Hi CD552, how did it go ? Did you solve your issue ? I have same exact symptoms as yours.
Okay so quick update for anyone reading. Called up my gp to tell them about some other problem I had (intamacy issues) and he said the psychosexual clinic would sort it out. He also said the same clinic would help me with any other sexual issue (i.e. this) and of course there's still the drug and alcohol service. I had actually partly forgotten about this and it had improved a bit after taking Royal jelly and something else (forgot the name) but it still remains and honestly without a total "brain reboot" this may not improve.
My gp still made a note in my records that it may be mood relate, I know for a fact it isn't, and I know or have read about other people with numb genitals who have been told by urologists that it's all in your head or not real, which makes me feel worse.
Still, this clinic is apparently good and even deals with ED (which I don't have) so thank God there are services out there. I just wait.now until the pandemic ends.
Sounds like you're on the right track, CD. Patience is the key right now & it seems like you're coming to terms with it yourself. Glad to know that you've made some positive changes, just be a little careful w/ vaping. As I'm sure you're aware, there've been a number of stories in the news about the dangers of vaping for those who over-indulge. It's ironic, because many who gave up smoking (which is good) thought they were doing something positive, then overdid it w/ vaping & got into trouble. Prbly OK in moderation, just don't overdo it...
Also, be careful w/ the Lithium Orotate - use that in moderation, very low dose to avoid side effects, and please let your Dr. know you're taking it.
And yes - once this Coronavirus thing is under control, I think you should definitely seek the help w/ male sexual issues. I have a pretty good feeling you'll be back to normal (or close to it) fairly soon. Best wishes & I know you'll update us - hopefully your next posting will have some good news to report...
Wow, sorry to hear you’re still experiencing all these issues. Keep in mind that the anti-depressants themselves can sometimes cause odd thoughts, suicidal thoughts, and sexual difficulties, so it’s possible that’s part of the issue.
At this point, with all you’ve been thru, I’m starting to think the best course of action is to just get off EVERYTHING - no stimulants, no anti-depressants, eliminate alcohol or at least limit it to just a cpl drinks a week, and get into some type of physical activity - working out or playing a sport that gets the blood flowing, and of course, eating a good balanced diet with adequate (but not excessive) protein, moderate fats & carbs, and then just give it a cpl months. I think your body just needs to kind of ‘reset’ itself.
As for hearing your friends talk about their sex lives, I can understand where you’re coming from. I went for a period with no girlfriend & felt like everyone but ME was having all this great sex - but remember, a lot of what ppl say is kind of bragging, they want others to think evthg’s great & they’re having all this fun, but often it’s not as great as they’re portraying!
Right now it might not be the best thing to jump into a relationship anyway, until you’ve had a chance to sort things out in your own life. Relationships can be great in the beginners, but over time, as prblms develop, they can actually be fairly stressful, and adding stress in your life right now sounds like the last thing you need. So basically, try to focus on getting your body & mind as healthy as possible & hopefully some of these issues will resolve as things begin to normalize for you. Good luck!
Hi again, just a quick note to say lately I've had to delay the appointment for something else, lately though I've been struggling, often times I can't even feel my d*ck and not feeling much there, almost no feeling, or any orgasm in almost 7 months is bringing me down, ya can only keep yourself sane with other things and hobbies before it starts to grind on your psyche, and life sucks oy numbness now. Wondering why it seems to be getting worse before it gets better, wondering bif there may be a second problem. If the zyban doesn't work, only some supplement ideas might make it better, take caution to overamping, there will be regrets.
"Glad you updated us on this issue - often ppl come here for advice, we do our best to offer help, but then we never hear back. It’s helpful for both other readers & for those giving advice to get some ‘feedback’, which might help all of us going forward... "
Fairs. Yep, it's been months now, nearly half a year and time has flown like nothing. Thinking about it, it's probably not my prostate, as I've actually tried a prostate massage (sort of) and still felt something, I can also precum/my prostate can leak fluids. Been bothering me a lot lately, little enjoyment out of most things, including booze, and of course I haven't really felt an orgasm since months ago and when I do cum (no issues with that thankfully) I actually feel down afterwards, yep, definitely chemical related.
Life just doesn't feel right even though I know it's temporary, not going to lie -- because of the way I am it impacts my self-esteem as well, don't even really want to open up about how much it make me feel to anyone IRL either, partly due to not wanting to seem whiny, and also because it bothers others as well. When I was telling the cardiologist about it (who considered it may be due to cardio issues naturally) he seemed like he was getting vicariously upset by me just talking about it; hate keeping issues like this to myself but it seems I have little choice besides here and my GP.
I seriously doubt anyone likes feeling like they have permanently flucked themselves up, but it gets to me more than others I think :(
Now that I know it's dopamine related, I've been kinda tempted to use a stronger stimulant (in a failed attempt) to get back to normal feelings, like methamphetamine or something lol (I'm not actually laughing), course I'm not going to do that because I'm wise enough to know this is a route many have gone down and not returned from.
Gonna call up my GP on Monday and ask for Zyban (UK Wellbutrin), if they won't give me it (they had offered an antidepressant before but an SSRI not something dopamine related) that's basically patient neglect.
Thanks for the reassuring words and excellent advice on this page. If I ever get out of this I'll probably write a small journal entry online about being cautious about using this in the future for others, not like "drugs are bad m'kay" but just to be careful, lot of people link stims to stints in their hearts but not many consider anhedonia, least not off one single overdose.
I’d just like to add a cpl add’l thoughts here - I think we’re all kind of on the same track thinking about this. But I’m thinking giving up drinking for 2 wks might not be enuf time to see improvement. I would try to stop (or at least cut WAY back) for a month or longer. All these various drugs can impact your ability to experience pleasure.
Also, you mentioned prostate issues. Is that still smthg that bothers you? I can personally attest to the fact that anything that nesses up that area of functioning can have an impact. If you have prostatitis (very common even for younger guys), that can cause a decrease in sensation & pleasure...
So it sounds like there are actually multiple factors - the drug use, alcohol, porn & prostate prblms - that could all be having an effect. Try to get all these issues under control & I think you’ll see some improvement. Also, Wellbutrin would definitely be the drug of choice, it’s known to have fewer sexual side-effects & in some cases, might actually help a bit.
Glad you updated us on this issue - often ppl come here for advice, we do our best to offer help, but then we never hear back. It’s helpful for both other readers & for those giving advice to get some ‘feedback’, which might help all of us going forward...
Don't think anyone is following this thread, but here's a reply. Keep it short, went to my GP and said there's probably nothing wrong with my **** it's more to do with my brain, the amphetamine overdose is on my record (he wasn't judgy about it) and we both agreed it may be most likely dopamine, possibly serotonin related. Asked me to consider contacting my local mental health service to see if I could get an antidepressant (could be dopamine or serotonin related) prescribed, but warned of the risks of paradoxical erectile dysfunction, and to be honest I don't know how long I would need to take it to re balance dopamine, and even then, would it return shortly after stopping? To my limited knowledge, I'm thinking maybe wellbrutin may help:
"It is very uncommon that a neurological examination and blood tests can determine the cause of a specific case of sexual anhedonia. Patients may be prescribed sustained-release bupropion to aid in treatment, which has been shown to relieve sexual dysfunction even in patients without depression" (which I don't have). Might be the only shot along with cutting back on drinking, porn, nicotine, and taking l-tyrosine. Looks like I'm on my own with this, any advice?
GuitarRox may have a point about ‘backing off’ a bit & see if that helps. From my perspective, yes, the prostate IS part of the male sexual apparatus & if anything is outta whack there, it could affect pleasure. I was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer, had surgery to remove it 14 mos ago & now trying to regain function. I can still have orgasms but it feels like smthg’s missing - the prostate & its fluids are gone & I feel like that may be interfering w/ the sensation somewhat. Also, when I got into my 50s I was starting to have some prostate issues (unrelated to the cancer later on) & whenever that flared up, I did notice that the pleasure was reduced & there were times when I’d ejaculate but didn’t feel much pleasure, so that could be part of it.
Also, you mention the use of amphetamines - that can definitely interfere w/ the natural amount of dopamine & might also deplete serotonin, so that could be a factor too. I would indeed mention this to your Dr. - it’s always best to let them know if there’s anything you’re doing that could contribute to the prblm. Just like if you took your car to the mechanic but failed to tell them smthg that might be contributing to the issue, you cdn’t necessarily expect them to diagnose the prblm properly...
Overall, I’d say you’re on the right track w/ your thinking. Good luck & please let us know how it turns out...
You sound very smart. I appreciate how you wrote this, very factual and informative and clearly you know a lot about your body. I'm thinking I'd go with a simple solution to try. Stop masturbating for a period of time. Believe it or not, we can do that so much that we do begin to lose sensation and ability. We get 'desensitized'. When you ask what I think the cause is, I'm thinking it is simply masturbating to the point that you've lost some sensation. I'd give that a rest and try again down the road. I know it's hard. But worth a shot.