A man's allergy to orgasms left him with flu-like symptoms including brain fog, fatigue and anxiety every time he ejaculated, according to a new medical report out of the US.
Published this week in the March 2020 edition of Urology Case Reports, doctors described the unusual case of the 25-year-old unidentified man who "dreaded" climaxing after developing the bizarre reaction.
The rare condition, known as post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), has an unknown cause, and doctors say treatment is "challenging".
The ejaculation-induced disorder is marked by "nasal congestion, burning eyes, concentration difficulties, irritability, depressed mood, and a flu-like state of generalised malaise".
According to lead doctor on the case Dr Jose Bolanos, the man's symptoms began during puberty at age 16, and were severe - regardless of whether ejaculation occurred via masturbation or sex with a partner.
"For these reasons he avoided masturbation, and also attempted to avoid ejaculation when engaging in sex with a partner," Dr Bolanos wrote.
"At the time of presentation he was single and orgasm frequency was once every two to three months."
He added that the patient's symptoms had affected his work and studies.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending - pardon the pun. With regular injections of a hormone that promotes more testosterone production, the man became able to orgasm without "negative physical or emotional consequences".
He now is able to climax without side effects several times a month.
