POIS-Treatment – Postorgasmic-Illness-Syndrome (POIS)

There is currently no cure for post-orgasmic illness syndrome. As the origin of the disease is still completely unknown, only the POIS symptoms can be treated. This at least provides relief in everyday life and allows those affected to enjoy their sexuality, albeit to a limited extent.

POIS is thought to be an allergic reaction or an auto-immune reaction to the body’s own seminal fluid or certain receptors that play a role in ejaculation. The body reacts to this in various places (e.g. throat, nose, eye, muscles, brain) with inflammatory reactions.

POIS is therefore mainly treated with anti-inflammatory painkillers, anti-histamines or immunosuppressants (e.g. cortisone), which are also used for other auto-immune diseases. Antidepressants in the SSRI category are also used. There are also some other approaches, which we will introduce to you below.

Hyposensitization with own seminal fluid

In a study by Waldinger with two Dutch men, hyposensitization was carried out using the body’s own seminal fluid. The fluid was injected under the skin over several months and the concentration was gradually increased. Both study participants described an alleviation of their POIS symptoms by 60 and 90 percent respectively.¹ Wrotynska-Barczynska et al. also carried out hyposensitization on a 34-year-old patient over a period of 14 months and were able to alleviate his symptoms.²

Antihistamines

A 27-year-old patient who developed flu symptoms after ejaculation was successfully treated with the antihistamine fexofenadyn in a study by Shanholtzer et al.³ By taking the drug daily, his symptoms were reduced by 90 percent.

Antiallergic drugs

In a study on a 25-year-old man, McLean-Tooke and Kinken⁴ were able to achieve success with the anti-allergic drug Xolair, which is used for allergic asthma, among other things. The patient, who suffered from nausea and cognitive problems after ejaculation, was treated for three months and experienced significant relief of his symptoms.

Alpha-Blockers

A team of researchers led by Pierce⁵ treated a 28-year-old patient with the alpha-blocker alfuzosin for several months and achieved good results. The patient suffered from severe fatigue, lethargy, muscle pain and gastrointestinal problems for several days after ejaculation. His symptoms also included dry mouth and dry eyes. Almost all of the symptoms had been alleviated or had disappeared as a result of the alpha-blocker therapy. Due to the efficacy of alpha-blockers, the authors hypothesized that POIS is a dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system.

Reisman⁶ also described good results in a study with 14 men using the alpha-blocker silodosin. The drug, which causes anejaculation, was effective in 57 percent of patients. The majority of patients had only one symptom in common – extreme tiredness. The most common complaints were pressure or heaviness in the head, nasal congestion and muscle tension. All patients suffered from more than one symptom.

human chorionic gonadotropin / testosterone

Bolanos and Morgenthaler⁷ treated a 25-year-old man with human chorionic gonadotropin (hcG). The hormone hcG stimulates the body’s own testosterone production. The patient had been complaining of anxiety, exhaustion, brain fog and problems finding words after each ejaculation since the age of 16. The symptoms set in immediately after ejaculation or after 2-3 days and lasted 1-2 weeks. Dietary changes and the intake of dietary supplements and antihistamines had previously been unsuccessful. After six weeks, all his symptoms had disappeared. After a further six months of therapy, the patient was still virtually symptom-free. He masturbated several times a month and only described mild symptoms lasting around twelve hours, which did not affect his everyday life.

Removal of the epididymis after epididymitis

Jang et al.⁸ were able to alleviate the symptoms of a 42-year-old Chinese man by removing the epididymis. The patient complained of flu symptoms, exhaustion, palpitations, difficulty finding words, concentration problems, depression, heavy legs and skin rash after each ejaculation. The symptoms had only been present for two years. The flu symptoms developed 1-2 hours after ejaculation, all other symptoms up to 24 hours later. All symptoms peaked after 1-2 days and then disappeared spontaneously. Painkillers and immunosuppressants did not help the patient to the desired extent. A thorough examination revealed epididymitis, whereupon the epididymis was removed and the symptoms largely disappeared.

Food supplements, yoga and meditation

Many sufferers also resort to dietary supplements that are supposed to strengthen the immune system, have an anti-inflammatory effect or prevent fatigue. However, their effectiveness is controversial. Yoga and meditation are also approaches that are used to alleviate the symptoms.

Sterilization apparently not a solution

In a 2015 study, Waldinger⁹ reports that three men developed POIS symptoms both before and after their sterilization. This suggests that the inflammation is not caused by sperm, but by seminal fluid, which is also produced by the body after sterilization.

Small case studies: Results cannot be generalized
The majority of the studies described above are case studies with only one or two test subjects. Unfortunately, studies with larger, i.e. meaningful samples are still lacking, meaning that the results cannot be generalized. It should also be noted that the nature of the symptoms and the course of the disease can vary from man to man and therefore a different form of therapy may be suitable for each case.

You can find an overview of current research, including the studies described above, on our page under specialist literature.

Warning against self-experimentation

Various treatment approaches and self-experiments to get POIS under control are circulating in Internet forums and chat groups.

At this point, we expressly warn against treating POIS without medical supervision.

Each course of the disease is individual and the causes may also be multifactorial. There is therefore no patent remedy for POIS. What helps one affected person can cause great harm to another. And as long as the origin of POIS is not clear, serious surgical interventions are not advisable.

Please discuss a possible therapy with your doctor and only take medication and other substances under medical supervision.