Home

Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Marnia's picture
Sun, 2008-06-29 19:23 — Marnia

No Sex signGary and I were interested to discover that there is a very active forum on a popular science site in the UK called "Naked Scientists" about Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome, known as "POIS." These men (and a few women) suffer debilitating symptoms after orgasm, such as exhaustion, insomnia, flu-like symptoms, brain fog, anxiety, depression, weakness, indigestion and so forth. It tends to last for a few days until around two weeks. Doctors haven’t come up with any solutions, but do suggest that dopamine and prolactin are possibly implicated.

We wonder if it could be on the same spectrum with the milder - and often unrecognized - symptoms we think are natural to many, if not not most, lovers after sexual satiation, such as irritability, general malaise, anxiety, emotional over-reactions, and so forth.

The forum is extremely busy. Here they collected 90 cases from various sufferers. They have even put together this video on POIS.

Visit the POIS forum

Comments

Tue, 2008-11-11 19:04 — cosy
cosy's picture

Interesting

I almost always start sneezing and feeling a bit ill two days after orgasm, that is, I get flu-like symptoms.

As an aside, I want to warn porn addicts that there are other, pornographic (I think, didn't want to check), videos at that You Tube video link, in that right hand menu under Related Videos... so I'd advice you not to visit that link unless you want to be tempted. Instead read up on POIS on this website:

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

Tue, 2010-01-12 04:28 — MelH
MelH's picture

Re: Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Over the years at various times I have suffered various illnesses after orgasm and ejaculation: a loss in physical strength (dragging my butt at work all day after lovemaking that morning), light to severe brain fog (dependent on the number of orgasms and ejaculations within several hours), a stabbing pain in the prostate immediately after ejaculation, or, at other times, a severe pain in the prostate that seemed like a residual muscle spasm (that was usually only resolved by taking a brisk walk or walking briskly in place). I also have experienced, off and on, short bouts of depression and/or indigestion after orgasm. I was married for several years. We often made love in the morning on weekends. One or more orgasms, without any immediate rest, would usually result in a significant degree of fatigue, lethargy, and/or brain fog even though our weekend pace was more relaxed.

J William Lloyd's last paragraph in Karezza (available for download on this site) seems to speak to this point:

Quote:
To sum up: The orgasmal school is honest but mistaken. Its fault is that it is a doctrine of the strong, only for the strong. Just as a wealthy man may spend money recklessly for a while and still not be poor, so a man rich in thyroxin and adrenalin may spend recklessly in orgasms for a while and not seem any the worse. And the method, taught by the orgasmal school is such that it creates a demand, by congestion, for the orgasm, which must then occur or bad results follow. But for a weak man to follow their advice is very dangerous and courts a nervous breakdown, while my method builds him up. That orgasms are weakening is easily proven. Just as the way to get real facts about alcohol is to consult life-insurance companies, so to get facts about the orgasm go to the stockbreeder. Business has no sentiment or prejudice. Every stockbreeder will tell you that to permit a bull or stallion to serve too many or too often is to devitalize him.

Fri, 2009-03-13 05:17 — Marnia
Marnia's picture

Thanks for sharing that MelH

I think some people are just more sensitive to these neurochemical changes. I'm not convinced it has anything to do with "weakness" per se. But what do I know? Eye-wink

A chiropractor I met at a workshop once said, "I *wish* I could find a way to make love without orgasm. I'm completely useless for a day afterward, and sometime my wife doesn't feel like waiting on me hand and foot." I had to smile.

Sat, 2009-03-14 18:11 — Tantra11
Tantra11's picture

Weakness

I think it is weakness for men. Men probably get the same neurochemical changes women do but also an extra wallop due to the energy required to regenerate the semen. That's just my theory now, but it's in line with Taoist thought. When I was younger and therefore stronger, I staunchly denied the Taoist ideas that ejaculation devitalized a man, but then, as I got older, I started to notice all the symptoms the warned of. If I'm strong, I feel them less, but I still feel them. Tired legs when climbing stairs is a big one; it's unmistakeable, but the more subtle ones are strong too if I bring my awareness to them.

Hehehee, I too wished what this chiropractor wished... in a big way. It just seemed like God's cruel joke that he'd make something so pleasureable but also bad for you. Now I'm all excited to see that there indeed IS a way. I probably would've lived my whole life and died, never realizing this, but I guess wiser souls than I have made the discovery down through the ages... and not just once it seems.

Thu, 2009-08-13 21:53 — ellecamino

Stressed....

I used to never have bad physical sensations before, during, or after an orgasm, but for the past couple of months, out of nowhere mind you, even getting close to an orgasm makes me very sick. I feel enormous pressure in my brain, a strange tingling cold sensation in my skull, and I feel extremely sick to my stomach. My whole body goes into shock, and I am violently shaking, disoriented, want to throw up, and my head feels so strange....(yea yea, sounds like an orgasm but trust me, there is no good feeling about this....it's completely different.)
This has never happened to me before, nothing different is being done to my body, I don't have psychological issues, and it's really upsetting me because it's affecting me and my husband's sex life. I have tried to make it happen on my own and as soon as I start getting those rushes of arousal it begins to happen and I have to back off. It takes hours for the feeling to completely subside. Sometimes a couple days and I have to make sure to not do anything that arouses me....
what the heck is happening? am I stuck with this for life? It's made me really depressed. It came out of left field and ever since that time it's been like this. I need help! I went to my doctor about it but he doesn't know what the hell to do.

Thu, 2009-08-13 22:54 — Marnia
Marnia's picture

First,

welcome to the forum. I've enabled you to blog if you like.

I'm sorry you're suffering. You are not alone. You may find this article interesting. The medical profession is just beginning to tackle these kinds of symptoms realistically (instead of insisting they are related to sexual repression). http://www.reuniting.info/science/sex_and_depression_in_the_brain_if_not...

That said, I'm not sure drugs are the best way to solve the problem.

Would your husband be willing to try a very gentle approach to lovemaking that is not based on orgasm? You can read more about it here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/200908/another...

To understand more, have a look at this article, too: http://www.reuniting.info/wisdom/bonding_magic

You may find that this approach, which is very soothing to your nervous system, pulls you back into balance. Then the occasional orgasm may not create that effect. Frankly, I think you should listen to your body. It may be trying to show you a better way to manage your love life.

Wed, 2009-08-19 18:27 — Tantra11
Tantra11's picture

Kundalini?

Do you believe in acupuncture meridians and Chi? If so (or even if not), you might want to try various physical and mental exercises to help it circulate. The theory is that the energy summoned up by sexual arousal is very powerful and normally flows "down and out" through orgasm or all the other physiological things that happen, but if for some reason it starts to flow up the spine and into the head, you can get the symptoms you describe. This is actually a good thing, though if there are any blockages it can be unpleasant until you get your energy running smoothly. I suggest reading Gopi Krishna's book about his experiences, as they sound much like yours. He too raised his kundalini (that's what redirecting sexual energy up the spine is called) without meaning to and embarked on a lifelong quest to find out what happened and what to do about it. One caveat about the book--some people think Gopi Krishna was a hypochondriac and that a lot of the drama was unnecessary. Also, in this day in age, kundalini yoga is much more available to the public, so you can get guidance he didn't, like the Taoist energy circulation techniques. Those are what I use.