My POIS story

[Journey]

Hello.

I'm 18 years old, in a few months 19.

Last year I did NoFap and realized my mind got clearer, I felt better the longer I abstained and when a WD happened I'd feel bad and after days I felt ok again.

I didn't consciously orgasm for months last year but at 1 point I had WDs even each 2-5 days.

Found out about POIS and realized I got it.

My symptoms are mostly cognitive-90% resolve after 3-5 weeks of no orgasm (no WD) and I don't remember exactly when it started but I've felt odd since around age 12-14. I mostly got cognitive symptom:

• Brainfog
• Slower reflexes
• Slower mind processing speed
• Lower default voice volume
• Harder to feel joy
• Feeling weak
• Less stamina, strength, endurance
• Harder to learn, succeed at maths, other science subjects
• Don't hear lower volume noises in music/recordings with many sounds-on 1+week abstinence I hear small noises more
• Need more time to comprehend what I'm reading/learning

There are other symptoms-ones I wrote are main.

In fasted state cognitive symptoms clear up-abstinence is best fix. I tried 2 monster energy drinks for Taurine+BVitamins and 1st time-drinking monster energy before-after an O which wasn't a full 1 as I contracted kegel and small amount of semen came-when waking up next day I felt less brainfog and felt better in general, had another monster energy hours after full O-2nd time didn't see big improvement.

Anyone with similar symptoms?

[drop247]

This is not meant as gatekeeping. I don't think you have PIOS. Many many people have the same results you do from abstaining from orgasm. There's even a Seinfeld episode about it where George becomes a genius after avoiding sex. I think you are completely normal and  healthy 18 year old. Enjoy your life and don't let what is written here scare you into avoiding sex.

[millstone]

IMO, NoFap may have been the trigger.

How long have you been masturbating and what was the frequency before starting NoFap?

My POIS symptoms also started after trying NoFap and going hard mode for 30 days, and then relapsing after that month.

For decades I masturbated daily to porn, to relieve stress, chase the dopamine high, and pretty much used it as a way to get to sleep each night. The addiction grew into 3-hour long edging sessions, sometimes without orgasm release. I imagine that really disrupted the homeostasis of my central nervous system.

POIS could very well be related to how much I was addicted, and now these could be kindling / withdrawal symptoms due to upregulated dopamine and GABA receptors, very similar to alcohol / opioid / benzo withdrawal.

[Journey]

This is not meant as gatekeeping. I don't think you have PIOS. Many many people have the same results you do from abstaining from orgasm. There's even a Seinfeld episode about it where George becomes a genius after avoiding sex. I think you are completely normal and  healthy 18 year old. Enjoy your life and don't let what is written here scare you into avoiding sex.

The brainfog many times made it hard to get good grades in school as there's a sort of "block" between my mind what I'm focusing on. I got other symptoms too-the symptoms I feel-I've not observed them in others so I'm not just experiencing loss of abstinence gained mental prowness after orgasm/ejaculation-wet dreams give me odd brainfogged, hard to focus/comprehend feeling too and it goes away after 1-2 weeks with each day 4% improvement.

[Journey]

IMO, NoFap may have been the trigger.

How long have you been masturbating and what was the frequency before starting NoFap?

My POIS symptoms also started after trying NoFap and going hard mode for 30 days, and then relapsing after that month.

For decades I masturbated daily to porn, to relieve stress, chase the dopamine high, and pretty much used it as a way to get to sleep each night. The addiction grew into 3-hour long edging sessions, sometimes without orgasm release. I imagine that really disrupted the homeostasis of my central nervous system.

POIS could very well be related to how much I was addicted, and now these could be kindling / withdrawal symptoms due to upregulated dopamine and GABA receptors, very similar to alcohol / opioid / benzo withdrawal.

I felt odd for years before doing NoFap too but since I orgasmed at least 4 times a week I felt so all time and never realized I got brainfog as I has never abstained and had POIS symptom relief before, but around age 13-14 it got harder to understand maths, I had this "mental block/fogginess" whereas when younger I had clear mind-could do, learn stuff fast-by abstaining I realized I don't have the odd symptoms and they always come back if nightfall happens-same as if I consciously orgasmed.

[Journey]

IMO, NoFap may have been the trigger.

How long have you been masturbating and what was the frequency before starting NoFap?

My POIS symptoms also started after trying NoFap and going hard mode for 30 days, and then relapsing after that month.

For decades I masturbated daily to porn, to relieve stress, chase the dopamine high, and pretty much used it as a way to get to sleep each night. The addiction grew into 3-hour long edging sessions, sometimes without orgasm release. I imagine that really disrupted the homeostasis of my central nervous system.

POIS could very well be related to how much I was addicted, and now these could be kindling / withdrawal symptoms due to upregulated dopamine and GABA receptors, very similar to alcohol / opioid / benzo withdrawal.

Now that you mention it-I too with time learned to edge and would sometimes do it for hours and I think around that time the POIS symptoms got worse/longer.

[certainlypois2]

Welcome Journey,
 It looks like you have pois based on your description. The cognitive symptoms you listed are shared by many here, including me.   Most people have a much shorter recovery time but there have been a few with similar recovery times as yours.  Do you have any symptoms other than cognitive ones.

[Journey]

Welcome Journey,
 It looks like you have pois based on your description. The cognitive symptoms you listed are shared by many here, including me.   Most people have a much shorter recovery time but there have been a few with similar recovery times as yours.  Do you have any symptoms other than cognitive ones.

I get less strength, stamina, endurance and some muscles are weaker, some tenser-posture gets-face looks sad/tired.

[certainlypois2]

Welcome Journey,
 It looks like you have pois based on your description. The cognitive symptoms you listed are shared by many here, including me.   Most people have a much shorter recovery time but there have been a few with similar recovery times as yours.  Do you have any symptoms other than cognitive ones.

I get less strength, stamina, endurance and some muscles are weaker, some tenser-posture gets-face looks sad/tired.

https://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=2338.0 this good a place to start it contains a list of things that have help others.

[CCA BOEING747-400]

Hello.

I'm 18 years old, in a few months 19.

Last year I did NoFap and realized my mind got clearer, I felt better the longer I abstained and when a WD happened I'd feel bad and after days I felt ok again.

I didn't consciously orgasm for months last year but at 1 point I had WDs even each 2-5 days.

Found out about POIS and realized I got it.

My symptoms are mostly cognitive-90% resolve after 3-5 weeks of no orgasm (no WD) and I don't remember exactly when it started but I've felt odd since around age 12-14. I mostly got cognitive symptom:

• Brainfog
• Slower reflexes
• Slower mind processing speed
• Lower default voice volume
• Harder to feel joy
• Feeling weak
• Less stamina, strength, endurance
• Harder to learn, succeed at maths, other science subjects
• Don't hear lower volume noises in music/recordings with many sounds-on 1+week abstinence I hear small noises more
• Need more time to comprehend what I'm reading/learning

There are other symptoms-ones I wrote are main.

In fasted state cognitive symptoms clear up-abstinence is best fix. I tried 2 monster energy drinks for Taurine+BVitamins and 1st time-drinking monster energy before-after an O which wasn't a full 1 as I contracted kegel and small amount of semen came-when waking up next day I felt less brainfog and felt better in general, had another monster energy hours after full O-2nd time didn't see big improvement.

Anyone with similar symptoms?

Wow may be we are quite same!! Three years ago I had excessive FAP for about 9 months and began to have similar symptoms which made me really painful. It is just like a sudden drop.There is some suggestions that excessive FAP is not god so I immediately abstained it three years ago.But later,I always suffer frequent WDs,and after which I will be much more painful...I used to be a top student and a crazy aviation geek,a sports lover, but these symptoms let me down,I am never what I used to be .What's worse, no doctors can give me diagnosis and treatment except psychological......Chinese medicine doctors gave me herbal treatment and life style suggestion ..But doesn't work well...hence, I begin to seek information myself.I have gotten much information related to my symptoms but doesn't work too...Yesterday, I was considering the possibility of  my high PRL level with my symptoms (which,in the doctors view,is nothing matters,but research shows unclear function of it) via Google scholar.And I happened to find the NORD and type possible key words and found POIS!!!!! Finding the typical symptoms of it is the most similar ever!!!I am going to search for treatment

[demografx]

CCA BOEING747-400, welcome to the forum!

[CCA BOEING747-400]

CCA BOEING747-400, welcome to the forum!

:)Glad to join the forum

[Journey]

Hello.

I'm 18 years old, in a few months 19.

Last year I did NoFap and realized my mind got clearer, I felt better the longer I abstained and when a WD happened I'd feel bad and after days I felt ok again.

I didn't consciously orgasm for months last year but at 1 point I had WDs even each 2-5 days.

Found out about POIS and realized I got it.

My symptoms are mostly cognitive-90% resolve after 3-5 weeks of no orgasm (no WD) and I don't remember exactly when it started but I've felt odd since around age 12-14. I mostly got cognitive symptom:

• Brainfog
• Slower reflexes
• Slower mind processing speed
• Lower default voice volume
• Harder to feel joy
• Feeling weak
• Less stamina, strength, endurance
• Harder to learn, succeed at maths, other science subjects
• Don't hear lower volume noises in music/recordings with many sounds-on 1+week abstinence I hear small noises more
• Need more time to comprehend what I'm reading/learning

There are other symptoms-ones I wrote are main.

In fasted state cognitive symptoms clear up-abstinence is best fix. I tried 2 monster energy drinks for Taurine+BVitamins and 1st time-drinking monster energy before-after an O which wasn't a full 1 as I contracted kegel and small amount of semen came-when waking up next day I felt less brainfog and felt better in general, had another monster energy hours after full O-2nd time didn't see big improvement.

Anyone with similar symptoms?

Wow may be we are quite same!! Three years ago I had excessive FAP for about 9 months and began to have similar symptoms which made me really painful. It is just like a sudden drop.There is some suggestions that excessive FAP is not god so I immediately abstained it three years ago.But later,I always suffer frequent WDs,and after which I will be much more painful...I used to be a top student and a crazy aviation geek,a sports lover, but these symptoms let me down,I am never what I used to be .What's worse, no doctors can give me diagnosis and treatment except psychological......Chinese medicine doctors gave me herbal treatment and life style suggestion ..But doesn't work well...hence, I begin to seek information myself.I have gotten much information related to my symptoms but doesn't work too...Yesterday, I was considering the possibility of  my high PRL level with my symptoms (which,in the doctors view,is nothing matters,but research shows unclear function of it) via Google scholar.And I happened to find the NORD and type possible key words and found POIS!!!!! Finding the typical symptoms of it is the most similar ever!!!I am going to search for treatment

Do you know your Prolactin or any other hormone levels?

[CCA BOEING747-400]

Yeah for sure.But the unit may vary ,my PRL is 1062 mU/L(Normal range 53-360.4) .I will re-check in a hospital use more common unit.Others include TRH,T,E2,......are in normal range

[Journey]

Yeah for sure.But the unit may vary ,my PRL is 1062 mU/L(Normal range 53-360.4) .I will re-check in a hospital use more common unit.Others include TRH,T,E2,......are in normal range

So in your case, it's Prolactin causing POIS, right? There are pro-Dopamine, anti-Prolactin supplements such as Zinc, others-have you tried them?

[CCA BOEING747-400]

Yeah for sure.But the unit may vary ,my PRL is 1062 mU/L(Normal range 53-360.4) .I will re-check in a hospital use more common unit.Others include TRH,T,E2,......are in normal range

So in your case, it's Prolactin causing POIS, right? There are pro-Dopamine, anti-Prolactin supplements such as Zinc, others-have you tried them?

I haven't tried them.I just appointed a experienced doctor and he will give me treatment.So do you know your PRL and other indexs?

[Journey]

Yeah for sure.But the unit may vary ,my PRL is 1062 mU/L(Normal range 53-360.4) .I will re-check in a hospital use more common unit.Others include TRH,T,E2,......are in normal range

So in your case, it's Prolactin causing POIS, right? There are pro-Dopamine, anti-Prolactin supplements such as Zinc, others-have you tried them?

I haven't tried them.I just appointed a experienced doctor and he will give me treatment.So do you know your PRL and other indexs?

Only did Free T, Total T, C-Reactive Protein test in 2019 January. Must do Estrogen, Cortisol, Prolactin, other tests once corona ends.

[an-y-more]

Journey, do you mean bass/punchin drums when say "lower volume noises"? Try to lay down (and keep you head vert so blood won't flow here) Will it sound better after awhile?
Personally I have two types of pois affected music hearing: the one when I hear lows worse. It's when I got tension problems (feel like flow when walk, tire very fast) then it helps me to hear better when I lay down.
And the second one is when I hear treble way too loud (but bass can be heard even better than usial) it usually occurs when I have some head problems- tension/headache but can walk normally without tiredness.

[Journey]

Journey, do you mean bass/punchin drums when say "lower volume noises"? Try to lay down (and keep you head vert so blood won't flow here) Will it sound better after awhile?
Personally I have two types of pois affected music hearing: the one when I hear lows worse. It's when I got tension problems (feel like flow when walk, tire very fast) then it helps me to hear better when I lay down.
And the second one is when I hear treble way too loud (but bass can be heard even better than usial) it usually occurs when I have some head problems- tension/headache but can walk normally without tiredness.

Haven't tested which sound types I hear worse in POIS but head/cognitive symptoms appear fast, within seconds/minutes post-O so whatever causes it is a reaction that's able to happen in minutes so I wonder what'd cause these symptoms if they appear fast post-O? A body system that changes fast is the cardiovascular system so maybe blood flow/dilation/constriction is involved in some way in POIS?

[an-y-more]

A body system that changes fast is the cardiovascular system so maybe blood flow/dilation/constriction is involved in some way in POIS?

I think that's the case. Since I started jogging there was no single time when my brainfog and hearing didn't improve at least for a bit after a good run.