[post-chronic]

Has anyone tried fish oil omega-3's for their POIS symptoms? Some formulations have different ratios of EPA and DHA, and may have different effects for different people.

[Counterpoints]

Has anyone tried fish oil omega-3's for their POIS symptoms? Some formulations have different ratios of EPA and DHA, and may have different effects for different people.

Yes, I tried them in 2005.  I took a reasonably high dosage for about 4-5 months (I don't remember exactly what it was, but pretty much an upper limit to anything you'll get over the counter).  At times I felt better and I attributed it to the Omega-3s, but in retrospect, I think they had a negligible effect.  I am better now than I was then, and I am not taking Omega-3s.

[Counterpoints]

I would name POIS as POIIS POST ORGASMIC INTESTINAL ILLNESS SYNDROME. Don´t you?

Absolutely not.  Perhaps even a majority of people here do not suffer from bowel problems.  I don't think the name is particularly important.  Anything that means "unusual symptoms after orgasm" would suffice for the time being.

[John21 (OP)]

Counterpoints, for quite a while now I have routinely been eating two slices of Dempsters Oatmeal Brown bread for breakfast, lunch, and bedtime snack. I also routinely ate an apple each day at lunch. To that diet I have added another apple at breakfast, and either another apple at supper or a Quaker Oatmeal-to-Go bar. I can visually see the difference in my stool that this extra soluble fiber makes, it is more of a gel. It is important to know that in my POIS state there were no obvious intestinal problems other than an enhanced "need to go" when it first begins (not what I would call a problem, just an effect), and a very infrequent pinch that I have felt in my appendix area that seemed to rear it's head post sexually (this pinch is relatively new, I have not experienced this most of my POIS life).

Post-Chronic, I have tried Omega 3s in the past with no success.

[demografx]

Demografx i appreciate all your posts . Stimulating effect on all of us. Well ... on me at least ! With what we have i think we can't be 100% sure if fluid loss is involved or not. I didn't read the book of Mantak Chia but (it's written on other forum) he say himself that with his technic you can ejaculate in the bladder.

MARTIN88,

I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you! And very interesting what you pointed out, that the Taoist techniques don't prevent semen loss, they just re-direct the semen!

[demografx]

I would name POIS as POIIS POST ORGASMIC INTESTINAL ILLNESS SYNDROME. Don´t you?

Absolutely not.  Perhaps even a majority of people here do not suffer from bowel problems.  I don't think the name is particularly important.  Anything that means "unusual symptoms after orgasm" would suffice for the time being.

Counterpoints, I would add to your POIS definition...lasting DAYS. Any thoughts about that? (I'd also appreciate others' input as well: I think we could use a good working definition of POIS, although I do believe that most of us are on the same page)

[John21 (OP)]

Demografx, I know Jim did something similar, but here is a summary of symptoms others could add to:

Direct POIS symptoms noticed in the days following:

Physical:
no     exhaustion
no     lack of energy
yes    high blood pressure
yes    abdominal pinch
no     headache
no     physical pain
no     diarrhea
no     constipation

Mental:
yes    poor short term memory
yes    difficulty thinking
yes    difficulty communicating, forming thoughts into speech
yes    inexplicable horrible mental feeling

Secondary conditions attributed to POIS
yes    double vision

Indirect problems attributed to stress of POIS
yes    insomnia
yes    stress/anxiety
no      depression


I have bolded my most promenant symptoms.

[martin88]

Demografx, Post-Chronic,
According to what i've read (i'm not a taoist expert) some people (not all, i don't know why) lose the semen in the bladder and probably a big part is lost in urine and that's why pois occur. A hypothesis would be that semen is useful when it stays exactly where it's stored to nourish all the organs around.

In regards to your psychiatrist, unfortunately it's unlikely that anything you say will change his opinion. There seems to be a lot of circular reasoning in psychiatry, so depending on his training and beliefs, anything you say that he disagrees with will probably only confirm in his mind that you really are neurotic and/or in denial. Good luck though!

 
Unfortunately you're right.
About the analogy with alcohol, more seriously, i wanted to describe how i really feel that pois is a physical condition, not psychological at all. I think this is extremely important if we want to be helped by doctors.

[solution]

Martin88 I believe on that hypothesis among others.

[solution]

Counterpoints, still does you feel these statements as usual? If so I wouldn´t dismiss a post orgasmic intestinal illness at all, that doesn´t mean you have to have diarraea or constipation:
...Certain foods can cause similar symptoms.  I have felt quite unusual after several glasses of tropicana orange juice or other sugary foods.  I have measured my blood sugar though on several occasions, and it is normal... counterpoints

[demografx]

JOHN21

"inexplicable horrible mental feeling" - - definitely rings a bell with me! I wonder if my fatigue/exhaustion is really just a reaction to the mental symptoms (including the above, plus poor concentration, etc.)in that by "doing nothing" we don't have to face what FEELS LIKE insurmountable challenges in everyday POIS life.

[demografx]

A hypothesis would be that semen is useful when it stays exactly where it's stored to nourish all the organs around.

I subjectively agree 100%. After 30 years self-observation.

[martin88]

Only 18 years for me... It's amazing how an entire life can really be wasted due to this illness. And with the years i feel that pois is worse because it last longer than before. Please we need someone to find a CURE !   

[pyropeach]

I hear ya martin88

[imre1]

For those seriously suffering.

There is a drug called cyproterone that will stop all sexual body functions.

There is a period of three months in which your body needs to adjust. After that you can be sex free.

This is a drug used by transexuals and eunuchs. Also you will need to also take estrogen to avoid hot flashes. So please be adviced that your body may feminize.

However between 3 months of hardship and a litle less beard grow you can save yourself a life of misery.

I am definitely going to try this.

[John21 (OP)]

Imre1: Sounds like you are in dispair, to consider taking such a drug.  Have you tried being chaste? How about my crazy diet idea?

[sparx]

For those seriously suffering.

There is a drug called cyproterone that will stop all sexual body functions.

There is a period of three months in which your body needs to adjust. After that you can be sex free.

This is a drug used by transexuals and eunuchs. Also you will need to also take estrogen to avoid hot flashes. So please be adviced that your body may feminize.

However between 3 months of hardship and a litle less beard grow you can save yourself a life of misery.

I am definitely going to try this.

imre1:  please give vitex (chasteberry) a try first. Vitex may have several beneficial effects for POIS sufferers. For example, there is some evidence that it has the dual effect of lowering libido and reducing prolactin levels. You need to give it a chance, at least a month. If you can't get vitex where you are then let me know.

cyproterone looks like an extreme and desperate measure for treating POIS that assumes orgasm is the underlying cause. But it may not be the underlying cause. Orgasm may just be a trigger for another underlying condition that cyproterone will not treat. So please take care and get professional advice before trying cyproterone. If you are still taking other medications then it would wise to get professsional advice about taking Vitex as well.

[sparx]

guthrie : if you are still watching this forum, would you please let us know how you trial of Vitex has been going? Thanks!

[demografx]

So please take care and get professional advice before trying cyproterone. If you are still taking other medications then it would wise to get professsional advice about taking Vitex as well.

I think we ALL need to be very careful about recommending ANY treatment. What's good for me just might be harmful - even fatal - for someone else!

[sparx]

I'm seriously considering Wellbutrin ...

I wouldn't worry about brain-fog caused by Wellbutrin (bupropion).  I would recommend starting at 150 mg/day ...

Counterpoints: Thanks for the guidance on wellbutrin ... I appreciate it.

I mucked up my earlier post; meant to say I wanted to see if it (wellbutrin) could 'clear up' or at least have a rapid positive effect on brain fog on a per-dose basis. However, apart from the possibility of aggravating symptoms (ie. anxiety), I'm not certain that a dopamine reuptake inhibitor on its own (or at all) is a reliable way to implicate dopamine availability as a key factor in brain fog.

I'd like to try something that can offer a reasonable possibility of falsifying the 'dopamine availability' hypothesis in my case. So it seems to me important to try distinguishing between at least two possibilities (out of many, considering the structural separation the four main dopamine pathways, and the distribution of excitatory and inhibitory dopamine receptors in different parts of the brain);
  1) abnormally low dopamine with respect to prolactin levels (lowered dopamine levels can be expected, but how low?)
  2) dopamine levels are normal with respect to prolactin levels (which might imply dopamine uptake is being blocked)

There appear to be three options for manipulating dopamine levels; reuptake inhibitors, agonists, precursor molecules (i.e. Levodopa). Cabergoline (an agonist for inhibitory d2 receptors) has been used to suppress prolactin production but the side effects are a significant risk in my opinion.

At the moment I don't know of any way to estimate dopamine levels in different parts of the brain other than fMRI. So I've got a lot more reading to do and I'm starting to think about a budget just in case I have to pay for imaging. In the meantime I'm going to arrange to have my basal prolactin measured (i.e. while no POIS symptoms), and then at some stage I'll get prolactin levels measured a couple of times during a single episode of POIS. I'll have to find a cooperative doctor (hopefully this won't be the most challenging part of the process).

Also thinking it might be possible to get a prolactin injection (is there such a treatment?) to see if that induces brain fog.

Hope that makes some sense ... not thinking very clearly right now (due to work-related stress more than POIS). Please feel free to critique.