Objective Evidence PSSD is real | An Interview with Dr. Ahad Waraich

[@Diya-yt2wd]

Finally pssd is getting recognition but i just want to mention this condition is not just limited to sexual dysfunction as its just a peak of an iceberg , no emotions ( complete emotional blunting - inability to cry laugh ), cognitive impairment, aphantasia, loss of inner monologue, dpdr skin numbness , fatigue, diff perception of music complete (severe) anhadonia and many more should be highlighted too . As these symptoms are experienced by more than 95 % of pssd patients .

[@TomWilks-h8r]

I have pretty much none of these symptoms but severe sexual symptoms for 6+ months now.

[@Diya-yt2wd]

I'm sorry to hear that but I've mentioned more than 95% experience the non sexual symptoms too. Did your symptoms started after stopping SSRIs ?

[@IreneRattray]

I was unable to cry and aware it was the Serdep SSRI. Years ago my psychiatrist told me to stop crying. He prescribed then l stopped crying until yrs later when l withdrew the SSRI l cried for the first time in years.

[@TomWilks-h8r]

It started while I was on the SSRIS. At first it was just erectile issues and my sensation and libido was just fine, then I took AIs from an anabolic steroid cycle, crashed my estrogen too many times, and somehow that broke the camel's back and now I have the numbing issue. @@Diya-yt2wd

[@EvanRajala]

@@IreneRattrayyou tegained emotion ABILITY OR the emotion itself? Like empathy? How long did u take and clean for and how long were the ssri med?

[@Slidehhy]

How can we get out of this hell

[@jluck1399]

That’s the thing, we don’t

[@youdontfoolmebro]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Josef and Ahad, for being some of the leading professional voices! ❤ It means a whole lot to the thousands of people that have already come out about this hell of a condition!

[@bethanydavis5120]

Thank you for raising awareness about this!!! ❤

[@Prashanth-tx1rc]

Thank you for raising awareness for PSSD ❤

[@minkworks6143]

Thanks doc. You're a hero. This means so much to us.

[@maximilian8339]

Thank you for raising awereness for PSSD

[@exoticbipolarmysterydrummer111]

Thank you for raising awareness but so much more awareness and research needs to be raised and done because people are committing suicide over PSSD and my life is a living hell because of pssd !

[@arvid7872]

Really great interview Josef, thank you

[@Alison-c4z]

I'm from Brazil, my symptoms are: anhedonia, emotional dullness, cognitive dysfunction, apathy, depersonalization and derealization, aphantasia, fatigue and sexual dysfunction

[@cmmndrblu]

Mine too! We aren't alone. I know it sucks, but we are not alone, thank you for posting. I feel like this will all start being talked about.

[@youdontfoolmebro]

​@@cmmndrbluYeah, seems like we are getting a bit of momentum :) Keep fighting.

[@juliannewman8720]

Can you sweat at all? Any hair loss?

[@EvanRajala]

@@juliannewman8720did you have hairloss?

[@laniakeas92]

You can't aquire aphantasia from ADs. You had it before taking them, lol.

[@deepak70413]

Thank you for raising awareness about PSSD. It could have been even better if your voice’s volume was little bit higher. I hope you correct it for the next time

[@gcquigley44]

So grateful to you Dr. Josef for exploring these commonly used drugs and their long term effects on the body. ❤

[@christopherp.8868]

Mirtazipine definitely gave me PSSD

[@tmtb80]

Some of what you are discussing reminds me of stories from women who had cervical proceedures (scraping). Some have chronic pain, but many describe depression, dysphoria, and a complete shut off of any sexual sensations, mental and physical. Their lives are 'flat'.

[@fleshedexperience]

Fantastic. Thank you. Mic drop indeed.

[@spoonbillyerd]

thanks josef

[@kassi4837]

If the tissues are warped in males how does it look when it’s presented in Females? Is the tissue warping only limited to genitalia or can med damage effect other tissues?

[@TheDavveponken]

soft tissue found in genitalia is the same you would find in blood vessels, so logically it wouldn't be unlikely that this can affect multiple bodily functions and most notably those to do with finer blood vessels that supply nerves and the brain. It would explain the cognitive and sensory/emotional dysfunction I also feel.

[@christofferbrandel6491]

​@@TheDavveponkenpeople who used finasteride and got PFS showed similar findings as discussed in this video. Also it has been shown if using fin, within a week or so the microvasculature in the prostate is severely diminished. I think what you're saying is very likely.

[@TheDavveponken]

@@christofferbrandel6491 I forgot to also mention, there's a study that shows cialis has the potential to restore that soft tissue. I wish I had tried it when I first thought of it as a way of reversing the effects of the ritalin I took (I too feel I've lost a substantial amount of size around the base and throughout my penis). I've been taking it daily (5-10mg) for a few weeks here and there after a year of not noticing any significant improvement. I think it has helped. If I'd taken it sooner maybe I'd be better. It has helped with resolving some of the blockage in my brain as well.

[@tasteofpunjab]

Many PSSD patients have also tested positive for small fiber neuropathy, which is not site specific. Taken together with the findings discussed in this video it seems to be getting clearer that SSRIs and other drugs are causing microscopic yet widespread damage to tissue, possibly secondary to damage or other impact they have on microvasculature.

[@TheDavveponken]

@@tasteofpunjab Yeah. I think it is bevcause lf the negative effects they have on endothelial cells (in charge of dilating blood vessels). I found a study the other day linking methylphenidate (a stimulant for adhd, ritalin), which is what I took, to systemic sclerosis - meaning not just raynaud's disease (which I don't have) - and not all sclerosis manifest visibly, although I do feel my penis has gotten more coarse since the ritalin. I think it has begun vhanging back though, ever so slightly the past weeks (which seems on point with other experiences, since it was now 15 months ago, and I took it a very short while). I'm very concerned with the vessels in my brain though, they are still stiff and crack and hurt when thinking and sensing. I did an mri recently and it showed nothing specific, only significant swelling of the sinuses, which may or may not be because of previous inflammation. I guess the next step is to check for antibodies, but I'm guessing they've all but disappeared by now. Ssris have been linked to cardiovascular disease snd reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (rcvs) in the past.

[@jboesky8]

Extraordinary interview!

[@neo-climb5627]

Thank you Josef and Dr Waraich. It sounds like this forthcoming paper should help push things forward.

[@indigobunting2431]

I was not warned or believed. My doctor did not believe sexual side effects could exist in women. Humility in doctors? A rare quality.

[@DJTechnoboom]

so i will never be happy again, never enjoy music, never be able to have sex, please someone help us

[@ashuvijay7031]

We can happy only when we take medicine

[@clausmehl8731]

​@@ashuvijay7031ssri induced emotional nu.bness Not happyness

[@Slidehhy]

No

[@jluck1399]

Unfortunately never

[@DJTechnoboom]

mine works again, but my mood is still really bad @@jluck1399

[@andywilson5677]

Interested to see this research. As someone with PSSD I'm a bit sceptical of the fibrosis / scaring claim. Most of my symptoms are cognitive. I think it's probably rooted in the brain in some way. We need more research though so very happy to see more doctors taking this seriously.

[@Michal.P.P.]

I'm skeptical too. My symptoms started right after I stopped taking the drug. While taking it, I did not have any sexual dysfunctions, except for slightly premature ejaculation, so it is difficult to talk about any tissue damage. When I stopped taking it, my morning erection suddenly disappeared, my semen volume decreased significantly and I had a very weak or no orgasm at all. In addition to sexual dysfunction, other symptoms appeared: muscle weakness, slurred speech (to this day, I am called the "gurgling mutant" by some members of my "family"), numbness of the tongue, inflammation in the digestive system, tinnitus, vision problems, cognitive impairment and many others. It's possible that tissue changes occur in people who have erection problems, but this is definitely only part of PSSD and does not explain all the symptoms

[@youdontfoolmebro]

I definitely, for my own case, suspect tissue damage. Went to a shockwave therapist earlier this year and he found "inflammation" during ultrasound. Quite possibly the fibrosis this dr. talks about.

[@EvanRajala]

Can u pls elab significantly in cognitive problems?

[@jumper6067]

Developed fibrosis after PSSD...so I don't know what to say.

[@matty96465]

Thank you. I have the same syndrome from finasteride and dutasteride and it’s pure hell. Please continue this content.

[@TodorokiShoto9891]

Great work as always Dr. Josef. On another note, I think it would be a good idea to add timestamps to your videos since it would make it more helpful for the audience to find the bit they're looking for.

[@TheDavveponken]

If the issue is to do with soft tissue cialis might be a course of action? It has been seen to restore soft tissue when being taken over longer periods at 5mg/day. I've been doing it and it seems to have a positive effect while at the same time it introduces headaches for me, but it helped break through the cinder block I felt i had in my brain. At first I got facial twitches and then headaches with minor twitches. Edit: I think the headaches are actually due to the blood coming back to my brain and pooling at different places (I had a more blunt headache before after all). Whenever it breakes through I get a release and sensation back in various places of my body as well as emotion.

[@katadam2186]

Ever think of nerve damage , ever look at the actual nerve system ( a map of the system) and how closely the blood system( vessels, capillaries, veins, arteries etc) very interesting. It’s amazing how the Uber rich do life food is as fresh and clean as possible … moderation with top quality ingredients and alcohol, and use naturopathic doc’s unless trauma surgery needed… just thought pass along info. Jethro Kloss book Back to Eden, old info shunned by the guys that took over and monetized the business.. if you want to know the background read flexner report on modern med education

[@EvanRajala]

@@katadam2186wdym by "the uber rich do life food as fresh and clean as possible" ?

[@EvanRajala]

What were your symptoms and meds before and after? Do u feel different than 3-4 days ago writing the comment?

[@peacenrhyme]

Hey Dr. Josef, is there a link to Dr. Waraich's research? If he's published a study about his findings, I would love to be able to cite it. Thanks!

[@romymansfield]

I developed peyronies (scar tissue , fibrosis after a year on ssri how do I get a hold of this guy. I’m in Tijuana Mexico

[@TheDavveponken]

For people's information, for what it's worth: I had an MRI done 14 months after I stopped ritalin (which seems to be similar to ssri/snri) and they couldn't find anything wrong other than swollen sinuses, specifically a 1cm in diameter swelling in my top left sinus. I will be getting a CT in three weeks to find out what that is - they couldn't tell. According to that neurologist the swelling could explain the pressure I feel in my head but not the cognitive issues. Just pooling information here. Please comment if you know anything from your own experience/research that could help.

[@Slidehhy]

Keep us updated

[@Michal.P.P.]

I had an MRI done 2 months and 4 years after I stopped taking venlafaxine and all they found was a small polyp in one of my sinuses

[@TheDavveponken]

@@Michal.P.P. Oh really. Was it to blame for anything? Did you suffer/do you still suffer pssd (cognitively/emotionally/etc)?

[@Michal.P.P.]

​@@TheDavveponken No, they didn't find a connection to any of my symptoms. Yes, I still suffer from PSSD, 8 and a half years later. Only some of the symptoms disappeared over time. No improvement in sexual dysfunctions (although mine are not the most severe ones), I still have vision problems, tinnitus, cognitive impairment. I have a very low stress tolerance and I panic and get angry easily. No friends, no family. I live in total isolation. Everyone thinks I'm either faking health problems, or that I'm making it all up, or that I'm crazy and should seek medical help. After 8 years, I tried to create a new relationship, but it only lasted a few months. She accepted my sexual dysfunction, but she couldn't stand my overall mental condition, and it's hard to blame her.

[@janbam1778]

Make sure to check for yeast overgrowth (candida). I've had sinusitis for 15 years and no doctor could find the cause. Recently I took nystatine and had great improvement within days. I suddenly could breathe freely through both nostrils again. But also my chronic fatigue, brainfog and mood lifted! Candida produces acetaldehyde which binds to dopamine and can cause a deficiancy. I also suffer from akathisia and chronic anhedonia after taking a SSRI. Maybe there's a connection there?

[@IreneRattray]

Great interview Dr Josef as always.

[@cantshakeyoumel]

thank u for all that u do for us.

[@mohammedislam866]

Ive developed pssd whilst tapering down mirtazipine...devastated

[@johnnyecoman9121]

If these drugs are vausing scaring in the penis where else are they causing scaring? I do not think it is possible to do ultrasound scans of the brain as the skull prevent that.

[@FreeWanderingThinker]

Very good point.

[@warrencraig6258]

Thanks as always for you work Dr Josef

[@JW-bs7xp]

This guy needs to propose to Dr Goldstein asap

[@shutoffsoul]

They're already working alongside each other

[@TomArto-rg3cr]

Thank you so much for this!

[@oanavoiculescu3505]

Hello! I’m from Romania. I don’t know if I suffer from PSSD or not, but what I can say is that after I tapered Prozac for 2 months, I started to have severe dissociation, brain fog, eye problems, sensory issues, brain burning sensations, paranoid thoughts, agitation etc. - every single one of these symptoms being completely new for me. Now, 3 months after the last dose, some of these symptoms are still with me. Meanwhile, I noticed that i have genital anesthesia, reduced sex drive etc. I am writing this comment just to say that for some people the dissociation/agitation comes first and might be so severe that they can miss the sexual problems for some time. English is my second language, sorry for any mistakes.

[@jumper6067]

Developed fibrosis and plaque after 1 year of developing pssd.

[@singstreetcar5881]

Psychiatry doesnt run tests

[@joesacco9832]

They have a fuggin questionnaire at best. Or at worst diagnose on “looking sad” or having symptoms they find strange. Meanwhile for many other conditions that do have tests, if you test negative but have symptoms they diagnose you with anxiety/depression/psychosis and give you.. antidepressants.

[@frankyfourfingers1382]

Really good interview.

[@katherineleflufy7693]

Given that sexual experience goes further than the basic functionality of the actual organs themselves - after all there are erogenous zones all over the body - and that sex - and the nature of the experience of it - is intimately (oops to the pun) bound up with emotions. it doesnt seem to me a huge leap of mind that sexual function effects wouldn't be part and parcel of a situation that has a wide-ranging scope. Especially given that neurotransmitters have such varied functions in the body. Plus of course that specific attraction between people - i.e. what leads to attempting sex/impacts on the nature of one's experience of sex - has all sorts of subtle factors involved beyond the basic matter of classically sexually titillating bodily proportions. With regards to the sex organ side of things, a number of years ago in my twenties I had a phase of bleeding exactly mid--cycle - I didn't notice it stop but it did and I had forgotten about it until it started again around 5-6 years later - clearly coinciding with having been put on fluoxetine, which made me look back and realise that the period of time that it had been happening previously had been during the period of time in which I had been persuaded to take venlafaxine. The only thing against linking this is that in my very early 20s I had been on paroxetine and then citalopram for a short time in order to stop the paroxetine and I didn't have that issue then. Unfortunately I have been messed around by the mental health system horribly since then and have not been able to get life going well enough in time to have children so I wouldn't know whether I had reproductive issues or not but hearing the description of scarring sexual organs it makes me wonder what that did to my ovaries if it was due to the SNRI and SSRI rather than natural mid-cycle spotting.

[@RalphSylvestersen]

Can a subject (doctor) observe and investigate object without altering the object? Could be that an ultrasound investigation may even course a sexual dysfunction.

[@hulk-jv6cz]

Is there any hope?

[@jluck1399]

Nope

[@Snowflake1374]

It feels permanent.

[@massimo4227]

Very real

[@indigobunting2431]

Too many ads!

[@laniakeas92]

I swear when pipi health is involved men literally justify their ED with anything. First they created pssd, then pfs. What's next, lol? Post minoxidil syndrome? Post saw palmetto syndrome?

[@Kalley_Kavia]

Go tell that to all of the families who have lost loved ones to suicide because of this issue. You are clearly ignorant and naive to dismiss these conditions, especially PSSD and PFS which affect thousands upon thousands of people. You really think tons of money are being donated for nothing? Universities and researchers looking into the problem for nothing? All of this smoke without fire? Sorry but you are an idiot.

[@BobbyUk-e8u]

Damn, you are so st&*id.

[@NCsilent]

BWHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@laniakeas92]

@@NCsilent BWHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@NCsilent]

@@laniakeas92 your doc told you these BS? Ahahahahahaha