1

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 25/08/2010 17:45:32 »

Hi Everybody--

I just received a note from Cconfucius about the upcoming Waldinger research papers. This is exciting news.

As some of you may remember, my primary health issue is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and POIS is secondary to that. Recently CFS has been in the news again as well, due to breakthroughs in research on that front.

Last October (2009), researchers at the Whittemore Peterson Institute (in conjunction with Cleveland Clinic and the National Cancer Institute) discovered the XMRV retrovirus (Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus Related Virus) in 67 of 101 blood samples of CFS patients they studied. XMRV was also found in about 4% of healthy controls. The findings (by Lombardi, Ruscetti,  Mikovits, et al) came out in the prestigious journal of Science.  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1179052

Just two days ago the PNAS (FINALLY!) published a new research paper by Alter and Lo that has pretty much replicated the XMRV findings! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/health/research/24fatigue.html?_r=2

Judy Mikovits of WPI explains the Alter and Lo findings here.

News had leaked back in June about Harvey Alter's (of NIH) and Shyh Ching Lo's (of FDA) work, but their paper was delayed by the usual CDC political shenanigans. It turns out that the CDC had conducted its own XMRV study (using the wrong cohort and questionable procedures) and had gotten negative XMRV findings, so (as usual) they interfered and did their damnedest to delay publishing of the Alter/Lo PNAS paper. I can't tell you how thrilled everyone is now that the paper is published. It will bring more attention, research and treatment possibilities to those who suffer from CFS.

Anyone who has CFS as well as POIS will be able to find additional info if they just google.

I look forward to more info about the upcoming Waldinger research on POIS.
All the best to you,  GW



 

2

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 01/08/2009 19:05:40 »

I think that everyone has the right to chose for themselves what type of healing they want to pursue.
I am merely providing what I consider to be among the best information that I've found on the internet
regarding hormonal balancing--for your further investigation. It's up to you what you do with it.

3

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 01/08/2009 18:08:08 »

 
OH POIS, OH POIS, OH POIS      []

I have just recently checked out an excellent website and forum called The DEFINITIVE MIND. It was created by a
doctor/psychiatrist named Dr. Mariano, who is extremely knowledgeable about hormone balancing and nutrition.
What a rare and amazing thing! Especially for someone trained as a psychiatrist! I am totally pleasantly shocked. 

I'd heard about this doctor before, from an ex-POIS forum member who has healed himself of POIS, but I never really
investigated it any further until now. As I recall, I've also heard Demo criticize this doctor, and dismiss him with one
fell swoop, and now I really wonder what he was thinking!

Any doctor who knows hormones and nutrition as well as this one does, and volunteers his time to answer questions of
forum members FOR FREE is not someone that you want to write off without a second thought! There is really good info
on that site, especially regarding hormone balancing. I hope you all check it out for yourselves and see what I mean.   

The links for the home page, followed by the forum are posted below. All the best to all of you in your healing quests. 


http://www.definitivemind.com/
http://www.definitivemind.com/forums/index.php

4

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 24/07/2009 16:49:38 »

Hi my name is hardasnails1973 currently I am in school working on my degree of naturopathic medicine.  While studying for my ND I also
work at hormone clinic in the united state that deals with complex issues of fatigue and also sexual dysfunction as a medical consultant to
the MD.  The number one thing that I see when people walk into the clinic is that they present symptoms, but there ranges are in "normal
range " according to the DR.  What is normal for some one is not normal for another person.  When dealing with fatigue we focus on the
whole endocrine system, life style, nutrition, physical and emotional well being, as well as past child hood traumas. We tend to look at the
physiology of the brain and also the interactions of all hormonal and immune systems. 

90% of the Dr do not know how to read lab work properly.  When properly interpret and levels are restored amazingly people lives start to
turnaround.  Drs are just lazy and are looking to stick up on some antidepressant when the real cause was something totally unrelated in
the first place.

Yes! Yes! And Yes!  Hardasnails-- I am so happy to see your post. You are right up my alley in your thinking. I have
sent you a PM and I'm hoping to learn more from you about what you know about the hormonal issues. I have learned
A LOT about this over the past year, but still have a long way to go. I'm eager to know more!

5

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 15/03/2009 16:07:28 »

Steve---
Glad to see you are doing well. As Girlwind has mentioned, POIS is also just "The Tip of the Iceberg" for me also. My major concern is an anxiety condition that has not lifted in 22 months now. Sometimes I get quite depressed and dizzy. Orgasmic sexuality is my LEAST concern. Today I had a fabulous day as I was able to meditate far out on a jetty in the ocean for 2 hours. A squirrel was sunbathing next to me.

HELLO GIRLWIND IF YOU READ THIS

Hello Underwater-- Some of your symptoms remind me of mine. You might want to read up on the
adrenals and get your cortisol levels tested. I posted a lot of good articles here and on the POIS site.
Good luck whatever you do.  ~GW

6

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 14/03/2009 03:27:58 »

Girlwind,

Thank you for the links. I am grateful and am reading through them all, one at a time.

Hope you are healthy and thriving. I am able to leave some of the health issues behind, a little bit at a time, and just begin to do more 'normal' things like work on my career and make money. I couldn't do that, wisely, without dealing first with POIS, anemia and food ...but, I am reasonably happy with all those issues now. Whew!

Thanks for being a part of that, for me.

Your friend,

Steve D.

Hi Steve--

I have been very involved in learning the art of balancing hormones, particularly cortisol. It's a LOT more complex
than I thought and requires a serious commitment to daily monitoring. I take my temperature 3 times a day and
graph it. I take my blood pressure at least once a day--sitting, then standing. I have to pay very close attention
to what I'm eating--high protein, low carbs, and plenty of Emergen-C, to keep potassium and sodium at optimal
levels, and to keep my blood sugar stable. I have to be very careful about how much I exercise, as my adrenals heal.

I have gotten a lot of good info on the topic of adrenals and thyroid, much of which I've passed along to you here.

I have not yet even begun to treat my thyroid yet, but am ever so s-l-o-w-l-y working up to that point. As I have
learned from other thyroid patients on other forums, the adrenals need to be at an optimal level BEFORE you begin
thyroid hormone, or it will not be tolerated. With that there is a risk of side  effects like palpitations and anxiety,
which I prefer to pass on!

The POIS is very secondary to me now. The big issue is my long term CFS, which along with POIS, are just symptoms
of the hormones being in various states of deficiency. I'm so glad to be on the right track--finally. It only took 31
years.

Good luck with all your "normal" things. I will check in some other time to see what's up. 

7

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 09/03/2009 18:20:45 »

Thanks for the info girlwind.

You're welcome.

8

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 09/03/2009 17:59:25 »

For the past couple months I have been doing extensive reading on adrenal and thyroid related health issues.
I am in the process of treating my own adrenal and thyroid deficiencies and have been given a lot of good info
from people on other forums, which concurs with what I learned from Michael8028.  Here are  some of the more
informed articles I've read. I hope you find some of them as useful as I did. I will post this info on the POIS forum
as well.


ABOUT ADRENAL FATIGUE
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/whatis.php

ADRENAL SUPPORT (Copied from THE GREAT THYROID SCANDAL and HOW TO SURVIVE IT
by Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield)
http://featherstone.bravehost.com/thyroid/peatfieldadrenal.html

METABOLIC THERAPY: Adrenal Thyroid Correction
http://www.drrind.com/metabolic.asp

Pathways of adrenal steroid biosynthesis in adrenal cortex
http://www.umanitoba.ca/dnalab/med/adr3.htm

UNDERSTANDING ADRENAL FUNCTION
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/08/27/adrenals.aspx

TESTS FOR ADRENALS
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/

The Adrenal Stress Index Test
http://www.chronicfatigue.org/ASI.html

ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY UNDERDIAGNOSED INTHE CRITICALLY ILL
http://www.pulmonaryreviews.com/jan03/pr_jan03_adrenal.html

Pathways of adrenal steroid biosynthesis in adrenal cortex
http://www.umanitoba.ca/dnalab/med/adr3.htm


David Derry, MD, Ph.D on RETHINKING THE TSH TEST
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/david-derry.htm

Stop the Thyroid Madness.com
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

Thyroid hormones as neurotransmitters.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9001201

Molecule Derived from Thyroid Hormone May Be New Neurotransmitter
http://pub.ucsf.edu/today/news.php?news_id=200405175

Thyroid hormones, serotonin and mood: of synergy and significance in the adult brain
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v7/n2/abs/4000963a.html

The Depression Thyroid Disease Connection Explored
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/cohendepression.htm

9

New Theories / Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS)

« on: 09/03/2009 17:58:11 »

For the past couple months I have been doing extensive reading on adrenal and thyroid related health issues.
I am in the process of treating my own adrenal and thyroid deficiencies and have been given a lot of good info
from people on other forums, which concurs with what I learned from Michael8028.  Here are  some of the more
informed articles I've read. I hope you find some of them as useful as I did. I will post this info on Steve's forum
as well.


ABOUT ADRENAL FATIGUE
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/whatis.php

ADRENAL SUPPORT (Copied from THE GREAT THYROID SCANDAL and HOW TO SURVIVE IT
by Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield)
http://featherstone.bravehost.com/thyroid/peatfieldadrenal.html

METABOLIC THERAPY: Adrenal Thyroid Correction
http://www.drrind.com/metabolic.asp

Pathways of adrenal steroid biosynthesis in adrenal cortex
http://www.umanitoba.ca/dnalab/med/adr3.htm

UNDERSTANDING ADRENAL FUNCTION
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/08/27/adrenals.aspx

TESTS FOR ADRENALS
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/

The Adrenal Stress Index Test
http://www.chronicfatigue.org/ASI.html

ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY UNDERDIAGNOSED INTHE CRITICALLY ILL
http://www.pulmonaryreviews.com/jan03/pr_jan03_adrenal.html

Pathways of adrenal steroid biosynthesis in adrenal cortex
http://www.umanitoba.ca/dnalab/med/adr3.htm


David Derry, MD, Ph.D on RETHINKING THE TSH TEST
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/david-derry.htm

Stop the Thyroid Madness.com
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

Thyroid hormones as neurotransmitters.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9001201

Molecule Derived from Thyroid Hormone May Be New Neurotransmitter
http://pub.ucsf.edu/today/news.php?news_id=200405175

Thyroid hormones, serotonin and mood: of synergy and significance in the adult brain
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v7/n2/abs/4000963a.html

The Depression Thyroid Disease Connection Explored
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/cohendepression.htm

10

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 01/03/2009 19:28:16 »

Hi Steve--

Thanks for posting your progress report, your exercise in self-discipline and self-care. I'm happy for the
success that your efforts have gleaned you.

I just finished my first month of HC treatments, and am having some slow and steady results with perking up my
adrenals. At this point I am much more focused on CFS (my primary health issue) than I am on POIS or the sexual
illness syndrome, so I probably won't be posting much more. I have found some other forums that seem to suit
my needs a little better, and provide me with the support I was looking for as I proceed forward with my current
adrenal and thyroid treatment regimens. I'll check in on occasion to see how you are doing here.  My best to you. 

~~Girlwind

11

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 28/02/2009 17:43:31 »

Girlwind,

Sorry that happened to you...LH and FSH, along with total testosterone, are the only tests common to Waldinger's two original patients. My NP
has already ordered Testosterone, Free and Total. I thought, using this document, I might  be able to persuade them to do LH and FSH. However,
I got a call from her today and she says that Waldinger's paper is a 'case study, not a recognized syndrome' and that it is 'old, 6 years old', and
that the Endo will not see me for that purpose, although I am free to ask him about it when I see him...and I will.

Steve D.

Endo Schmendo, no comprendo.   [] [] []   Doctors can be so predicatable.

12

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 27/02/2009 21:44:19 »

Girlwind

Did you learn anything personally  from your LSH and FSH?

Unfortunately I did those tests at the WRONG time of month, so they were inconclusive. (It would have been a good
idea if the doctor had specified this to me BEFORE I wasted my money on them!)


HERE'S WHAT I READ ABOUT THE LH and FSH TEST online:

"When is the LH TEST ordered?
In women and men, LH (along with FSH) is ordered as part of the workup of infertility and pituitary or gonadal disorders.

The test may be ordered along with an FSH test if a women is having irregular menstrual periods to help determine if she has reached
menopause. LH and FSH may be ordered when a boy or girl does not appear to be entering puberty at an appropriate age (either too
late or too soon). Signs of puberty may include: breast enlargement in females, growth of pubic hair, genitalia growth in males begin-
ning of menstruation in females.

If any or some of these signs appear at a younger than average age or are delayed beyond the expected age range for puberty, it may
be an indication of a more serious problem involving the hypothalamus, pituitary, gonads (ovaries or testes), or other systems. The
measurement of LH and FSH may differentiate between benign symptoms and true disease. Once it is established that symptoms are a
result of true disease, further testing can be done to discern the underlying cause."

"How is FSH TEST used?
FSH is often used in conjunction with other tests (LH, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone) in the workup of infertility in both
men and women. FSH levels are used to help determine the reason a man has a low sperm count. FSH levels are also useful in the
investigation of menstrual irregularities and to aid in the diagnosis of pituitary disorders or diseases involving the ovaries or testes.
In children, FSH and LH are used to diagnose delayed or precocious (early) puberty."

13

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 27/02/2009 16:47:40 »

Steve--

I just remembered that you had some issues with low iron...? Is that correct.  If so, you want to be sure to have
FERRITIN test. Hopefully that is included in your iron panel.

With TOO LOW FERRITIN your body cannot utilize the T3 (thyroid hormone). It would not have enough red
blood cells to carry thyroid hormone to the tissues.

14

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 27/02/2009 15:36:35 »

I am currently scheduled for:
CBC,
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel,
Iron Panel,
Lipid Panel,
Vitamin B-12
T4, Free,
TSH Ultrasensitive,
T3 Total,
Testosterone, Free and Total
Vitamin D level

Part of loving myself comes in the form of taking care of myself physically , including good medical care. Another part of loving myself is taking care of myself financially. The above tests are all free for me. I'll spend some time researching what other tests mean and what might be helpful. The MyMedLab.com sight was very enlightening.

Most of those tests will be pretty helpful to determine: any basic nutritional deficiencies, issues with iron absorption, fat
metabolism/cholesterol, and glaring immunity issues. The CMP will also reveal some things about basic liver and kidney
functioning.

Regarding the thyroid tests: If you can replace the T3 Total with a Free T3 that is the MUCH MORE DEFINITIVE test. It
actually tells you how much thyroid hormone is actively circulating in the blood. As I recall, your previous tests indicated a
low in one of the thyroid hormones, so if it was me I would want an update on that. Also, a TPO (for thyroid antibodies)
would be helpful. And the Reverse T3 is very revealing for those of us with adrenal issues (mine was WAY OFF.)

The Free T3 was THE DEFINITIVE TEST IN MY CASE. Had I not done it, I would have NOT KNOWN that I have a problem
with my thyroid. If only someone had done that test 30 years ago, it could have spared me many years in hell.

You can read more about the importance of getting the most useful thyroid tests in these articles.

http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/mercola.htm

15

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 27/02/2009 14:19:33 »

Girlwind,

I needed to have some rationale for requesting these tests. Waldinger apparently did not think this was a sexological problem or he wouldn't
have ordered the endocronological tests. I don't think that this Endo will address this problem. He'll only look at the vitamin D, B-12 and iron deficiencies...but I'll query him.

Thanks,
Steve D.

I understand. However, you should know that you DO NOT NEED AN M.D. to order blood tests. Any acupuncturist,
or even a chiropractor, can do that for you. And now you can even order them yourself ay MyMedLab.com  Once you
have the RESULTS in your hands, with PROOF of any imbalances, then it's easier to get a doctor (maybe even an endo)
to pay attention to your issue. I know it's backasswards, but that is the unfortunate reality of the medical world.

"Faith is an island in the setting sun, but PROOF is the bottom line for everyone." (Paul Simon)   []

16

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 26/02/2009 19:36:57 »

I am going to call my nurse practioner again today and request she send Waldinger's treatise to the Endo. In order that I be
more prepared, can you tell me exactly what the tests below mean that Waldinger used on his two patients ?

Laboratory investigation was normal, apart from features of primary testicular insufficiency;
total testosterone 8 nmo1/1 (ref: 8.3–34 nmo1/1),
free testosterone 30 pmo1/1 (ref: 45–108 pmo1/1),
dehydroxytestosterone 0.62 nmo1/1 (ref: 0.90–3.70 nmo1/1),
LH 5.7 U/1 (ref: 1.5–12.0),
FSH 25.8 U/1 (ref: 2.0–8.0),
prolactine 210 mU/1 (ref: 75–275 mU/1).

Endocrine investigation revealed eugonadism:
total testosterone 14.8 nmo1/ 1 (ref 8.3–34.0 nmo1/1),
SHBG 20 nmo1/1 (ref 20–55 nmo1/1),
LH 3.2 U/1 (ref: 1.5–12.0),
FSH 4.6 U/1 (ref: 2.0–8.0),
PSA 0.4 μg/1 (ref < 4.0 μg/1).

Hi Steve--I think you will be much better off in the long run if you learn how to read the lab results yourself.
It's really pretty simple. The way it's listed here is in the order of: 1) Name of Test  2) Result 3) Reference Range.
I put it in columns to make it easier for you, and I will describe it for you below so you can get the gist of it.

These results mean that the first person was: a little low in total testosterone, very low in free testosterone
and dehydroxytestosterone, high in FSH, and more or less in THAT LAB'S NORMAL RANGE on the other tests.
Hence the conclusion was "primary testicular insufficiency."

The second person was on the low end in SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), and in THAT LAB'S NORMAL
RANGE on other tests. That's probably why W. describes that case as "eugonadism."

Personally, I'm not that inspired by Waldinger. I think he had only a small limited number of patients that he
investigated. And he didn't show much interest in helping us at the POIS forum. Also, his test list doesn't in-
clude ANY thyroid tests (or ferritin, which is so important in thyroid functioning), or DHEA, or even cortisol.
WHY?  All the hormones work together and it seems that a thorough work-up would include more lab data.

Because my health problems are much more serious than POIS, I've moved on to studying the WHOLE PICTURE
of my entire hormone profile, and what that means to me in real life terms. The tests I've listed on this forum's
first page are very comprehensive and covered most of what I needed to know. I hope they'll be of help to you too.

17

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 26/02/2009 16:23:38 »

Hi Steve--

I appreciate your sincerity and openness about your experiences. I thank you for being supportive of mine as well.
As for the Endo's refusal... I understand your hurt feelings, but really this is a very predictable thing. I have been
on SEVERAL other forums over the past year, looking to find answers for my multi-health issues, and I can tell you
there are literally THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE out there COMPLAINING ABOUT POOR HEALTH CARE and INEPT DOCTORS!
I can't begin to stress this enough. It's actually quite frightening. Just yesterday on the POIS forum, Limejuice posted
his experience with an endo that he had to be VERY aggressive with in order to be heard. Fortunately, he actually
got what he wanted! Which is, UN-fortunately, not the usual case.

What I've learned along the way with searching for answers to my hormonal issues is that if you have ANY kind of
imbalance in that area (thyroid, adrenal, gonadal, etc), you'd better be very diligent at doing your OWN reading and
research about it, getting your own blood work done in whatever way you can, and knowing as much as you possibly
can about your condition before you go to a doctor. Those people who've been the most informed on their conditions
have definitely fared the best at both FINDING a doctor who will take them seriously and GETTING the HELP that they
need from that doctor.

When you consider the staggering number of people who aren't getting their thyroid addressed, it's truly frightening.
The statistics state AT LEAST 13 MILLION CASES IN THE US OF UNDIAGNOSED HYPOTHYROID. Which puts you at more
than two times higher risk for having a heart attack!  WHY is this happening? All because most doctors (including the
endos) do not give people the most definitive tests to uncover a thyroid problem--the Free T3 and Free T4. They are
so cemented into the TSH being the great holy grail of tests that they remain glued in to their agenda, even when it's
not working to help their patients.  You can read more about this from the sites I have posted below.

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/mercola.htm
http://www.thyroid-info.com/

For me personally this adventure into learning about my hormonal imbalances has been a real eye opener, as I am
one of that 13 MILLION statistic above. For all I know my hypothyroid could be one of the MAIN reasons for my 30
years worth of CFS. That's 30 years of 17 doctors MISSING the diagnosis because none of them bothered to do the
right tests! As I proceed through with my treatment of the thyroid it is certainly becoming very apparent what a big
role its dysfunction has played in my ongoing exhaustion. And that is only ONE of the hormones that showed a de-
ficiency in my blood work. I am also low in cortisol, testosterone, DHEA, estrogen. Though for now I am staying
focused on just on the thyroid and adrenals. I don't want to overwhelm my body with too many changes at once.

As for the endo's conclusion that this POIS thing is a "sexological"problem, I personally don't buy it. But that does
not mean I intend to push for orgasm at all costs. I intend to avoid it as much as I can UNTIL I have all my hormones
coming back to an optimal range.  Sometimes I have noctural orgasms, which I can't control, but that's when I have
the opportunity to see how my body fares after such an "event." And I will say that there is definite improvement on
the post orgasm exhaustion. Yay! After all that work, it's good to know the effort has SOME payoff.

My angle on this, Steve, is that POIS is just the tip of the hormone iceberg of problems that I have. I'm going to leave
absolutely NO STONE UNTURNED to find the balance my hormones need, and probably have needed for three very
long decades. It's going to be a long ride I know, but at this point I feel settled in for the journey.

18

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 25/02/2009 16:42:12 »

Hey Steve--Just an FYI for you. I heard that zinc deficiency can cause a loss of smell. Martin from the POIS forum told me
about this. I thought it might be helpful for you, after reading the wheat grass forum.

Thanks Girlwind,

Emailed Martin. He seems like a kind and gentle man.

Steve D.

PS...My Endo apparently will not see me as he believes that POIS is 'not and endocronological problem'
What are ya gonna do?

Martin can be very helpful. He's a good researcher.

Sorry about the endo. But it doesn't surprise me. They are known as the "accountants" of medicine. Not exactly open-minded
when it comes to a patient's symptoms and subjective experience, and more focused on DATA and numbers. You might have
to just do all the tests through a regular GP or go to MyMedLab.com and order your own tests. Once you have some documen-
tation, the endo MIGHT be more open to you. If not, a good naturopath can help, as they are allowed to prescribe bio-identical
hormones.

19

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 24/02/2009 16:02:28 »

Hey Steve--Just an FYI for you. I heard that zinc deficiency can cause a loss of smell. Martin from the POIS forum told me
about this. I thought it might be helpful for you, after reading the wheat grass forum.

20

New Theories / Could I have a Sexual Illness Syndrome?

« on: 22/02/2009 23:17:40 »

I see sexual energy like extra money in the bank. If you spend it unwisely, you're "screwed." AND you pay for it
later. I'm glad you have the discipline  to manage it like you do. Me too. I can't afford the loss it entails when I'm
wasted from an orgasm.

Girlwind,

To be perfectly frank, your capacity to manage your sexuality ( here defined as being sexual, but not orgasmic) is what attracted me to your "recovery" from POIS  above all the others I've communicated with online about this subject. Your willingness to let go of what was hurting you and yet stay faithful to your relationship is commendable and noteworthy...Hell, it's just plain, old fashioned courage.

Steve D.

Thank you for the compliment. It's really not hard to make efforts to steer clear of pain and exhaustion. My 30
years with CFS has been the MAJOR challenge. POIS, in contrast, is a piece of cake.  (pardon the sugar)  []

I feel VERY VERY blessed to have a (male) partner, who is cooperative with both my low energy and my POIS.
There are not a lot of men who would be content to reframe their definition of "intimacy" in the way that my
partner has been willing to. Most people, especially men, want their sex "plain and simple," without all the fuss
and complications of a health issue attached.