Is it just me, or does orgasm affect body composition?

[rosscb]

Seriously, whenever I abstain my body looks much fitter and healthier, lean muscle doesn't change, but I literally can't get below 18% body fat unless I'm abstinent.

Does this happen to anyone else? If I'm celibate then the fat and water retention puffiness drop off as if by magic, but if I'm having orgasms then no matter what I eat my body clings onto a little bit of fat.

Does anybody else notice any body composition changes as one of their symptoms?

[Andy451]

During periods of time where I abstain more I also tend to exercise more because I have the energy to, and it reduces my symptoms. My diet seems to be much worse if I masturbate more, craving heavier foods at odd hours. I would guess that melatonin, serotonin, norepinephrine, cortisol and adrenalin imbalances as a result of huge histamine releases play a huge role in what I tend to crave at odd hours of the night when insomnia has taken hold. Masturbation and orgasm throw off my circadian rhythm via chemical changes and probably secondary changes psychological changes causing insomnia. 

Fluid retention and swelling can also cause weight gain and lethargy in my case. My muscles also feel depleted, week, sore, tight and poorly defined.

Yes, I absolutely notice changes in body composition due to POIS.

[Vincent M]

I notice a lot of the same things as Andy. My face looks puffier/fatter during times when I masturbate multiple times per day, my belly looks bloated, my muscles and skin sag, my skin is more dry. Basically I look years older during times when I masturbate a lot. Also I'm pretty sure my head hair sheds more during these times.

Another thing I've noticed that I'm definitely not imagining is that my face will become so irritated and sensitive that shaving becomes almost too painful, but my face is so irritated by my beard that I have to shave. And my skin will cut much more easily when shaving so my skin is actually physically weaker, probably due to impaired blood circulation so not enough nutrients are being supplied as well as inflammation and hormonal imbalances.

[Stef]

Hi All,

I have a question that is purely from a medical perspective -- and not meant as an even remotely judgmental question. I truly hope that none of you minds my asking this question.

When some of you speak of masturbation "multiple times" in a day -- how many times are you talking about?

I've asked my husband what was the most he ever masturbated/day during his highest testosterone-driven years (we met when he was 24 y/o), and have asked our 27-year-old son (he's about to finish a very intensive two-year Master's degree program related to the medical field). I've also asked our very close male friend -- who I've known longer than I've known my husband -- he's like family to us. Our son still, to this day, calls him "Uncle Charlie."

They each understood that I was asking because of some of the posts on this forum related to masturbating five or more times/day. While our son is in the medical field, my hubby and our good friend are simply honest, decent men.

(All three are completely on your side and completely sympathetic with no judgements about anything related to POIS, just FYI.)

The answer from all three --> "never more than twice/day." I believe the three of them, 100%. 
It's no big deal for us to talk about these things (although my son hemmed and hawed for a while until I repeated  why I was asking (it's not the easiest question to discuss with one's mom!).

My husband commented that more than twice/day -- back when he was in his "prime" -- would have probably led to skin damage of his penis.  Our friend, Charlie, commented that he probably would have become dehydrated if he ejaculated more than twice/day.

None of them suffers from POIS.

I'm asking because I am wondering if the need for multiple ejaculations/day are somehow a physical side-effect of POIS, itself, if it's possibly the result of trying to abstain for long periods of time, or if there's some other reason, not yet known. In any event, it is likely very important data.

I honestly hope that you men don't think I'm prying. And obviously -- no one needs to reply if he's uncomfortable.  But if at least some of you can respond  -- it will probably be one more very helpful piece of data in directing your research grant -- which you are soooooo close to achieving!!!

I apologize if I've embarrassed anyone by asking this question. If POIS somehow causes an extremely elevated libido in several men, it's IMPORTANT information.  Once again -- PLEASE don't think that there is any judgmentalism here -- there is absolutely none.

As an aside, I'm not sure if you're all aware of this -- when your grant goal is reached (fingers crossed for March 2013!), the Request for Proposals (RFP) will be based on data retrieved from this site.  Daveman and Demo will either send out questionnaires to all forum members regarding their experience with POIS, or they'll cull the information already obtained from the posts on this forum, the NSF forum, and the surveys you've filled out. This information will be sent out to NORD's Medical Advisory Committee (MAC).

Since there is no strong, basic scientific research, NORD's MAC will be VERY GLAD to receive input from this group.  Daveman and Demo will provide a document to them, summarizing everyone's experiences, symptoms, etc.

Our MAC absolutely won't be influenced by the information provided as far as choosing the proper award recipient -- they absolutely know how to judge the scientific merit of any study.  But it will definitely provide to them a good picture of POIS, of what has helped some, what has made things worse for some, when there have been neutral results of your own tested therapies, and of the symptoms of POIS.

POIS is uncharted territory in the medical field -- this why your posts are so vital to your research.

Stef

[Observer]

Hi Stef! I think I can answer this question:

This could seem a contradiction, but I hope I could make my point:

I am sure that when I was suffering from POIS I had an higher libido than when I was not. I was able to be like a month without having any orgasm after getting out from a POIS cycle, but on the other hand, I was stuck in a POIS cycle for weeks and not able of breaking it because I had the "urge" to have an Orgasm... For me it seems it was more easy to control my libido when I was out of POIS, but the opposite is also true.

[Ccconfucius]

from masturbation, the average i do is three orgasms.  I can do more but that is only if i feel totally hopeless from pois and dont have anything to do do during the week.  when i do do more i am spent for a week but i think that is because of pois symptoms if pois symptoms were not involve i will probably recharge faster. 
I dont have sex much so i dont know how much i can do with sex.
I thought it was normal for guys who still in prime to repeated ejaculations without no problem.

[Prancer]

Hi nordnurse,

I believe that POIS (at least in my case) definitely causes an increase in libido. It's ironic because I crave so much the same thing that makes me sick as hell. Also, one orgasm is usually not enough for me. I will continue to have orgasms (sometimes as much as 6 or 7 in a very short time) to be satisfied. Of course then in the days after I feel absolutely terrible mentally. Now, if I can overcome this extreme urge to have an orgasm (which peaks probably 5 or 6 days after each orgasm), then it seems my libido will return somewhat back to normal, but still be very high! I believe that this increase is not simply from abstaining. I think it's a symptom of POIS or, like you said, caused by something else.

And I don't mind answering your question at all. It's a perfectly fair question. Thanks for asking it!

[Vincent M]

In response to nordnurse,

I think the inflammation from POIS may cause a sort of persistent need to stimulate the genitals for me. However when I first started masturbating at age 17(unusual I realize) I would ejaculate up to 7 times a day fairly often and I didn't notice much inflammation or other POIS symptoms at the time. I think my libido has dropped slightly just from the fatigue due to POIS since I usually only do it 3-4 times per day now at age 24. One factor is willpower. My willpower to resist sexual temptation is definitely lower, probably due to lower mental energy. For example when I was 18 I was once able to resist masturbation for 5 entire months, but now I can't resist for more than a few days.

And for me it doesn't have to do with increased urge after a period of abstinence since i've only attempted abstaining a few times in the past years and other than those few times i've had at least one orgasm virtually every day.

[Vincent M]

There was a poll a while back that showed there are many of us here who orgasm once or less every two weeks and about just as many who orgasm more than twice per week. According to that poll it seems that our sex drives are fairly varied. Although there are more factors contributing to orgasm frequency than just libido.

http://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=62.0

[Andy451]

My libido is very dependent on my necessity to function in the real world yet, into my late teens and twenties controlling masturbation became all but impossible. I find that the very least that I can masturbate is two to three times a week, and that my libido can be increased by POIS due to a very poor quality orgasm w/ a host of POIS symptoms. Ironically there is no satisfaction in an orgasm w/ smaller amounts of symptoms. The pleasurably and higher degree of painful symptoms unfortunately coincide making masturbation inherently masochistic and dis-pleasurable. The experiences become so physiologically and psychologically intertwined that medical science does have trouble differentiating the two. The "fuel" to a libido fire unfortunately becomes POIS and the act of masturbation because in the mind of many suffers I believe you can not disconnect the two. The same can be said for a healthy individual though, physiological and psychological experience shape there interpretation or orgasm leading them to be more likely to believe it can only be what is experienced within the box of positivity and similarity to themselves. On the contrary POIS is so individualistically negative that it can open up an individuals mind force-ably to seeking other ways of gaining sexual pleasure. For me I delay orgasm as much as possible when masturbating because and discomfort I may experience in rubbing my self raw pales in comparison to POIS symptoms. Momentary pain is always worth extending the visual pleasure I get from pornography because masturbation w/ orgasm brings little to no satisfaction.

As far as multiple orgasms per day go, they are hellish for me. Sometimes they are a necessity of my libido, but w/ the severity of symptoms I experience now I cannot have more than two in a day without being very sick. I have had 5 in a day but on the other extreme I have abstained for 6 months and 2 months at a time to avoid the physical, cognitive and mental pain POIS causes. Recently I cannot abstain longer than two weeks making my functionality low. Regardless, I experience constant POIS which is only alleviated by sleep and extreme amounts of exercise to date. I am doing a desen treatment w/ no clear results as of yet. The treatment may not even be half way though though.   

Nordnurse, I hope you understand the subtitles I am alluding to, if you do not please ask me about any part because I am not uncomfortable w/ describing the process in detail to represent a clear picture of what is happening medically. This is a good survey question.