In 2022, he took Paroxetine at a low dose (5 mg daily) for one month to treat insomnia, following a psychologist’s recommendation. During this period, he experienced slight emotional blunting, which led him to discontinue the medication on his own. He was able to quit without difficulty and felt fine for approximately two months afterward. However, he then began to notice a change in how he felt, and over the course of the following week, his condition gradually worsened.
He eventually developed a range of symptoms. These included severe genital numbness—so profound that he could pinch himself and feel almost nothing—alongside a significant loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, and a general reduction in sexual attraction. He also experienced anhedonia, not only in the general sense but specifically toward romantic and sexual stimuli. Emotionally, he reported a loss of romantic feelings altogether. Cognitively, he noticed memory issues and an overall decline in his mental sharpness. Physically, he also dealt with persistent fatigue.
Medical evaluations were carried out to investigate these symptoms. Multiple blood tests revealed no signs of other diseases, and interestingly, his testosterone levels were reported to be very high, around 1000 ng/dL. A brain MRI was also performed, which returned normal results.
About one year after the onset of symptoms, he underwent surgery for a testicular varicocele under local anesthesia. To his surprise, once the anesthesia wore off, he noticed an overall improvement, especially in terms of reduced genital numbness.
Months later, another unexpected event occurred: after using a hair gel that contained estrogen, he experienced a sudden and noticeable shift in his condition. Following this incident, he began to have what he describes as “windows”—periods where his symptoms would temporarily improve, suggesting intermittent recovery or partial return of function.
Note: Be very cautious in experimenting with any drug, treatment or medical procedure. Do proper research and be aware of the risks. Many have gotten worse by experimenting. Experimenting may result in death.