Post orgasmic illness syndrome: a review

POIS is a rare condition characterized by multisystem symptoms with unclear aetiology. Various attempts have been made to characterize this condition and knowledge is still evolving regarding its aetiology and effective treatment. We have summarized the findings in the English language literature for this rare condition. PubMed search was performed and over 300 English language articles which were screened for relevance. 34 articles were deemed suitable for inclusion. POIS occurs in age range of 21-61 years. Onset of symptoms is usually within 45 min and lasts for an average of 7 days. Primary POIS accounts for approximately half of the cases in literature. The three commonest symptoms were fatigue (68.7), poor concentration (63.9%) and irritation (51.9%). Treatments with variable efficacy which have been proposed include hyposensitisation, antihistamines, alpha blockers, NSAIDS and testosterone replacements. POIS is an important condition which affects the quality of life of men. It is vital that it is managed on a sound scientific basis.