Posted by crabwalk on January 14, 2007, at 10:52:50
Ever since I took and then quit ssris, I have a seriously disrupted ability to experience pleasure, which includes all areas of sex--visual stimulation, desire, infatuation, physical sensation al over my body, terrible orgasms--everything is messed up. Also things like music, art, nature, deep friendship, familial love, anything that used to stimulate or captivate me and give me that 'warm fuzzy' feeling--well that warm fuzzy feeling has been replaced by a sort of empty and uncomfortable chill. I guess the way I'd describe it is that the physical sensations associated with rapture and pleasure of any source are completely f-d up. This is exacerbated by any stress and anxiety, especially socially. I have no doubt in my mind that this state that I have been in for almost 2 years now was induced by ssris and that the sexual side effects are part of a wider, generalized disruption of pleasurable sensation on several different levels, but most obvious and noticeable in physical sensations. (Not so coincidentally, marijuana, which used to enhance all pleasurable experience, now does very little; I seem to be immune to what was my favorite drug and, in my opinion, the greatest drug in world).
Also, on the flipside, I seem to be more sensitive to aversive stimuli; for example that sort of 'nails on the chalkboard' feeling seems to happen more easily and more intensely when one of those 'nails on the chalkboard' stimuli happens (e.g. nails on a chalkboard, or imagining something painful). People often use the word anhedonia, but I was wondering if my description fit with others' use of the word.
I'm now up to 450 mg of wellbutrin, and it doesn't seem to be addressing the anhedonia. I have tried lots of other remedies post-ssri including buspar, emsam, tianeptine, ginkgo, yohimbe, and emsam, some in combination. Not once since being on ssris have I felt any sort of joy or fulfilling pleasurable experience. Before ssris I had no sexual problems and always got great satisfaction from music, art, etc., which have always been a big part of my life. I was able to feel romantic and sexual pleasure and have fulfilling relationships. That's been impossible since ssris.
I'm running out of ideas quickly. One thing I was thinking of is adding remeron to the wellbutrin, mostly because I can't think of anything much better to try and remeron would at least help me with my wicked insomnia and hopefully anxiety. I was wondering if anyone found remeron to be at all alleviating of anhedonia; in my case I'm especially interested in the more tangible pleasures. If anyone can comment on that, I'd greatly appreciate it. But also, any general comments on anhedonia, related or unrelated to ssris or other ad's, I'd be interested to hear others' experiences. I know I'd give anything to have never taken ssris, I've been devastated by their lasting damage.
Sorry so long, thanks for reading!
poster:crabwalk
thread:722168
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/722168.html