Temporary Paralysis?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2005
Temporary Paralysis?
4
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 4:37am

Let's see if anyone's ever heard of this one! None of my friends have and I haven't been able to find anything about it on the internet.

With one ex-boyfriend I had a few of the most intense orgasms of my life. Sounds great, right? well...it was...trouble is a handful of times I would get this numbing feeling in my face and my upper lip would curl under and be stuck in a weird position showing my teeth for about 2 min. afterwards. I couldn't move it...it just tingled. Soon after the feeling wore off and everything would be normal again. However it's extremely embarassing. I made it a point to cover my mouth, roll over face down on a pillow, or leave the room so it wasn't noticed. After catching a glance at myself in the mirror a couple of times I can say it's not exactly vision you want to have of your partner right after sex. And I know I certainly would rather be a little more intimate and loving after such an experience instead of fleeing the room with my hand over my mouth!

This has never happened with anyone except that one ex-boyfriend (and can't be self-replicated) but (god willing) I would really like to have massive orgasms again in my future without this weird lip freezing thing! Has anyone ever heard of this???? Any solutions?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2004
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 5:31am

I THOUGHT I remembered reading about this on the Sexual Health board, but I can't remember. In any rate, not only do I obviously recommend questioning the doc about this, but if you haven't done so already, try the Sexual Health board with this too:

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhgensex

Whatever it was that I DO remember reading about this, it was actually so extrememly rare that there wasn't even a known name for it at the time. Perhaps someone actually does have experience with this on this board and can actually it.

Hope you get the doc's opinion on it though. I believe it was guessed as a nervous system issue back then, but I'm not certain.

VERY interesting.

 

C  H  A  R  A  C  T  E  R

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 6:57am

Hmmm... I think if it were me, I would wonder if that ex-boyfriend had occasionally slipped me a little something in my drink or whatever...

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2004
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 9:49am

It's not "paralysis".....it's a muscle spasm. People have been known to have them in various parts of their bodies during and after sexual activity.

There are many muscles in your face.....and chances are most of them don't get "exercised" regularly. Have you ever looked in a mirror during an orgasm? More than likely not......since your mind is focused on what's happening, not how you look. I will BET that your face contorts in all sorts of ways, and that particular muscle goes into a spasm. It's no different than a "charley horse". Some people have post orgasmic spasms in their hips, or their legs......it's not unusual, and nothing to be worried about.

The reason it happened with this ex, and never again.......maybe he just was capable of giving you better orgasms, OR maybe you just were more relaxed with him. In any case, it's no big deal......not paralysis......just a muscle spasm.

Check this out, it sort of alludes to the situation you describe. http://health.yahoo.com/health/centers/sexual_health/_374.html

Avatar for katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 10:15am

Everyone has a weird "sex/orgasm" face though. We all grimace or contort our faces in some way when we're orgasming...it's involuntary.

Maybe you're subconsciously tightening your lip that way as you near orgasm, and once you get there, you have forced all the blood out of it. That would explain why it takes so long for the feeling to come back.

I wouldn't worry about this too much, much less become self conscious about it during sex because your partner likely has a very similar strange look on his face when he's going for homestretch, too.