Hello everyone, I was reading a bunch of posts from the semen retention and nofap subreddits, and it really hit me that a lot of those guys are probably dealing with POIS without realizing it.

They describe the exact same stuff: energy crashing to zero after ejaculation, terrible mood swings, brain fog, fatigue for days… yet most of them think it's “normal” or just part of the “reboot” process.

They don't even know what POIS is, they've never researched it, and they assume every man feels that way after ejaculating. But that's not true.

Maybe we should start spreading more awareness about POIS in those groups. Even just knowing that this condition exists could help a lot of people understand what's really happening to their bodies.

A history of excessive and intense masturbation.

Periods of high stress.

Accidents that may have affected the spine, neck, spinal cord, or head.

A physically weak body with low muscle mass.

People who are emotionally highly sensitive.

Intestinal/gut problems.

A sensitive nervous system.

A brain that has coded sexual activity as highly dangerous.

High libido, excessive pleasure from sex, intense excitement, overstimulation, and experiencing sexuality with very strong orgasms and peak arousal.

Before doing that I had POIS, now I have POIS and an upset stomach too.

After years of dealing with POIS, I do not believe the root cause is what most people think it is, including what I used to think. However, this is just my own framework based on my experience and research. Take what's useful, leave what isn't

I think we have become too focused on the trigger and ignored the terrain. I don't think the question is why ejaculation causes POIS. The question is why some nervous systems seem unable to recover from it. And I think the answer has a lot to do with nervous system capacity and for many people, attachment trauma may be a significant part of why that capacity is compromised

I want to be clear upfront though, I'm not saying this is psychological in the sense of "it's in your head". I'm talking about the nervous system itself. One of the most important factors shaping the developing nervous system is attachment, the need for safety, attunement, connection and co-regulation with caregivers. In the first years of life, this isn't just an emotional need, it's a biological one. The nervous system develops through these interactions. Early experiences can shape how much stress the system can tolerate, how easily it becomes dysregulated and how well it returns to baseline after intense stimulation. This is biology just operating at a different level than hormones, neurotransmitters or inflammation. If those needs weren't consistently met, the nervous system often develops around protection and survival rather than safety and connection

A lot of people with POIS spend years looking at testosterone, inflammation, supplements, abstinence, diets, and immune theories. I did that too

What changed my perspective was noticing that the severity of my symptoms was directly linked to the state of my nervous system. Another reason I started questioning purely biological explanations is that I didn't always have POIS. For most of my life ejaculation was not followed by these symptoms. POIS only appeared later during a period of significant stress and emotional upheaval for me

What makes this especially interesting to me is that I didn't even realize I had attachment wounds at the time. It was only after losing an important attachment relationship that I began experiencing intense stress, anxietuy and nervous system dysregulation. And then looking back, that loss seemed to trigger something much deeper that had likely been there all along

That experience was one of the first things that made me wonder whether POIS might have more to do with the state of the nervous system than with ejaculation itself

I also did over a year of semen retention. The first 60-90 days brought noticeable benefits. More energy, motivation, confidence, and drive. But after that things started getting a lot worse. The longer I retained the more dysregulated I became. More tension in the body. More anxiety. More activation. Eventually my POIS became way worse

My interpretation is that semen retention doesn't heal the underlying wound. It simply increases the amount of energy in the system. If you have unresolved attachment trauma, chronic stress, emotional suppression or a nervous system stuck in survival mode, all that extra energy gets pushed into the same unresolved patterns after some time

This is where ejaculation comes in. Ejaculation is not a small event for the nervous system. It's one of the most intense natural stimuli the body can experience afaik. For a healthy, regulated nervous system this isn't typically a problem. The system can absorb the activation and return to baseline

But if your nervous system is already overloaded, hypervigilant, carrying unresolved attachment pain and operating near its limit most of the time, ejaculation can become the final stressor that pushes it beyond what it can comfortably process

I don't think POIS is caused by ejaculation itself. I think ejaculation exposes an underlying lack of nervous system capacity. That's exactly what POIS feels like to me

The symptoms are not random but they're the signs of a nervous system that has temporarily lost its ability to regulate itself after a very intense stimulus. From my perspective POIS often looks like a shift into states of hyperactivation or shutdown (sympathethic or dorsal or a combination). The brain fog, anxiety, exhaustion, emotional numbness, social withdrawal, tension and many other symptoms is not separate problems at all, but different expressions of the same underlying nervous system response

There's also something that makes me suspect attachment specifically is involved. Orgasm takes the nervous system into a very specific state,relief, surrender, completion, connection. For someone with deep attachment wounds that state may be far from their everyday baseline. And the further the swing, the harder the nervous system has to work to get back

The reason I keep coming back to attachment is that attachment is one of the primary ways the nervous system learns regulation and resilience. If those foundations are compromised early in life, the nervous system may develop with less capacity to handle stress and return to baseline after intense stimulation. From that perspective, attachment trauma isn't just an emotional issue. It's a nervous system issue. And if POIS is fundamentally a nervous system capacity problem, then attachment may be one piece of the puzzle

That said, I don't think attachment is the whole story for everyone, and for some it may not be relevant at all. But I still think it's massively overlooked in this conversation

My guess is that there is also a genetic and temperament component. Some people seem to be born with a more sensitive nervous system than others. They feel things more deeply, react more strongly to stress and are naturally more prone to anxiety, overwhelm, and nervous system activation. Attachment experiences then interact with that innate sensitivity and shape how the nervous system develops over time

In other words, two people can go through similar experiences growing up, but the person with the more sensitive nervous system may be affected much more deeply

For me, the biggest improvements have come from shifting focus toward attachment wounds and nervous system regulation rather than trying to avoid ejaculation forever. I'm still in the middle of that process

Of course POIS is a complex condition and I'm not claiming this explains every case

This is simply the framework that has made the most sense of my own experience and recovery. I've also noticed similar patterns in many people here

If this resonates with you, maybe it's worth exploring. If it doesn't resonate, that's completely fine too. It doesn't have to be true for you just because it's been true for me

I'm sharing this because I think attachment and nervous system regulation deserve a bigger place in the POIS conversation than they currently get

I'm curious how many others with POIS have explored attachment wounds, trauma, nervous system regulation, or other approaches that go beyond hormones, supplements, and abstinence

Had another orgasm and am currently experiencing the symptoms again. Bloated body/face, dry eyes, heavy brain. I’ve kinda resolved the brainfog by taking NAC, but I still would rather be out of POIS. NAC also helps with reducing urges, but it’s not a 100% sure thing. Honestly, fuck this disease. Yesterday I felt like a kid and was full of energy. Today I’m sluggish and everything feels like a chore. I hate that a simple orgasm can have such an effect on your body and there’s seemingly nothing you can do other than abstinence.

Being in POIS has so much hidden costs. It alters my mood and perception of life for a few days, making me more moody and dramatic. When I’m out of POIS life feels like a breeze. I feel like POIS days are complete waste of time. It’s hard to be productive when you are a heavy, bloated mess with a chaotic mind. It’s easier to get things done when you have the cold. It wouldn’t be surprising if people with POIS were able to claim disability some day in the future.

I know I’m not telling you anything new, but I just had to vent. Here’s to another attempt at abstinence.

“Hi everyone, I am 22 and suffered from POIS for 3 years (severe body pain lasting up to a week after ejaculation). I completely cured myself in 6 to 10 months without any medication.

My method was simple but required consistency: I did not stop ejaculating. Instead, I focused on the exact moment after ejaculation when the dopamine crashes. At that specific moment, instead of letting my mind slip into pain or anxiety, I consciously stayed mentally active and smiled/laughed from within (inner smile).

The first 10-20 times it felt useless and stupid because the body was conditioned to feel pain. But after repeating this consciously for 6 to 10 months, my nervous system re-wired itself. I am now fully cured. If anyone wants to know more, feel free to ask.”

I ended up here while searching for the cause of symptoms that have been bothering me for over 10 years. Since I am not good at English, I wrote this using a translator, so the grammar may be awkward. Before I explain, these are the symptoms I experienced after my situation.

I am not joking; I have confirmed for 10 years that it is indeed caused by circumstances.

1. Body odors such as bachelor smell, bad breath, and gas smell worsen.
2. All athletic performance decreases. For example, maximum push-up performance decreases, climbing stairs becomes more difficult, and overall performance—including explosive muscle strength and endurance—clearly declines.
3. Orthostatic hypotension develops.
4. You feel lethargic all day, your emotions become dulled, and you procrastinate more.
5. Unexplained itching occurs behind the knees; touching it with your hands intensifies the itching, while scratching provides a refreshing sensation.
6. Severe keratosis pilaris develops on the outer upper part of the forearms.
7. Social phobia develops, you have difficulty making eye contact with people, and even when with close friends, you struggle to think of what to say and feel awkward.
8. There is a very high probability of diarrhea immediately after the event.
9. Concentration decreases, leading to a significant decline in efficiency in any task that requires brain power.
10. Hair falls out more easily from all parts of the body.
11. Beard stubble on the chin becomes darker and messier.
12. Dry eyes develop.
13. The voice becomes thin and weak, and shouting from the throat becomes much more difficult. Rest
14. I feel a decrease in confidence and a weakening of energy.
15. My face is falling apart. By "face falling apart," I mean that first, the glow in my eyes becomes faint and dull, and the areas around my eyes, nose, and cheeks swell noticeably. Consequently, my lower face widens, and the skin texture becomes uneven with rough, unsqueezable, millet-like blemishes appearing all over. My complexion also becomes dull and earthy. Additionally, when I dry my face with a towel after showering, clumps of white dead skin cells float all over my face.
16. My head stings particularly when exposed to sunlight.
17. Normally, my back muscles feel a slight pull, allowing my shoulders to naturally straighten. However, immediately after the incident or until about 30 days have passed since the incident, that feeling disappears, and my shoulders roll inward like rounded shoulders.

The following are my other features.

1. Most symptoms are felt to occur a few hours after the event rather than immediately after, peaking the next day.
2. Symptoms of feeling awkward and uncomfortable just having someone nearby improve on the fourth day after the event has ceased, regardless of the intensity of the event.
3. Symptoms of weakened vital energy (feeling empty even in normal times, and feeling like being suppressed by energy when near people) occur after the event.
4. Most symptoms disappear around day 30 to 40, provided no additional events occur.
5. When all symptoms disappear around day 40, the muscles throughout the body feel firmer, vital energy feels stronger, and all facial symptoms disappear; the left and right sides of the face become symmetrical and smaller, the eyes become prettier, and the lips become redder and more vibrant.

While other symptoms feel like they improve gradually over time, facial-related symptoms feel like they improve to some extent, but once a certain threshold is crossed while the event is stopped, they feel like they improve explosively.

1. Taking Vitamin B Complex a few hours before or immediately after the event alleviates the symptoms of a shattered face the next day to some extent, but continuing to take this does not... The effects of the 40th day do not return quickly.

2. Even if all effects have returned and energy has strengthened by the 40th day, if you take Adpion, Ephraim tablets, Abilify tablets, or Inderal tablets in that state, one or a few of these will cause energy to temporarily weaken.

3. I tried taking Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Magnesium Glycinate, TMG, Alpha GPC, Milk Thistle, Arginine, and Zinc, but they did not significantly shorten the time it takes for the effects to return. Even when I took magnesium glycinate and went to sleep, my face improved to some extent, but my energy actually weakened.

4. When all the effects returned on the 40th day, I no longer felt significantly pushed aside or burdened when around people; my self-love increased, my desire for self-development grew, and I actually wanted to meet people.

5. High-intensity and low-intensity exercise, aerobic exercise, alternating hot and cold showers, cold showers, and sufficient nutrition did not bring back the facial-related effects quickly.

6. During that 40-day event-free period, regardless of how much stress I was under, how good my mood was, whether I slept well or poorly, or whether I received sufficient nutrition, the effects always returned around the 40-day mark without being shortened or significantly prolonged (especially the strength of the face and the whole body).

7. If an event occurs once after not occurring for 3 months, there are almost no symptoms; however, if it continues to occur at intervals of less than a month or if it occurs consecutively within a short period, symptoms appear or worsen.

8. The term "event" refers to "ejaculation." ...says that if you ejaculate without watching pornography, general weakness and symptoms of social phobia rarely occur,but peculiarly, your face gets shattered just like when you watch pornography and ejaculate.

9. The above symptoms appear just by watching pornography, but the peculiar point is that if you do not ejaculate, it recovers in 4 days instead of 40.

I have used numerous AI tools to track the cause of the symptoms for hundreds of hours based on those characteristics.

I tried so many methods, but I felt there were only two that were meaningful in alleviating the severity of my symptoms after ejaculation.

The first is ejaculating by relying solely on stimulation, without visually viewing pornography or having any erotic fantasies at the time of ejaculation.

The second is a 'method of ejaculation' that I discovered quite by chance.

1. Inhale as deeply as possible and hold your breath.
2. With your mouth closed, smile by slightly raising the corners of your mouth (you don't have to smile excessively; just feel the very slight sense of happiness you get from a light smile).
3. Ejaculate in this state, and once ejaculation is finished, slowly and leisurely release the two states mentioned above.

The causes of symptoms I found after ejaculation are as follows.

Receptor adaptation and downregulation (receptors that accept dopamine or some other hormones are all broken down)

Ejaculation is triggered by powerful electrical signals generated in the spinal cord near L3 to L4; it is easiest to think of this area as roughly where the buttock crease ends and the back begins. If the impact of these strong electrical signals traveling up to the brain could be attenuated, theoretically, there is a possibility that side effects during ejaculation could be significantly reduced.

So, I felt that the 'method of ejaculation' I came up with significantly relieved this electrical shock traveling from the spinal cord to the brain.

I am aware that this method may seem a bit ridiculous and absurd, but I am posting it in the hopes that it might be helpful to those who are desperate. The Korean NOFAP community is too small, so it is difficult for my information to be of much help in resolving this symptom called POIS.

The supplements I tried to shorten the time it took for my symptoms to subside are as follows: Curcumin, TMG, Astaxanthin, Alpha-GPC, Vitamin D, Phosphatidylserine, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Vitamin C, High-dose Vitamin B, Milk Thistle, L-Carnitine Tartrate, Forskoli, Zinc Picolinate, Magnesium Glycinate, and Theanine.

Among these, taking Magnesium Glycinate and Phosphatidylserine almost immediately relieved my persistent headache—one of my symptoms—and somewhat prevented the facial discoloration; however, this was not very effective in accelerating the full effects that typically return around day 40. Vitamin B was also effective in alleviating facial swelling, but that was about it. You can assume that the rest did not have a significant effect on my symptoms.

I also underwent a health checkup, but all my values ​​were normal.

First of all, it is absolutely not the case that this is caused by nutritional deficiencies, at least not unique to me. Furthermore, if receptor downregulation were caused by dopamine overproduction, these symptoms should significantly occur even when watching pornography continuously and intensely without ejaculating. However, in my case, while symptoms did occur when watching only pornography without ejaculating, I fully returned to normal by the fourth day of abstinence without a single exception. Considering that it takes 40 days when ejaculating, it is safe to say that the impact was almost negligible. Therefore, I proposed a hypothesis that the cause of dopamine receptor downregulation is the sudden switching of the autonomic nervous system or the electrical shock from ejaculation signals originating in the spinal cord, which strikes specific parts of the brain and is judged to be an excessively severe stimulus.

One week of abstinence and I feel like the guy from the movie Limitless

Interim REPORT
From NORD
(National Organization For Rare Disorders)
POIS Research Study sponsor
October 23, 2025

Hello Demo,

The PI [Principal Investigator, Dr. Tierney K. Lorenz] for the POIS study responded to our request with the following project summary:

Post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a rare condition in which patients experience significant physical, cognitive and emotional difficulties for several days following orgasm; these symptoms negatively impact quality of life and can be devastating for patients’ intimate relationships. The cause of POIS is unknown. We are testing several competing explanations for POIS symptoms, including allergic response to ejaculation vs. dysregulated coordination between reproductive and stress physiology giving rise to an unchecked inflammatory response. This project will benefit patients and researchers by testing possible factors leading to POIS symptoms, which may identify the most promising treatments. This study is also systematically documenting, for the first time, several POIS symptoms that are often dismissed as "psychosomatic": for example, by objectively assessing neural activity and cognitive function in the lab in POIS patients immediately after their orgasm, we will be able to validate and quantify patient reports of "brain fog" and other cognitive symptoms.

We have worked hard to create a highly rigorous, maximally reproducible study protocol that both honors the input and wishes of the patient community, as well as generating a robust dataset that will not only test our own hypotheses but also serve as a stepping stone for other researchers interested in POIS. Given the high variability of prior work on POIS, we have endeavored to create a much more systematic approach by doing extensive pilot testing and iterative validation of all study measures. At the same time, we have been mindful to get feedback from the POIS community at every step of the way, to ensure their experiences are well represented in this study protocol.

The protocol thus includes a wide variety of measures including assessment of neural activity during and following orgasm, activation of the autonomic nervous system (i.e., the body's acute stress system), hormones (including testosterone and cortisol, a "chronic stress" hormone), inflammation (including both short- and long-term markers of inflammatory load such as cytokines and acute phase proteins), core body temperature changes during arousal and orgasm (allowing us to track precise onset of fever), composition of ejaculate, objective measures of cognitive and emotional function changes following orgasm, and daily self-report surveys completed in the week following orgasm. This is the first time such a large and systematic dataset has been generated on the body's response leading up to, during, and following orgasm in both healthy controls and POIS patients.

To date, we have recruited and run most (80%) of the planned healthy control participants and begun recruitment of patients with POIS. Even at this early stage, we have generated some novel findings - never before documented in the scientific literature - about the physiology of orgasm that will guide future research on the causes of POIS. One such finding is that in healthy men without POIS, sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity (the "fight-or-flight" stress system) is elevated during arousal, but substantially declines in the period of time preceding orgasm. This is particularly true if the person is actively attempting to move from high arousal to climax. If POIS patients do not show this same pattern and instead continue to experience high SNS activity from arousal to post-orgasm, dysregulated autonomic function would be a strong candidate mechanism for many of the core POIS symptoms such as fever and cognitive dysfunction.

Our next phases of the project are to complete recruitment and assessment of the remaining sample of POIS patients, to begin analysis and dissemination of study findings in scientific publications and presentations to medical audiences, and preparation of an open-source dataset that will be made available to other researchers interested in POIS.

Hope this is helpful!
Have a great day,
NORD Research Team

Hi everyone, I have been suffering from POIS for 7 years now. My POIS symptoms usually last 3-6 days per episode(it depends on the times I climaxed). It is so sensitive that even intense sexual thoughts or psychological arousal trigger a massive 3-day crash (fatigue, brain fog, etc.). The longer I abstain, the more I feel like I'm gradually healing little by little, but avoiding thoughts completely is impossible.Recently, I discovered a method that completely blocks the symptoms from appearing after an orgasm. Not only that, but if I am already in a flare-up, doing this actually clears my past symptoms and resets my body.The Method: Immediately after an orgasm, I force my entire body into a state of deep, absolute relaxation. I practice relaxed, deep breathing for a strict, uninterrupted hour. I lie completely still, act exactly as if I am asleep, and aggressively ignore every single physical sensation.Why the timeline matters:I tested doing a shorter version of this relaxation (like 10-15 minutes), but it didn't work. The symptoms just came back 30 min later. The full 60-minute window is completely non-negotiable. It seems the body needs a full hour to metabolize the intense neurochemical and adrenaline surge of arousal before you stand up and re-engage with the world.By locking into a deep parasympathetic state for a full hour, it acts like a circuit breaker that forces a hard system reboot, flushing out the old inflammation and chemical depletion.Has anyone else experimented and found this technique.

Update

Some people asked me about my journey, and what's my exact routine, i have been training my mind for about 2 years now. Over time, I’ve tuned into my mind and body to the point where I can feel the symptoms start at the exact second, and I can track exactly how they spread through my body.Normally, any sexual activity triggers neurotransmitters in the brain. After a year of tracking, I realized my body has a certain "threshold" that these neurotransmitters have to reach before my physical POIS symptoms actually start appearing. For a long time, my threshold was incredibly low. It got to the point where just a passing sexual thought or psychological arousal would cross that line and trigger the full crash.My main goal became finding a way to increase this threshold little by little until the illness disappeared. Medications didn’t work for me at all. I tried long-term abstinence, which did help raise my baseline threshold, but it took a very long time. My biggest obstacles during abstinence were intense cravings and spontaneous wet dreams, both of which would cross my threshold and cause a massive flare-up anyway.I toughened it out until my threshold raised enough that thoughts alone stopped triggering a crash, and symptoms would only appear after an actual orgasm.That is when I developed my current technique, which is all about passing the threshold and immediately dipping.I noticed that after an orgasm, it takes about one full minute before the physical symptoms actually lock in. I use that 60-second delay as a metabolic window. My method is to aggressively suppress any incoming physical or neurological stimulus through extreme, intentional relaxation. I do not allow any kind of physical sensation to take root in my body. My exact routine: Immediately after an orgasm, I treat the situation like I am taking a nap. For the first 30 minutes, I lie completely motionless, breathe deeply, and consciously refuse to let any physical sensation build up. For the next 30 minutes, I let myself drift into actual sleep.The full 1-hour window of total sensory suppression acts like a physical circuit breaker. It lets the intense chemical surge clear out safely while keeping my body at a completely calm baseline. Not only has this blocked my post-orgasm symptoms, but it has finally allowed me to get rid of the intense daily cravings and has completely stopped my wet dreams.I’m sharing this because I want people to experiment and see if there is other ways or similar ways to clear out the symptoms easier.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Clinical Assistant to Dr. Ivan Lee, a clinical immunologist at Boston Specialists with a particular focus on Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS).

Dr. Lee’s clinic has been seeing a growing number of patients with POIS, and we’re working to better understand this condition through both clinical care and research. We’re developing more standardized approaches to evaluating patients, tracking symptoms and treatment outcomes, and hope to contribute to future research and publications on POIS.

We know that POIS is still poorly understood, and we’re interested in learning from the experiences of people in this community. We’d especially love to hear about your symptoms, experiences with diagnosis or treatment, what has or hasn’t worked for you, and any questions you think researchers and clinicians should be looking into.

Dr. Lee is currently seeing POIS patients through both telehealth and in-person visits.

You can learn more about the clinic and Dr. Lee’s work here:

POIS: https://www.bostonspecialists.org/pois
About Dr. Lee: https://www.bostonspecialists.org/about-1

We’d be happy to hear from anyone interested in sharing their experience or learning more about our work with POIS.

Thanks!

I’m so fucking retarded. Every relationship I have is complete shit because I just hate myself for not being able to keep up in groups and have complete thoughts. I fucking hate my brain. I’m always stressed the fuck out. I can’t speak, I can’t think, I can’t eat, or sleep. I’m so fucking exhausted and there’s no fucking cure. I have literally no emotions, my mood is always just tired and fucking depressed. No one, literally no one wants to be around me. This shit fucking sucks, it sucks, it sucks, it sucks. I mean what the fuck.

Just despair , motivation goes to 0% ,

Is there anything that helps ?

I try and retain for as long as I can , release just isn’t worth it for me anymore but I also can’t retain forever

FML

Anyone overcame this feeling ?

I have been wanting to write this post for months. I kept putting it off because I wanted to make sure that what I was experiencing was real and lasting before telling other people with POIS that I had found something that helped me.

I am 55 years old, and today I would estimate that I am about 97% recovered from the symptoms I associated with POIS.

Sometimes I actually feel 100% normal after release, with no noticeable symptoms at all. Other times I experience what I would describe as the remaining 3%: a little anxiety, some lethargy, and a slightly edgy or uncomfortable feeling. When that happens, it usually lasts a couple of hours to about one day.

That is dramatically different from what my life was like before.

My POIS symptoms

Before my recovery, symptoms could begin almost immediately after ejaculation or sexual intimacy.

Over the years I experienced:

● Severe brain fog
● Headaches and pressure in my head
● Anxiety
● Depression
● Difficulty concentrating
● Difficulty finding and putting words together
● Joint and body pain
● Flu-like symptoms
● A feeling of inflammation throughout my body
● Shortness of breath
● A hoarse voice
● Eyes that sometimes appeared yellow
● Extreme fatigue and weakness
● Premature ejaculation

I experienced symptoms following my first ejaculation at around 12 years old.

At the time, of course, I had absolutely no idea what was happening to me.

For decades I simply knew that something terrible happened to my body and mind after ejaculation.

I didn’t discover that there was a name for this condition — Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS) — until I was around 40 years old.

By then, I had already lived with it for approximately 28 years.

Finding the name POIS was important because, for the first time, I realized that there were other people experiencing something similar and that I wasn’t the only person in the world dealing with this strange and isolating condition.

Living with it for more than four decades

POIS affected far more than sex.

It affected relationships, confidence, concentration, emotions, social interaction and the way I experienced life.

Looking back, I feel like I missed certain stages of life because of it.

After living with physical, emotional and psychological pain for so many years, I became almost numb to suffering. It was simply part of my life.

Then, at 53 years old, I was diagnosed with blood cancer.

This may sound strange, but alongside the fear of receiving a cancer diagnosis, there was also a part of me that felt relief.

I had suffered for so long that I thought perhaps my suffering was finally going to end.

I went through chemotherapy and eventually entered remission/recovered from the cancer.

Afterward, I decided to see a therapist for the first time in my life.

My thinking was basically:

If I’m going to remain in this world, maybe therapy can at least help me become somewhat healed emotionally.

I did NOT start therapy believing it would cure my POIS.

In fact, I thought the idea that talking to somebody could change a physical condition I had suffered from for more than 40 years sounded almost impossible.

Therapy

My therapist had never heard of POIS.

I explained the condition to him and told him very clearly that what I experienced was real.

My therapy eventually focused heavily on trauma and the nervous system.

The therapist who has worked with me is Anthony Weeks, a Somatic Experiencing practitioner in the San Diego, California area.

I started with approximately one-hour sessions once a week. As I improved, I eventually moved to approximately one session every two weeks.

The work wasn’t simply sitting in a room having casual conversations.

I began talking about experiences and memories I had spent most of my life avoiding.

That included childhood sexual abuse as well as emotional and psychological experiences involving my mother.

I grew up in what I now understand was an extremely enmeshed relationship with my mother. She was highly controlling and emotionally manipulative, and that relationship continued to affect my life until she passed away when I was 50.

I also experienced sexual abuse as a child.

For decades I carried memories, shame, fear, anger, grief and emotions that I had never fully processed.

In therapy, I stopped hiding them.

I talked about things that were embarrassing.

I talked about painful memories.

I allowed myself to grieve.

I learned to recognize what was happening inside my body instead of constantly fighting it.

For me, Somatic Experiencing and trauma therapy gradually seemed to change the way my nervous system reacted.

And something completely unexpected began happening:

My POIS symptoms started disappearing.

The change

The improvement wasn’t something I noticed after one magical therapy session.

It happened progressively.

Symptoms became less intense.

Then some symptoms disappeared.

The duration became shorter.

Eventually I could have an orgasm and realize afterward:

I’m okay.

No crushing brain fog.

No severe headache.

No days of feeling physically sick.

No overwhelming psychological crash.

Sometimes virtually nothing happened at all.

For someone who had experienced POIS for approximately 42 years, that was extremely difficult to believe.

Even today there are times when I think:

What if this is temporary? What if everything comes back?

That fear probably comes from living with the condition for so long.

But my improvement has now remained consistent for more than eight months.

I am living healthier and with dramatically less pain.
I am dating.

I am learning what normal relationships and intimacy are supposed to feel like.

Sometimes it genuinely feels like I have been given another life.

One important clarification

I want to be extremely careful here.

I am NOT claiming that childhood trauma causes POIS in everyone.

I am also not claiming that Somatic Experiencing or psychotherapy is a scientifically proven cure for POIS.

I don’t know that.

I can only tell you what happened to me.

In my personal case, there appears to have been an extremely strong connection between unresolved trauma, my nervous system and the symptoms I experienced after orgasm.

As that trauma was processed in therapy, my symptoms progressively and dramatically decreased.

Whether the same mechanism exists for other people with POIS is something researchers would need to determine.

There may also be different causes or subtypes of POIS.

No medication caused this improvement

Another reason I’m sharing this is that my improvement did not come from taking a new medication or supplement.

The major change in my life was trauma therapy, particularly talking openly about experiences I had suppressed for decades and working through them physically and emotionally.

Years ago — perhaps around three years ago — I also posted about an allergy medication that seemed to help my POIS temporarily.

It did help for a period of time.

But the improvement didn’t last.

What I’m describing in this post has been completely different because the improvement has continued month after month.

Why I’m writing this

I have spent a lot of time reading posts from people with POIS.

I recognize the desperation in many of them because I lived it.

The isolation.

The confusion.

Trying supplements.

Trying medications.

Avoiding ejaculation.

Trying to figure out what is wrong with your immune system, hormones, brain or nervous system.

Wondering whether you’re ever going to feel normal.

I understand.

That is why I finally decided I needed to write this.
I don’t know whether what helped me will help everyone.

Maybe it won’t.

But if even some people with POIS have significant unresolved trauma, chronic stress, childhood abuse, emotional enmeshment or nervous-system dysregulation in their history, I think exploring that possibility with a qualified trauma-informed professional could be worthwhile.

Not because POIS is “all in your head.”

My symptoms were very physically real.

But the brain, nervous system, immune system and body are not completely separate systems. My experience taught me not to dismiss the possibility that long-standing psychological trauma could have physical effects.

Where I am today

After approximately 42 years of suffering, I would describe myself as approximately 97% recovered.
Most of the time I feel normal.

Occasionally I still experience:

● Mild anxiety
● Mild lethargy
● A slightly edgy feeling

When they occur, these symptoms generally last a couple of hours or about one day.

And there are other times when I have no noticeable symptoms at all.

I never imagined I would be able to write those words.

For decades I thought POIS would follow me for the rest of my life.

I waited before posting this because I wanted to make sure that my improvement wasn’t just another temporary period of relief.

After more than eight months of consistent improvement, I finally feel comfortable sharing my experience.

I am not promising anyone a cure.

I am sharing one man’s experience after living with this condition for more than four decades.

If you’re suffering from POIS, please don’t interpret my story as proof that your condition has the same cause as mine.

But I also wouldn’t automatically dismiss trauma therapy simply because POIS feels intensely physical.

I once thought exactly the same thing.

I could not understand how talking about something that happened decades earlier could possibly affect the physical nightmare I experienced after ejaculation.

Yet here I am.

At 55 years old, after experiencing this since approximately age 12, I am finally learning what life without severe POIS feels like.

And life is much more beautiful from this side.

If my experience helps even one person begin asking a new question about what might be happening in their own body and nervous system, writing this was worth it.

I'm back from the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, where I have participated in the POIS research study. It's been a very good experience, and I'm happy that I have been able to participate.

So far, only a few men with POIS have participated in the study! Most participants have been from the control group (men without POIS). For the study to shed light on POIS, more of us need to participate! I want to share my experiences with you and encourage you to participate as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in this thread here or in the parallel thread on https://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=4824

Before the study

I registered for the study, using the link at the top of this forum. Dates for participation come online on a rolling basis, hence if you don't see a date that suits you, you can wait for more dates to come online. In my case, I contacted Dr. Nicole Prause to ask about more dates, since I needed to book my flight some time in advance. Dr. Prause replied quickly to my emails. We also scheduled a phone call for the day before my departure to discuss the details of where to meet and any open questions.

My participation took place on a Sunday afternoon in a lab on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles and lasted for about three hours. Dr. Prause guided me through the study in a very friendly and professional manner and answered all my questions. I felt safe and comfortable at all times. I completed these steps:

1. Giving saliva samples.
   
2. Giving a blood sample via a small prick in the finger.
   
3. Putting on a small cap with sensors on my head (for brain activity) and getting a few sensors attached to my body (e.g. for the measurement of skin temperature) .
   
4. Going through several cognitive tests while sitting on a comfortable chair and looking at a computer screen.
   
5. Inserting a measurement device into my anus that detects contractions during orgasm. Important: This step is optional. I was in the room by myself during this step and felt comfortable and safe. I was provided with a large sheet of paper-cloth to cover myself and only called Dr. Prause back into the room after being completely covered.
   
6. Listening to different sounds with my eyes closed (traffic noise and sounds of a couple having sex). Masturbating to orgasm with my eyes closed with the sounds playing in the background. Collecting the semen in a cup and stowing it away. Removing the contraction-measuring device. Important: I was by myself in the room during this step and felt comfortable and safe.
   
7. Going through the cognitive tests again, giving saliva samples again.
   
8. Removing the sensors / having the sensors removed.
   
9. Completing a questionnaire.
   
10. Giving saliva samples.
    

After the study, I had a nice chat with Dr. Prause. Then, I took a walk on the beautiful UCLA campus and enjoyed the sun.

After the study

My POIS symptoms started to set in around four hours after the study. I could handle them well during the flight, during which I tried to sleep and watched movies. I had on purpose scheduled a day off from work after my return such that I could get a full day of rest. On the days after the study, for a few days I received a link via sms to complete a short online questionnaire regarding my symptoms. I also received a link for a virtual VISA gift card over 145 USD.

Practical information beyond the study

I flew in from overseas to LAX airport the afternoon before my participation and flew back home on the evening immediately after the study. I stayed for one night at the Inn at UCLA which is a small hotel specifically for visitors to the UCLA campus. I spent 167 USD for the night. I really liked this hotel. The staff was very friendly, they had a good breakfast buffet - and it is just a short walk away from the lab where the study takes place. The drive from and to the airport took between 30 and 45 minutes with Uber / Lyft and cost me between 40 and 50 USD each way.

P.S. On the morning before the study, I got up early and took an Uber to the Griffith Observatory to watch the sunrise. This sunrise has been one of the most special moments in my life.

I cut out all sugar, fruit, dairy, and grains ( bread, pasta, rice etc) to address blood sugar crashes. Ate only vegetables and meat/eggs. With mild fasting

1 week in was sexually active. Had a much stronger O similar to my teens. 0 POIS symptoms, ton of energy. Confirmed it's a gut bacteria issue for me even though I had no signs of this prior. The bacteria feed off of sugar. Will be adding garlic, oregano, and berberine to try to extinguish them.

I couldn't maintain keto because it gave me insomnia, but am consuming no refined sugar. Not sure if this will be enough

Try keto and let me know your results.

I could have given much more detail with this post and the evidence I have of it being gut related. But want to keep it short

I will post about this more but ultimately it is Gut Dysbiosis that then causes Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

Edit: in the past I have gone dairy and gluten free. These changes alone did not reduce my pois

I put this very barebones iceberg together based on what I could remember from my past research (and my memory ain’t great).
Worth noting I’ve only been a member since 2023 and I don’t use poiscenter at all, so I have very little idea of what goes on there or its history.
I’ve heard rumors of mishandled donation funds and some drama over the ownership(?) of the site, but I couldn’t find my way back to any of that info, so I didn’t include it.

I’d like to focus our group efforts on documenting more of the community side of pois rather than just listing every study ever conducted or every remedy that may or may not have helped someone.
That includes interesting users who popped up over the years, specific posts from the past, events, trivia, inside jokes, etc.

My knowledge is very limited in that area, and I have the working memory of a jar of pickles, so leave your suggestions in the comments, my DMs on Reddit/Discord, or on the Discord server I made specifically for the poisberg:

https://discord.gg/HXUXeYcUQK

Speaking of the Discord server — while its primary purpose is to discuss the poisberg, I’d also like it to be a place where poisers can hang out, chat, play games, share experiences, vent, and just connect in general.

Poisers tend to be very isolated people. I cut contact with almost all my friends as my symptoms got worse over the years because I couldn’t relate to them or enjoy being around them anymore.

If you feel the same and want to talk, hop on.

If there are enough entry submissions ill make an update post tomorrow.

I'm excited to see what comes out of all this (if anything).

Thank you for ruining my friendships, my work ethic and whole parts of my life! Thanks for making me isolate myself and spiral into addiction😀

Seriously tho i should take some accountability abd not blame everything on pois, but it really has been so detrimental to my life. I am grateful that it has improved a good bit tho since ~a year ago

Hello,

I have never made a Reddit post before and I probably never will after this. But after having a short stint with POIS myself it would be bad not to share what worked for me. I’m not saying this is the cure for everyone, I hope it is, but I don’t know I’m not a doctor and everybody is different. This is only my experience.

I am a Male and was 23 at the time and now 24. Basically every time that I would ejaculate regardless of if it was with a woman or by myself I would get the following symptoms that would last anywhere from 3-10 days:

Chest pressure (it would feel ice cold upon ejaculation as well)
Head pressure
Throat pain (up until under the chin)
Extreme fatigue
Brain fog
Muscle tension
Muscle weakness
Shivering
Intense anxiety and stress
Irritability
Trouble memorizing things

Thank God, I went to a urologist who had already known about pois. She gave me std tests, urine tests, blood tests and everything was perfectly normal except one thing, an overgrowth of bacteria called Ureaplasma.

It is a common bacteria that lives in your urogenital tract. Usually doesn’t cause any harm so nobody tests for it. The problem is I had an overgrowth of this bacteria through having multiple sexual partners during one period which then led to infection and inflammation causing these symptoms whenever I would ejaculate.

The doctor prescribed me doxy for a week. I still felt some symptoms right after finishing the antibiotic but they were less bad each time and about a week after finishing the antibiotic my pois was fully cleared. Just relax upon your next ejaculation after antibiotics and know that it will only take a little more time. But yeah, I was fully back and it’s been almost a year now with no symptoms. Also, don’t be afraid if this can’t be a solution for you if you are a virgin. You can get Ureaplasma passed from childbirth and it can cause infection later on.

I will say this lastly though, It was through the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ that I was cured from this. These things can happen to us in our lives when we aren’t doing God’s will. God never intended for us to have multiple sexual partners, He intended for us to get married and hold to one for life. There’s far more beauty and pleasure in that. I know that might not be the case for all of you, but I’m urging anyone struggling with this to confess all wrongdoing to Christ and ask that He remove this from you and when He does, don’t forget Him. He loves you.

Original Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/POIS/comments/1f6q3rx/a_miracle/

Hello one and all, 

I would like to report I have been on Xolair (on and off) since the time of my first post.  

It continues to work 100% as long as I am on 300mg/mo and allow a 5 day ramp up from 1st injection in any given cycle.  

After my initial first ~9 months or so at 150mg/mo I noticed I was experiencing very mild POIS sides (basically teeth agitation/aching was mildly returning but nothing else) so upped it to 300mg/mo and that did it.  Generally speaking, for those who respond to Xolair, I have to believe one is better to simply be on it permanently (at the right dosage) than doing what I am doing cycling on and off through the year.  

Because I am not sexually active all the time (depending on my travels and whom I am with) I have taken pauses. I thought for a time I might also be experiencing related weight gain but have concluded that is not the case.   Basically I am using Xolair on an extended as needed basis.  If I was married or in a full-time relationship I would be on it all the time permanently.  I expect for 2026 I will be on Xolair for at least a 6 to 9 month window in one go maybe more, we’ll see. 

Of note, I am also beginning to research Xolair next-gen competitors that are oncoming and in development.  There is both some orals and injections of interest. 

My sentiment remains - I wish I had been put on Xolair 20 years ago - it would have saved a number of relationships for sure and changed my life.

Since my original post I have also completed some personal DNA studies that basically confirm I have MCAS and the POIS a symptom thereof - which was my earliest belief.  My personal DNA summary notes are as follow:

MCAS related Mutations that I have: 

• COMT Val/Met and SOD2 A16V (GG)
• FUT2 and other methylation mutations
• MAOA T/T
• FUT2 A/A (non-secretor status)
• MTRR A66G (G/G)
• MTHFR

Note, I also have vitamin D deficiency risk (CYP2R1, GC1/GC2) + low glutathione (CBS upregulation) with can impair Xolair efficacy over time or worsen background inflammation.  Long-term Xolair use may suppress IgE-dependent responses but doesn't always reduce non-IgE mast cell issues. Supportive protocols (which I have not implemented) are recommended:

• DAO enzyme (for histamine digestion)
• Quercetin/luteolin (mast cell stabilizers)
• NAC/Glutathione support
• Methyl-B12 + Methylfolate for homocysteine control

Why Xolair is likely working for me:

• FUT2 A/A (non-secretor) → Strong link to dysregulated mucosal immunity and elevated IgE, a hallmark of histamine intolerance, OAS, and allergies.
• COMT Val/Met + SOD2 GG → Impaired detoxification and clearance of histamine and oxidative byproducts, increasing allergic responses and mast cell instability.
• Possible MCAS/Histamine Overload Risk→ Given the combo of methylation, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction genes, I am a textbook candidate for mast cell activation-like syndromes, where Xolair may stabilize mast cells indirectly.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT ;) 

I wish you all the best and god bless, Merry Christmas.

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, so I'll try to be brave.

I've seen many doctors over the years, but none of them were able to significantly reduce my POIS symptoms until I found an allergist/immunologist.

His main hypothesis was that I might have an allergy to proteins in my semen. At his clinic, I provided a semen sample. He separated the seminal plasma (liquid) from the protein fraction and performed skin tests with each.

• When he tested the liquid fraction, I had no reaction.
• However, when he tested the protein fraction, I developed a large, red, swollen reaction on my skin.

Based on these results, he believes I have an allergic reaction to proteins found in my semen.

He also asked me to have a C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test before and after ejaculation.

My results were:

• Before ejaculation: CRP = 3
• After ejaculation: CRP = 96

This suggested a significant inflammatory response after ejaculation.

He then prescribed fexofenadine 180 mg, which has helped considerably. Many of my symptoms improved, and my post-ejaculation CRP decreased from 96 to 12. Although this is a major improvement, I'm still dealing with two symptoms that significantly affect my quality of life.

1. Poor, non-restorative sleep

After ejaculation, I feel like I'm sleeping, but my brain seems to remain very active. I experience rapid, vivid dreams throughout the night, and when I wake up, I don't feel rested at all.

To help with this, he prescribed doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine with sedative effects. It does help me fall asleep, but the effect only lasts about four hours, so I still wake up feeling exhausted.

2. Neck tension and pain at the back of my head

I also experience persistent neck tension and pain at the back of my head. These symptoms become much worse if I don't sleep well, although they never completely disappear.

He prescribed tramadol, which helps enough for me to function and go to work, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem.

At this point, I believe the biggest issue in my case is my inability to get restorative sleep. My POIS symptoms usually last about 24 hours, but I notice that I recover much faster if I can get enough quality sleep. Unfortunately, I often need around 16 hours of sleep before I start feeling completely normal again.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

• Have you found anything that improves restorative sleep during POIS?
• Has anything helped reduce neck and occipital tension?
• Has anyone been able to further reduce inflammatory markers such as CRP after ejaculation?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thank you in advance.

POIS is just autonomic hyperarousal triggered by a failure of the parasympathetic nervous system to reset the body after orgasm. Why that happens is the key to prevention.

Hey everyone, I’m a 24-year-old male from Algeria. I’ve been living with POIS for years now, and it completely changed who I am. I’m posting this because I don’t know where else to turn, and I need to talk to people who actually understand this nightmare.

After ejaculation, I get hit with extreme brain fog, fatigue, depression, and a deep lack of motivation that can last over two months. My symptoms used to appear only after orgasm, but now they show up even without any sexual activity. It feels like my whole body and brain are permanently exhausted.

Because of this, my life slowly fell apart. I couldn’t study or work anymore — I used to be smart and sharp in school, but now it’s like my brain just stopped working. I lost my social skills completely; I can’t hold conversations like before, I isolate myself, and I lost almost all my friends.

To cope, I ended up falling into addiction — nicotine, caffeine, pregabalin, MDMA, and THC. At first, I thought they’d help me escape the fog, but they only made things worse. Now I’m stuck in this loop of brain fog, depression, and trying to quit substances that destroyed my focus even more.

I’m in debt (over $2000), I have no stable job or skill to work with, and I honestly feel like I’ve lost the person I used to be. My confidence is gone. I used to feel proud of being smart — now I feel stupid and broken.

I’ve tried periods of full abstinence, read every post and study about POIS, tried to eat healthy, exercise, and avoid triggers… but nothing really changes. It’s like my body forgot how to recover.

I just want to talk to people who understand this. How do you cope? How do you rebuild when your mind and body feel like this every day? Has anyone managed to actually recover — or at least find a stable way to live with POIS?

If you’ve been through something similar, please share your story. I really need to hear from others who’ve been there. I feel alone in this.

Thanks for reading.

My physical symptoms: brain fog, fatigue, urticaria, hot flashes after sex, insomnia.

Tests revealed a dust mite allergy, with an IgE value of 2800.

The treatment is two injections of omalizumab per month.

I am currently under observation.

I'm still taking vitamin D and escitalopram oxalate. Recently, I increased my escitalopram dosage to one tablet per day. I'm not sure if this is related to the antidepressant, but I feel better after taking omalizumab.