New guy here

[gonogo78]

New guy here. I'm 49 and have suffered with some form of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome for almost 20 years. Dr.'s could never find anything wrong, prostate seemed normal, no infections, urine clean. I was told I would have to live with it and I did the best I could. Never had any sexual functioning problems, just urinary and pain. But in the last year I've had a couple of retrograde ejaculations.

After doing some reading here I self diagnosed myself with involuntary pevic floor muscle contractions, probably due to stress since symptoms seemed to subside when I was on vacation.

3 months ago I started to take .5mg of klonopin before bedtime. I'd sleep through the night, pain went away, no retros, I was a happy boy until I decided to see a urologist to confirm my findings.

He was kind of leery about letting me stay on klonopin, even though it was such a low dose. So he switched me to Elevil and I did some biofeedback to help me relax the muscles. The biofeedback helped a little but the day I switched to Elevil the pain came back. I tried it for a week and went back to the klonopin.

2 weeks ago I went to see another urologist, he came highly recommended, one of the best in the field. After running some test he determined that my bladder wasn't fully emptying and asked me to try Flomax instead.

I took my first pill last week, was up about 4 times during the night due to congestion. The next morning I had a retrorade. I spoke with his office and they suggested I stop until the symptoms subsided and everything was back to normal and try again.

I started Flomax again yesterday, a bit of congestion but not a bad, but tonight, after two days of abstainance, another retrograde.

I don't think I'm ready to put up with this at this stage of my life (still single). I think tomorrow it'll be back to the klonopin. They say it'can be addictive at higher doses but what the hell, I'd have to take Flomax for the rest of my life too.

Sorry to be so long winded but it feels good to tell someone.

[MastCells]

I started Flomax again yesterday, a bit of congestion but not a bad, but tonight, after two days of abstainance, another retrograde.

Alpha blockers basically have the opposite effect of nasal decongestants. Flomax relaxes the smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck, but unfortunately, it often causes retrograde ejaculation and nasal congestion. Nasal decongestants cause contraction of the prostate and bladder neck muscle, and are therefore used to treat retrograde ejaculation caused by surgery. I stopped taking Flomax after months of being on it because of the annoying side effects.

I don't think I'm ready to put up with this at this stage of my life (still single). I think tomorrow it'll be back to the klonopin. They say it'can be addictive at higher doses but what the hell, I'd have to take Flomax for the rest of my life too..

Just be careful.

[gonogo78]

Thanks for the concern. I have read that patients taking 20mg a day have problems but I can't imagine that .5mg/daywould be a problem but perhaps I'm wrong.
I'd be interested to hear what dosages people were taking and had trouble tapering off of.


thanks

[Daniel]

Read in Success Stories: uretrodinia cardura + clonazepam

viewtopic.php?t=1473#6972

[MastCells]

Thanks for the concern. I have read that patients taking 20mg a day have problems

Anyone taking 20 mg/day of clonazepam (Klonopin) has got serious problems! Twenty milligrams of clonazepam is roughly equivalent to 400 mg of diazepam (Valium) or 80 mg of lorazepam (Ativan), unbelievabley high doses!

Source: Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs, 4th revised edition, Bezchlibnyk-Butler et al.

but I can't imagine that .5mg/day would be a problem but perhaps I'm wrong.

Half a milligram per day of clonazepam seems like a pretty reasonable dose, but you could still become addicted at a low dose. You will know you have a problem if you keep increasing the dose to maintain the desired effect of the drug and can't stop.

I'd be interested to hear what dosages people were taking and had trouble tapering off of.thanks

I have been taking .5 mg of lorazepam (approximately equivalent to .25 mg of clonazepam) up to every four hours only as needed (PRN) for almost 2 years now. At that low a dose and taken only once in a while, I have had no problems starting and stopping the drug, and I haven't felt the need to increase the dose. Benzos have helped me considerably.

[gonogo78]

Checking in.

Flomax was totally unacceptable. The morning after I took the first pill I had terrible congestion and then retrograde ejaculation.

I waited a week and abstained from sex and tried again. Same results after just one pill.

I then was able to get a Rx for Urotraxal. Been taking it for two days. Congestion is there but definately not as bad, and no retrograde, although I do feel a bit run down, might be a cold might be the drug. Urinary flow has improved but here may also be a little more pain since I was told to stop the clonazepam.

I'll give it a week and let you know what happens.

[jhferry]

I take klonopin. Same low dosage for anxiety. I thought I was nuts when it helped tha pain. Not always but sometimes it helps. Depends how bad I am that day.