[underwater]

Observations Re: Claritin and POIS
It seemed to significantly interfere with the onset of POIS, especially with symptoms connected to my skin. These would be tingles, needles, sweat, hot/cold sensations etc. Also, I never got a panic/anxiety type of jolt that I usually get. Without those initial sensations, I guess POIS never got started. However a sensation that always shows up in POIS- back and perineum discomfort- did show up. But it was 80% shorter in duration than usual. This is the most important factor for me, as this is an awful feeling. No cognitive issues or fatigue. However, I probably have a mild depression as side effects from the Claritin, as I noticed this the previous two times I took it earlier in the week. I believe this is just one little experiment, but maybe it can help direct my thinking toward a more permanent solution to my POIS and GAD. The symptoms of both, for me, overlap. Again, I thank Demo and this forum for helping me take a little step in this long journey toward a cure for both POIS and GAD.

[John21 (OP)]

I remember trying an anti-allergy medication such as Claritin, although I forget the brand, and it did not help me in my POIS. But hopefully it keeps working for you Underwater.

[underwater]

John--
I initially bought Claritin for my allergies. I was getting lightheaded when my sinuses swelled. I still have this problem,although it may also be related to anxiety. I tried it and it helped a bit.
Since I have lately considered Histamine a possible POIS culprit, I kept this by my bed "just in case". I figured it was an antihistamine, so why not give it a try if I ever get another NE. Well, lo and behold, a week after I bought it, and three days after I used it for my lightheadedness, I got my NE. I said to myself, "Just do it you chickenshit"; so I did. I did an experiment that confirmed that my H1 receptors were being blocked: I got an itch on my shoulder a couple hours after "O". If I ever get an itch on my shoulder in bed and I scratch it, I'm in big trouble, because it will flare up like crazy and cause me to scratch, and it will get worse, and I will itch like mad. etc. So I scratched real hard. I just got relief!!!! This never happens.

[rock27]

Congratulations Underwater! You have always explored things beyond the usual on this forum, so that pays of now! I wonder of this also has affected your tinnitus positively? And yes I would be very interested in your supplements as well! So encouraging to see long-time pois-sufferers make breakthru! Good luck, Rocky

[demografx]

DAY ZERO AGAIN!

My POIS treatment is working,  but now it's changing me into a teenager again. Help! []

[demografx]

Congrats again, Underwater! Go, Anti-POIS team, Go!

[underwater]

Demo--
If you must return to the teenage years, by all means, enjoy them. I'll trade any day of the week. Too bad I didn't make the most of them when I was there. But "wow", do you remember all those fantastic teenager songs of the early 60's? Some great melodies!

[demografx]

Yes, Underwater, they're great,  I play many of them on the piano often.

ps - yes, many of us didn't make the most of those years. Reminds me of the old expression, "Youth is wasted on the young."

[EDS]

WOW!! I have finally found a forum about POIS! I am 51 and have been plagued by this frustrating syndrome since my teens. I was ecstatic about Dr. Waldinger's report that finally described the symptoms I was experiencing - and that I wasn't alone (even though I wouldn't wish this on anyone). I just felt good to know that I wasn't crazy (like some of the doc's insisted I was).

In 2004 I was one of the rare individuals that filled out a questionnaire for Dr. Waldinger and spoke with him on the phone several times. They were even considering a documentary on POIS with me as the test subject. I was willing to travel to the Netherlands if it would help with the interest and research of POIS. Then, without warning, contact with Dr. Waldinger stopped and I did not hear anything else about the documentary. I attempted to contact Dr. W several times afterward, but unfortunately, did not get a reply.

After his communications stopped, I tried for months to find a forum like this to communicate with other unfortunate types like me. The only thing I could find on the subject was a report on Dr. W's article. After a while, I gave up and decided the subject had died without the media attention Dr. W had created. I am so glad you good people have created this forum and have been experimenting and keeping in touch with each other. The only way to make progress is to do what you are doing because most physicians don't believe this is real.

I am excited about all of the posts starting back in '07 to present. Just scanning thru, I can see a lot of good coming out of this. I really appreciate all that you are doing and look forward to reading all of the posts.

Thanks again! I am glad to be on-board!

[demografx]

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



Very interesting, EDS, several of us have had similar communications with Dr Waldinger. Documentary! That would have been fascinating!Thanks for sharing your experiences. We look forward to more of your posts.

The consensus at this forum to heal your POIS, is to start with hormonal bloodtesting, preferably with an endocrinologist.

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

Please see "B_Jim"'s POIS Forum 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:

And filling out the POIS survey created by "Counterpoints" will enable you to share POIS information and details with others here. This will also enable us to work more easily with outside researchers by having more organized data available about us:
http://pois.olympe-network.com/

POIS Research Study

We have a copy of the first and only study on POIS by Dr. Marcel Waldinger,MD and Dr. David Schweitzer, MD.

If you want a copy (PDF), send "Pyropeach" a Private Message with your regular email address and he'll send you back the PDF.

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 the recipient's name, e.g., "pyropeach".

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 the medical world - which often shows little understanding and is sometimes skeptical of our condition - that POIS has scientific underpinnings and that POIS is not "just another psychological problem" related to sex - to be treated by the psychiatric/psychotherapist community.

Also, it can be helpful when dealing with medical professionals to point out the successful existence of our rapidly growing forum for over 2 years, which has attracted over 100 POIS sufferers worldwide who have posted here, plus more than 250,000 page visits. Not bad for a rare malady!

[CertainlyPOIS]

okay guys am back and i have surprisingly been out of pois for five days straight without NE, lets say Amen to that. last time that happen was a year ago.
The main reason am here. 
while out of pois, i drank a drink that has cafine, after the caffine wore of i got the symptoms of pois where it becomes difficult to recollect information.
the symptoms wore off by the next day.
just wondering has anyone  had simmilar effect.
I know some said they have experienced pois symptoms after strenuous exercises.

[CertainlyPOIS]

DAY ZERO AGAIN!

My POIS treatment is working,  but now it's changing me into a teenager again. Help! []

Wow i think you just discovered the the fountain of youth. 
You should become a holy shaman now.

[CertainlyPOIS]

WOW!! I have finally found a forum about POIS! I am 51 and have been plagued by this frustrating syndrome since my teens. I was ecstatic about Dr. Waldinger's report that finally described the symptoms I was experiencing - and that I wasn't alone (even though I wouldn't wish this on anyone). I just felt good to know that I wasn't crazy (like some of the doc's insisted I was).

In 2004 I was one of the rare individuals that filled out a questionnaire for Dr. Waldinger and spoke with him on the phone several times. They were even considering a documentary on POIS with me as the test subject. I was willing to travel to the Netherlands if it would help with the interest and research of POIS. Then, without warning, contact with Dr. Waldinger stopped and I did not hear anything else about the documentary. I attempted to contact Dr. W several times afterward, but unfortunately, did not get a reply.

After his communications stopped, I tried for months to find a forum like this to communicate with other unfortunate types like me. The only thing I could find on the subject was a report on Dr. W's article. After a while, I gave up and decided the subject had died without the media attention Dr. W had created. I am so glad you good people have created this forum and have been experimenting and keeping in touch with each other. The only way to make progress is to do what you are doing because most physicians don't believe this is real.

I am excited about all of the posts starting back in '07 to present. Just scanning thru, I can see a lot of good coming out of this. I really appreciate all that you are doing and look forward to reading all of the posts.

Thanks again! I am glad to be on-board!

interesting you had that much communication with dr.waldinger.
i was just wondering what was did his questonaires contain.

[demografx]

DAY ZERO AGAIN!

My POIS treatment is working,  but now it's changing me into a teenager again. Help! []

Wow i think you just discovered the the fountain of youth. 
You should become a holy shaman now.

Thanks, CC!

[demografx]

Hard to believe it's the 2nd Day One in four days. POIS-free.

[GoingCrazy]

Just another possible theory here.

POIS is often relieved after about 2 weeks.  at orgasm, dopamine levels drop and prolactin levels sore.  Waiting 2 weeks normalizes the amount of dopamine in your head.  Dopamine inhibits prolactin.  Has anyone ever had an MRI done for the possibility of a prolactinoma?  They can be reduced through normal medication

[rock27]

Demo, congratulations again!
Also thanks for being the host of this forum !

I have news. I tested out-of-range. It feels strange and hopefully it's the first step to full health.

You know I had to wait for 2 months to see my doc again, but I didn't want to wait that long. So I took a blood test at a regular hospital facility and paid out of hand.
I did the test 3 days after "release", still feeling nucleary wasted (iteration on Demo's words).

In POIS- Test Results:
Testosterone total 7.54 (9.72-38.17 nmol/l)
Testosterone free 164 (174-729 pmol/l)

I tested a lot of hormones and other things, and these were the only two values that tested out of the ranges the hospital uses, along with Vitamin B6 (sky high; strange 'cos I took no supplements at all).  There are a few results with normal values in the lower part of normal, I have to further analyse that.

Good luck to all of you!

[demografx]

Just another possible theory here.

POIS is often relieved after about 2 weeks.  at orgasm, dopamine levels drop and prolactin levels sore.  Waiting 2 weeks normalizes the amount of dopamine in your head.  Dopamine inhibits prolactin.  Has anyone ever had an MRI done for the possibility of a prolactinoma?  They can be reduced through normal medication

Yes, GC, I had an MRI/pituitary looking for that, found none. I have hyperprolactinemia, "soaring prolactin". I think it's caused by Reglan, so discontinued it. Rx side effect is a common cause of high prolactin, often unnoticed by physicians. Wikipedia lists most common Rx culprits; my Reglan was one of them.

Reducing prolactin can be done, but those meds can have serious side effects, they're not "normal medication".

[demografx]

Demo, congratulations again!
Also thanks for being the host of this forum !

I have news. I tested out-of-range. It feels strange and hopefully it's the first step to full health.

You know I had to wait for 2 months to see my doc again, but I didn't want to wait that long. So I took a blood test at a regular hospital facility and paid out of hand.
I did the test 3 days after "release", still feeling nucleary wasted (iteration on Demo's words).
 
In POIS- Test Results:
Testosterone total 7.54 (9.72-38.17 nmol/l)
Testosterone free 164 (174-729 pmol/l)

I tested a lot of hormones and other things, and these were the only two values that tested out of the ranges the hospital uses, along with Vitamin B6 (sky high; strange 'cos I took no supplements at all).  There are a few results with normal values in the lower part of normal, I have to further analyse that.

Good luck to all of you!

Thanks for the compliment! Testosterone treatment is a big part of my POIS cure, but I tested out-of-POIS so MY low reading means "chronic" to me. I think B_Jim said that testosterone drops after ejaculation. If that's true, then maybe quick-action T-injection might be worth testing. The 24/7 patches that I wear - or using daily gel -  I think should be validated by an out-of-POIS comparison.

Sorry if I'm introducing some confusion, but this is new for all of us. The main thing is that you took a very important first step which hopefully will lead to your successful treatment!

[demografx]

When should I test?

We unfortunately haven't yet arrived at a consensus at this forum for the ideal timing of hormonal bloodtesting (or urine/saliva where appropriate)

There are 3 choices:

1. Testing in-POIS (symptomatic)

2. Testing out-of-POIS (nonsymptomatic)

3. Testing a comparison of both in-and-out-of-POIS (2 tests)