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Researching Antidepressant Use and Sexual Functioning


FaithInFreedom

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Hello everyone,

 

My name is Dan and I am new to these forums. I am a mental health/addictions counselor and currently am a doctoral student in social work. My primary interests are in the long-term effects of psychiatric medications, as well as ethics and I am currently doing a study on antidepressant use and sexual health (described below). Before getting into the details, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for teaching me so much about the issues surrounding antidepressant use and the challenges that face antidepressant users (as well as the accompanying politics). I like to think that the psychiatric drug user viewpoint informs my work as much as the academic literature; a message I hope is reflected by this study

 

My thanks to Altostrata for the opportunity to post this here and my warmest regards to all of you. I wish you the best of wishes in your journeys, travails, and milestones.

 

Now, about the study:

----------------------------

The Antidepressant Use and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire 

 

My name is Dan Dunleavy, I am a social worker and second year doctoral student at Florida State University’s College of Social Work. My research is in the area of mental health and addictions, with an emphasis on psychiatric medications.

 

 

I am attempting to develop a new measurement tool to assess the impact of antidepressant medications on sexual health. I believe once validated and refined this questionnaire will be a valuable tool for researchers, physicians, and medication users, that will help them to assess how their sexual health has been affected by antidepressant use, as well as how it may have improved if dosages are altered or medication use has been halted. The questionnaire takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.

 

I am seeking participants who are currently taking antidepressants to voluntarily and anonymously complete this questionnaire in an effort to help validate and refine it as a research tool. Thus, I would like to extend an invitation to participate in this research project. All information provided by respondents will not be attached to any personally identifying information

 

Thank you for your consideration and please let me know if there are any questions or concerns that you may have about this study.

 

Survey link:

http://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_57tzMrCkPFPI4st

 

 

Best regards,

 

Dan

 

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns about the survey, please contact:

Daniel Dunleavy at djd09e * fsu.edu or

Dr. Neil Abell  nabell * fsu.edu

 

Thank you for your time,

 

Daniel Dunleavy, MSW

Doctoral Student

College of Social Work

Florida State University

Edited by Altostrata
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  • Moderator Emeritus

I am cross posting this for someone on a Mirtazapine Facebook page I am on, and I hope that is ok.  Mods, you can put it where you think it should be if not here.  She wrote:

 

To FB folks out there who are currently on an "antidepressant" drug:

I recently heard from a student of a friend of mine who teaches in a Social Work program and does very important critical research on psychiatric drugs, pharmaceutical marketing, and the medical model. The student of my friend says:

"I was reaching out to you because I am currently working on an electronic survey/research tool on 'antidepressants' and sexual health. Briefly, its aim is to better capture any sexual dysfunction or changes that have occurred while one is on an antidepressant. Eventually, I hope for it to be of some use for users or prescribers, to map how their sexual health has changed in response to antidepressant initiation, discontinuation, or dose changes.
I was hoping that if this is something that you were comfortable with, that I would ask to see if you wouldn't mind tweeting about it, to get the word out about it. The survey is relatively short (5-15 minutes) and is anonymous. The only requirements are that the respondent be over 18 and are currently taking an antidepressant."

I, for one, lost complete sexual function during my decades+ on psych drugs, and am very lucky to have regained it since coming off. As I've been off for a while, I'm not able to contribute to this survey, but I think it's a worthy one. If you're out there and you're on or in the process of coming off an "antidepressant", and you'd like to share how it's impacted your sexuality, please consider participating, and share with others!

http://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57tzMrCkPFPI4st

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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We always think we are helping others who are on the drugs when we fill in one of these surveys and nothing changes no help comes .. 

I think we are really helping the drug makers they study us like rats to learn how to make the next batch of fun pills... 

yes I truly believe that.  

And if you want to know what drugs I think we have helped them make I won't make you beg... I will tell you now. 

 

Diabetic treatments for type 2 new ones...

Drugs that thin the blood... my guess it they are cluing in on what their ad drugs cause as side effects and using them as treatments. 

 

Guess I am still to bitchy to be here so I had better go away again 

bye and peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • Mentor

We always think we are helping others who are on the drugs when we fill in one of these surveys and nothing changes no help comes .. 

I think we are really helping the drug makers they study us like rats to learn how to make the next batch of fun pills... 

yes I truly believe that.  

And if you want to know what drugs I think we have helped them make I won't make you beg... I will tell you now. 

 

Diabetic treatments for type 2 new ones...

Drugs that thin the blood... my guess it they are cluing in on what their ad drugs cause as side effects and using them as treatments. 

 

Guess I am still to bitchy to be here so I had better go away again 

bye and peace

I can see why you'd mention the diabetic drugs and the blood thinners, btdt!

the ads are constant on tv

I was super aggressively pushed to start on blood thinners- I have afib, the most common heart rhythm disorder. However I have had only 3 (possibly 4) episodes in over 20 yrs- and all episodes were very symptomatic, so the chances that I am having any asymptomatic episodes are small,

PLUS all my episodes had significant triggers- that is, a whole bunch of things had to happen- all things that can be AVOIDED- in order for me to go into a fib at all

 

I told my cardiologist this and was still BULLIED into taking a prescription for a blood thinner (that I never filled)

saw another cardiologist, same outcome, take this Rx for blood thinners- I refused

 

finally worked my way up to the specific kind of cardiologist I was supposed to be seeing all along, an EP and he did the same song and dance, but could not answer the one most important question, which I'm too tired to write out now, but anyway, the outcome, once again: take the damn blood thinner

- which I did do, for less than a month, and then just got fed up and stopped.

I know for me it's not necessary.

 

there is a stroke risk calculator for ppl with afib, and if i had frequent episodes or was in permanent afib, then yes, taking a blood thinner makes sense, it can prevent strokes (with significant risks for bleeding of course :P)

 

but when you have less than one episode of afib every 6 yrs or so? at most? no, it's stupid to take a dangerous drug like this, "just in case" you are having afib episodes without symptoms

 

nope, Not taking that crap.

not to mention it's like $400 a month for these drugs!!

I have drug coverage thru insurance but if i did not, I could not possibly afford that! (it's more than half my monthly income!!)

 

 

so yeh, you're on to something with those meds but i doubt they are related to surveys. they are related to ppls fears, see all the ads for diabetic neuropathy too? ask your doc about lyrica, etc etc?

they want you to be terrified of what diabetes can do to you, but not so terrified you make the life style and diet changes that could actually REVERSE your diabetes, cuz there is WAY too much money in "treating" it and all it's complications

 

 

so fed up with greed, this is all about greed

makes me sick.

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • Mentor

just filled in the survey, apparently the person who wrote it is unaware of the fact that SSRi's are used in the prison population and for sex offenders to blunt (if not destroy) their libido; that is how well known this side effect is.

they use it during that kind of therapy where they try to reprogram what turns the person on, like for pedophiles, (aversion therapy I think it's called?) they give them the SSRIs and then they have them masturbate while looking at child sex abuse photos, and they can't orgasm and the theory at least, is that they will eventually no longer respond to these images.

it's chemical castration and some sex offenders are eager to take these drugs so that they can be let back out in society, etc

 

 

eta: just a few references from a quick google search; some are older, some are new:

 

http://www.hypersexualdisorders.com/hypersexual-disorder-treatment/

 

https://www.dont-offend.org/story/07/3907.html

 

https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-111890210/help-disordered-pedophiles-consider-prescribing-ssris

 

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5

 

http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/articles/evidence-based-reviews/article/how-to-select-pharmacologic-treatments-to-manage-recidivism-risk-in-sex-offenders/59de644d87615c390590a409cf6f1788.html

 

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=21TOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=SSRIs+for+pedophiles&source=bl&ots=gliMaHTRs_&sig=3b_Ny6acFe9Sg3h9IVEfnEN8UHc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6qtXzhcbKAhXGYiYKHUl0DvwQ6AEIWDAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

 

 

ack this is a quote but it wont' post next to the correct link:
SSRIs such as fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and sertraline have also been used to treat pedophiles. With a more favorable adverse-effect profile than anti-androgens, treatment adherence with SSRIs may be less of an issue. A few studies have shown some efficacy.29,31 It is unclear, however, whether these work through reducing depression, reducing compulsive behavior, or reducing general sexual function. - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5#sthash.vHPv9oXv.dpuf
 

*emphasis mine

 

so if anyone suggests that this side effect of these drugs isn't that bad, show them this!

it's so well known and happens so often, it's been exploited in several different settings.

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • Administrator

Is this the same as the survey in

Researching Antidepressant Use and Sexual Functioning ?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I'm looking into it, Alto.  

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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but when you have less than one episode of afib every 6 yrs or so? at most? no, it's stupid to take a dangerous drug like this, "just in case" you are having afib episodes without symptoms

 

nope, Not taking that crap.

not to mention it's like $400 a month for these drugs!!

I have drug coverage thru insurance but if i did not, I could not possibly afford that! (it's more than half my monthly income!!)

 

My dad had afib and was put on the blood thinners, butI believe last year he was allowed to come off because he hadn't had an episode in so long.  My question is, why could you have a script on-hand to start taking when an episode begins and then stop when it's over?!!

 

I have a friend who is in her upper 60's and hasn't had health care in ages because she always worked for herself and lived rather on the thin edge.  She didn't want to fork out for part B which would make seeking health care affordable, I guess.  Well, she just found out, when looking at her SS report, that they had already signed her up for part B!!  

 

She used her DP's blood sugar tester not long ago and her sugar was really high!  I told her she can now go get taken care of.  She said why?  So they can throw me on a bunch of meds? That's what they do!  Well, at least she is seriously losing weight now, which she has needed to do all her life.   But she's right.  Seems like everyone over 65 is on a boatload of meds.

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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My thought on the blood thinner was from my bleeding issues while on effexor and celexa together...a gastro bleed and  periods that would not stop even after a ovarian cyst surgery..a hemophiliac drug was then added to my pill box... now that made me feel bad.... I still had the bottle when I joined pp and somebody there looked it up and told me it was a hemophiliac drug... so I figure pharma moles read that and go hey we have an idea there is something in the drug combination or one of these drugs that can cause bleeding... 

 

Not that they did not know from others and bleeding issues are listed on the adverse reactions for both of these drugs. That and the new types of type 2 diabetic drug.. as we know when we try to get off our metabolism is messed up I did not understand why in wd for a long time I had to lay down after eating... sugar was off.  I too was offered metfomin but I chose to try diet since metfomin was on the list of drugs I read about that causes mitochondria damage...ps also on the list are statin drugs... I was on them too likely in response to taking the ADs which increase can't think of the word..fat lol how is that for a base word... 

 

At this point there could be age related reasons for a lot of drugs both statins and sugar but I don't take either I will find another way.  All these new drugs will be on patent which means they will cost a lot more money... the new blood thinner is on SA for a study I read stating all the issue with it.. the old cheap one off patent seemed to me to be the least dangerous for sure would cost less. I can't believe I remembered all that I must be getting better... 

One more use for SA cause you to think and kick start your brain... haha.

peace all

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • Mentor

damn btdt they just kept throwing drugs at you, eh? that sucks

 

oh wow I've had that same problem! I have  had to lay down after eating, and if I don't lay down, I get severely light headed

 

turns out that this is not uncommon as you age, there's even a name for it (postprandial something or other??) but of course my dr apparently had never heard of it (if she's never a pt with it before or never heard of something, then to her, it just does not exist- so glad to be rid of that dr! don't know why I stayed with her so long. well I do know, but this isnt' the place to go into that lol)

 

yeh, I'm learning a lot of stuff here on SA, too! 

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes, it would appear to be the same outfit, Florida. You can delete this if you want since it is already here. 

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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  • Administrator

merged similar topics.

 

Please take part in this survey.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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We always think we are helping others who are on the drugs when we fill in one of these surveys and nothing changes no help comes .. 

I think we are really helping the drug makers they study us like rats to learn how to make the next batch of fun pills... 

yes I truly believe that.  

And if you want to know what drugs I think we have helped them make I won't make you beg... I will tell you now. 

 

 

I can't comment on the intentions of other individuals or organizations, however I will say that my intentions are not to make assumptions about people's experiences on AD drugs. I'm hoping to use this survey to help share the experiences of actual AD users and to inform my work, as opposed to informing my work solely on the basis of clinical trials. I believe true help comes from listening to the medication/drug user, not imposing experiences upon them.

 

My understanding on ADs is that they can create a variety of problems related to sexual functioning/health, and my interest is in learning more about a) what these problems are, b ) how they might differ across people or types of ADs, and c) what might be some ways in assessing the extent of the problem/ways of treating the problems. I can't say that I am 'against' drugs per se, but I do believe truly informed consent means informing the client/patient/individual exactly what these drugs do and don't do. I hope that helps bring a little more clarity in regards to my intentions.

 

just filled in the survey, apparently the person who wrote it is unaware of the fact that SSRi's are used in the prison population and for sex offenders to blunt (if not destroy) their libido; that is how well known this side effect is.

they use it during that kind of therapy where they try to reprogram what turns the person on, like for pedophiles, (aversion therapy I think it's called?) they give them the SSRIs and then they have them masturbate while looking at child sex abuse photos, and they can't orgasm and the theory at least, is that they will eventually no longer respond to these images.

it's chemical castration and some sex offenders are eager to take these drugs so that they can be let back out in society, etc

 

 

eta: just a few references from a quick google search; some are older, some are new:

 

http://www.hypersexualdisorders.com/hypersexual-disorder-treatment/

 

https://www.dont-offend.org/story/07/3907.html

 

https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-111890210/help-disordered-pedophiles-consider-prescribing-ssris

 

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5

 

http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/articles/evidence-based-reviews/article/how-to-select-pharmacologic-treatments-to-manage-recidivism-risk-in-sex-offenders/59de644d87615c390590a409cf6f1788.html

 

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=21TOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=SSRIs+for+pedophiles&source=bl&ots=gliMaHTRs_&sig=3b_Ny6acFe9Sg3h9IVEfnEN8UHc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6qtXzhcbKAhXGYiYKHUl0DvwQ6AEIWDAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

 

 

ack this is a quote but it wont' post next to the correct link:
SSRIs such as fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and sertraline have also been used to treat pedophiles. With a more favorable adverse-effect profile than anti-androgens, treatment adherence with SSRIs may be less of an issue. A few studies have shown some efficacy.29,31 It is unclear, however, whether these work through reducing depression, reducing compulsive behavior, or reducing general sexual function. - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5#sthash.vHPv9oXv.dpuf
 

*emphasis mine

 

so if anyone suggests that this side effect of these drugs isn't that bad, show them this!

it's so well known and happens so often, it's been exploited in several different settings.

 

Thank you for all the references. I am very eager to learn more. I am familiar with their use for these purposes, but not with much depth. I hope those links will start me down the path to learn more about their use in this respect. That being said, I didn't perceive my survey as attempting to reach those specific instances.

 

merged similar topics.

 

Please take part in this survey.

 

Thank you and thank you for the initial consideration and opportunity to post this here. 

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Folks, please use this opportunity for a polite, constructive conversation with FaithInFreedom about his research.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Many of us have talked till we are blue about pssd and other sexual dysfunction on this and many other sites and  done surveys many of them.  I find it painful to go thru it over and over as it is a great loss to me and I will not be doing another survey. To each their own the surveys done in the past were to help understand and fix this... nothing has been done.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Many of us have talked till we are blue about pssd and other sexual dysfunction on this and many other sites and  done surveys many of them.  I find it painful to go thru it over and over as it is a great loss to me and I will not be doing another survey. To each their own the surveys done in the past were to help understand and fix this... nothing has been done.

 

I appreciate your position, which is why any participation should be purely voluntary. Change is often a slow process, undoubtedly often at the expense of those who can least afford to wait for change.

 

My best regards.

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Many of us have talked till we are blue about pssd and other sexual dysfunction on this and many other sites and  done surveys many of them.  I find it painful to go thru it over and over as it is a great loss to me and I will not be doing another survey. To each their own the surveys done in the past were to help understand and fix this... nothing has been done.

 

I appreciate your position, which is why any participation should be purely voluntary. Change is often a slow process, undoubtedly often at the expense of those who can least afford to wait for change.

 

My best regards.

 

" purely voluntary'

Is irking me there is something in those words raising a rage in me ... the attitude implied of course it is voluntary ... as if... did not need to be said.... when nothing in my life is voluntary any longer it may well be a neuro emotion ... I had best leave this thread to others.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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Good idea, btdt. Beating up on someone who wants to listen and learn is not productive.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Mentor

 

We always think we are helping others who are on the drugs when we fill in one of these surveys and nothing changes no help comes .. 

I think we are really helping the drug makers they study us like rats to learn how to make the next batch of fun pills... 

yes I truly believe that.  

And if you want to know what drugs I think we have helped them make I won't make you beg... I will tell you now. 

 

 

I can't comment on the intentions of other individuals or organizations, however I will say that my intentions are not to make assumptions about people's experiences on AD drugs. I'm hoping to use this survey to help share the experiences of actual AD users and to inform my work, as opposed to informing my work solely on the basis of clinical trials. I believe true help comes from listening to the medication/drug user, not imposing experiences upon them.

 

My understanding on ADs is that they can create a variety of problems related to sexual functioning/health, and my interest is in learning more about a) what these problems are, b ) how they might differ across people or types of ADs, and c) what might be some ways in assessing the extent of the problem/ways of treating the problems. I can't say that I am 'against' drugs per se, but I do believe truly informed consent means informing the client/patient/individual exactly what these drugs do and don't do. I hope that helps bring a little more clarity in regards to my intentions.

 

just filled in the survey, apparently the person who wrote it is unaware of the fact that SSRi's are used in the prison population and for sex offenders to blunt (if not destroy) their libido; that is how well known this side effect is.

they use it during that kind of therapy where they try to reprogram what turns the person on, like for pedophiles, (aversion therapy I think it's called?) they give them the SSRIs and then they have them masturbate while looking at child sex abuse photos, and they can't orgasm and the theory at least, is that they will eventually no longer respond to these images.

it's chemical castration and some sex offenders are eager to take these drugs so that they can be let back out in society, etc

 

 

eta: just a few references from a quick google search; some are older, some are new:

 

http://www.hypersexualdisorders.com/hypersexual-disorder-treatment/

 

https://www.dont-offend.org/story/07/3907.html

 

https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-111890210/help-disordered-pedophiles-consider-prescribing-ssris

 

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5

 

http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/articles/evidence-based-reviews/article/how-to-select-pharmacologic-treatments-to-manage-recidivism-risk-in-sex-offenders/59de644d87615c390590a409cf6f1788.html

 

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=21TOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=SSRIs+for+pedophiles&source=bl&ots=gliMaHTRs_&sig=3b_Ny6acFe9Sg3h9IVEfnEN8UHc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6qtXzhcbKAhXGYiYKHUl0DvwQ6AEIWDAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

 

 

ack this is a quote but it wont' post next to the correct link:
SSRIs such as fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and sertraline have also been used to treat pedophiles. With a more favorable adverse-effect profile than anti-androgens, treatment adherence with SSRIs may be less of an issue. A few studies have shown some efficacy.29,31 It is unclear, however, whether these work through reducing depression, reducing compulsive behavior, or reducing general sexual function. - See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/psychopathology-and-personality-traits-pedophiles/page/0/5#sthash.vHPv9oXv.dpuf
 

*emphasis mine

 

so if anyone suggests that this side effect of these drugs isn't that bad, show them this!

it's so well known and happens so often, it's been exploited in several different settings.

 

Thank you for all the references. I am very eager to learn more. I am familiar with their use for these purposes, but not with much depth. I hope those links will start me down the path to learn more about their use in this respect. That being said, I didn't perceive my survey as attempting to reach those specific instances.

 

merged similar topics.

 

Please take part in this survey.

 

Thank you and thank you for the initial consideration and opportunity to post this here. 

 

grr I don't know how to select just a tiny bit of a post to quote, sorry! FaithinFreedom, I in no way meant to criticize you or your study, I guess it just surprised me that ppl would think sexual side effects were NOT an issue, from all that I've read on how they are used for those very side effects/adverse events

 

those links may or may not be helpful, they were just what I could pull up on a quick google search. IN fact the more "damning" if you will, info about how SSRIs are used in the treatment of sex offenders I found in books I've read in the past, many years ago! so it's out there.

I wish I could remember the names of the books but my brain is fried and my memory has suffered the most, but I hope mentioning this will help you track it down.

 

not sure what you plan to do with your study but anything that gets the truth out there, I'm all for that.

good luck

 

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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those links may or may not be helpful, they were just what I could pull up on a quick google search. IN fact the more "damning" if you will, info about how SSRIs are used in the treatment of sex offenders I found in books I've read in the past, many years ago! so it's out there.

I wish I could remember the names of the books but my brain is fried and my memory has suffered the most, but I hope mentioning this will help you track it down.

 

not sure what you plan to do with your study but anything that gets the truth out there, I'm all for that.

good luck

 

 

 

Thank you again! If you do come across any of those books or authors please shoot me a message and let me know!

 

As for the survey, I am working toward hopefully finding a way to quantify the extent to which these drugs can cause sexual dysfunction. I'm not sure if I'll have much success, and I hope not to diminish in any way the actual experience of the person who has to live with the dysfunction. However, I think it may be a useful way to a) figure out which ADs cause less dysfunction; and b ) figure out a way to measure progress in treating/healing the dysfunction.

 

As for the sex offenders and others whose behaviors and desires might be controlled by these drugs...I don't know. I'm not sure I can say what the right course of action is there, but I do feel weird about drugs being given to control anyone's behavior. There is something dehumanizing about it (or maybe we should just say: dehumanizing, period). I think this example speaks to the work of David Healy and David Cohen, who in various contexts have shown that drugs aren't good or bad, per se. It is in how we use them that can create positive or negative outcomes. Similarly, as wary as I am of the ADs, I do realize that they might be helpful sometimes, for some people.

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  • Mentor

I need to send you a PM< please keep what I tell you in this message in strict confidence. Wont' be sending the PM til later today or tomorrow, I need to get my thoughts together

It is info pertinent to your study

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi everyone. I'll be happy to continue answering any general questions about antidepressants and sexual health; although admittedly I view all of you as the true experts, or any questions about the survey. The survey will be going on for another few weeks.

 

Best wishes,

 

Dan

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