinstatement. This suggests that (for those 5 participants) the main cause of PSSD was not an immutable characteristic such as genetics.
- Symptom comparison between PSSD, COVID vaccine injury, and Long COVID (based on GoldenHour515's data): https://forum.sickandabandoned.com/t/some-overlap-between-pssd-long-covid-and-post-vax/254