UK charity · PFS, PSSD & PAS The patient charity for people harmed by common medicines
- PFS is caused by finasteride (hair loss), PSSD by SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, and PAS by isotretinoin (acne).
- Multisystem, life-changing conditions that can start after the drug is stopped, and can last for years, or a lifetime.
- We fund research, fight for recognition and support the people affected.
Our cause has been covered by
Three drugs. One pattern.
PFS
Finasteride / PropeciaA hair-loss pill. Lasting sexual, cognitive and mood damage.
About PFS →PSSD
SSRIs / AntidepressantsLasting genital numbness and emotional blunting, often after stopping.
About PSSD →PAS
Isotretinoin / AccutaneAn acne drug, mostly given to teenagers. Lasting sexual and psychiatric damage.
About PAS → PFS, PSSD, PAS Registry 580+ people have joined the registry.
Live 580+ people counted so far Each dot is one person Where people are What they live with 580+ people have joined the registry.
Join them.
- Put your condition on the record
- Be first to hear about studies you can join
- Help researchers find people like you
- 3 minutes to sign up
- Information never shared
PFS / PAS / PSSD Summit 2026
In April 2026, Dr. Kenneth Peters held the first medical conference on PFS, PAS and PSSD together. Urologists (doctors for the bladder and sex organs), researchers and patients were in the same room.
From evidence to treatment
- Seven studies at the University of Milan, led by Professor Roberto Melcangi. Two are already published.
- They map what finasteride and SSRIs change in the brain, the nerves and the gut.
- In rats, a substance the body already makes reversed some of the damage. The next step is a trial in people.
- The research is funded by people living with PFS and PSSD. Your donation helps pay for that next step.
Patient stories
All stories → We are not statistics
Patient Stories Amanda's story: 6 years on Lexapro Amanda, a nurse in the United States, was prescribed escitalopram at 22 and took it for 6 years. Read more → 
Patient Stories Andy's story: 13 years after citalopram Andy was prescribed citalopram at 23. He describes symptoms that have lasted more than 13 years and go far beyond sexual dysfunction. Read more → 
Patient Stories Anthony's story: 11 pills of sertraline Anthony took 11 pills of sertraline (Zoloft) for mild insomnia. Within days, he says, he felt emotionally numb. Read more → You do not have to work this out alone
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Reporting a side effect
- Find your regulator’s official form
- What to write, and the MedDRA term to use
- Why every report counts
4private groups
WhatsApp peer support groups
- Small, private groups in your time zone
- United Kingdom · Scandinavia · Benelux, France & Italy · US & Canada
- For people on our registry
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Patient support library
- Guides for PFS and PSSD
- Ways to cope, day to day
- What to bring to an appointment
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Nothing here is medical advice
Do not stop a prescription without speaking to your prescriber. Stopping suddenly carries its own risks. If you are in crisis, the helplines at the foot of this page are answered any hour.