SSRI use as a younster and RE

Certainly coming off a drug can be difficult... I've experienced it myself. You have to reduce the dosage slowly over time.

However, while I understand that your doc probably weighs the benefits of the medication higher than the quality of life issue, your values are the only one that really count. So, if she won't work with you, shop around to find someone who will. I'm sure there are doctors out there who are more willing to work with an informed patient who is willing to accept the pain of a med change in search of something better.

There's no perfect solution here, unfortunately. I'm sure you understand that changing medication takes time to not only get off what you're on but to evaluate the new medication and to figure out the ideal dosage for you... or to decide it isn't right for you and to try something else. It is difficult and maybe expensive, too. Figure more frequent visits to the doc, etc.

I wish we all had normal biochemistry and this wasn't necessary.

OTOH, I'd have to find a new industry then because pharma pays my bills! Eh, I'd still rather have normal biochemistry.

hehe, "normal biochemistry"?! The very nature of life is that it's diverse, so there'll be no 'normality' on this front. I do know what you mean though. Oh, I have reduced my dosage very gradually but I just can't make the jump from the smallest dosafe to no dosage. I lasted for around 6 weeks the last time but could feel my sanity slipping away. One day, it then just hit me: I actually/really felt like doing absolutely nothing. I didn't want to eat, breath, sleep, walk. It occured while I was at the gym and I felt like starting to cry and have one of the instructors bring me home.

Hi, i know this is an old thread but i believe i could shed some light on what might have happened to the thread starter. I have RE myself and i have done quite some research on that topic.

My theory is that when he took that ssri when he was young it made it more difficult for him to reach orgasm, so he needed more stimulation.Therefore he needed to"shake it" quite vigourously and/or used hardcore porn to reach orgasm.His body got used to that kind of hardcore stimulation so that everything less intensiv (like normal sex with a girl) didnt do it for him anymore even after he discontinued using ssri as a joungster.So this conditioning STAYED because it was something independent from the ssri-effect albeit at the same time caused by it and since i bet he kept maturbating (what else can you do if sex doesnt do it for you..) that condition stayed.

When he took that other ssri 14 or so years later his sex drive was diminished by it and i bet he gave up masturbation for a few weeks so that his body could come "down" from the high level of stimulation it was used to. Then, when he discontinued its use and had sex with his girlfriend the stimulation of normal intercourse was enough to reach orgasm..

It would be nice if he were still around to comment if my theorie is viable

Morti out