[Vincent M]

Hello. I am new to this forum and will most likely be spending a lot of time here as I've been fighting this battle against POIS for almost 4 years now and I don't have much time or energy to do much else these days. I haven't read all the posts in this forum yet, but I've read about the first 3 pages and intend on reading the rest. I'd like to add as a note to the moderator that I'm the one who posted the question on yahoo answers about 2 or 3 hours ago about this syndrome under the name "Unknown".

Now for my story: I started masturbating when I was 17 and would ejaculate 1 to 7 times a day leaning towards 7 times a day. At this time I was in peak physical condition I had 8 pack abs, felt no physical pain, and had an endless store of energy. Soon after I started masturbating my energy level began to decline. The first effect was a drastic decrease in my physical stamina during cross country practice followed by a pulled tendon in my calf I got during practice as I had never before gotten an injury from running before. On a side note I've never broken a bone before even in 3 years of playing high school football. Next thing I noticed was that my eyes burned a little bit when I was outside in the sun or when I looked other people in the eyes. Also for the first time I was failing a math class as I was unable to pay attention and actually slept through almost every class, which I had never done before.

Sometime when I was 19 I read something about chinese medicine/semen conservation and made the connection between my masturbation and declining health. At the time the only thing I realized was that my perfectly muscled stomach was suddenly looking slightly bloated and distended. I also realized my face was appearing fatter while my butt was getting skinnier and that while sitting I began to get a pain in my upper spine area as well as near the bones that touched the seat. I also got a few migraines and heavy colds during this time which I had previously never had. So I tried to stop masturbating, but only got about 2 weeks w/o masturbating although I did notice a great relief of symptoms, so I continued research. I read that avoiding meat and dairy reduced sex drive so I became a vegan for 5 months and for those 5 months I didn't masturbate once, however I had a nocturnal emission about once every 3 or 4 weeks. I'll add that it was very cold in my house at this time as our furnace wasn't working well and in order to reduce nocturnal emissions I slept with a pair of army pants without underwear and a coat, boots, & gloves to keep me warm without putting too much heat on my genitals. I also noticed that the more food I had in my stomach when I went to sleep the greater chance there was of an emission. During this time I noticed almost total relief of all my symptoms, however I think the lack of adequate nutrients ultimately led to a decrease in energy probly since I hate vegetables and simply ate mostly crackers, bread, nuts, and some beans/rice and lentils. Something random that's prolly irrelevant that happened to me while I was vegan is that I found if I ate corn I would get so much pain in my gut that I would be in a fetal position for some hours. I would have continued the diet if I didn't los control and masturbated again. Also it seems that as time went on my ability to resist the urge to masturbate decreased. So I returned to eating meat since I felt I needed nutrition to supplement my ejaculation frequency.

My energy continued to steadily decline along with my performance in school and along with the various pains.  During the next couple years I still tried to remain vegan to some extent so I never went back to drinking milk, but my diet consisted largely of potato chips, ice cream, apples, and whatever my mother cooked for dinner. I noticed around this time that my facial muscles and flesh began to noticeably and uncomfortably sag, causing some skin to sag into my eyes and I think perhaps my eyeballs themselves sagged slightly out of their sockets. My skin gets more dry and itchy everyday it seems especially my scalp and it feels as though my blood isn't pumping enough blood to my extremities and most uncomfortably to my head. I took long walks to reduce my libido by diverting my testosterone into my muscles via exercise, but eventually joint pain (or perhaps muscle pain around the joints?) developed that caused my hips and knees to hurt before walking too long. Imagine that- In 3 years time I went from a 5 minute 14 second mile time to barely being able to walk a mile, at a time in my life when my physical strength should've been increasing.

I'm now 22 years old and currently masturbate 1-7 times a day. I generally reach orgasm within one minute as I've done from the beginning and need to lay down with my eyes closed at least 30 minutes after I ejaculate, however when I first started I didn't need much time to recover if any. I've read that some of you seem to experience periods where you are free of POIS symptoms since you don't ejaculate so many times per day, but I don't experience this relief from symptoms now. I used a chastity device I've made for myself and in that case I can experience relief from the eye burning in about 2 days and an increase in energy, but my back pain is almost always with me and I rarely have enough energy to venture outside my house but this may also be due to the social anxiety I've had all my life. I've recently noticed my anxiety level is worsened after I masturbate.

Something very interesting that happened to me this past summer was when I started drinking milk again for the first time in about 2 years it was skim milk and within the first two weeks of drinking a small glass a day all of my symptoms completely disappeared and I got a boost of energy that lasted for the most part of a month. I mean I felt like superman. I got back into practicing taekwondo and started practicing the front flip that I had almost attained before POIS symptoms struck. I went back to college thinking everything was fine, but within the first 2 weeks I crashed completely and all of my symptoms returned in the same intensity as before drinking the skim milk. Once I got home I thought that the milk in my town might be different that the crap they had at my school, but still I can only get about a 5 minute reduction in eye burning and a short energy boost from a glass of milk. My current tactic is to avoid skim milk for a certain period of time and return to drinking it to see if I have perhaps overloaded my body with it. Another possibility is that the skim milk only worked since it was summer at the time with no A/C in my house and I was exercising more than normal. One time I walked about an hour to buy milk at a minimart and on my way back while drinking the skim milk I got a power surge so great that I was able to run most of the way back home with no joint pain at all. Perhaps the reason I crashed at school was due to the cold temp combined with stress and no exercise.

I've experimented with garlic for a couple days and seemed to get a noticeable reduction in POIS symptoms at first, but I think that was just due to the head rush I initially got from actually chewing the stuff. I intend on doing a longer experiment on either chewing garlic or swallowing chopped garlic with water.

I've used the ADD medicine, Concerta, in the past to increase my energy, mental alertness, and reduce my libido. I find it works for that purpose for about a day if I use it once it a while, but if I take it daily it loses its effect in a couple days.

The chastity device I use to control my masturbation is just a paperclip that I unbend then bend around my penis so the ends are pointing inwards so when I become erect the ends cause enough pain to stop the erection. I then put duct tape over it attaching some pubic hair in the duct tape to make it more difficult to take off and I put some paper over the paper clip before I apply the duct tape in order to allow the skin to breathe. However I can't sleep like this, because I get erections after about 1 or 2 hours of sleep and have found that broken sleep is worse for me than masturbating. I will probly soon look into constructing a device that allows me to sleep. I might spend some money on a real device, but I'm aware that many of them don't work completely and are noticeable to other people.

As a side note my brother has no signs of this disease and he also started masturbating when he was around 10. Perhaps people who start masturbating at an older age are more likely to acquire the disease? Or perhaps engaging in many ejaculations extremely close together could trigger the syndrome?

If you would like me to clarify, expand on, or add any details just let me know. I'll probly be checking back here at least once a day. If my post is too long to put here let me know.

[dbfd588]

Wow Vincent, Welcome aboard. Im 20 and been dealing with it for about 6 years and I think your the first person that I can actually connect with. I been thru almost the same thing. Used to be super active and feel great everyday, now Im just glad to wake up alive! People dont realize how debilitating and stressful POIS really is. I totally agree that we should be gaining strenth and abilitly at our age, yet we are going down hill. Sometimes I have more aches and pains that my 50 year old dad and thats just not right! Some of the other guys will chime in soon with a ton of info, but Welcome aboard man!

[masochist]

long post, long reply    []

The first effect was a drastic decrease in my physical stamina during cross country practice followed by a pulled tendon in my calf I got during practice as I had never before gotten an injury from running before.

I noticed this lack of stamina in my years in football and track. Noticed I was always "gassing" more, breathing harder and shallower. My performance was usually sub-par during this. Practices/games where much more pain-intensive.

... my eyes burned a little bit ....when I looked other people in the eyes....

Although I haven't noticed them burn just from looking, I do notice it's much more of a struggle to look others in the eye when with pois.

I also noticed that the more food I had in my stomach when I went to sleep the greater chance there was of an emission.

I've noticed this just because i tend to dream more when I've eaten before sleep.

During this time I noticed almost total relief of all my symptoms, however I think the lack of adequate nutrients ultimately led to a decrease in energy probly since I hate vegetables and simply ate mostly crackers, bread, nuts, and some beans/rice and lentils.

This doesn't sound like a well-calculated vegan diet, as there should be plenty of 'adequate' nutrients if you are eating properly.

...but my diet consisted largely of potato chips, ice cream,....I noticed around this time that my facial muscles and flesh began to noticeably and uncomfortably sag, causing some skin to sag into my eyes and I think perhaps my eyeballs themselves sagged slightly out of their sockets.

I also notice these type of symptoms when i eat like sh1t.

....need to lay down with my eyes closed at least 30 minutes after I ejaculate,

Are you lying down for up to 3 or 4 hours a day because of this?

...and I rarely have enough energy to venture outside my house but this may also be due to the social anxiety I've had all my life. I've recently noticed my anxiety level is worsened after I masturbate.

Very much with you on this, I've experienced social anxiety. And then I've noticed it get much worse with pois.

Something very interesting that happened to me this past summer was when I started drinking milk again for the first time in about 2 years it was skim milk and within the first two weeks of drinking a small glass a day all of my symptoms completely disappeared and I got a boost of energy that lasted for the most part of a month. I mean I felt like superman.

Again, I'm skeptical about the 'vegan' diet you were on. I'm not vegan(yet), but many of my family members(some athletes with 8-packs) are, and have been for many years. They don't have such negative impacts from 'lack of adequate nutrition' (namely milk)

I've used the ADD medicine, Concerta, in the past to increase my energy, mental alertness, and reduce my libido. I find it works for that purpose for about a day if I use it once it a while, but if I take it daily it loses its effect in a couple days.
 

I have my own experience with going on and coming off several different prescribed medications.  I can't help but believe that going on, then off, a medicine like Concerta, so sporadically, has helped your situation/research.

The chastity device I use to control my masturbation is just a paperclip that I unbend then bend around my penis so the ends are pointing inwards so when I become erect the ends cause enough pain to stop the erection. I then put duct tape over it attaching some pubic hair in the duct tape to make it more difficult to take off and I put some paper over the paper clip before I apply the duct tape in order to allow the skin to breathe. However I can't sleep like this, because I get erections after about 1 or 2 hours of sleep and have found that broken sleep is worse for me than masturbating. I will probly soon look into constructing a device that allows me to sleep. I might spend some money on a real device, but I'm aware that many of them don't work completely and are noticeable to other people.

Don't know if chastity/absinence/Robinson is the answer or not.. Hopefully not. I've had limited experience with chastity, but the times I did try, it's seemed that any type of device just seemed to draw more attention to "idea" of sex, which was counter productive. Have you looked at something like this? newbielink:http://www.birdlocked.com/male_chastity_device/male_chastity.asp [nonactive]
not expensive at all and could save you time and some pain/headache/pubes with all the duct tape / paper clips. must be an engineer. [O8)]

[daveman]

Welcome Vincent.

POIS is very complex! First it often takes a few years to associate the problems created by POIS to orgasm.

Later, I think we've all experienced apparant successes with procedures and remedies, that in the end were just coincidence or at best partial. There are so many interactions and if one is to try to evaluate the effects of one cure against another, it has to be done in a very controlled fashion, so that only one possibility is being tested at a time. Since the time cycle of POIS is close to a week, a successful test once, isn't anywhere near enough to prove a "cure".

One can go once or twice with sucessful tests, and the third fails miserably. This is normal.

Try to read the forum backwards. At this moment, potential for a POIS cure is closer than ever and most of the advances have been happening recently. As you proceed to read more and more into the past, you will see that we have had several theories that seem to emerge close to what some of the experts are finally discovering, we haven't done at all bad for a group of laymen. But we've had to sweat through many false starts and false cures and false hopes.

Here on the forum, we have also covered many possibilities for symptom relief. Although they are not cures, they can help us to get from one day to the next, more comfortably. In that respect, it seems that your approach has been very intelligent. In terms of symptom relief, natural, where possible IS much healthier. Many drugs have also been tried here, but my personal experience has been that these only tend to make the problem worse in the long run. (There are some very promising hormonal therapies that DO NOT fall into this category)

Welcome.... you HAVE come to the right place.

[demografx]

apostate801, and MrMoonJr, and Vincent Marcus, welcome to the POIS thread of The Naked Science Forum!




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


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

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 nearly 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 nearly 1,000,000 page visits. Not bad for a rare malady!

[demografx]

apostate801, and MrMoonJr, and Vincent Marcus, 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: almost 4 years' worth of posts (over  10,000 posts!) from 150+ Forum members, and an additional 150 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#.

[demografx]

I've used the ADD medicine, Concerta, in the past to increase my energy, mental alertness, and reduce my libido. I find it works for that purpose for about a day if I use it once it a while, but if I take it daily it loses its effect in a couple days.

I've been using similar meds successfully for POIS, mental clarity/concentration/focus, and depression - for years now. The trick, for me, is to stay at low doses. That way my system doesn't become tolerant and need larger doses. The effectiveness now renews each and every morning.

[Vincent M]

To dbfd588 : I’m definitely in far worse condition than my 45 or 47 (somewhere round there) Mother and Stepfather.

To masochist : I rushed into the vegan diet that time. I’ll aim for more variety if I try going vegan again. I do lie in my bed most of every day, because my upper back usually hurts too much when I sit down. Feels like my spine is rotting it’s so sore even to the touch, but my doc said it’s just that the muscles there are inflamed; I got an MRI & X-Ray and nothing showed up. Some days I’ll see the sun come up, close the shades, and just lie in my bed doing absolutely nothing except thinking with my eyes closed and maybe jerk it once or twice until the sun goes down. I mean sometimes I feel like a drooling lobotomy patient I just lay there without a thought in my mind and when I realize I’ve been zombified for hours it’s quite frustrating. POIS is always on my mind 24/7 I can’t think of anything else for long, because the pain reminds me especially the eye burning.
I can understand the criticism of the milk thing, but I felt such an effect from it that I can’t let it slide just yet.
I only used Concerta on perhaps 4 separate incidences usually during college if I had to do an assignment last minute. Now that I dropped out of college for the time being I intend on avoiding drugs and focusing on small changes I can make in nutrition, exercise, & and other small variables in order to alleviate my pois symptoms to some extent. Perhaps posting any information I gather could lead others along thought paths that help them. I still like to read about others’ experiences with drugs however and I’d like to hope scientists could find something. Regarding chastity it's worth it for me, but I don’t have the money to risk buying a device right now since my whole family can barely afford food and pay our bills on time, although the device you linked does appear promising but at the same time I feel I've seen it before and heard problems with it such as skin irritation from the tightness & material or it was too loose for some people or something. There are so many issues involved in making a comfortable chastity device that works.

Demo- Perhaps I’ll try an ADD med at a lower dose in the future. I know if I took a Concerta pill anytime after noon I would be up all night with pretty bad anxiety. Just remembered another side effect was an extreme reduction in hunger for the day I took the pill.

[demografx]

Thanks, Vincent Marcus. You just reminded me: none of us should recommend any medical treatment to anyone else. I was only relaying my experience. ADD meds just might be bad for you!

Yesterday, someone mentioned how Wellbutrin helped them. When I tried it, I had a horrible reaction.

We're all different.

edit - thank you, Vincent, I modified my ADD-meds post above based on our discussion!

[Vincent M]

ha well as I'm weary of side effects I always tag that "For me" on to anyone's experience. But perhaps it is best to add for others who dive into things a bit faster.

[demografx]

Just one week from today, February 18, will be the 4th Year Anniversary of "John21"'s very first POIS post here!

[demografx]

ha well as I'm weary of side effects I always tag that "For me" on to anyone's experience. But perhaps it is best to add for others who dive into things a bit faster.

Especially some people who are desperate with POIS!

[Vincent M]

ha well as I'm weary of side effects I always tag that "For me" on to anyone's experience. But perhaps it is best to add for others who dive into things a bit faster.

Especially some people who are desperate with POIS!

So true. I've even read into whether getting a vasectomy or getting my prostate removed could end this suffering. Haven't found much though. I still need to go through the rest of this forum I feel as though I'm repeating material you guys have already been over.

[demografx]

We have had some recent vasectomy discussions that may be of interest to you.

[Vincent M]

Just now sent my email to Prof. dr. Marcel D. Waldinger for the questionnaire.

[demografx]

Great, Vincent!

[demografx]

Big quake in Chile today. I hope daveman and JPLewin (Juan Pablo) are ok! (I wrote to both).

[demografx]

I've even read into whether getting a vasectomy or getting my prostate removed could end this suffering.

We have had some recent vasectomy discussions that may be of interest to you.

Some previous vasectomy and prostate discussions here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=vasectomy+prostate+POIS+site:http://thenakedscientists.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

[Animus]

Quote from: Zoop on 19/01/2011 19:59:28
Quote from: hazey on 19/01/2011 10:46:04

Hi Everyone

mod edit - deleted as spam

Haha let me laugh what's this crappy website you repeat so many times in your post, made to send your useless expensive oils ? I think we suffer enough and don't need that some people try to draw our money.
Zoop, thank you for exposing this!

Why Did my post get deleted as spam?? and More importantly why was I banned! No where in my post was I trying to sell a product only sharing my experience to help others. If you check my post history you will see I am actually a genuine pois sufferer. I would appreciate if this gets lifted and perhaps the moderator contact me and explain, or is that what goes on here, someone actually has some useful information and then they get shutdown and members dont get to benefit from it.

OK, Hazey, we moderators are human and I will allow that this could have been a mistake. But please don't use this current obscenity-spiked username and I will lift the ban. Thank you for understanding. We do get many disruptive people, including spammers, and every now and then a mistake is made. I hope this is the case with you.

that was nicely handled, demo.

[demografx]

Thanks, Animus.