[demografx]

Dear B_Jim,

your 4-year compilation work has been so invaluable!!

We all thank you very, very much for your amazing dedication to this most important tracking of POIS worldwide, and not just on this forum!

Best wishes,
-demo-

[Animus]

Hello

Fellow sufferers, I am happy to find you. (as sadistic as it sounds ).

I am from another community that has been sharing information on POIS (or what we have called Sexual Exhaustion) for 5 years and has 1600 members. The evidence of existence our groups as separate for so long time proves the point that we are not easy to find online. There are many, many others like us. I know that for a fact!

We haven’t got a cure (yet). But hopefully we can draw doctors’ attention to research us and the data we have gathered. We need to show that this condition is extremely serious – I would trade my disorder for some milder form of cancer anytime! I see the potential of Dr. Waldinger’s last paper as a tool to create awareness, even though I totally disagree with his findings. It generated news on regular media and helped me to find you!

Let’s get acquainted and start sharing information and hopefully start group efforts, because our pursuits as individuals have proven to be unfruitful.

Let’s get well!



Research of sexual exhaustion/dysfunction and other biochemical/deficiency diseases: http://recover.forumup.org/

Hi Spillway,
I'm glad you contacted us! It seems like our forums have a lot in common. I look forward to reading it.

Hi Kaiser, welcome. A lot of us share the same problem/ similar concerns.

[demografx]

Spillway, thanks for posting this at your forum!

"Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 5:54 am    Post subject: Another SE/POIS community found!   
Hello!

I am happy to inform you I have found a community of fellow sufferers.
They have been exploring the subject since 2007 and have over 250 members. The evidence of existence our groups as separate for so long time proves the point that we are not easy to find online. There are many, many others like us. I know that for a fact!

They haven’t got a cure (yet). But they have a “scientific” name of the disorder (POIS) that is recognized in sexual disorder research. There are doctors researching it and looking for cures! Hopefully together we can draw more doctors’ attention to research us and the data we have gathered. We need to show that this condition is extremely serious – I would trade my disorder for some milder form of cancer anytime! Dr. Waldinger’s last paper (where he claims it to be an allergy and his patients are getting better) made news in the media and I believe it will bring out many other sufferers.
I see the potential of Dr. Waldinger’s last paper as a tool to create awareness, even though I totally disagree with his findings. But he has not been alone – there has been other research on the issue. Hopefully we can help to generate more!

Let’s get acquainted and start sharing information and hopefully start group efforts, because our pursuits as individuals have proven to be unfruitful. We can't do all the scientific and medical research as individuals but I am convinced this condition is beatable after scientific research!

Let’s get well!



POIS thread: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6576.0

Most important links to their information (thanks to demografx): http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6576.msg353609#msg353609

POIS forum: http://72.52.181.21/POIS/index.php
POIS information website: http://sites.google.com/site/poiswebsite/home
Prof. dr. Marcel D. Waldinger's POIS website: http://www.post-orgasmic-illness-syndrome.com/en/index.html

[Guthrie]

Has anyone here tried consuming sweet potatoes to counteract POIS? This is one food that I had previously found a correlated with fewer symptoms. Sweet potatos are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. This week I had an NE with resulting minor POIS symptoms. A few days into it I remembered this food and ate a bunch (the orange type) and the next day symptoms were gone. There are other possible reasons: I started taking some herbal prostate pills, and I also did some icing with a cold pack on the front pelvic area. I'm thinking that something in this mix helped me. Sweet potatoes would be an easy thing for others to try against inflammation if that is in fact our enemy.

I thought we had discussed sweet potatoes in the past but my search for the posts came up rather dry.

Yesterday, I had an O around 3 pm.  Later in the evening, I decided to try John21's idea: I ate two whole (microwaved) sweet potatoes, including the skins. 

When I woke up the next morning, I was mostly symptom-free, and this lasted throughout the day.  I'd estimate that it was about an 80% reduction of the symptoms--definitely very significant!

So, I'll try it again next time I O, and we'll see if this is repeatable for me.  But it may be something that others want to try as well.

[Defsync]

I wanted to mention this for people who have POIS and still want to have a pretty active sex life.

Now I have a girlfriend (woot!) and because of the development of my pubococcygeus  myscle from practicing my abstinence technique for so long, we can enjoy quite a bit of intimacy without me having to orgasm. Suffice it to say you can more then please a woman and by clenching your pubococcygeus  muscle as you are doing so, or if you feel like you are going to orgasm, still have a pretty good sex life =)

[Willem]

I wanted to mention this for people who have POIS and still want to have a pretty active sex life.

Now I have a girlfriend (woot!) and because of the development of my pubococcygeus  myscle from practicing my abstinence technique for so long, we can enjoy quite a bit of intimacy without me having to orgasm. Suffice it to say you can more then please a woman and by clenching your pubococcygeus  muscle as you are doing so, or if you feel like you are going to orgasm, still have a pretty good sex life =)

Glad to hear.  Three cheers for Defsync! 

And to Guthrie, thanks for the post on sweet potatoes.  Will be trying that myself. 

[daveman]

I wanted to mention this for people who have POIS and still want to have a pretty active sex life.

Now I have a girlfriend (woot!) and because of the development of my pubococcygeus  myscle from practicing my abstinence technique for so long, we can enjoy quite a bit of intimacy without me having to orgasm. Suffice it to say you can more then please a woman and by clenching your pubococcygeus  muscle as you are doing so, or if you feel like you are going to orgasm, still have a pretty good sex life =)

Lord knows I try, but after 3 wks.... hair trigger!

How can you exercise the muscle. Masturbating just up to.... and often? Or would that make it worse?

[demografx]

Has anyone here tried consuming sweet potatoes to counteract POIS? This is one food that I had previously found a correlated with fewer symptoms. Sweet potatos are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. This week I had an NE with resulting minor POIS symptoms. A few days into it I remembered this food and ate a bunch (the orange type) and the next day symptoms were gone. There are other possible reasons: I started taking some herbal prostate pills, and I also did some icing with a cold pack on the front pelvic area. I'm thinking that something in this mix helped me. Sweet potatoes would be an easy thing for others to try against inflammation if that is in fact our enemy.

I thought we had discussed sweet potatoes in the past but my search for the posts came up rather dry.

Yesterday, I had an O around 3 pm.  Later in the evening, I decided to try John21's idea: I ate two whole (microwaved) sweet potatoes, including the skins. 

When I woke up the next morning, I was mostly symptom-free, and this lasted throughout the day.  I'd estimate that it was about an 80% reduction of the symptoms--definitely very significant!

So, I'll try it again next time I O, and we'll see if this is repeatable for me.  But it may be something that others want to try as well.

I just microwaved and am eating a giant sweet potato right now.

[CertainlyPOIS]

CC, Brain O is dry, NE is not..

Oh yeah i know the difference, BO equals dreams without any liquids but for me still equals pois,
the first time it happend i was dumbfounded, i thought i escaped a close one when i felt around and i was good but then comes my favorite symptoms.
if it is no BO am succumbing to, i am succumbing to NE, that is why i used BO/NE

So I guess the trick is to avoid BO/NErs?

<ducking!>

That will require pulling some "inception - movie" type moves (impossible).
what does that ducking thing mean

[CertainlyPOIS]

CC, Brain O is dry, NE is not..

Oh yeah i know the difference, BO equals dreams without any liquids but for me still equals pois,
the first time it happend i was dumbfounded, i thought i escaped a close one when i felt around and i was good but then comes my favorite symptoms.
if it is no BO am succumbing to, i am succumbing to NE, that is why i used BO/NE

This would be an intersting area to persue, because it's more clear cut than light to partial "O"s, whether they be NEs or masturbating just up to.

In this case[BOs], it would first have to be determined if there is any fluid movement, and if so at what level and to what extent.

As in Silodosin, for instance, no fulid leaves the body (in some cases), and if I understand it correctly, in some cases there's not even dribble. Yet the semen exists and is retained. I think hurray indicated that in those cases where there was not pre-C at all, he had no POIS, so a similar situation.

So your case, and I'm sure others, have symptoms even without the least of obvious fluid movement. So what's going on? Is the pituitary secreting something anyways, or some other secretion? Why does this effect you and not me for instance?

On the other forum, I'd like to create work groups to attack particular tasks such as these? It seems that some of the questions are impossible to answer...... are they? Maybe it would take a year, or two. How long does desensitization take again?

The work groups wouldn't be chats! They'd be task oriented work-groups. Do we have it in us. Even I (who would like to give it a try) am not sure. But we HAVE done a lot without much focus.

I like the idea of work groups, a good start will be what horizon is trying to achieve an home based immunoterapy system.

[Defsync]

I wanted to mention this for people who have POIS and still want to have a pretty active sex life.

Now I have a girlfriend (woot!) and because of the development of my pubococcygeus  myscle from practicing my abstinence technique for so long, we can enjoy quite a bit of intimacy without me having to orgasm. Suffice it to say you can more then please a woman and by clenching your pubococcygeus  muscle as you are doing so, or if you feel like you are going to orgasm, still have a pretty good sex life =)

Lord knows I try, but after 3 wks.... hair trigger!

How can you exercise the muscle. Masturbating just up to.... and often? Or would that make it worse?

when you are sitting, just clench the muscle (its the one you clench to stop urine flow when yer peeing) clench it as many times as you want, like any other muscle, the more you exercise it the stronger it gets

[demografx]

CC, Brain O is dry, NE is not..

Oh yeah i know the difference, BO equals dreams without any liquids but for me still equals pois,
the first time it happend i was dumbfounded, i thought i escaped a close one when i felt around and i was good but then comes my favorite symptoms.
if it is no BO am succumbing to, i am succumbing to NE, that is why i used BO/NE

So I guess the trick is to avoid BO/NErs?

<ducking!>

That will require pulling some "inception - movie" type moves (impossible).
what does that ducking thing mean

When someone tells a dumb joke or an offensive joke, "ducking" means (humorously) trying to escape a retaliatory slap or worse. []

[eur79m]

Dear All,

I am a 31 year old male and potentially suffering of the same issue as you are. I am however not sure if this is the case or if I am observing several unrelated medical conditions, since I did not find some of the current symptoms I am experiencing mentioned anywhere in regards to POIS. But let's start at the beginning...

Some time during late high school / early study time I realized that I was extremely prone to throat infections following sex / masturbation. I felt the lymph nodes on the side of my neck, my groin and especially my tonsils swell right away. Often (especially after repeated sex / masturbation) my tonsils would become infected resulting in a full blown throat infection, etc. It was annoying but I could handle it with the usual anti soar throat pills, throat disinfectant and primarily not 'overdoing it'. When I was around 21 I had a tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils) which considerably helped reduce the symptoms (catching an infection). Still I could feel the swelling of my outer lymph nodes and the inner throat tissue where my tonsils once were, it was just easier to avoid a full blown infection. I felt that this was probably not 'normal' and that I was just treating symptoms while something else seemed to be wrong. I had however never heard of any such connection, had checked that I had no STDs, and Google told me that one cannot be allergic to his own semen (I did find that in rare cases girls could actually be allergic to sperm). I was thus hesitant to contact a doc, fearing being classified as a hypochondriac with rather mental problems. Especially following the tonsillectomy this wasn't really a big issue in my life and I felt I could arrange myself with it. I still had regular throat infections, which often turned into dry coughs that stayed for weeks. I always had the feeling that these coughs were actually not a respiratory problem but my body reacting to some inner stimulant released after sex. Single after-sex coughs have almost become a 'reflex' by now... This causality is however only a feeling, nothing I think I can ever prove or verify.

Looking back I would say after sex I also experienced tiredness, lethargy, a depressed like state, and a general 'fuzzyness' that made especially social interactions more difficult. Since this was however the only way I knew it, it is very difficult to say for me today if I indeed experienced these mental symptoms in a light form or if it was nothing more than the usual post-orgasmic exhaustion (what I definitely believed at the time, but am questioning today). Until last year I just had the feeling that sex somehow had negative effects on my immune system (lymph node swelling/tonsils) and respiratory system (cough stimulus). If it would would have stayed like this I would have further ignored and arranged myself with it.

In June last year I was however hit by another condition that might be completely unrelated but somehow I don't quite believe in coincidences in this case. My right testicle started hurting and I felt typical flu-like symptoms, sweating, headaches, etc. An Urologist did an ultra-sound and told me I had a small newbielink:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spermatocele [nonactive] and might have twisted something and it would get better by itself. Indeed, some waiting, doing nothing, cooling with ice eventually helped and it got better... but it never got 'well' again. There was always some residual pain in my testicle and after ejaculation it would actually get worse including severe flu-like symptoms again. Eventually the Urologist arranged a microbiological analysis of my semen and 'Gardnerella vaginalis' were found. A bacterium found in the vaginal flora of 50% of women, not classified a STD. I took several antibiotics, bacteria should be gone but no change in my condition. At that time I also started to notice a constantly 'foggy' condition like I was constantly drugged, sometimes strong headaches like I normally never have. I thought this might be antibiotic related but it turned out it was not. Pain in my right testicle was sometimes better, sometimes worse, same for my foggy condition and headaches, but never did I feel well again.

I had my testicle checked again in one of the best European Urological clinics, a spermatocele was ruled out, potentially a small newbielink:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appendix_testis [nonactive] that might have got twisted. This would have however not explained my general state of health, headaches, 'foogy feeling' etc... Reasonable assumption by the doc was 'stress related symptoms'. I did not believe this but since there was no explanation for my general constitution (beside the testicle pain) I decided my best bet would be to have have the hydatid surgically removed, in the hope of leaving both the testicle pain as well as my mental symptoms behind, since both entered my life at about the same time, even though no medical connection between both could be established. Surgery went well, some hydatid removed, biopsy of the removed tissue was normal. And believe it or not, the same day I woke up from surgery (I had no post-surgical pain killers) I felt so good like I had not felt the last half year before! Of course my scrotum was slightly hurting and judging if my testicle pain was gone would take some weeks, but general health wise I felt just great. A completely clear mind, no headaches, no fog, only then I realized that the complete last half year I did not have one moment like this. The only drug I was on was the antibiotic bactrim/cotrim. It lasted for two days... The second day I woke up, feeling great, and decided to test if everything was still working in the lower department, as I was told by the doc that theoretically I would be able to have sex right away. Everything worked just fine but you can guess what comes next... after orgasm it hit me like a bummer right away, headaches, dizziness, fogginess, all back again. This was in January, since then I did not have one day where I would say that I have felt 'normal'.

Mental symptoms were back as before, getting worse after sex but never completely subsiding. It turned out my testicle pain had changed, before there was one very sensitive/painful spot that I would locate at the epididymis, this now felt better. Still my right testicle is hurting somehow, the pain is just more difficult to localize. I have not read anything similar when browsing through the POIS forum but I decided to post here since I would describe my general condition very much like most of you do after sex. I collected some of your descriptions that fit my condition:

- lethargy/drowsy
- "i feel like sleeping"
- severe fatigue
- dizziness
- weaker immune system : easily catch a cold...
- Brain fog
- Exhaustion (physically and mentally)
- depression, foggy cognition
- tiredness
- a headache that is very specific, not like anything else you might now
- Upon waking the next day I feel shattered, bereft of any energy, and simply getting up is quite difficult. It will often take several days before I feel my energy return (fully.)
- flu-like symptoms including a sore throat, sweating, extreme fatigue and (eye irritation) after sex
- 'foggy head syndrome' (impaired cognition)

These symptoms, especially the headaches, get better after a day or two, but never to a state where I would say I feel good/normal again. Slight testicle pain is constant, also getting worse after sex. If I had to describe my general state some days after orgasm I would say I feel like 'constantly slightly drugged' (not in a good way). Just as a background, I would consider myself (otherwise) fit and healthy, no (prior) addictions, not even cigarets, moderate alcohol use, love sports, no asthma or any known allergies to anything. I have reduced my sport/fitness to basically nothing since June last year since headaches/pressure in my head just do not help and symptoms rather get worse.

I have been postponing a doc appointment now for months, simply because I don't know where to go and how to be taken seriously that the above list of symptoms are not just stress induced/psychosomatic. It can't go on like this and obviously I hope to find a remedy...

Feedback on my following questions would be very much appreciated:
- Do you believe my case is POIS related?
- Since I did not manage to read through the whole 537 previous pages, did anybody in this group ever experience similar testicle pain?
- Does anybody else experience this constant 'brain lined with wadding' feeling that does not revert to completely normal after a couple of days?
- What doc to contact? Urologist? General Practitioner? University Hospital? What should I try and what not?

Thank you for bearing with me! :-)

Very much looking forward to what you think about all the above...

[apostate801]

Sadly that sounds like POIS to me.  I'm experiencing a good bout now.

[noob]

I used to masturbate at the computer in a C-shaped position and had post orgasmic illness symptons pretty much like described here. It healed pretty fast when I changed to masturbating in a straight _ shaped position on my back on the bed, best results came without any pillow and a nicely hard mattress.

Actually this only helped because I did not ejaculate much in the bed (no fapping material).

I have now managed to fap at the computer without pois too by simply eating more.

The problem for me was being too skinny,way underweight, and not eating much. It has also been discussed here. newbielink:http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=428600 [nonactive]

[Willem]

Welcome eur79m! Sounds like POIS to me too.  Never had the testicular pain, but the swollen lymph nodes, the mouth and throat soreness, brain fog, difficulty with social interactions all check out in my opinion. 

It seems like most of us have a time period (5 to 9 days) after O where symptoms clear up, maybe not all the way, but a dramatic difference.  Have you noticed that?  For me it's about 8 days. 

I'm 32 and have had the same exact thoughts about the doc, I've gone several times, but asked "what's the point".  Now that we have the research papers by Dr. Waldinger, it's easier to explain things to a Dr. and get a bit more R-E-S-P-E-C-T (we can share these with you if you'd like).

Anyway, sorry to hear that exercise doesn't help.  It certainly helps for me as long as I don't over do it. 

[demografx]

eur79m, welcome to the POIS thread of The Naked Science Forum!




Here are some POIS resources which may be helpful to you:

The Learning Channel (TLC) upcoming feature TV presentation on POIS, featuring our member here at this forum, "Animus". They're planning to air it on May 22, 10pm Eastern Standard time. Animus will keep us informed of any changes.

Our POIS Information Website, built by "mat780", is here:
http://sites.google.com/site/POISwebsite/

The POIS Information Website is home to the famous POIS Forum Compendium, written by "Pyropeach", and contains theories already discussed here and treatments that have both worked and failed.

Please see "B_Jim"'s POIS Summary of All Cases, here as well as others on the Web. This includes remedies that we have tested, and results.
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6576.msg149009#msg149009

"Girlwind" has created an excellent POIS Video:

Our new POIS chatroom (realtime chat). Invite or visit another member(s) there, ANY TIME. We can all get to know each other better:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/POIS/chat


* Most recent POIS Research Studies, 2011 *

If you will send Prof. dr. Waldinger an e-mail, stating that you have read his message on the Forum, at http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6576.msg340138#msg340138 and that you are willing to fill in a questionnaire, he will send you the copies of both 2011 research articles by return through email. At a later date, he will send you the questionnaire which, after having filled in, you should send him back by e-mail.
His email:
prof.dr.waldinger.pois@gmail.com

Prof. dr. Marcel D. Waldinger's website:
http://www.post-orgasmic-illness-syndrome.com/en/index.html


First POIS Research Study, 2002

We have a copy of the first formal medical investigation on POIS by Prof. dr. Marcel D. Waldinger,MD,PhD, and Dr. Dave Schweitzer, MD.

  
Recent POIS Research Study, 2010

CASE REPORT
Postorgasm Illness Syndrome - A Spectrum of Illnesses
Jane Ashby, MRCP, and David Goldmeier, MRCP
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6576.msg316781#msg316781


British Medical Journal Case Report, 2010

Case study by Dr. Selwyn Dexter of a patient with a headache-featured POIS symptom treated with progesterone/norethisterone.
http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2010/bcr.10.2009.2359.short?rss=1


There are a couple of ways to get any or all of the above 3 studies: (1) if you want a PDF copy, send me a Private Message (PM) with your regular email address (use "AT" instead of "@" ) and I'll send you back the PDF.

Or, if you prefer, (2) I can simply reply with a Private Message (no regular email needed) and provide you with a simple text version embedded in your PM.

To send a Private Message, click on "Messages" at the top of this page. At the Messages page, click on "New Message". From that point on, it works just like posting a message here, except that it only goes to the person(s) you designate.

Remember to put a quote around my name, i.e., "demografx".


New York Times article,

January 20, 2009
Mind
Sex and Depression: In the Brain, if Not the Mind
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/views/20mind.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=friedman%20sexual%20January%2020&st=cse

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In addition to serving our own informational interests, the resources listed above can be useful for you to show our credibility to the medical world - which often shows little understanding and is sometimes skeptical of our condition: POIS has scientific underpinnings and POIS is not "just another psychological problem" related to sex - to be treated by the psychiatric/psychotherapeutic community. All of this information can greatly help you to fight the immediate reaction of some doctors: so just tell them, "IT'S NOT 'ALL IN OUR HEADS'! "

Also, it can be helpful when dealing with medical professionals to point out the successful existence of our rapidly growing forum, which has already been referenced in respectable sources such as the Journal of Sexual Medicine (Dr. Waldinger's study), British Medical Journal and wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postorgasmic_illness_syndrome

For over 4 years, our POIS forum has attracted over 200 POIS sufferers worldwide who have posted here, research on an additional 200 sufferers elsewhere on the internet, plus over 1,000,000 page visits. Not bad for a rare malady!

[demografx]

eur79m, this post will help you find information about POIS that we have already discussed, by tailoring a Google search to this forum:


SEARCH THE FORUM WITH GOOGLE

We have an overwhelming amount of data: more than 4 years' worth of posts (over  10,000 posts!) from 200+ Forum members, and an additional 200 POIS sufferers found elsewhere on the Internet by Member B_Jim.

In the Google search box, type
whatever-it-is-you're-interested-in-finding-out[space]POIS[space]site:http://thenakedscientists.com/

for example, I tried
nocturnal emission POIS site:http://thenakedscientists.com/

and 740 results came up for "nocturnal emission" within the Forum.

be careful with spaces (you can use them before the word "site") and no-spaces (everything after the word "site")

Google even provides you results with the Message# for each result. But Message #'s do change, so be patient and look for the approximate Message#.

[Nightingale]

I'm wondering if anyone here has tried using Propecia (Finasteride) as a male contraceptive?  I got a prescription from my doc, but he neglected to mention that almost all insurances don't cover it.  I'd have to pay $90+ for a month's supply, so I didn't get it.

[demografx]

Amazing to learn that sperm has nothing to do with my POIS!