To this woman, orgasm is a “disease”; she faints after sex

Orgasm is every woman’s dream, right? Well, for 45 year-old Anita Wainwright, it is a “disease”, a near death experience. The mother of four collapses every time she has “good sex”. She now avoids sex.

Not just orgasm. Any heightened emotion like anger, surprise or joy makes her fall to the floor.
Five years ago, she suddenly developed an illness called cataplexy - a form of narcolepsy. She first collapsed while giggling with one of her sisters in the middle of the road.

But she claims the condition has now progressed to the point where she collapses after sex.
For Wainwright, laughing with friends can trigger an attack, while she has to steer clear of comedy shows, for fear of collapsing.

She told MailOnline: “I haven’t got a sexual partner now but around two years ago I did. We were having sex and I was having an orgasm when I collapsed. It was the cataplexy. He was understanding but I know not all men would be. It was really embarrassing the first time… and it kept happening. I’ve not been with anyone since.

She also said: “An upsetting film, a joke – I’m on the floor”
Doctors initially thought her repeated collapses were due to joint problems, before brain tests revealed the much more unusual cause.

According to the charity Narcolepsy UK, “Cataplexy is an episode of muscular weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, anger and surprise.

“The loss of muscle tone ranges from a just-perceptible weakening of the facial muscles through weakness at the knees, to total collapse on the floor.

'Speech is slurred, eyesight impaired (double vision, inability to focus) but hearing and awareness remain undisturbed. Attacks often last less than two minutes, and they may only last a few seconds. Some people have repeated attacks of cataplexy which persist for up to 30 minutes. During both mild and severe attacks, the person stays fully conscious”