Man's 'debilitating' orgasm allergy prevents him from having sex

The man's anti-climactic condition bothered him for years. Photo / 123RF

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A 25-year-old man avoided sex for years because of a rare condition that left him suffering for weeks every time he climaxed, a new report in a medical journal reveals.

The man approached doctors after living with the condition since he was 16, which saw him suffering from "anxiety, low energy and weakness" and "mental fog and difficulty with word-finding" for long periods after every orgasm, according to the report in medical journal Urology Case Reports.

The man told doctors that he avoided masturbation and attempted to avoid ejaculation during intercourse with a partner because of the condition.

He attempted to find some relief by trying changes to diet, using supplements and even taking antihistamines, but nothing worked.

Doctors who examined him found him physically normal but with a lower-than-average testosterone level.

The report reveals that they diagnosed the patient with post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), a rare disorder that can cause a cluster of symptoms following ejaculation, including severe fatigue, nasal congestion, depressed mood and flu-like symptoms.

Doctors have previously theorised that the condition is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to semen in the urethra, and have even attempted to cure it by injecting patients' own semen under their skin.

In this case, the doctors instead used hormone treatment for the first time to raise the patient's testosterone level - with positive results.

After six weeks of treatment, the patient saw an increased libido and mood and most importantly suffered no negative consequences following ejaculation.

After six months he reported the re-emergence of some symptoms immediately after climax but said they resolved quickly.

The doctors in this case report that their testosterone treatment may provide a "possible new therapeutic approach".