Hi all, it's been a little while since I've been active on this forum but I am excited to inform all of you that I have made significant progress in my battle against POIS after beginning to use the anti-depressant medical food Deplin (AKA methylfolate or vitamin B-9). First to give some background on my case, I've suffered since I started masturbating around age 13, and my symptoms are primarily cognitive. Specifically, in the days following orgasm, I experience the following:
- Issues with socialization. I feel awkward, slow, and like social situations do not come naturally to me, despite being relatively charismatic when I'm healthy
- Impaired learning ability
- Impaired problem solving ability
- Difficulty grasping concepts
- Reduced motivation and willpower. For example, I find it unusually difficult to resist both distractions and unhealthy food
It's not entirely clear how long my symptoms last, but I experience substantial improvement between days 4 and 6. As time has went on, I also feel as if I've developed other triggers. Some of these are known (such as exercise and certain types of food), while others are not. For example, I notice that often even after a few weeks of abstinence I will randomly experience POIS symptoms. My hypothesis is that this may have to do with urinary semen release, but I am not totally sure. I also feel that I rarely reach a truly healthy baseline, with my best days being only "good enough".
I have found a few ways to reduce my symptoms throughout the years:
- Ironically exercise, which can be a trigger, can also help quite a bit with my social and cognitive symptoms if the intensity is low enough.
- Adderall, and to a lesser extent caffeine, provide substantial relief to my social symptoms for the duration of the drugs' action. Adderall in some cases is powerful enough for me to feel fully normal socially even on day 1 POIS.
- A selenium and iodine supplement I took in late 2019 provided substantial improvement to my POIS symptoms and general well-being for 10-14 days. Unfortunately, this effect disappeared and I was not able to replicate it consistently. I think it's unlikely the effect was placebo, as I've tried many supplements with much higher expectations and not experienced the same level of benefit. Unfortunately despite hours of research, I was not able to make sense of the benefits I experienced in relation to POIS.
- Candibactin AR and BR, two mixed herbal antimicrobial supplements, provided me long-lasting and significant POIS relief for a period of two months at the end of last year. The effect was very powerful and certainly beyond placebo, and has convinced me that my POIS may be at least partially gut-related.
The final thing that has helped me with my symptoms in the past is supplemental methylfolate. I've tried it a number of times, in doses ranging from 400mcg to 5mg per day, but the benefits would attenuate after a few days and disappear after a week almost every time. I decided on a whim to try deplin, a prescription version of methylfolate that comes in doses of 7.5mg or 15mg (I take 15mg). The effect has been transformative. While I do not feel 100% normal, I am able to remain relatively functional even while masturbating daily which is something that I haven't been able to do in the past. If I take a couple days off, I find that I feel even better. I also have noticed that methylfolate has relieved my need to exercise. I used to become extremely cognitively sluggish if I missed more than 3 or 4 days, which was annoying considering that intense exercise could trigger symptoms. All-in-all, it has significantly improved my quality of life and so I'm really excited to share it with you guys. I also have not noticed the effects weaken since I began, which is encouraging.
For those who are interested in trying deplin, you can get it in two ways (note, this does NOT constitute a medical recommendation - do your due diligence before trying anything suggested on this forum!). First, you can talk to a psychiatrist (possibly also a GP?) and ask if they'd be willing to write you a prescription. Deplin is rarely covered by insurance, but can be ordered through the manufacturer for a little less than $60 a month (
https://www.deplin.com/brand-direct-health). Second, you can order 15mg supplements on amazon or reputable online seller (example:
https://www.amazon.com/MethylPro-L-Methylfolate-15-Strength-Supplement/dp/B0731TW6J4/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=methylfolate+15mg&qid=1628731011&sr=8-8). Unfortunately, supplements are unregulated so it's hard to know exactly what you are getting, but they are more easily available for those with limited medical care of finances.
I'm open to answering any questions anyone might have. Best of luck!
