[jivetalk]

I find the Niacinamide works for me very well and this is comes without much of a flush, sometimes I feel a small one, but then again I take 1000mg... this almost gets rid of the brain fog and flu..... BUT!!!!! I need to find something to help with the DRIVE.... I have no drive, I just want to sit and do nothing, I have no enthusiasm at all.... I am self employed, I have a line up of paying contracts, I am totally out of money, so you would think you could work at these paying contracts..... nope, I can not find any motivation to do almost anything..... its very bad.....

I have been reading this forum and have not noted much about fixing this part of the problem.

PS.

Interesting, niacin, at least for me, also fixed the drive. I've got lots of it. I don't know if that might be a difference between niacinimide and niacin or not. Also look at boosting with vitamin C and iron! See if that helps.

BTW when do you take your niacinamide, one hour before as well? Did you start out with 1000mg or less, and did you try with niacin before, if so what was your dose with that (as a reference)?.

Hey Guys, Just wanted to add, Niacin for me seems to work mainly for my brainfog. I don't feel anywhere near as cloudy in the head. I remember when I hadn't found out about Niacin, after O  I could lie there and literally wait and feel the 'cloudiness' enter my brain.

Drive on the other hand, and energy for that matter is a completely different story. Niacin certainly helps, because my mind is clearer (though not 100%) and can 'push through' a task if absolutely necessary but it is hard going.  I also still get the lower back pain with Niacin....

POIS-SUFFERER - Please let us know how the Vitamin C and Iron goes for you....I might try that as well...........

[martin88]

I've tried high strength fish oils with approximately a 3:1 ratio of DHA to EPA and I took about 35 ml / day giving about 1.6g of Omega 3 / day. They had a benefit but the Krill oil seems to be working better. I'm now down to taking

Thanks Kurtosis. So you took approx 1.2g/day DHA + 400mg EPA which is not so far from 1.8g, without enough benefit to take it again I guess. I'll now have less placebo effect when I'll try it myself! I'll report, if it's effective. I'm at day 7 of taking a supplement containing (daily dose:300mg DHA + 2mg vit E + 1.5mg asthaxanthin, no EPA). I felt something positive before orgasm but not enough. No effect after orgasm, I still have POIS.

For the krill oil eventually it's not the Omega3 causing the good effect. Be sure to take a brand without hcb pesticides. You mentionned cod liver oil, it contains iodine and D.

I have minimal POIS symptoms anymore. I actually feel happy as I've been getting incrementally better since I started taking niacin and then figured out vit c would improve its effectiveness.
However, a key component for me is vitamin c. When I feel fatigued during the day I dissolve 1/2 gram of effervescent tablet in a small glass of water and it gives me a lift.

Vit C gives me more energy too, but also anxiety so I can't take high doses. Nobody can tell me why, except a few articles of chinese medicine saying vitamin C is putting "cold in the kidneys", not very helpful. When I don't take vitamin C at all for 2-3 days, even from food, everything seems to go slowly, I feel very calm and libido is going up.

About iron, there are multi-vit without iron. Some studies noticed iron is linked with cancer but maybe it's ok taking low doses.

[Porke]

Its highly likely a virus or a stressful experience caused havoc on my HPA axis or immune symptoms making me overreact to having an O which my body somehow takes as a threat . The other strange thing is I can't tolerate hot showers or baths. If I take a very hot shower its like POIS(similar symptoms) 2x or more for at least a week. Originally though i might have MS,but not all the symptoms match,and that's pretty much a dead end anyway as far as treatment goes,so I'm hoping if I just stay away from hot baths, and take supplements such as Acetyl-L Carnitine to help Pois I can at least live a tolerable life, if not an entirely enjoyable one.

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

I suffer from ME / CFS in addition to POIS. I have been battling it for the last 8 years, and my POIS set in during the same period. Are the two related? I believe they are probably the same disease for me. With my CFS, I have often severe episodes of difficult recovery / low energy after a workout or physical exertion. Sometimes it takes me 2-3 days to feel normal again.

Unfortunately, it is the same with sex. The internal biological systems are so interconnected, one affects the other. In the case of CFS, adrenals, HTPA-axis, brain chemicals and digestion are often thrown into disarray, and so POIS and CFS for me is the classic chicken and egg scenario. I believe (in my own case), that if I can ever beat chronic fatigue syndrome, that my POIS will dissapear along with it. I have been battling it for years with little progress, but I keep researching and trying different diets and supplement regimes.

If anyone is in the same boat as me, checkout Dr MyHill's website. She also has a fantastic free e-book on CFS and possible treatment options. There are blood tests that she and her team can do (but this is only really for people living in europe, so im outta luck)

[Habibou]

Thank you Porke ! Yes, I found out her website Dr Sarah MyHill and I got a very interesting PDF file (if you want it also, PM me!).
Many websites talks about " L’acétyl-L-carnitine and l’acide alpha-lipoïque " and the avantages on the cognitive function by reparing mitochondrions, It seemed really amazing both for POIS and CFS (I have the 2 also) !

[kurtosis]

I've tried high strength fish oils with approximately a 3:1 ratio of DHA to EPA and I took about 35 ml / day giving about 1.6g of Omega 3 / day. They had a benefit but the Krill oil seems to be working better. I'm now down to taking

Thanks Kurtosis. So you took approx 1.2g/day DHA + 400mg EPA which is not so far from 1.8g, without enough benefit to take it again I guess. I'll now have less placebo effect when I'll try it myself! I'll report, if it's effective. I'm at day 7 of taking a supplement containing (daily dose:300mg DHA + 2mg vit E + 1.5mg asthaxanthin, no EPA). I felt something positive before orgasm but not enough. No effect after orgasm, I still have POIS.

For the krill oil eventually it's not the Omega3 causing the good effect. Be sure to take a brand without hcb pesticides. You mentionned cod liver oil, it contains iodine and D.

I have minimal POIS symptoms anymore. I actually feel happy as I've been getting incrementally better since I started taking niacin and then figured out vit c would improve its effectiveness.
However, a key component for me is vitamin c. When I feel fatigued during the day I dissolve 1/2 gram of effervescent tablet in a small glass of water and it gives me a lift.

Vit C gives me more energy too, but also anxiety so I can't take high doses. Nobody can tell me why, except a few articles of chinese medicine saying vitamin C is putting "cold in the kidneys", not very helpful. When I don't take vitamin C at all for 2-3 days, even from food, everything seems to go slowly, I feel very calm and libido is going up.

About iron, there are multi-vit without iron. Some studies noticed iron is linked with cancer but maybe it's ok taking low doses.

I never said I didn't notice a good effect from the fish oils I was taking. I sure did. I took that dose for about a month and it was beneficial. However, my observation is that I get an even better boost by taking 1.5 g of Krill oil which is a bit more expensive. This was a very surprising result as, up until then, KO was something I believed was similar to my previous supplement but would cost me more money. I was wrong. This is not just explained by Omega 3 as I was getting larger amounts with the previous fish oils but I doubt that the omega 3 component can be entirely written off. I'm not assuming the same would apply to everybody but I think anyone suffering from POIS should give KO a go, with niacin and Vit-c of course.  God knows, most of us have tried everything else.

Vitamin C doesn't make me anxious at all but, then again, I get a lot of exercise now and that helps dissipate anxious feelings. I've never been exactly "easy going" so I guess it's what you're used to

[demografx]

•Shine the light on our experience!

•Show them what we know!

•We are the biggest union of POIS sufferers IN THE WORLD

•Let’s get what we know about medicine effectiveness

•And symptoms and nutrition into an organized database.
 
Surveys are HERE!
 
www.poiscenter.com/surveys.htm
 
Click on “POIS Profiles by Username”
 
Get your password via PM to Demografx or Daveman.
 
 

[POISon]

@ Porke,
I usually get a horrible sore throat,severe fatigue,chest pains,brainfog, dizziness,heat flashes, extreme calm followed by anxiety, and muscle spasms,especially in the upper arm area after a hot shower. I think in our cases they are related. My theory is that heat and POIs trigger an immune response which triggers an over/under reaction of the HPA axis.People on this site may have different reasons,however for the way they act after having an O,since every bodies system is different. I'll have to take a look at that Myhill site,looks pretty interesting.

@ Habibou and people wishing to try Acetyl-L-Carnitine(Alcar)

I bought Swanson's premium brand 500 milligram Acetyl-l-carnitine and their Alpha Lipoic acid in the 600 mg.I would probably have gone with the 300 though since the 600 seems to strong. I'm not a rep nor do I own stock in Swansons,though I probably should since I buy so much from them,but they are usually the cheapest and also the best quality. Believe it or not,buying the right brand can mean  the difference between not noticing any effect, having side effects,or actually producing the positive effects you're looking for.

Once you start feeling a difference with the Alpa Lipoc and Acety-l-Carnitine combo you may find yourself wanting to drastically lower the dose of the Alpha  Lipoic acid or drop it completely and stick with just the Alcar. Thats what I'm doing right now and its working better for me since the Alpha Lipoic acid over time was adding agitation.I think once the body has accumulated enough Alcar in the bloodstream increasing its effect too much by continuing with the Alpha Lipoic acid will start to cause side effects such as moderate agitation.Again, that's my experience and everyone's body is different.

[demografx]

The other strange thing is I can't tolerate hot showers or baths.

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

Same here!!

[POISon]

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

Same here!!

We may be on to something.I thought about mentioning my intolerance for hot showers when I first went on this site over a year ago,but I thought it may be just me on here that had this problem and it may not be related to POIS for most people here since I couldn't find anyone else mentioning the same problem. Glad to know I'm not alone! Whats odd is that being out on a very hot day for hours doesn't seem to be much a problem for me,but taking a 10 minute hot shower can make me miserable for days after. I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum have Pois and sensitivity to Hot showers/bath.If the majority do, this information might be of great value once we get the funds for Nord to do research.

[daveman]

POISon,

That's exactly what the surveys are going to be all about!

[POIS-SUFFERER]

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

Same here!!

We may be on to something.I thought about mentioning my intolerance for hot showers when I first went on this site over a year ago,but I thought it may be just me on here that had this problem and it may not be related to POIS for most people here since I couldn't find anyone else mentioning the same problem. Glad to know I'm not alone! Whats odd is that being out on a very hot day for hours doesn't seem to be much a problem for me,but taking a 10 minute hot shower can make me miserable for days after. I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum have Pois and sensitivity to Hot showers/bath.If the majority do, this information might be of great value once we get the funds for Nord to do research.

Yes I have the same reaction to hot showers, and also hot humid summer days..... like someone zapped me with a de-energy gun!

PS.

[demografx]

Wow! Are we on to something??

[badgerstripe]

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

Same here!!

We may be on to something.I thought about mentioning my intolerance for hot showers when I first went on this site over a year ago,but I thought it may be just me on here that had this problem and it may not be related to POIS for most people here since I couldn't find anyone else mentioning the same problem. Glad to know I'm not alone! Whats odd is that being out on a very hot day for hours doesn't seem to be much a problem for me,but taking a 10 minute hot shower can make me miserable for days after. I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum have Pois and sensitivity to Hot showers/bath.If the majority do, this information might be of great value once we get the funds for Nord to do research.

Yes I have the same reaction to hot showers, and also hot humid summer days..... like someone zapped me with a de-energy gun!

PS.

I don't seem to have that reaction. I enjoy the hot shower or bath, it loosens my stiff muscles and wakes me up on POIS or non-POIS days. A cooler shower or swimming pool seems to help my POIS however, gemerally making me feel more alert and clearing my head a little form the fog.

There is a condition called polythycemia rubra vera which is overproduction of red blood cells which makes peoples skin very sensitive to warm baths and they go very red, it can also make peole quite sluggish generally. It is in my family but i dont know if i have it, it tends to manifest in mostly men in their 50s and 60s. I will ask Dr Goldmeier about it when i see him. I wonder if it may be a factor in POIS?

[demografx]

POISon,

That's exactly what the surveys are going to be all about!

Daveman, thank you so much for the stupendous effort you've put into launching our survey efforts. POIS research is really growing up!

[kurtosis]

Same issue here! I also cannot tolerate very hot showers. They normally make me feel very foggy / lethargic the entire day.

Same here!!

We may be on to something.I thought about mentioning my intolerance for hot showers when I first went on this site over a year ago,but I thought it may be just me on here that had this problem and it may not be related to POIS for most people here since I couldn't find anyone else mentioning the same problem. Glad to know I'm not alone! Whats odd is that being out on a very hot day for hours doesn't seem to be much a problem for me,but taking a 10 minute hot shower can make me miserable for days after. I'd be curious to know how many people on this forum have Pois and sensitivity to Hot showers/bath.If the majority do, this information might be of great value once we get the funds for Nord to do research.

Yes I have the same reaction to hot showers, and also hot humid summer days..... like someone zapped me with a de-energy gun!

PS.

I don't seem to have that reaction. I enjoy the hot shower or bath, it loosens my stiff muscles and wakes me up on POIS or non-POIS days. A cooler shower or swimming pool seems to help my POIS however, gemerally making me feel more alert and clearing my head a little form the fog.

There is a condition called polythycemia rubra vera which is overproduction of red blood cells which makes peoples skin very sensitive to warm baths and they go very red, it can also make peole quite sluggish generally. It is in my family but i dont know if i have it, it tends to manifest in mostly men in their 50s and 60s. I will ask Dr Goldmeier about it when i see him. I wonder if it may be a factor in POIS?

That's fascinating but I don't have the problem with hot showers or baths either. Guess this another one for the survey & statistical analysis. I generally have cold hands and feet (except with a bit of niacin on board) so I really enjoy a hot shower or bath to warm me up.

[John21 (OP)]

Hot showers/baths do not bother me at all, I love them!

I want to report that I am still taking diuretics and continue to feel great on them. Specifically I am taking dandelion tincture, about 11-12 drops daily (consumed in baked cookies). I still am at a loss to explain what is happening, but there has been a dramatic difference in my mental sharpness since I started back in December. The difference has been noted by co-workers. I have had one NE in this period and for one day I thought I mignt was was on the borderline of having symptoms, so this development may not be applicable to POIS, time will tell. I have also been trying niacin (flush type) to help with my insomnia. It does definitely help to put me back to sleep when I wake at night. It's great that many of you are being helped by this vitamin. I see that it is a precurser to sex hormones, makes me wonder....

http://www.nutros.net/nsr-0201c.html

[Vincent M]

I enjoy hot showers and have noticed no affect on my POIS from them. If you only use shampoo when you take hot showers then perhaps it could be the shampoo.

[mellivora]

Hot showers - this has popped up on the forum before. Personally I haven't noticed any connection between POIS symptoms and hot showers, baths or air temperature.

A hot shower/bath will probably cause vasodilation and cause a decrease in blood pressure. I have also read that experiencing an increase in temperature via a hot bath simulates the body's inflammation response and can prime the immune system for action - not sure how true that is but it kind of makes sense. Certainly its recently been shown that fever (high body temperature) can temporarily enhance the effectiveness of aspects of the immune system but I don't know whether this would apply to an auto-immune/allergic response as POIS might be...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/fever-immune-system-cells_n_1074445.html

If hot showers are bringing on pois symptoms in people at times when they are otherwise POIS-free. I would be inclined to look at vasodilatory effects as I can't see that there would be any semen to react to in these cases...

How long do these POIS symptoms last after a hot shower/bath?

[martin88]

I don't know who's in charge of the pledge list (B_Daniel?)- Would you please add my name for 400$?
Thanks.

[CertainlyPOIS]

I don't know who's in charge of the pledge list (B_Daniel?)- Would you please add my name for 400$?
Thanks.

Everybody let give a magnitude 10 standing ovation to martin88