Insulin, carbs, serotonin, dopamine etc

[caveeater]

Does anyone have any theories on how insulin, carbohyrdrate intake etc affect POIS?

For a while before christmas, I was doing a ketogenic diet. I kept my carbs low to zero regardless as I always feel spaced out when I eat them.
Anyway for a long time I managed to go without ejaculating or sex, because I actually lost my sex drive especially on the ketogenic diet. So POIS wasnt really a problem then, and I felt really focused on the diet.

Since christmas though I have been eating carbs again and binging on sugary sweets. After some rice flour cookies last night I had a NE, and I noticed that my sleep was much deeper than usual because of the carbs I had eaten (which probably caused the NE).  

It seems like, for me at least, carbs give me a loss of control which causes NE's.

I wonder if perhaps my POIS is caused by interactions between dopamine and serotonin (serotonin is increased in the brain because of carbs causing insulin release, and serotonin competes with dopamine in the brain). When I am in POIS I feel like I am low in dopamine, which causes histamine problems and foggy thinking. I'm not sure how all this connects together but I'm sure it does, somehow.

Just some thoughts. My apologies that this post is all over the place...I'm in POIS so having trouble thinking clearly.

[b_jim]

The more I eat sugar and the more my Pois is stronger and longer. 
I basically imagine something like that :

Sugar => decrease teststerone => low dopamine.

75g of glucose injected means 25% less testosterone, during at least 2 hours.

[Colm]

Similar experiences here. I try to stick to better quality carbs that don't release/spike sugars, for instance porridge in the morning.

Also, instead of white sugar, I use sugar subsitututes like "Stevia" or "Coconut" sugar which I found recently. If having bad carbs, as in fast food, I try to do same, outside of the POIS 4 days black spot. Trying to strike a balance between being neurotic about it and sensible is always a challenge. Carbs can be very enjoyable.

Interesting what you say about the dopamine and serotonin interactions. I must look that up a bit more.

[Macster]

So I just went to see my doctor (neuro-urologist) yesterday. He told me that he believes POIS is caused by a drastic decrease in serotonin after ejaculation. He told me to try taking select just after O. I'm not sure if its directly a neurotransmitter issue or if the cause is autoimmune and resulting later in a decrease in serotonin. I guess he told me this because nothing else seemed peculiar in my blood (testosterone, iron, and many other things which I dont remember right now) and I didn't show signs of antibodies against my own sperm.

All in all, I think the focus on serotonin makes sense as many others (including Quantum's theory) have spoken of it. Right now, I'm staying abstinent and trying Mood Support from NOW foods (5-HTP, St-John's Wort, B-complex,...) while watching out to the food I eat. Hopefully this will lead to a replenishment of serotonin.

[b_jim]

I agree sertonin can drop after ejaculation by orgasm itself and spem loss. Spem is rich in serotonin and serotonin-family elements "enough to cause a cognitive effects on woman after intercourses".
But I don't think serotonin explains all symptoms.

[Nightingale]

You might find this video helpful - COMT and MAO: How Diet Influences Dopamine and Adrenalin Levels - https://youtu.be/-FVNrrQ_ySw