A 27-year-old man had to stop having sex after developing the rare ‘post-orgasmic disease syndrome’ that caused a rash and coughing when he ejaculated

• A 27-year-old man who developed flu-like symptoms after ejaculating avoided sex and dating.

• His symptoms included a cough, a runny nose, and a rash on his forearms.

• Doctors treated him with an allergy tablet, which allowed him to have sex again.

A man who developed flu-like symptoms after ejaculating found the symptoms so disturbing that he avoided sex, according to a medical case study.

In the medical journal Urology Case Reports, doctors and medical students in Michigan said they believe the unnamed 27-year-old had post-orgasmic disease syndrome (POIS).

The rare condition causes flu-like and allergy symptoms after a person has an orgasm, either after sexual activity, masturbation, or spontaneously during sleep. Symptoms can last up to a week, according to the National Institutes for Health.

The condition is “increasingly recognized as a debilitating cause of sexual dysfunction in men,” the medical professionals wrote in the report published in August. It’s less common in women, according to the NIH.

The condition is rare, affecting fewer than 1,000 people in the US, the NIH says. According to the report, the literature suggests that 60 people have been diagnosed with the condition in the past 20 years.

There are no proven treatments for POIS and we don’t know what causes it.

POIS can cause flu-like symptoms, including a stuffy nose

In this case, the man experienced flu-like symptoms, including: coughing, a runny nose, sneezing, and a hives-like rash. He also had swollen lymph nodes in his neck and face, which got worse the more he ejaculated.

The symptoms started when he was about 18 years old, after a suspected infection of the tube at the back of his testicles called epididymitis.

“Due to the distressing nature of his symptoms, he actively avoided any sexual activity or romantic relationships,” the medical professionals wrote. They didn’t say how long he stopped having sex or dating, but said he contracted chlamydia – a sexually transmitted infection – two years before seeking help.

Story continues

An allergy tablet helped relieve most of his symptoms

Initially, doctors diagnosed the man with hay fever and recommended an over-the-counter allergy tablet. He was advised to gradually increase how often he came at the same time.

The tablet didn’t help, so they prescribed a longer-acting antihistamine called fexofenadine.

One theory is that people with POIS are allergic to a component of their own semen, although the man has not had the test to confirm this.

According to the report, the patient said fexofenadine reduced his symptoms by 90%, including the rash and swelling of his lymph nodes, allowing him to have sex again.

The medical professionals warned that fexofenadine needs to be studied more to let POIS know about its benefits for other people with the condition.

But, they wrote, “Our experience demonstrates the feasibility of treating a complex disease with a simple drug and hopefully this will be replicated in future patients.”

Read the original article on Insider