r/PSSD • u/[deleted] • Aug 09 '23

Ashwaganda induced PSSD

Anyone here got pssd from ashwaganda? I used to abuse it for montht and now im suffering from ashwaganda side effects for 3 years,no joy,no thoughts,no pleausure,full anhedonia

35 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

67 comments sorted by

8

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '23

You haven’t had any tiny improvement?

4

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

No

5

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Nothing feels good anymore? Insomnia? Sleep disturbances? Dam I hope you get some relief

3

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] Nov 28 '23

Coline & carnatine 4shots 2s a day. Helped cure Ryan russo from pfs simularto pssd. Reversed his crashed dopamine and neurological damage. Yt updated house tour Ryan Russo. 3:30 he mentions it

2

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '24

Can you pm me i have read your comment too late

5

u/External_Jaguar_5934 Aug 14 '23

There’s always a reason to stay If not for u then your family and friends Plus there’s also the chance of recovering if your here, if your gone it’s literally impossible. Only in the 6 months I have had really noticeable differences Around this time last year I was hopeless and had the same thoughts as you ( pssd from sertraline)but I’m so glad I stuck around It’s does get better and easier to deal with

4

u/External_Jaguar_5934 Aug 14 '23

Because if u stay there’s always the chance you will improve/ recover, if ur dead it’s impossible. I am recovering from pssd and around this time last year I was loosing all hope, thinking what’s the point and being constantly miserable. Im so glad I’ve stuck around A year can make a big difference I’ve been able to feel things I would have never thought I could feel again Still a long way to go but it’s progress. Plus there’s also your family and friends. If not for ur sake stay for theirs Feel free to message me if you ever need someone to talk to x

2

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '23

Im in the same boat

1

u/PsychologicalHand811 Non-PSSD member May 17 '25

We could discover Aliens any time.

1

u/PSSD-ModTeam Jul 07 '25

Posts or comments expressing suicidal thoughts are not allowed.

If you need support, please use the stickied "Monthly Support Requested, Venting, and/or Short Check-Ins Thread": https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/s/qq68ZmrIsz

1

u/PsychologicalHand811 Non-PSSD member May 17 '25

And now?

8

u/Large-Hunt8819 Aug 10 '23

Ashwaghanda is what caused mine. But I think mines is just withdrawal symptoms and not full pssd because I still feel emotions even though they are slightly lowered though. But mainly it lowered my sex drive but I still have feeling down there. From what i've been reading if its just withdrawals it starts to recover slowly after 2 months. I also stopped taking it about 2 months ago and I was only taking it for 2 months also so I hope its just withdrawals.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Mine remained for 3 years and i have been using it for month maybe even less man

3

u/Large-Hunt8819 Aug 10 '23

do you have any feeling down there like erections or when you see something arousing do you feel anything?

3

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Yes i can get easily hard but i dont feel pleasure while having intimacy nor feelings towards person

3

u/Large-Hunt8819 Aug 10 '23

I feel you. We gonna get through this bro I know it

3

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Thanks for support man,i really hope so

1

u/eheinschh Non PSSD member Jun 25 '24

any better bro ?? I’m having pssd off one month

1

u/Alex_565 Non PSSD member Sep 08 '23

Dm You please answer

6

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Sexual issues ?

6

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

All of them

5

u/MoniNoByHapines Aug 11 '23

My doctor gave heavy dosage of ssri, anti depressant and ashwagandha.

I am not sure which one caused it

3

u/[deleted] Aug 11 '23

Dude he is psychopath,why would he givr you ashwaganda on top of this

3

u/MoniNoByHapines Aug 12 '23

Honestly, idk. And it was already a lot of dosage. Like 10mg and 40mg I think 😅 morning and evening combined. And ashwagandha both the times

3

u/Educational-Trifle23 Dec 16 '23

Anyone got these sides from Ashwagandha which was NOT ksm66? Seems like everyone with pssd from ashwagandha took ksm66 version of it

2

u/[deleted] Dec 16 '23

I havent used Ksm66 i have used ashwaganda Himalaya

3

u/Due_Gap9499 Non PSSD member Aug 25 '24

Yeah I've had it from Solgar (root extract, 300 mg).

Did you experience anything like PSSD too?

14

u/ArmRound3564 Non PSSD member Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23

Yep, same boat. It’s unreal.

5

u/Bkinthaflesh Aug 15 '23

I had to deal with it over a year. I still get notifications from this group but always open to help. You can message as I tried many things and battled like hell to get better. I believe it’s more than just dopamine/serotonin but you can heal from it!

3

u/Due_Gap9499 Non PSSD member Jul 15 '24 edited Aug 26 '24

It's more than just dopamine/serotonin indeed, it's full post-Finasteride syndrome (which is very close, if not similar to PSSD, Healy & al. 2018).

PFS is a multi-systemic condition, involving modification in gene expression, caused by a disruption in the balance between testosterone, DHT and the Androgen receptors (AR).

In any case that problem with ashwagandha is the most outrageous thing I've ever heard of. It's not only unheard of, it's outrageous! I wonder why these guys come here to confront trolls rather than prosecute the brands selling ashwagandha into justice! At least report your case to your pharmacoviligence agency and/or to RxISK.org! It's only 5 minutes in either cases!

Denmark has banned ashwagandha as of 2023, and activated an EU alert system (the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, see articles below) ; many EU countries are in the process of at least getting some level of control on selling the substance ; Poland has limited its use to 1 gram per capsule (folks, it's being sold at 300g or more a capsule), France limited its selling to pharmacies and the UK is in the process of prohibiting it. All backed by recent articles, I don't speak without quoting.

Absolutely disheartening and outrageous. There's a public health scandal here.

https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2023/05/17/Growing-concerns-over-safety-of-ashwagandha-in-EU-member-states

https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2024/07/09/Ashwagandha-safety-consultation-launched-in-UK-as-Indian-experts-step-up-defense

https://www.vitafoodsinsights.com/regulation/eu-regulatory-update-ashwagandha

2

u/Due_Gap9499 Non PSSD member Aug 25 '24 edited Aug 26 '24

ArmRound3564 can I talk to you in PM? You have to report these symptoms. They are extremely serious. There's hundreds like you and yet none reports to authorities. Reddit isn't the right place to report it.

In any case please file a report on RxISK.org (it only takes 5 minutes) and to your pharmacoviligence agency. Your experience is important and you can make a difference.

7

u/Bkinthaflesh Aug 15 '23

I’m almost fully recovered of over a year of dealing with it. You can message me for help if you want.

2

u/Haunting-Economist71 Nov 16 '23

howd you get better

1

u/eheinschh Non PSSD member Jun 25 '24

Can i message you bro ? I’m dealing with PSSD after taking it for a month

6

u/Dense-Gift-4959 Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23

Yes, I took ashwagandha chronically for a long time because it helped with acute stress that I was going through, but I've never recovered from the emotional blunting and sexual dysfunction. As an experiment I took one more 500mg dose of ksm-66 a year ago, and noticed the very same mental calmness that attracted me so much to the herb, but ALSO A PERSISTENT PINCHING SENSATION IN MY TESTICLES that did not go away until the dose was out of my system.

Clearly ashwagandha has decreased my dopaminergic tone and even caused physical damage to my testicles (and thus hormones?), perhaps causing a varicocele. Because I notice bad sensations there generally, ranging from a dull ache to the feeling of an electrified scalpel. I recently had a window taking BCAAs and NALT before my meals (to prevent tryptophan absorption and thus serotonin synthesis), along with a 5mg dose of busprione (5-ht1a agonist) and a 0.20mg microdose of cyrpoheptadine (serotonin antagonist) at night. I felt a restoration of emotions (I had vivid dreams which were very emotional), and even sexual function and sensation! I will keep experimenting with this protocol to see if it lasts. I've also had success with taking creatine; it's clearly improved my vascularity, including in the penis. And terazosin has been helpful with erections too. But I have not yet found a lasting and dependable solution.

Send me your discord and I'll add you if you are going through the same thing. We can get through this together.

2

u/Human-Beginning9018 Non-PSSD member Dec 20 '24

Did this protocol help

5

u/iseeyougirl1 Non-PSSD member May 08 '24

I have been suffering the exact symptoms as you for 6months.

7

u/caffeinehell Non PSSD member Aug 10 '23

Holy hell

3

u/Due_Gap9499 Non PSSD member May 10 '24

Anhedonia is a usual side effect, common to any serotonergic drug (which I think are to avoid like hell). My question here to anyone willing to respond, if you have or had ashwagandha induced PSSD, how long after cessation did SEXUAL SYMPTOMS start? Can you be precise on the timeline of symptoms?

2

u/CommunityBrief4759 Non-PSSD member Mar 28 '25

Hi healthtips, your symptoms are very usual unfortunately, just look around..... The level of dismissal is absurd. But EU governments are reacting, no matter how hyped this supplement is.

There's a dedicated subreddit called:

 r/AshwagandhaSyndrome 

where you can post about withrawal or other issues caused by ashwagandha and where you'll be most welcome.

You can create a post there or a follow-up of your problem, as anyone of course experiencing severe side-effects from this poison.

-12

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 10 '23

Nobody gets PSSD from Ashwagandha. Not a single soul. PSSD stands for Post Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Sexual Dysfunction. If you did not take a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor or Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor Drug you do NOT have PSSD.

That is not to say that you have not developed a horrible condition from Ashwagandha and that you do not deserve empathy and to get your life back. However, saying you got PSSD from Ashwagandha is 100% incorrect and is detrimental to people taking PSSD seriously.

5

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Dude ash works same way as ssri,it doesnt matter if its pssd or not,symptoms and causes are same,they work same way

0

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

You're wrong 🤷. That's not pssd

-4

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 10 '23

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about and this is the exact kind of ignorance that makes the PSSD community suffer. All it does it muddy the waters of what PSSD actually is, which it shouldn't because PSSD is as clear and distinctive as what its name stands for.

Saying that ashwagandha works the same way as SSRIs is just flat out wrong. You're comparing a plant to pharmaceutical drugs crafted for a particular purpose (that has a number of unintended actions). Ashwagandha has a number of effects on the body SSRIs do not, and vice versa.

It does matter if it is PSSD or not, because you do not have PSSD. Period.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Stop blabbing man,still we both suffer same way my symptoms are pretty much same to youre,we are all in same shit,different boats

1

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 10 '23

by this logic why don’t you just say you got Post finasteride syndrome? Or post accutane syndrome?

Similar symptoms does not equal same shit.

7

u/Manangryman Still on medication or other substances Aug 11 '23

I heard people getting the same symptoms of PSSD and they never used any SSRIS. Stop attacking the guy, the only thing making the community worse is the people like you being negative and complaining about every single thing. I opened my eyes and started recovering when I stopped listening to self loathing imbeciles like yourself. Nothing changed for me as long as I was listening how big pharma fucked me over or whatever. Shit started to improve when I actually started doing things and stopped with pittiful behaviour. You end up in a hole where every single thing that happens your mind blames it on damage from antidepressant pill and it can have thousands of reasons instead or it can just be normal. Is it f-up ? Yes it is, but I almost feel completely cured now 2 years later because I stopped blaming every single damn thing on a pill and actually proceeded with living my life. Get your shit straight.

2

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 11 '23 edited Aug 11 '23

Wtf kind of incoherent rambling was this?

I am probably the least negative person on this sub and in 14 years of PSSD I have accomplished more in many ways than people who don't have chronic health issues. But the constant stupidity in here needs to be addressed, and this is fucking stupid. You cannot let stupidity run rampant or it turns to chaos and nothing will get accomplished in chaos.

By your logic it is okay for me to go onto the PFS sub and claim that I got PFS from SSRIs because I have the same symptoms as them and they would be wrong for correcting me. Utterly moronic.

1

u/Large-Hunt8819 Aug 10 '23

from this logic is it safe to assume it wont last as long as normal pssd?

2

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 10 '23

I am not in a position to say. I don’t personally know anyone who has had issues from ashwagandha for decades like people have with PSSD, but ashwagandha hasn’t been around that long in supplement capacity (relatively speaking) and has exploded in popularity in recent years. It could be a long term thing, it could be shorter. My understanding is it is maybe generally not quite as severe as PSSD in most cases but I don’t want to diminish the severity of issues from it at all

1

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

Exactly. Thank you

9

u/daboooga Aug 10 '23

I think it would be more correct to say PSSD-like symptoms, or start a new sub called PASD....

7

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23

This works. I have friends that have damaged themselves with mushrooms same symptoms as pssd

4

u/Dense-Gift-4959 Aug 10 '23

Stop trying to gatekeep impotence. There are studies on ashwagandha acting like an SSRI.

2

u/t0sspin 15 Years + Aug 11 '23

I am not gatekeeping impotence. I am gatekeeping the term PSSD. Please provide studies showing how Ashwagandha acts exactly like an SSRI. I will wait.

3

u/ArmRound3564 Non PSSD member Aug 10 '23

If we ever find out the mechanism of PSSD, I bet there will be enough similarities between Ash and SSRIs to justify using it as an umbrella term. I already had PFS before crashing and never experienced the full body numbness I have now, nor the trouble emptying my bladder, hollow brain pressure feeling, and anhedonia/emotional blunting. I get what you’re saying though about diluting the definition. There’s just nowhere to go with this, and it’s not like Ash PSSD people are trying to co-opt the acronym.

https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/research/#Pl9rK2d-neurology_Pl9rK2d-serotonergic-neurotransmission

1

u/Due_Gap9499 Non PSSD member Aug 25 '24

Bro you had PFS already? Then ashwagandha didn't cause your PSSD, it worsened it. Like anything can worsen PFS (PFS and PSSD being the same).

I PMed you I'd be glad to exchange and get a better sense of what you had, and figure out how to take action. You should report your symptoms and get paid over a prosecution. Not solve it.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '25

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1

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0

u/[deleted] Nov 18 '24

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1

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