PSSD, exercise and diet: what can help?

Hoping exercise or a change in diet might ease PSSD? No exercise plan or diet has been tested as a treatment for post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), a condition that can last after stopping an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant. Gentle, regular activity and ordinary healthy eating may still help how you feel day to day, as long as you start slowly and watch how your body responds.

The UK leaflet for Cipralex (escitalopram) says sexual problems have, in some cases, “continued after stopping treatment”. Looking after your body doesn’t change that warning. It can make the days easier while you wait for better answers.

So what does the research say, and where can you safely start?

Is there any research on exercise or diet for PSSD?

No. We found no study testing exercise or diet for PSSD. The 2022 criteria paper says research so far “has failed to lead to any treatment options”.

So everything below is general health advice plus what patients in our community tell us. Anyone selling a “PSSD protocol” is selling something nobody has tested.

PSSD is more than sexual problems. The 2022 criteria describe a lasting change in genital sensation, often numbness, and also emotional numbing, problems with cognition and changes in other senses. Exercise and food won’t fix that. They’re among the few things you control.

What we do know is that activity and food matter for general health, sleep and mood. Those are worth protecting while you live with a condition nobody can yet treat.

How much exercise is safe with PSSD?

Start well below what you think you can do. Many people in our peer groups say hard workouts left them more tired or flatter for days, while short walks felt fine. Others found exercise helped. Nobody can predict which you’ll be.

The NHS activity guidelines suggest adults aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Treat that as a far-off goal. Don’t start there. The same page says to “speak to your GP first if you have not exercised for some time”.

• Begin small: a 10-minute walk, gentle stretching or easy yoga.
• Change one thing at a time, so you know what helped or hurt.
• Wait a day or two before adding more. Some people notice effects the next day.

If you feel worse after activity, step back to the last level that felt fine and stay there for a while. That’s useful information.

Keep a short note each day: what you did and how you felt that evening and the next morning. For example: “Walked 20 minutes, slept badly, felt flat next day.” If a new or sharp symptom appears, such as chest pain or dizziness, stop and get it checked.

Sleep and activity are linked. Our guide to sleep problems after a PSSD crash has more on that.

Does diet help PSSD?

No diet has been shown to help PSSD. Eating regular meals with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and protein supports your general health, and that’s a sensible base.

Some people try cutting out foods such as dairy, gluten or sugar to see if they feel different. If you try it:

• Cut one food at a time, for a set period, and write down what changes.
• Bring it back afterwards, so you don’t stay on a restricted diet for no reason.
• Talk to your GP or a dietitian first if you plan to cut out a whole food group.

Be wary of expensive supplements sold as a PSSD cure. None has good evidence behind it. If you take any, tell your GP, because supplements can interact with medicines.

What about alcohol? Many people with PSSD say alcohol affects them differently now. If you’re still taking an antidepressant, read its leaflet: the Cipralex leaflet says that “combining Cipralex with alcohol is not advisable”. If you’ve stopped, notice how you feel after a drink and the next day, and note it in the same diary.

Watch: what doctors know about PSSD

Before your next GP appointment, this short video gives useful background. Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist at UCL, talks about PSSD and how aware doctors are of it. It’s general context, not advice on exercise or diet.

Play video: Professor Joanna Moncrieff discusses Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)

What can I do now?

These medicines help many people. If you have side effects, that’s a decision for you and your prescriber. Don’t stop suddenly.

You don’t have to work it out alone. People in our WhatsApp peer support groups share what has helped them, and what hasn’t.

Report it: it helps everyone

A doctor’s note helps you. A report to the medicines regulator helps everyone else: it is how patterns get noticed.

• No proof needed. A suspicion is enough, even years after stopping.
• Where: the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, MedWatch in the US.
• Use the right words. If symptoms continued after stopping, write Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (MedDRA 10086208).

Our reporting guide walks you through it

What else do people ask?

Can exercise cure PSSD? No. Nothing has been shown to cure PSSD, and exercise hasn’t been studied. Some people say gentle activity helps their mood, sleep or energy. That’s worth having, even if the core symptoms stay the same.

Will testosterone or a supplement help? The 2022 criteria paper says testosterone “has not been reported to reliably benefit” these conditions. No supplement has good evidence behind it either. Talk to your GP before trying anything, so it sits in your record.

Pick one small step for this week, such as a 10-minute walk, and write down how you feel the next day. Our PSSD page explains the condition in more detail.

Sources

1. Healy D, Bahrick A, Bak M and colleagues. Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. Int J Risk Saf Med 2022;33(1):65-76. Proposed criteria developed through expert agreement. Section 3: “An enduring change in somatic (tactile) or erogenous (sexual) genital sensation after treatment stops”; ancillary symptoms include “emotional numbing”, “other sensory problems involving skin, smell, taste or vision” and “cognitive impairment”; research “has failed to lead to any treatment options”. Section 9: “Testosterone treatment has not been reported to reliably benefit these syndromes.” The paper does not mention exercise, diet or alcohol.
2. Lundbeck Limited. Cipralex (escitalopram) patient information leaflet, electronic Medicines Compendium (UK). Section 2: “In some cases, these symptoms have continued after stopping treatment”; “combining Cipralex with alcohol is not advisable”.
3. NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. UK guidance for the general population, not for PSSD.
4. GOV.UK. Report a problem with a medicine or medical device.
5. PSSD Network, Professor Joanna Moncrieff discusses Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction, June 2026. General context only.
6. Experiences with exercise, diet and alcohol come from SIDEfxHUB peer support groups. They are not research findings.

Sources checked on 22 October 2026. AI-assisted writing and review, not clinical review.