Man Allergic to His Own Semen Gets Sick Every Time He Orgasms

A medical journal recently reported on an unusual case where a unnamed man has been the subject of a study due to his rare condition, he is allergic to his own orgasms.

The 27-year-old had been suffering from this condition for the past 10 years and said that he avoided sexual relationships to prevent experiencing the flu-like symptoms that plagued him after sex.

According to a study published in the journal Urology Case Reports, this man is not the only one who suffers from this rare but treatable condition, known as "post-orgasmic illness syndrome".

"Post orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is increasingly being recognized as a debilitating cause of sexual dysfunction in males," wrote the paper's authors. "It is often misdiagnosed due to its unfamiliarity to providers, resulting in numerous potentially unnecessary tests and treatments."

According to the paper, it appears that men experiencing POIS are allergic to their own semen.

"The exact etiology of POIS is unclear," the paper said. "Currently, the best-accepted theory is that symptoms result from Type I and Type IV allergic reactions to autologous [their own] semen. This theory is supported by both the clinical manifestations of POIS as well as the fact that 88 percent of men suspected to have POIS had positive skin-prick tests to diluted, autologous semen."

POIS has only been known to the medical research field for the last 20 or so years, with fewer than 60 cases having been reported. The flu-like symptoms, which include extreme fatigue or exhaustion, muscle weakness, fever and sweating, irritability, memory difficulties, concentration problems, blocked nose and itching eyes, begin immediately after ejaculation and can last for up to seven days afterward, according to the paper.

"We actually had one patient that had no such diagnosis applied and post-ejaculation he had body tremors and a trance-like state. He visited our lab several times and with each specimen produced he had to remain for 10 or so minutes until his body returned to a more natural/normal state," Christopher De Jonge, director of the Andrology Program at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, told Newsweek.

The 27-year-old patient involved in this recent study outlined in the paper at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine experienced coughing, runny nose, sneezing and a hive-like rash on his forearms after orgasm, which was no different in cases of sexual intercourse or masturbation.

An examination found that the patient had hay fever, as well as an allergy to cantaloupe melons, but reported normal semen analysis, and standard testosterone levels.

The scientists prescribed him 180 mg of fexofenadine—an antihistamine often sold under the brand name Allegra—daily, which he reported led to a 90 percent decrease in his symptoms. He has been able to return to having a normal sex life.

According to the paper, due to the rarity of the condition, there is no known single most effective therapy, with different studies attempting treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, and immunotherapy.

"Many health providers do not know about it, let alone the public," Andrew Shanholtzer, a medical student at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and co-author of the paper, told the MailOnline. "It is more than likely that it is underdiagnosed, with many sufferers out there."