I think I have POIS, but I'm not sure...

[lith65]

I'm a 20 year old male (will actually become 21 very soon) and I've been suffering from POIS since I was 12-14!  Yeah, I began to experiment and well I began to do the big O that young of an age.  At first, all was well, but I would notice within 6 months that things began to change.   I was a straight A student and my grades dropped horrendously.  It was really out of the blue, and I was taken to the doctors at first and I was diagnosed with depression.  However, anti-depressants, no matter how long I was on them, didn't seem to do squat.

My symptoms were gradual at first - mostly sleepiness, fatigue, brain fog and short term memory loss.  However, as the years go by I began to experience more symptoms.  I began to get way more tired doing physical work - I began to have signs of what appeared to be acid reflux, which crippled my running capability.  Then my body began to ache and become sore, I felt like an old man!    However, the worst of it happened when I was around 17-18, when I had my first bad case of a prostate infection.  I've had to take anti-biotics at least once a year since then because of my problems, and back in Feb. of this year I had to go to the emergency room for it.

Around the  age of 18, I began to research it.  I knew it wasn't depression that was causing all of this, and I began to correlate my problems worsening everytime I orgasmed... which I had been doing almost everyday since I started!   At first I thought it was dehydration, as I was thirsty a lot, and have frequent headaches and stuffy sinuses.  Perhaps chronic dehydration was a cause of all of this?  Sadly, it didn't seem to work out as I had drunk water for 1-2 years and problems persisted, although it did help a little bit.   So I wondered if masturbating was the issue - perhaps when I masturbated I lost too much water?  I later realized you'd have to masturbate a LOT to lose that much water, and I had tried to explain to doctors that this problem only happened after I masurbated.  They said it was all in my head, that masturbation is a stigma for some, yadda yadda.  I always found this rediculous to be honest.

Then I stumbled upon the term POIS over the summer while trying to search, and lo and behold, I realized I wasn't the only one with this strange illness.   I've been lurking off and on, and I'm beginning to think that the more I think on it, the more I believe I have POIS.

So hi to you guys, I guess it's time to welcome me into the crap club.  I've done some brief research, and it seems the only viable way people get over their problems are through herbal remedies and the like, which are expensive as hell it seems and I don't have really any money at all.  Is there anything I can to do help?  Abstaining from masturbating is difficult for me - i think at best i've gone 6 days without doing it before I  HAVE to go in again.  I'm wondering if there's any help or advice you guys can give me?  I have some vitamin C chewable supplements and a male's multivitamin which supposedly helps the prostate... will those work ok?

[demografx]

lith65, Welcome to The POIS Forum!

Please see our welcome message, which contains many info resources for your use:
http://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=1.msg1#msg1

[Daveman]

I'm a 20 year old male (will actually become 21 very soon) and I've been suffering from POIS since I was 12-14!  Yeah, I began to experiment and well I began to do the big O that young of an age.  At first, all was well, but I would notice within 6 months that things began to change.   I was a straight A student and my grades dropped horrendously.  It was really out of the blue, and I was taken to the doctors at first and I was diagnosed with depression.  However, anti-depressants, no matter how long I was on them, didn't seem to do squat.

My symptoms were gradual at first - mostly sleepiness, fatigue, brain fog and short term memory loss.  However, as the years go by I began to experience more symptoms.  I began to get way more tired doing physical work - I began to have signs of what appeared to be acid reflux, which crippled my running capability.  Then my body began to ache and become sore, I felt like an old man!    However, the worst of it happened when I was around 17-18, when I had my first bad case of a prostate infection.  I've had to take anti-biotics at least once a year since then because of my problems, and back in Feb. of this year I had to go to the emergency room for it.

Around the  age of 18, I began to research it.  I knew it wasn't depression that was causing all of this, and I began to correlate my problems worsening everytime I orgasmed... which I had been doing almost everyday since I started!   At first I thought it was dehydration, as I was thirsty a lot, and have frequent headaches and stuffy sinuses.  Perhaps chronic dehydration was a cause of all of this?  Sadly, it didn't seem to work out as I had drunk water for 1-2 years and problems persisted, although it did help a little bit.   So I wondered if masturbating was the issue - perhaps when I masturbated I lost too much water?  I later realized you'd have to masturbate a LOT to lose that much water, and I had tried to explain to doctors that this problem only happened after I masurbated.  They said it was all in my head, that masturbation is a stigma for some, yadda yadda.  I always found this rediculous to be honest.

Then I stumbled upon the term POIS over the summer while trying to search, and lo and behold, I realized I wasn't the only one with this strange illness.   I've been lurking off and on, and I'm beginning to think that the more I think on it, the more I believe I have POIS.

So hi to you guys, I guess it's time to welcome me into the crap club.  I've done some brief research, and it seems the only viable way people get over their problems are through herbal remedies and the like, which are expensive as hell it seems and I don't have really any money at all.  Is there anything I can to do help?  Abstaining from masturbating is difficult for me - i think at best i've gone 6 days without doing it before I  HAVE to go in again.  I'm wondering if there's any help or advice you guys can give me?  I have some vitamin C chewable supplements and a male's multivitamin which supposedly helps the prostate... will those work ok?

Yup, that's POIS alright!!

There are a number of possibilities. take your time and look through the forum, you've gone this long with POIS, another week or two won't hurt (much more).

Niacin has helped a number of us, and is not expensive. Some get 90% releif like me others 70 to 40% but some it doesn't help at all. But if there's a chance, go for it.

Look up niacin in the search box at the top left of the page. It has to be taken "just right" to work best, so look for the instructions and give it a try.

It's just a vitamin, but it seems to fit a special link in the broken system that creates this monster.. Good Luck.

[haidcat]

Thats POIS to a tee. Sorry that you have to join this club .

Like Daveman said, try out the niacin, if that doesnt work(it doesnt for me), I have found that staying hydrated definitely helps a little like you concluded yourself.I drink water mixed with salt and potassium chloride throughout the day.  Also, diet is very important try a low glycemic(or low carb) diet and see if it can help you push through.

[demografx]

Sorry that you have to join this club .

Maybe we should include this in our Welcome Message! 

[lith65]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome.   I'll make sure to look into the niacin stuff when I get a chance - it does look relatively inexpensive, so when I can I'll give that a shot and tell you guys if it works or not.  I also did some research and I've had some partial success with eating raw garlic cloves, although I'm unsure if it'd be better to eat them before or after an orgasm, or simply just everyday.

I'll continue taking my Vitamin C pills and multivitamin though, it's all I can do at this point.

[Daveman]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome.   I'll make sure to look into the niacin stuff when I get a chance - it does look relatively inexpensive, so when I can I'll give that a shot and tell you guys if it works or not.  I also did some research and I've had some partial success with eating raw garlic cloves, although I'm unsure if it'd be better to eat them before or after an orgasm, or simply just everyday.

I'll continue taking my Vitamin C pills and multivitamin though, it's all I can do at this point.

I have great success with niacin, but had terrible results with multi-vitamins. Some of my worst POIS sessions appeared while I was taking them.

So if you are going to try niacin, stop the multi-vits a week or so before. Vit C is good though.

[Stef]

Hi All,

Niacin (nicotinic acid) -- the type that makes you flush -- is getting very difficult to find that on the shelves these days -- at least in CT and New York.  All I'm seeing is the "flush-free" variety or the "extended release." So take a good look at the label before you purchase it -- read the smaller print above the word "Niacin" on the label.

Don't despair if you can't find it on the shelves -- you can order it online -- Life Extension, Nature's Way, Nature's Bounty (just some examples of reputable vitamin/supplement companies) do sell the straight-forward, old-fashioned, flush niacin in various doses.

Stef