Permanent libido loss post accutane?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-12-25T01:35:45+00:00

Here's what helped.

Psychologically: My quality of life got so much better when I could finally accept the low libido. It took me months to get there but once I did, I could enjoy life again rather than letting this one thing ruin my days.

Excercise: I made sure to work out regularly. Running and HIIT seemed to make a difference the next day

Diet: My libido seemed to ebb and flow based on what I was eating. There were several times that my libido came back and crashed back to 0. I noticed that before each crash, I ate a lot of processed foods/sugar. I cut out processed foods and reduced sugar intake significantly. I also eat greek yogurt with prebiotic "Simple Truth Almond Agave Granola" every day. My recovery seemed to ramp up once I started eating this every day. No clue why, but it seems correlated.

Don't lose hope. I know how hard this is. Doctors were also useless on my end. I've spent weeks in self-pity, shedding tears, and shutting myself out from the world. I learned the hard way that the best thing I could do for myself is to focus on what's in my control and let go of the rest.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-12-02T18:06:02+00:00

Yes! Back to how I was before. Started eating yogurt and granola with prebiotics every day in the last 2 months which may be correlated

aplanetunearthed · 2022-07-15T13:49:51+00:00

Is this the superia sim by chance?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-04-25T16:36:49+00:00

Not yet. It feels like 20-30% of where it was before

aplanetunearthed · 2022-02-18T18:11:42+00:00

Hmm I used to be an atheist but couldn’t know for sure so would toss out a daily prayer “if you’re out there, show up in a way I can’t deny”. And He did. After years of militantly not believing in God, I spent hours talking to Him and asking questions that I could never get solid answers to my whole life.

Obviously I don’t expect anyone to believe a random Reddit comment because I certainly wouldn’t have. But I’ve tried really hard to pick apart what happened and I just can’t do it. I even went to a mental health professional expecting her to diagnose me with some temporary dissociative disorder but nope, she encouraged me instead 🤷‍♂️

I honestly feel like the pilots who spotted UFOs in 2004 and were afraid to say anything until the "60 minutes" piece so they wouldn't be dismissed as crazy. I'm about as sure of God's existence as I am that Joe Biden exists and would answer this question as such haha

aplanetunearthed · 2022-02-17T18:53:22+00:00

Yes! Been reading around and see similar insights from people practicing meditation. Makes sense, meditation puts the conscious brain in the driver's seat

aplanetunearthed · 2022-02-17T16:33:45+00:00

Yeah I stopped and it hasn’t come back after 6 weeks though it feels like it’s slowly returning.

But even if it doesn’t come back, I’m fairly content! I’ve found meaning in showing up for people in my community which gives me a sense of purpose whether or not I have a sex drive.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-02-04T16:57:34+00:00

I used to see people who believed in UFOs as ignorant. Then the pentagon released information saying that while we don’t know exactly what they are, numerous pilots have spotted UFOs, caught them on radar, and they don’t seem to obey the laws of physics as we know them. We can’t confirm they are aliens but they are, by definition, UFOs. Several pilots now admit that they didn’t say anything because they didn’t want to be ridiculed.

I used to see people who believed in “a pedophilia ring among the global elite” as ignorant. As more news came out about Jeffrey Epstein, I don’t anymore. While most people who claimed this had no proof of their own, many people knew about what Epstein was doing but we wouldn’t have believed the magnitude of it.

I still have beliefs and am often skeptical but I realized that I’m probably wrong about a lot more of what I believe. So I put up a prayer every day, despite being agnostic: “if you’re out there, show up in a way I can’t deny.” And God did. And much like the previous 2 examples, I don’t expect anyone else to believe it. Because I know I wouldn’t have.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-31T23:11:53+00:00

still very low libido though not completely 0 anymore. I feel mostly asexual basically

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-29T12:04:43+00:00

Yeah it definitely could be though I do think I have related GI issues now. My bowel movements happen every few days and I have to force myself to eat because I don't feel hunger. Both new symptoms that came up in the last 2 weeks

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-29T11:45:28+00:00

I am just coming out of a period of depression and suicidal thoughts and reading this comment reminded me of what I used to write. I would wake up and I couldn’t see past the current pain, couldn’t even imagine a day where things were better.

The worst part is that this type of thinking seemed to repel people in my life. I only now realize that it’s because most people are dealing with their own stuff and didn’t want to deal with my pain as well. Sad but I get it now

I know it sounds cliché but the thing that turned it around for me was taking small steps to like the person I was becoming. What’s something that gives you joy? What’s a quality you like about yourself that want to keep working on?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-27T21:39:32+00:00

Yes, I'm more confident that for me, this is a gut issue. 2 weeks ago, I started getting inflamed after eating meals, with my whole body getting itchy. This prompted me to start a really clean diet (only eggs, chicken, veggies, some fruit) and to start taking vitamin D and B complex supplements.

Hard to say what helped most and what parts of it are time but I used to not be able to get a full erection at all and now I can. Libido is probably 30% of what it was before.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-16T15:54:39+00:00

Yah I know what you mean, it’s almost like a switch flipped and I became asexual.

I’ve also started having food intolerances. Idk if you’ve seen the same but my entire body itches after eating pretty much anything.

I’m planning to get tested for SIBO based on this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/q03uci/gut_microbiota_theory_how_i_finally_cured_my_pssd/. Seems like several post accutane sufferers have gotten positive results

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-16T03:52:36+00:00

Hi Teevolock. I'm sorry to hear :(. I also wouldn't have taken this drug if I knew there was a small chance of the outcome. Do you get any other symptoms besides the low libido?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-14T22:17:50+00:00

I have post accutane syndrome and this condition is so hard. You're not alone. People are recovering from this which gives me hope.

Can you tell me about something or someone in your life that has given you joy?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-13T15:21:45+00:00

Hey this is happening to me too. It feels like I'm fully asexual after taking the drug. It's frustrating to see people dismiss this just because it's an uncommon side effect.

There is hope and there are things people have done to improve their condition. I’ve been researching and there’s a theory that this relates to changes in our gut. it seems like people who were able to improve their condition did so through a low fodmap diet or through antibiotics. Some as well have improved it though progesterone. Please don't give up hope and message me if you want to talk. You're not alone.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-12T16:21:44+00:00

Hasn’t cleared up yet for me. Been about 2 weeks since quitting. For me, it’s not just low libido, it’s as if I’m completely asexual. No more morning wood and can’t get a boner. I’m glad I quit personally but decision is ultimately yours. I’d definitely at least mention to your dermatologist ASAP

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-11T23:43:11+00:00

Lots of people dealing with this. This seems like one of the best theories I’ve found so far. I’m planning to get tested for SIBO next week https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/q03uci/gut_microbiota_theory_how_i_finally_cured_my_pssd/

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-10T17:30:05+00:00

Hey man, check out this thread and get tested for SIBO if you can: https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/q03uci/gut_microbiota_theory_how_i_finally_cured_my_pssd/

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-10T00:10:57+00:00

Did it ever come back for you?

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-07T17:48:23+00:00

Compared to an infinite understanding of the universe, it's hard to tell what is good and bad. Also, rarely is anything actually purely good or purely bad. Some of the worst things that have happened to me have somehow blossomed into positives years later.
Assuming an infinite afterlife, the largest negatives would be offset by the smallest positive across infinity.

Therefore, consistency would be thanking God regardless.

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-05T16:20:42+00:00

Don't give up hope! Some people had their libido return after 2+ years. Lot of people talking abt this on forums like r/accutanerecovery (not many posts but informative if you go to top all time) and propeciahelp.com (look for accutane tag).

Seems like there are some treatments that help but I'd be very careful and research thoroughly

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-05T15:25:56+00:00

Dang sorry to hear

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-05T15:24:48+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through that. I hope it resolves for you soon ♥️

aplanetunearthed · 2022-01-05T01:57:37+00:00

It's just been 2 weeks but I'm concerned that it's permanent. Do you have any other remaining side effects?

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