Feeling unreal, altered senses

Many people said that after long stretches without ejaculating or masturbating, their head felt clearer, the numb, robot-like feeling eased and they felt better overall — though symptoms often came back after one relapse. Some found the longer they abstained, the more wet dreams they had. A few said energy improved but never got back to normal, with fatigue, brain fog, eye socket pain, palpitations or anxiety lingering.

Two people said complete abstinence helped them. One said they abstain from everything, masturbation and sex alike, and after several years of getting their body used to it they no longer have wet dreams.

Two people said niacin before ejaculation helped. One said a little dab of niacin 30–60 minutes before sex seems to help with some of the more severe symptoms. Neither gave a clear dose. Personal reports only — check with a doctor before taking supplements.

One person said that after about a week of abstinence they could follow and understand song lyrics much better, whereas during POIS all sounds become jumbled and they can't make out the lyrics.

One person said taking 2 ibuprofen and 2 Benadryl (diphenhydramine) before bed after orgasm, and again on waking, helped significantly. The earlier write-up listed brain fog, sensory sensitivity and migraine among the symptoms. It is a single report. Personal report only — check with a doctor before using medication.

One person who couldn't handle other people's voices during episodes said keeping relaxing music on was moderately beneficial, and that it had to be classical, usually piano. Only this one person mentioned it, describing the benefit as moderate.

One person said electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) cured their depression and depersonalization, but they still have cognitive impairment all the time. ECT is a high-risk treatment done by specialists in a medical setting — this is a personal report, not a recommendation.

One person troubled by derealization said they used to masturbate every day without knowing about POIS, and the symptoms started to fade after they stopped and cut out porn. No timeframe was given.

One person said that cutting out all stimulation and spending 3 days in a row in the forest left them about 25% better, but no more than that, and life was still rough. The routine also meant avoiding sexual activity.

One person said they went 39 days without orgasm and just felt normal, with no blue balls and no huge libido. Then one morning they watched some porn, ended up ejaculating, and the POIS came back: fever-like feelings, brain fog, a change in personality and in eyesight. They still found it reassuring to know they can abstain.

One person said that after a week of abstinence they could follow and understand song lyrics much better. During a POIS episode, they said, all sounds become jumbled and they can't make out the lyrics.

One person said CBD plus ginger is still the best remedy they've found, without saying how they took them or how much.

Among people with sensory sensitivity, one person said their symptoms were almost completely gone after a few chiropractic adjustments. They didn't say how often or over how long.

One person said that during POIS they can't handle people's voices, so they keep relaxing music on and find it moderately helpful, as long as it is classical, usually piano with no lyrics.

One person replied that this matched their own experience: they fast before and after orgasm, and found it helpful. They didn't say how long or when the fast starts and ends.

One person said that after orgasm they take 2 ibuprofen and 2 Benadryl (diphenhydramine) before bed and again on waking, and that this helps significantly. Tablet strength wasn't given. Personal report only — talk to a doctor before using medication.

One person said that at 12–16 hours into a fast their mood improves, they feel mentally sharper, and the odd POIS symptom of not hearing certain tones goes away, as if a fog over the senses lifts, leaving a light, buzzing feeling in the body.

One person said that while taking prescribed lamotrigine (Lamictal) their brain fog cleared, they felt sharper and more focused, and their vision was less hazy, but the side effects got strange so they stopped. Personal report only — this is a prescription drug, so talk to a doctor first.

One person said a low-histamine diet helped them a lot, without saying which symptoms improved or how long it took.

One post mentioned that clenching the pubococcygeal (PC) muscle at the moment of ejaculation, so that no semen is released, kept POIS symptoms such as brain fog and blurry eyes from appearing. It is a single post with no other reports, and it notes the move takes practice to get right.

One person whose main problems were insomnia, feeling unreal, weakness and muscle twitching said that every time they take a B-complex, their vision goes from dull and flat to crisp and 3D. It also gave them insomnia and jitteriness and made the twitching worse. No dose was given. Personal report only — check with a doctor before taking supplements.

Someone mentioned using a benzodiazepine such as diazepam, Xanax (alprazolam) or lorazepam during very severe, seizure-like POIS episodes to get relief, but no one has reported a result and the details are thin. These are controlled prescription drugs; personal mention only — talk to a doctor first.

One person with insomnia, derealization, weakness and muscle twitching said each dose of B-complex made their vision go from dull and flat to sharp and 3D — but it also brought insomnia, jitteriness and sometimes more twitching. Personal report only — check with a doctor before taking supplements.

One post mentioned taking antihistamines on a doctor's suggestion with no improvement; no one else reported back. Personal report only — talk to a doctor before using or changing medication.