Thread: paralysis, numbness after sex. A bad sign?

This sounds silly, but I know some people do it - write a note. When you go to the doctor, write down the part about what happens after sex and just hand the doctor the note. This way you don't have to say it out loud because it embarasses you, and the doctor knows exactly what's happening. They have to know everything in order to diagnose you properly.

That aside, I am sure it must be terrifiying to be unable to control your body. Whatever mental discomfort it brings you to tell a doctor, it will be a bigger relief if it turns out to be nothing, right? Good luck.

I actually joined this "women's health" thing because after searching the internet over the only thing I could find related to my problem (the same exact problem) was your message!
For me though, it's during sex, not AFTER I have an orgasm, and not WHILE I'm having one. My hands tense up and I cannot move them from this awkward position. My body feels as if it's just been turned into a statue, like I can barely move. My lips get tense and sort of turn inward, I get dizzy, my hearing is vague, the room looks dimmer, and the most uncomfortable and embarassing part is that my eyeballs and eyelids twitch rapidly and I'm sure it looks extremely unnatractive to my partner....
Also, I've had problems with anxiety and depression but when this occurs I'm not feeling anxious or nervous at the time... unless it's something subconcious that I'm not even aware of... Like a repressed memory or something.
Saunas and hot baths also make me lightheaded but nothing as extreme as what happens during sex...
I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow... I know you posted this quite a while ago but please respond if you found out anything new about this "condition". Thanks!

Kate

Hello justme my name is Harold ( yes a male) I am a husband who is very concerned about my wife. I have been trying to get answers regarding something very much like what you have experianced. This has happened several times over several years so this may become a bit lengthy. My wife is now 42 these "episodes" as we call them started after our first child was born and only three times out of the blue without sexual stimulation, all other "episodes" happen during or immediatly after sex. It will start with a numbness in the lips and tounge and sometimes in the hands if not right away then shortly after. Then she will have massive pains in her chest and head as if a massive weight is on her chest and she says the head pain is 50 times worse than the worst migrain. At this point in her "episode" she becomes incoharent I belive the chest and head pain is gone, her eyes will rool back , her breathing will be short and even stop for 8-12 seconds, when this happens I try very hard to keep her breathing by patting her cheek this usualy helps. I will sit with her untill she comes too at which point she says that her head really hurts and that she is extremly tired. These "episodes" can start and end from as little as12 min. to as much as 76 min.(yes per our family doctors they want us to keep a log). In dealing with this we have been told many things from a heart problem (which my wife wore a monitor ), high blood pressure and possiblie something to do with the vegal nerve. I have suggested and even told the doctors that I belive it is a neurological issue but I dont think they hear me. Need less to say we are trying to find someone in the medical field that will listen and give us some suggestions on what too do. Good Luck to you and I hope for every woman out there that some answers are found. P.S. No my wife and I do not have sex because of this, I fear for her health.

Originally Posted by justme_au

Hi,

This is kind of hard for me to share, but Im glad Ive found this site to do it.

After having sex (admittedly have only had it a few times) I lose feeling in my hands and face, my fingers become clawed and I cannot move them. I find it difficult to move. I have also had this whilst in a sauna and had to be dragged out. I have never orgasmed with a guy, and Ive heard something like you can get weak and dizzy after sex, but this is ridiculous. It is terrifying, embarassing and uncomfortable.

Has anyone heard of this before? Is there something very wrong with me?

I don't feel I can talk about this with a doctor, especially since I find it very difficult to discuss anything with a doctor.

Thanks for reading this and i hope you can help

Ladies please do not be embarassed by this issue of paralysis caused by sexual stimulation. My wife and I have been trying to deal with it for some time. I know that if your partner/husband loves you as much as I love my wife then you will talk with any person that can help. We are talking but unfortunatly getting no real help. Keep trying

Hi,
I just read your post and was wondering if you ever went to the doctor and what he said. The same thing is happening to me and Im really nervous and freaking out.

My goodness! I have been trying to research both topics that you just mentioned: paralyzation during sex and dizziness in a in hot tub/shower. I have talked to a doctor before but they never gave me any response as to what it could be. They just said it was due to hyperventilation. I thought that the two might have some correlation but Im not too sure about that. Now that you mentioned almost the same thing Im beginning to think that there might be a link.

The times that my hands and face have become numb was when I was being fingered. I thought that maybe its due to over stimulation. That is when it happens the worst. I literally cannot move my hands or face for a while and they are stuck in some funky positions. I have had it happen when I was having regular intercourse but it was just tingling. Nothing as serious as paralyzation. Its really embarrassing when this happens to the point where I don't want to do certain things because Im afraid that its going to happen again. Its not pleasant, it doesn't feel good and its just darn scary. When its at its worst I don't recall breathing very heavily to the point where I would hyperventilate and i wasnt tense by trying to hold on to my partner. I was just trying to enjoy the ride.

As for the shower and the hot tub I cannot stay in a hot tub or a bath for longer that 5 or 10 min. I get light headed and feel like im going to pass out. The same thing happens to me in the shower however its not as frequent as the bath and hot tub. I have noticed that if it happens I have to find somewhere cold in order to be able to breath normally. My showers aren't that hot... at least I don't consider them to be. I know that I have frequently cold hands and feet so Im wondering if its a circulation problem and I also have had some past trauma/anxiety/depression. I only have speculations as to what it could be. I never found out the answer because the doctors never took it as a concern even though I think its something that needs to be looked at.

If you found out any information on your symptoms please update and I will do likewise.

My goodness! I have been trying to research both topics that you just mentioned: paralyzation during sex and dizziness in a in hot tub/shower. I have talked to a doctor before but they never gave me any response as to what it could be. They just said it was due to hyperventilation. I thought that the two might have some correlation but Im not too sure about that. Now that you mentioned almost the same thing Im beginning to think that there might be a link.

The times that my hands and face have become numb was when I was being fingered. I thought that maybe its due to over stimulation. That is when it happens the worst. I literally cannot move my hands or face for a while and they are stuck in some funky positions. I have had it happen when I was having regular intercourse but it was just tingling. Nothing as serious as paralyzation. Its really embarrassing when this happens to the point where I don't want to do certain things because Im afraid that its going to happen again. Its not pleasant, it doesn't feel good and its just darn scary. When its at its worst I don't recall breathing very heavily to the point where I would hyperventilate and i wasnt tense by trying to hold on to my partner. I was just trying to enjoy the ride.

As for the shower and the hot tub I cannot stay in a hot tub or a bath for longer that 5 or 10 min. I get light headed and feel like im going to pass out. The same thing happens to me in the shower however its not as frequent as the bath and hot tub. I have noticed that if it happens I have to find somewhere cold in order to be able to breath normally. My showers aren't that hot... at least I don't consider them to be. I know that I have frequently cold hands and feet so Im wondering if its a circulation problem and I also have had some past trauma/anxiety/depression. I only have speculations as to what it could be. I never found out the answer because the doctors never took it as a concern even though I think its something that needs to be looked at.

If you found out any information on your symptoms please update and I will do likewise.

Wow did you ever find out what this was?I've had this happen only twice in the past 11 years but it sounds almost exactly like what happened to me minus the dizziness and hearing.