Allergic to semen: Man’s own swimming equipment made him sick

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We have already looked at semen allergies in another article. However, those articles were about women who had adverse reactions to their partner’s semen. But what if someone is allergic to semen expelled from their own body?

There was a guy who made the news through some scientific papers and this was his case (along with several other gentlemen who unfortunately suffered from the same disease).

Research

The unnamed 27-year-old man took part in a recent study because he had avoided sex for the past decade because he experienced flu-like symptoms that lasted for hours or days afterward.

The paper from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine explains that he developed a cough, runny nose, sneezing, and an urticaria-like rash on his forearms after orgasm. It didn’t matter whether the symptoms were induced through sexual intercourse or masturbation.

The study also showed that his semen and testosterone levels were normal, so nothing unusual. But he did have hay fever and was allergic to cantaloupe.

For the 27-year-old, the solution was simple. His doctor prescribed 180 mg of fexofenadine (you might know it as Allegra) daily. Afterwards, he says his post-orgasm symptoms were reduced by about 90 percent, and he can have a normal sex life again.

Sadly, for other men, this is not a solution.

Allergy to semen is also known as “POIS”

The medical term is post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS). One of the paper’s authors notes that more men suffer from this sexual dysfunction than health professionals realize. That’s not to say it’s common, just that doctors are unfamiliar with it and often misdiagnose it.

To be more clear, knowledge of POIS has only been around for about 20 years, and there have been only about 60 cases in that time.

The paper states: “The exact cause of POIS is unknown. The most accepted theory is that symptoms are caused by type I and IV hypersensitivity reactions to autologous cells. [their own] This theory is supported by the clinical presentation of POIS and the fact that 88% of men suspected of POIS have a positive skin prick test on diluted autologous semen.”

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re not sure, but the best guess right now is that it’s related to type 1 and type 4 allergic reactions (see the picture below to clear your brain).

Another man they studied went into a trembling trance for about 10 minutes after ejaculation. He recovered after that.

Allergy to semen – treatment

As you can see, very little is known about POIS. Each person develops POIS differently. Some people develop symptoms right away. Others develop symptoms after a few days. Symptoms may last a few hours or up to a week.

This means that current treatment options are also quite diverse.

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) – a common antidepressant. It is common for doctors to prescribe medications to treat “other effects”, which is called “off-label” prescriptions. An example is a drug used to treat epileptic seizures but has appetite suppressant properties, used to treat overeating problems.
• Benzodiazepines – A class of heterocyclic organic compounds used as sedatives, such as chlordiazepoxide and diazepam.
• Immunotherapy – Use of substances to stimulate the body’s immune system. In this case, a small amount of semen is injected under the patient’s skin to slowly build up the body’s immunity.

Some people may think that abstinence is a way to cure POIS, but this is not the case as men will still experience nocturnal emissions and end up with the same reactions. Therefore giving up sex is not a true cure.