# Low Testosterone and New Psychiatrist



## karrilho (Feb 22, 2014)

Hi, everybody!

I'm new to this forum, and I just need someone to hear me. I just want a friendly word from someone x).

I am a 22 year old male from Portugal. My name is João Carrilho, but good luck pronouncing it :3

I have been suffering with anxiety and DP/DR for almost 3 years now. The anxiety has been up and down for me, but the depersonalization is always here. It never got better, not once. I visited a doctor in 2011, sick of feeling like crap, and he made all of the "appropriate" bloodwork, and told me that I was fine, but that I needed psychiatric help. 
The psychiatrist I went to prescribed Zoloft, Risperidone (which was later changed to Invega) and Mexazolam (a really weak benzo) for emergencies. I've been taking these religiously for almost three years. The problem is, I think my previous doctor prescribed me Invega (which is an antypsychotic) because she doesn't understand DP/DR; as you know, it's not schyzophrenia, and it's not a symptom of psychosis. Thanks to a medical mistake I have now developed a slight anhedonia (lack of pleasure in everything). So, to sum up, my symptoms could be divided into three major groups:

1) Classic Anxiety Symptoms, such as panic attacks, somatic body pains, digestive problems, tachycardia etc...

2) DP/DR, maybe caused/worsened by terrible sleeping schedules, and maybe computer overuse

3) Anhedonia, because I've been taking badly prescribed Paliperidone (Invega) for almost three years. It includes sexual dysfunctions and a general lack of pleasure in every activity (including music, which i'm very fond of)

I can easily solve the anhedonia, as soon as I stop taking Paliperidone (Invega). Problem is, I'm having a hard time with the withdrawal symptoms. I hope my new doctor can prescribe a benzo to help with this substitution (or at least make me go back to risperidone, so i can cut the pill gradually, since Invega can't be cut)

Recently I've visited an endocrynologist (a hormone doctor), and I found out I have low testosterone and some other hormonal imbalances (elevated ATCH and elevated 17-OH Progestrone). Hopefully the testosterone therapy will help with my anxiety and DP :3
I'm also going to a new psychiatrist for the second time, hoping to get some better meds. I've heard about these, what do you think:

*Valdoxan* -> An antidepressive that acts like an SSRI, but instead of melatonin, it inhibits the reuptake of melatonin, regulating sleep schedules. I think it would help tremendously with the DP/DR by defeating my Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder.

*Clonazepam + **Lamotrigine + SSRI *-> I have heard this is the best medication for Derealization and depersonalization, and that it has brought relieve to a lot of people suffering from these conditions. I would like to talk about them to my new psychiatrist. What do you think?

I hope you can give an opinion on these :3

I hope you're all feeling great!

Any answer to this would be appreciated,

Thank you so much and lots of love


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