Are these POIS symptoms?

[bradrga]

Hello Everyone (I'm new) -

Let me start at the best place to start: the beginning.  I started masturbating at the age of 14 or so, I am now 25.  For a long period during that time, I practiced this habit at least (and usually) once per day.  At about 18 or 19, I started experiencing physical, emotional and mental symptoms but couldn't tie them to anything.  They were mostly mood and fatigue related.  These symptoms got worse with time as you may be expecting since I'm posting here.  Now I experience all of the following and maybe some others:

SYMPTOMS:
general fatigue and exhaustion, minor hair loss, flushed face, heat sensations, lightheadedness, muscle pain/tension/soreness/twitching, inability to concentrate, occasional palpitations, lethargy, inability to sleep, etc.  Basically symptoms that all cause or (I thought) were caused by stress, anxiety and panic.

I used to handle this.  Even at 21 to about 22 or 23, I was going out every week, going with friends at bars and clubs.  Since then, not so much.

I went to the ER some months ago because of an "episode" of heart palps, basically just more than I know myself to have.  They ran a bunch of tests and thankfully everything came back normal.  Doc told me it's anxiety.  This is what I've thought for a while but then at some point, probably around a year or two ago, I started thinking logically.  What is it that I do on a regular basis that could be contributing to me feeling like total shit?  Masturbating.

I notice that a lot of my symptoms are worse in the days after masturbation.  I made the distinction as in the past while I keep trying to abstain.  I can go about a week at most and then I go back to it.  I just went a week as a matter of fact and ejaculated earlier tonight.  Now, my legs feel so weak as they usually do but even weaker.  It's almost a sensation of my body being too heavy to be supported by them which is ridiculous as I'm really skinny.  I have soreness/pain in my back as well currently.  I have heat sensations.  I literally will sometimes wipe my face and upper body with a wet towel.

I just don't know.

I've been to a couple MD's and ND's about my symptoms and I hate to say that I feel most are totally full of shit.
I don't want to keep wasting my money on them but I have no problem spending it to get better if something's legit.

[devastated]

Hi bradrga,

These are more or less legit POIS syndroms. I have all the ones you mentioned plus a few more. My POIS has started since 13-14 (unfortunately began masturbating as early as 5-6 years old) and I'm now 37. It's a downward spiral, because symptoms become worse as years elapse and take longer time to pass. I remember recovering within 2-3 days at first and now it can take as much as 1.5 week. What's even worse is that symptoms seem to "stack". If you ejaculate before they are over, they add up to the next cycle, both prolonging and intensifying it.

My andrologist says that many new weird syndromes have arisen over the last 3 decades due to modern lifestyle and the fact that our food is not as healthy or natural as it used to be. He doesn't dismiss POIS and claims that many researches are in progresss which could finally pinpoint a common denominator between them.

P.S to Daveman: I know I have pledged to donate quite some time ago, but the financial situation here in Greece keeps getting nastier and my income barely suffices at the moment. I promise to do so with the first opportunity. I really admire and appreciate all the effort you and demo have put into this forum. Keep up the good work!

[Daveman]

Hi bradrga,

These are more or less legit POIS syndroms. I have all the ones you mentioned plus a few more. My POIS has started since 13-14 (unfortunately began masturbating as early as 5-6 years old) and I'm now 37. It's a downward spiral, because symptoms become worse as years elapse and take longer time to pass. I remember recovering within 2-3 days at first and now it can take as much as 1.5 week. What's even worse is that symptoms seem to "stack". If you ejaculate before they are over, they add up to the next cycle, both prolonging and intensifying it.

My andrologist says that many new weird syndromes have arisen over the last 3 decades due to modern lifestyle and the fact that our food is not as healthy or natural as it used to be. He doesn't dismiss POIS and claims that many researches are in progresss which could finally pinpoint a common denominator between them.

P.S to Daveman: I know I have pledged to donate quite some time ago, but the financial situation here in Greece keeps getting nastier and my income barely suffices at the moment. I promise to do so with the first opportunity. I really admire and appreciate all the effort you and demo have put into this forum. Keep up the good work!

Yes, niacin aside, it is true that things get worse with time.

It's good you have a doctor that's tuned in and knows that there is more activity in the medical field over POIS.

It's really sad about Greece. It's such a beautiful country. Hope it gets better soon.

[bradrga]

And some other symptoms I forgot to mention: occasional headaches, frequent urination, runny nose (only in days after ejaculation), fatigue upon medium exertion, etc.

I hope everyone will let me know their thoughts.  Thanks to the two of you that have contributed to this so far.

Advice would be great.  What are things that typically work to start to correct these issues?  Eating habits?  Exercise?  Supplements?  Vitamins?
Currently I'm trying not to eat the SAD (processed crap, sugars, salts, etc.) - I'm taking a tablespoon of Fish Oil each night along with a Multivitamin.

[Vincent M]

Bradrga, the treatment I've found most helpful for fatigue/concentration is fenugreek taken with green tea or garlic. I've found most brands on amazon to be about equally effective. I take two or three 620mg capsules. If I take it later than around 1pm it'll keep me awake into the night however. It works better for me if taken about an hour before ejaculation, but it does help a lot even if I have an "o" before bed and have some fenugreek and tea the morning after. I don't have muscle pain, but it does help my joint/tendon pain to an extent.

For the minor hairloss and scalp irritation (if you have that) I find that Saw Palmetto works well on that. Saw Palmetto doesn't really do anything if I take it after "o" so I'll take one 540mg capsule about 15min prior to "o". This helps a lot for any lower area inflammation for me as well.

Both of these have continued to be effective for more than a year for me and have been helpful to other POIS members. I noticed their beneficial effects on the first day or two of taking them.

The fish oil is definitely a good idea.

[bradrga]

Thanks, Vincent.  I'll keep that in mind.

I'm very much into a natural approach to health and healing.  So that's something that's gonna be important for me.
It's one of the reasons I've recently gotten into juicing and I do believe it has been beneficial in the short time I've done it.

Also, if I may go on a mini-rant:
I think conditions like this are solely occurring in men, women, the young, old (so on and so forth) because of our modern lifestyles.  Everyone is eating shit; everyone is drinking piss.  People claim to have no time for things that really matter: being active, spending quality time with friends and family, doing things they're passionate about, etc.  We stress ourselves out over things that DON'T matter.

Personally, I think that my symptoms were brought on due to over-masturbation.  Call it what you will, POIS or whatever else, it is what it is.
Masturbating at least once a day for as long as I have isn't normal or healthy, regardless of what any "professional" in the Western world claims.

[Vincent M]

I agree somewhat with you about over-masturbation. I think anyone who masturbates multiple times every day or even just once daily is going to wind up depressed and hating life. How can you make positive memories and have a happy outlook on life when so much of your pleasure comes from a lonely mechanical process that requires no hard work/talent and results in no sense of accomplishment? However POIS is much more than just being depressed and many POIS sufferers still got POIS even though they didn't over-masturbate. Also a lot of guys who masturbate one or multiple times a day don't get POIS.

[bradrga]

It's not even just that aspect though.  There are now scientific studies that are basically stating that masturbation may become an addiction as real as any other and that it IS naturally addictive in the first place.  Also, there have been plenty of studies done suggesting that it alters brain chemistry and may even cause various other imbalances and deficiencies.  No one here can tell me that there's no way that these things don't correlate with the onset of conditions like POIS.  Pending any truth in all the research, it's impossible that habits like masturbation have nothing to do with this directly.  In my own opinion, the habit might even be the cause.

From my own experience, I can state that my habit of masturbation has contributed to making me extremely sluggish, indifferent and the like.  I've resorted to using the computer excessively because many days I feel bedridden.  It's another thing that I take part in too much and not within the confines of what I'd suggest is "in moderation."

I think that the people who recover fastest and most efficiently from conditions like this are those who alter lifestyle (cut the habit and start up other, healthier ones), alter diet (stop eating processed and, refined, preserved shit and start eating all organic) and take the initiative to take seriously why they've taken these steps to improve themselves so not to fall back into their old problems.

Those are just my thoughts.  I appreciate your input, Vincent - as well as that of anyone else with anything valuable to contribute.

[bradrga]

For instance, I just had an "o" after dealing with bullshit all day.  Masturbation's a coping mechanism.  It's a way to escape.  It's something that allows you to feel good, even if for just a few short moments.  I'd gone a week until a relapse, then another week and now two days, if that.  Muscles and other areas of my body currently affected by pain, soreness, (etc.) include my arms, my lower back and my legs.  I have that flushed face feeling and general uneasiness.  Oh, anxiety - I wake up with you and go to sleep with you.  Kinda fantastic.

Aside from the POIS, I notice that the times I'm able to refrain from masturbation and ejaculation the longest are those when I feel any bit of love and support, understanding and consideration.  I don't tell anyone about this possibly having anything to do with anything sexual but hell, a good amount of people, including my entire family, know what I go through in terms of symptoms.  No one really cares.  It doesn't effect them directly so it's no big deal.  But, when I feel things may be changing and that I have the strength to start changing myself, I abstain.  On days such as today, I fall back into it.

I wouldn't be surprised if I got a handful of my typical anxiety and panic attacks tonight through at least Tuesday or so.

Hope all of the rest of you are having a good day.

[devastated]

Just to verify some more of bradga's additional symptoms:

I have running nose too, frequent urination and migraine, the latter after 3 days or so. I believe it's a standard pattern with many persons having POIS as well. If you are having the slightest sensitivity with infections at your respiratory system, the running nose is almost certain. My running nose has been going on for so many years, that is almost constant (like a lifelong allergy). I can tell though that it isn't an actual allergy because the symptoms disappear if I abstain for 2 weeks or so.

Actually my case is rather heavy, since it includes both cognitive (lack of concentration, memory loss, irritability, depression) and physical (muscle, joint, back pains) symptoms. I take fish oil, multivitamins (especially B), spirulina etc (they hardly make more than 20% difference, if any) so I'll also give a try to fenugreek that Vincent suggested. To be honest niacin still scares me, due to its many side effects.

[demografx]

Belated Welcome, bradrga!

Please check out our POIS information resources here:
http://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=1.msg1#msg1

[bradrga]

Thank you!

Guys, I have a question.  I read somewhere, maybe on here or elsewhere, that POIS can incur when ejaculate leaves the testes.  If I understand this correctly, wouldn't that mean that we are prone to a symptomatic response pending arousal?  For instance, if I watch porn and get horny but don't ejaculate, could there be a correlation between that and the way I feel nonetheless?  There have been times when I am "just around the corner" from an "O" and ejaculation but have kept it in and have felt the same or similar symptoms listed above along with the blue balls sensation.

Thoughts?

Appreciate all the input!

[kurtosis]

Thank you!

Guys, I have a question.  I read somewhere, maybe on here or elsewhere, that POIS can incur when ejaculate leaves the testes.  If I understand this correctly, wouldn't that mean that we are prone to a symptomatic response pending arousal?  For instance, if I watch porn and get horny but don't ejaculate, could there be a correlation between that and the way I feel nonetheless?  There have been times when I am "just around the corner" from an "O" and ejaculation but have kept it in and have felt the same or similar symptoms listed above along with the blue balls sensation.

Thoughts?

Appreciate all the input!

I've experienced some symptoms of POIS whether I ejaculate or not.
These symptoms are: weakness, some confusion, dizziness (but nothing major), fatigue and sometimes itchy skin and/or acne that appears so quickly it appears to have been caused by being in a state of arousal, specifically having an erection.

There is no proof that POIS only occurs when ejaculate leaves the testes. It's not the case for me but as I've said a lot of times we may not all be suffering from the same thing.

[bradrga]

Thank you!

Guys, I have a question.  I read somewhere, maybe on here or elsewhere, that POIS can incur when ejaculate leaves the testes.  If I understand this correctly, wouldn't that mean that we are prone to a symptomatic response pending arousal?  For instance, if I watch porn and get horny but don't ejaculate, could there be a correlation between that and the way I feel nonetheless?  There have been times when I am "just around the corner" from an "O" and ejaculation but have kept it in and have felt the same or similar symptoms listed above along with the blue balls sensation.

Thoughts?

Appreciate all the input!

I've experienced some symptoms of POIS whether I ejaculate or not.
These symptoms are: weakness, some confusion, dizziness (but nothing major), fatigue and sometimes itchy skin and/or acne that appears so quickly it appears to have been caused by being in a state of arousal, specifically having an erection.

There is no proof that POIS only occurs when ejaculate leaves the testes. It's not the case for me but as I've said a lot of times we may not all be suffering from the same thing.

I get that itch skin happening as well.  Just last night, as a matter of fact.  I did have an erection and when the time was right for ejaculation and I didn't make it happen, the sensation got stronger.  I do experience acne myself - and more in times when I am masturbating than those over which I abstain from sexual activity.

[simfooks6]

i get symptoms if i get too aroused by thinking about it and dont even need an erection!!!
since i've started taking testogel and testosterone injections it can happen easier than ever....i just get a rush of energy amd start feeling weak all of a sudden and itll take me at least three days to recover

[Daveman]

i get symptoms if i get too aroused by thinking about it and dont even need an erection!!!
since i've started taking testogel and testosterone injections it can happen easier than ever....i just get a rush of energy amd start feeling weak all of a sudden and itll take me at least three days to recover

Thanks for the information... it all contributes to a POIS profile!

[LAPOISSE]

i get symptoms if i get too aroused by thinking about it and dont even need an erection!!!
since i've started taking testogel and testosterone injections it can happen easier than ever....i just get a rush of energy amd start feeling weak all of a sudden and itll take me at least three days to recover

Thanks for the information... it all contributes to a POIS profile!

Just to be sure I understand : You said your symtoms got worse since you have started testo suplementation ?

[bradrga]

Also, I don't know if I've already mentioned this but my symptoms seem to be worst on day two and/or three after masturbation/ejaculation but can start, mostly minor but still, within an hour after arousal if I don't ejaculate.  I'm now on day three post ejaculation but was aroused last night, however I did not ejaculate.  Now I have my usual muscle soreness and whatnot, mostly legs and a bit in my back from time to time.

As stated, I've started juicing and have been at it now or about three or four weeks.  My theory on why I've started doing this, aside from the benefits most people experience by partaking in it, is that seminal fluid has a complex concentration of content, in large part naturally occurring fructose sugars.  So It's my way of trying to replenish, I suppose.  I really believe it's helped to some extent.  I make mostly fruit juices but will put in a vegetable or two to taste.

Also, I'm still taking my fish oil and multivitamin at night.

Aside from all that: I've started walking or bike riding a bit here and there.  Like yesterday I went to a nearby small lake and walked around once.  It's not drastic exercise but it's a start.  Figuring that can help too.

[bradrga]

Last night I started to masturbate after thinking I'd try to abstain for at least a month.  I did it for a couple short minutes but was obviously aroused, etc.  I then just stopped in reminding myself of my goal and I did not ejaculate.  However, I should note that this was around midnight last night and my first real symptoms started at about 6 AM when I was woken up by them.  I felt hot sensations, flushing of the face, faintness, almost like an adrenaline rush along with a need to urinate and defecate and maybe a couple others.  Pretty much what many would call a nocturnal panic attack.

I went to the washroom and took care of that aspect of my symptoms.  Then I went and grabbed a glass of cold water and sipped on it a bit to cool down.  The symptoms mostly subsided after that and my bathroom break within about 45 minutes and I was able to go back to sleep.

This, with me, happens much.  As in: I can masturbate and NOT even ejaculate but the next morning, upon waking up, I feel like shit.  Usually I do have somewhat the symptoms of panic as stated above but usually I won't wake up that early and it will be accompanied by a greater degree of physical ailments such as muscle pain and/or soreness.  This happens whether I ejaculate or not but sometimes I honestly believe like the first symptoms are even stronger if there's no actual ejaculate - at least not that which is worked out by me intentionally.  As for pre-cum or nocturnal emissions, I can't say but there's always that possibility.

[Egordon]

Bradrga,

Have you ever tried fish oil? I've been using it over the past month or so and have noticed that it more or less does away with the minor inflammatory flare ups caused by getting aroused but not ejaculating. Like you, I used to get fairly minor symptoms every time I'd get an erection for more than, say, 50 seconds. But taking 1 or 2 fish oil everyday has completely eliminated that problem.

If you do give fish oil a whirl, please note that I didn't experience beneficial effects until about the 4th or 5th day of taking it. So, it may take a few days.

best,

egordon