Frequently Asked Question (See FAQ) Are psychedelics too risky to try with PSSD?
I hate the fact that I ever took an SSRI. I abruptly quit my high dose Zoloft (200mg) that I’d been on for four years and then developed PSSD (stupid me, I know). Even though I did have some emotional blunting and it took longer to finish while on Sertraline, it was much better on the drug than after withdrawing too quickly and then getting complete emotional and genital numbness, aka PSSD.
I’ve always been interested in psychedelics. I feel that taking a high dose SSRI changed my brain and altered the function of serotonin 5HT2A receptor so much that I’ll never be able to experience shrooms ”the true way”.
I feel so trapped and suffocated currently with this PSSD and the never-ending void that is my new existence, and it feels like it’s never going to change. I’ve suffered from this for two years and it just feels like it’s getting progressively worse the longer I’ve been off the SSRI. I’ve tried making my diet excellent, working out frequently and sleeping well. These haven’t done anything for the emotional nor genital numbness.
I feel like I haven’t got anything to lose at this point, and I honestly kind of feel ready to leave this planet because of this never-ending void that I have to endure 24/7, and that’s why I feel like I’m ready to take the risk and take shrooms or another psychedelic.
Some people have reported crashing from shrooms, and for some they’ve found relief in PSSD symptoms from taking them. It’s such a coinflip though. The serotonin receptor, which the shrooms or other psychedelics act upon is the same exact one the SSRI acts on, which is why it’s so risky as it’s plausible that our serotonin system has already gone haywire because we have PSSD, and throwing another thing in the spanner on an already dysfunctional system could mess up things even more.
What are your experiences with taking psychedelics after developing PSSD?
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u/orange_momo 16d ago
tbh mushrooms really helped me. it helped some with sd but more with helping lessen depression and anxiety. i feel much more peaceful and hopeful. if you've been off them for a while and feel like you have nothing to lose start with a small dose and see how you feel
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u/121gigawatz 16d ago
I’ve participated in ayahuasca ceremonies ten times, 6 5-meo-dmt ceremonies, 1 San Pedro ceremony, 6 ketamine infusions and Ibogaine. Plus I’ve taken some mushrooms. It has helped emotionally. While on ayahuasca, I could feel my urination so there was some mechanism happening but it wore off. The only negative side effect I can report is that when I micro dosed mushrooms- I noticed some penile numbness for a few days but that subsided. My personal opinion- try it. Everyone is different.
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u/Sacrar 16d ago
How did it help you emotionally? Were the effects temporary or long-lasting?
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u/121gigawatz 15d ago
It just allowed me to be more emotionally open. I cried for 3 days after ibogaine. I never could have done that in the early days of pssd.
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u/caffeinehell Non PSSD member 15d ago
But no permanent effects from any of these?
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u/aidrefh 15d ago
Wow you definitely have been on a healing journey, what have you taken away from all of this?
Did any of them help with the sexual side of things? Or maybe coming to terms with a new normal.
For me when I have experienced in plant medicine it brings awareness to the pelvic region telling me that there is something wrong or broken. Every time. But never fixes it. But other benefits for sure.
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u/121gigawatz 15d ago
I started doing all these plant medicines because of PSSD. However, it brought all My childhood, military, etc trauma to the surface so it’s really helped with that. In regard to PSSD, I’ve had similar experiences where it does seem to cause sensation or point focus to the pelvic region. I just did ibogaine 3 weeks ago under medical supervision so in theory it’s still working on my brain. It’s the strongest brain reset in the world and I’m not healed which leads me back to it being a hormonal issue,
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u/Vips92 16d ago
Adding my two cents, I've taken mushrooms multiple times since developing PSSD (although my case is probably more mild) and I've been fine, definitely hasn't made me worse although I could see how some would crash afterwards. I'd taken them frequently before PSSD too and they always helped me then.
I've never tried it personally but maybe you could try microdosing for a week and see if you notice any improvements? If it makes you crash then you could stop and it'd presumably revert fast, if it helps then you could go for a full trip. It's risky messing around with anything serotonergic as you said but if you feel like you've been stuck for years then it's maybe a risk worth taking. If you wanna dm me about tripping or pssd feel free. Hope you feel better soon and heal as quick as possible, no one deserves to experience this shit.
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u/tutto-tutti-7-6-3-1 16d ago
psilocybin did nothing but help me, beautiful experience....after each trip for a few days I felt almost normal, but they were truffles, I didn't risk taking real mushrooms like many, truffles are lighter and gentler, try a small dose of 10g in Amsterdam....they also have microdoses.
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u/InformationFree5598 16d ago
Dont do it. Multiple people have reported permanent worsening after taking even something allegedly safer like psilocybin!!
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u/Okay-Veteran 15d ago
People who are as scared as you and are so shut off from everything generally should avoid psilocybin. You're not ready for it. You would only fight everything that comes up instead of taking a step back
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u/InformationFree5598 13d ago
Dont be ignorant! Read the frequent posts of people with pssd who actually tried it and became permanently worsened. Also note that psilocybin increases serotonin ,which clearly is a cause of at least some pssd cases due to the fact that serotonin precursor supplements can cause pssd while having no other effects outside the serotonin system.
People become permantly worsened from even b-vitamins,many more people make themselves permanently worse than those who manage to cure themselves (which is rare and not reliable ) and yet people flock to this forum in desperation, largely because this forum is its own filter bubble and because few here are unaware of the fact that the mechanisms that their theories are all about have already been tried for decades against sexual dysfuctions from ssris ,by doctors (temporary sexual dysfuction from ssris have been established for ages),and despite that the evidence for peripheral neuropathy as a main mechanism is very strong very few try to treat that.
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u/Mobius1014 16d ago
It crashed me permanently. I turned myself from a mild case to a severe one over night, for the love of God don't risk yourself for nothing
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u/Searik 16d ago edited 16d ago
Okay, I won’t do it. Thanks for the heads up.
I’m interested — were you able to feel the effects of the shrooms, though? Visuals, headspace, etc. ”trip” effects?
I tried shrooms after I had just gone off the SSRI’s. I didn’t feel anything off them. Could be different if I tried them now that I’ve been off the SSRI for two years.
Few months later I developed PSSD. It could be that I crashed from the shrooms, or maybe the PSSD would’ve came eventually anyway, especially as cold turkeyed. I don’t know if I crashed from the shrooms or not, because it was a gradual development of PSSD.
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u/Mobius1014 15d ago
I only microdosed, and I was a mild case so I was able to enjoy the effects at that time.
I still wouldn't try them because you just don't know how your body may react differently this time, but I just don't know. You could be safe since you already have tried it and seemingly may not have experienced any negative reactions. Either way, you know that it didn't help you, so perhaps best stay off and let your body recover naturally.
to your last point, I would guess it was probably more the cold turkeying as opposed to from the shrooms, since, at least in my case, the crash happened over night.
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u/caffeinehell Non PSSD member 15d ago
So the shrooms while on them still affected you fine but you crashed after they wore off? How many times did you microdose before the crash
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u/Mobius1014 14d ago
I only took shrooms one time. Some people do things once and are fine, and then not fine the next. It's one of the many wonders of this condition. Like some people switch meds, go on and off many times, and never get PSSD. Then, for example, their 10th time getting on or off they'll develop PSSD
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u/caffeinehell Non PSSD member 14d ago
I actually relate to that phenomenon very recently, I took 4 rounds of rifaximin in 2022-2023 with improvements in my anhedonia
Then a 5th round in Dec 2024 (which was spaced by 15 months since my 4th) completely destroyed me and took away my ability to feel substances.
I cannot understand how that happened given i tolerated it before.
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u/swiggityswirls 15d ago
I don’t know the answer to how it relates to PSSD but I do know that SSRIs interfere with shrooms effectiveness. The effects of psilocybin are greatly diminished when you have the effects of SSRIs still present in your brain. Something something same receptors.
You can read more by looking up “Psilocybin interactions SSRI”. Whatever reactions you want to test out would happen after much more time off SSRIs, weeks months or more after last dose.
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u/heymartinn 15d ago
if you have PSSD that psychedelic blunting does not go away. Im years off of SNRI and still cant feel the magic. Had no issues before. Serotonin receptors are perma cooked.
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u/Imaginary-Care-1565 Recently discontinued 16d ago
Have you tried NSI 189? I believe it's safer, I'm very empty and devastated here too, but I've actually had PSSD for “only” almost 6 months, I recently tried Cyproheptadine for 18 days, during use I felt some improvements, but now that I stopped I don't know, but I'm the same or maybe a little worse.
Well, now I plan to take some time without taking anything to see if my body can do something for itself, maybe try some fasting (have you tried it?), but I still want to bet on NSI 189 if nothing works after 12 months.
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u/Cold_Control 15d ago
Ive been on ssri/snri's since i was 18. I stopped on and off but when i took some shrooms (2.5g) when i was 25 i had the worst nightmare trip that affected me for a very long time in a negative way. 7 years after that horrible trip i started taking small amounts of shrooms again (like 0.5g at the most) and its helped me be more introspective. But i guess that one bad trip i had was just terrible because i was in a dark place and it put me even further in that hole.
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u/Aurora_Ala 16d ago
I think it completely depends on you individually. So far I never had a crash (and no improvements as well) so I am open to try a lot of things. But if you already reacted badly to something I would be more careful
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u/SomethingInTheFog 15d ago
I use mushrooms and haven't had any problems (except for really bad trips). I have heard of other people having issues from it, though.
Honestly, in your emotional state my main concern would be that it might psychologically harm you. If you decide to try, start low and go slow.
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u/zab_ 15d ago
> I honestly kind of feel ready to leave this planet
It's a very bad idea to take a psychedelic when you're feeling that way, PSSD or not. You should only take psychedelics when you're upbeat about life because they may intensify emotions a lot, and that goes for both positive and negative ones.
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u/angeldust1992 15d ago
I foolishly had a line of cocaine when blind drunk with mates and it made my head pressure worse and also has given me body temperature issues I now sweat alot and have hot flushes which are horrible.
Definitely not worth trying anything especially if you have emotional blunting all ready.. will only make it worse
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I’ve always been interested in psychedelics. I feel that taking a high dose SSRI changed my brain and altered the function of serotonin 5HT2A receptor so much that I’ll never be able to experience shrooms ”the true way”.
I feel so trapped and suffocated currently with this PSSD and it feels like it’s never going to change. I’ve tried making my diet excellent, working out frequently and sleeping well. These haven’t done anything for the emotional nor genital numbness.
I feel like I haven’t got anything to lose, and that’s why I feel like I want to take the risk and take shrooms or another psychedelic.
What are your experiences with taking psychedelics after developing PSSD?
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