Chronic Prostatitis - Symptoms and Diagnosis

[waynenf]

After months of living with strange symptoms, I made an appointment to see a urologist in my area. After a very thorough exam and the extraction of prostate fluid (prostate massage isn't very pleasant, is it? :eek: ), the doctor determined I had a prostate infection, and prescribed a 30 day supply of Levaquin. I took the Levaquin, the doctor examined me, and determined that my prostate was smaller and I could probably stop taking the medicine.

A few months later, my symptoms came back. The doctor again collected some prostate fluid, and determined my infection was back, and prescribed a 60 day supply of Levaquin (500 mg this time). Apparently, the doctor felt that I didn't take the medicine last time for a long enough period, and a stronger dose was warranted (is it just me, or does Levaquin make you sluggish and sleepy?).

In any case, the doctor stated that I had classic prostatitis symptoms. But, I was wondering, are my symptoms so "classic"?

1. Feeling of heaviness and discomfort in right testicle, some times minor "pain" near epididymis (spelling?).
2. Dull ache in right groin area (almost a swollen feeling).
3. Dull pain in right pubic area above the testicles.
4. Discolored (yellowish) ejaculate with gelatin-like yellow clumps.
5. Feeling of "tight" underwear on right side.
6. Some minor pain in testicles and urerthra after ejaculation.
7. Pain in pubic area (as in #3) with masturbation or sometimes just erection.
8. Some lower back pain on right side.
9. Feeling of lethargy and sluggishness.
10. Feeling of some times not emptying bladder fully after urinating. No excessive urination, but some dribble after urination.
11. Some minor hip pain.

Doctor checked testicles for any masses, and found none. No abnormal prostate lumps by DRE, but prostate was swollen. The strange thing is all of my discomfort is right-sided...

What do you guys think? I'm newly diagnosed, and want to be sure that the diagnosis was correct... I made the mistake of browing some medical web sites, and have myself convinced that I have something more serious, regardless of what the doctor says. I guess I have this strange notion that the pain and discomfort I am having must have cancer as it's root.

Thanks for a great web site. Hopefully, someone here can set my mind at ease...

- Wayne

[webslave]

Wayne, yours is a very typical chronic pelvic pain case. Your urologist probably found pus cells in your EPS and applied empirical medicine with antibiotics, as so often happens, mainly to cover the remote possibility that you actually do have an infection but chiefly because some men respond to antibiotics (although most urologists genuinely don't know why). "Cutting edge" urologists think the effect may be due to the anti-inflammatory action of many antibiotics, quinolones in particular. More here:
https://ucpps.men/antibiotics-are-anti-inflammatory-agents

[waynenf]

Thank you so much for your response, Webmaster... I'm curious as to how many people also suffer from these same symptoms?

In your response, you also state that I am showing symptoms of "a very typical chronic pelvic pain case"... I've been reading through this web site (thanks for maintaining such an excellent source of information), and was wondering why more urologists don't seem to understand this condition, and what I can do to prepare myself for the next visit to the urologist so that I can get some help for this condition.

I really don't want to live the rest of my life with this chronic discomfort...

- Wayne

[webslave]

If you want to know why uros are in the dark about this condition, you only have to read the conversations between the urologists who are charged with research into the condition. The UCPPS Data Archive maintains pages with these texts under the heading "Prostatitis Papers from CPCRN group December 2002".

When you've read those you'll understand.