Paxil and Testosterone

[NYTerp]

Does anyone know if SSRIs like Paxil alter one's hormones?? I truly believe that after 6 years of Paxil use, starting at the ripe age of 20, left me with lowered testosterone levels and messed me up hormonally. When I quit Paxil last June, I had my Tesosterone level checked and it was 428 (out of a range of 250-1100). This fell under the "normal range" but I had levels of that of an 80 year old for someone who was 26. Granted I could function for the most part OK but had low libido, depression, energy levels weren't great. These are also symptoms of low testosterone! My doctor and endo thought nothing of it and said I was fine.

I'm now 27, have very little body/facial hair, and can barely grow a beard. When I began losing hair on my scalp last winter I stupidly took Saw Palmetto extract for 9 days, When I stopped, it caused countless problems that still persist to this day despite stopping back in Februrary and I'm in worse shape than I ever was on or before Paxil. I even have less body hair, especially on my legs. Had I known that my T was that low I would've never touched the stuff (but I also made the mistake of using the extract), but it just shows how uninformed some doctors are about hormones.

Had I not taken Saw Palmetto extract, which interferes with Testosterone production, I would be back to normal, but since Paxil gave me T levels of an 80 year old, it made me more prone to the dangers of SPE which has caused me months of misery. Had I had normal levels of Testosterone, I probably wouldn't be posting how I messed up my life by using what is supposedly a safe herbal supplement.

My urologist prescribed Clomid which stiumlates the pituitary and raises FH and LSH, which in turn produces more Testosterone. I'll start that next week and take it for a few weeks and see if it helps (it's not TRT which is lifelong and shuts down your body's natural production of testosterone). I should've never touched SPE and should've used something to increase my T-levels from the start, but I had no idea low-T was cauisng all these problems (before SPE). It's too late now of course, but had I known that my T-levels were lowish even if they fell under the normal range, a lot of things would be different. It helps explain why I've been practically libido-less since starting Paxil and how it could've messed up my development since I took it at the hormonally ripe age of 20. I just don't have nor have I really had that "alpha-male" feeling.

[new dude 1985]

yes studies have shown paxil to lower T levels. I felt the signs of increased T levels after getting off. it was slow and gradually and helps when you're not depressed. What did help was that i lowered my carb intake and increased my fat / chesterol intake.