Please help!

[joehansen12]

Hi guys,

I am new to the forum. Let me introduce myself.

26yrs old and suffering since 7 months. Diagnosed as Chronic Prostatitis.

Occupation: Programmer

Current Symptoms:
1. Pelvic pain.
2. Urinary frequency/urgency
3. Penis pain (after ejaculation)
4. Shivering for a minute after I pee.
5. Unwanted Erections (sometimes erections last for half-hour)

Tests done:
1. Ultrasound (Everything normal, except, 130ml post-void urine left)
2. Retrograde Urethrogram (Negative - No Urethral strictures)
3. Cystoscopy (Everything normal, except, Prostate was found to be mildly enlarged and congested)

Current Medication:
1. Flomax
2. Saw Palmetto
3. Sitz baths

Previously I was on following medication:
1. Cipro (3 weeks)
2. Ceftin (5 days)
3. Doxycycline (3 weeks)
4. Gatafloxacin (2 weeks)

Urologist says:
Since anti-biotics are not helping, trying out more anti-biotics is useless. Says he is helpless.

Dilemma:
I am engaged and am getting married in the month of May. You can understand how desperate I am to get cured of this disease. I don't have much time left.

Question 1: Where to start?
Question 2: Should I try Quercetin?
Question 3: Can I take Saw Palmetto along with Quercetin?
Question 4: Currently residing in Utah. How do I find a proper physiotherapist? What should I ask them? What should I look for? Will my health insurance cover the costs of PT visits?
Question 5: I am interested in doing any exercises that could help me. Please tell me what would be the best exercises?


Thanks a lot for your help. I am anxiously awaiting your responses.

thanks,
Joe.

[treynor33]

Sorry to welcome you to the forum. The best initial advice any of us can give you is to READ!! READ this site and as many threads you can. It is personal experience and there is no finer way of finding some things that may help you than others experiences with different treatment options and medications.

READ, and keep Reading....you'll find massive amounts of information and personal experiences on this site. As you can tell, if you've read much at all already there is no "magic bullet", but there is help out there in managing this crap.....

[joehansen12]

Thanks for your reply Treynor!

I did read many posts and have now jotted down a few exercises which I would like to try. Everyone's talking about 3 things here...
1. Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol
2. Trigger point therapy
3. The book, Headache in Pelvis

Question 1: What is Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol? How do I follow it?

Question 2: I am assuming Trigger point therapy is done by a PT. Right? How do I find a PT in Utah who does it?

Question 3: Can I take any accredited quercetin product and Saw Palmetto at the same time?

Please help!
Joe.

[treynor33]

Buy the book immediately "A headache in the Pelvis" Describes the protocol about as well as possible since the guy how wrote is is also the doctor that runs the clinics.

Yes a PT, your wife (with some training) or yourself can do trigger point therapy. There are many others on here who will be better at telling you about doing it on themselves. I haven't done it. I have saw a PT for about 3 months last year. She helped me a bit, but gave up on me when she couldn't "cure" me via her theory of PT. My insurance was paying for 90% of it. I think most of them will if you get referred by a physician.

I took a lot of things and probably did take Saw Palmetto and any accredited quercetin product at the same time. Neither of them helped me at all. Read a recent post I made about Saw Palmetto, not sure if it is of any use.

All the supplements and meds work differently for each person. One guy on here claims to have been nearly cured taking Olive Oil Whatever works....

Best thing to do though is read, try different things and remain as calm as you can (not easy, I know from personal experience), it will get better and in time you will learn how to manage it. Being anxious about the pain and worry is the worst thing for it...if you can see a psychologist or therapist do that too....start doing relaxation/meditation sessions twice a day, you don't have to be a pro at it...after a few times you'll feel like you are getting better at it. I just started a few weeks ago with the relaxation sessions and if nothing else, I feel like I am fighting back at it...trust me I never in my wildest dreams imagined me doing those things....but I actually enjoy it now.

[GS]

you should contact Dr. Wise of Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol fame- He may be able to help guide you some over the phone. His e-mail is [email protected]. This would be a good place for you to start. I tried all the supplements and antibiotics as well as Flomax and ditropan-xl with no improvement. Physical therapy and Dr. Wise's relaxation tapes have helped me immensely.

[webslave]

David's new email address is [email protected]

[CppsDad]

You can understand how desparate I am to get cured of this disease.

CPPS is not a disease. Don't look at it that way, or you make it out to be more of a monster than it is, and thereby cause more anxiety and more pain. For most of us, chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a condition caused by stress, chronic muscle tension, and trigger points. Some people get neck and back aches. You are getting pelvic pain. Your instinct is probably telling you "there's no way stress can cause this much pain", but if you read enough on this site, you'll soon realize that that attitude would be folly. chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome might be incredibly painful and debilitating, but physically, it is not a serious or life threatening condition in most cases. I think it is far more damaging pyschologically (just my opinion). The range of dangerous emotions one goes through suffering with this is quite severe, and include everything from anger, depression, a feeling of loneliness, being lost, being excluded, hopelessness, and more. So the first and most important thing you can do is to try to look at this condition differently than you probably are at this point (we've all been where you are now). This is your body's way of saying "hey, you are screwing up here. stop it. I'm in pain.". This is far better off than suffering a massive heart attack later on.

Yes, read everything you can on this site. It's a great resource, and there are also lots of people to communicate with here to help you get some answers.

Question 1: What is Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol? How do I follow it?

Question 2: I am assuming Trigger point therapy is done by a PT. Right? How do I find a PT in Utah who does it?

Question 3: Can I take any accredited quercetin product and Saw Palmetto at the same time?

Question 1: The SP is basically a combination of 3 things: stretching, trigger point therapy (external and internal), and relaxation. Basically, it focuses on healing your muscles, and getting your mental state to a more relaxed place where you aren't so tense all the time (especially in the pelvis).

Question 2: A PT should do your trigger point therapy. Many of us have spouses or partners who do it for us, and long term, this is the way to go. But having a PT do some sessions for you teaches you what you need to know so you can pass this knowledge on to your partner.

Question 3: I don't know the answer to this.

Hang in there! Things will improve. But you have to start working on them right away. Start your stretching, relaxation and external massage routines right away. You need to quiet your body down. Stress is a major factor for most of us, causing chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome to start during our most stressful times (getting married is stressful, even if a positive event).

Mike

[Richie]

I think the key for me in finding the right stretch was focusing on the ones that caused a flare up. If it flared, I knew I was hitting the right spot.

[joehansen12]

Thanks a lot CppsDad! Can't tell you how encouraging your reply was.

I have still not totally convinced myself that the problem could be due to stress. However stress management will definitely help me get better.

Yesterday I did a few stretches for the first time. I especially concentrated on Prasaritha. And I felt good after doing it. I was even able to sit thru most part of today without much discomfirt.

I have scheduled an appointment for Monday with a local PT, who knows trigger point therapy. I hope the appointment goes well.

I must admit one thing. The fact that I am getting married in a couple of months is making me nervous. Why did this damned thing happened now!!

Thanks for all the support guys. All advise is welcome. Please help me out.

thank you,
Joe.

[CppsDad]

I have still not totally convinced myself that the problem could be due to stress. However stress management will definitely help me get better.

The fact that I am getting married in a couple of months is making me nervous. Why did this damned thing happened now!!

I am guilty of this exact same attitude. But over the years, I've learned that the mind-body connection is so much deeper than most of us understand while we are healthy. When things go wrong, we are convinced that something drastic has happened, that only a cancerous tumor could be responsible for such horrible pain. But we generally fail to recognize that some of our own weaknesses may be contributing to the pain. And by weaknesses, I mean not only stress, but also perfectionism, heavy drives to succeed, strongly motivated individuals, etc... Lawyers, doctors, accountants programmers, and more come down with this. It's just the way it is. Our strengths our sometimes our biggest enemies when it comes to our body's health.

With all that said, I should clarify: I don't think stress is the SOLE reason for your pain. For many of us (myself included), there were a LOT of contributing factors. In the first place, many of us are predisposed to having tight pelvic regions (that includes abdominal and hamstring muscles, both of which are involved in pelvic pain). Others in our group contribute to our condition through jobs that have us sitting a lot (shortening hamstrings and increasing tension in the pelvis as well as not allowing us to get out our daily stress the same way as someone who is out and about and doing more manual jobs). Anxiety, stress, and tension can also cause tightened pelvic muscles, from a long-term buildup of muscle tension and trigger point formation. When people go through stressful events, or get an illness, and suddenly have symptoms, they tend to blame the last event. But the reality is that the pelvis was probably on the edge of showing symptoms already, and then BOOM, you are up a creek without a paddle. Many people have warning signs when they look back at it, but others don't. And unfortunately, when many of us hit that line between no symptoms and symptoms, the progression to severe symptoms (especially in the first flare-up) can be severe, convincing us that it is that last thing we did that caused it. But like I said, you've probably been building to this for a long time, but had no symptoms that really were far from ordinary.

My first battle with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome came when I moved away from my wife to start a new job, moved in with a crazy relative in a 2-bedroom apartment, and found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, AND started looking for my first house (which I couldn't afford). It's no suprise that my symptoms started then. Once things quieted down on the home front, my symptoms generally went away (although not completely). Then, when I started raising venture capital for a project at work, risking my job and career on my latest project, my symptoms flared back up, worse than ever. I never really got rid of my CPPS, and my stress and tension just made it worse. This story is repeated over and over on the boards, with everything from new jobs, to divorces, to people having children getting chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome at or around those events. Note that during all of this time, I did NOTHING to help myself because I had never heard of AHIP or trigger point work, nor did I know to start doing stretching and relaxation and other things. I wish I had the information back then! But I just took meds, which seemed to make things better. But I never attacked the root of the problem, and the meds just covered it all up while things got worse.

So, to sum up. Stress, anxiety, and tension aren't the sole causes of your pain. They may not be the cause at all. But they probably have contributed to push you over the edge. And at this point, it doesn't really matter. They are all your enemy now, as they will alternate with other causes to bring you flare-ups and make your life miserable. So they have to be treated the same as any other cause. Take them seriously, listen to what they have to say about your life, and make some changes. You don't necessarily have to change your life, but you DO have to change how you deal with it. Remember, stress is the RESULT of a stressor (your reaction to it). You can't always remove the stressor, but you CAN change how you deal with it. In your case, reducing tension, getting exercise, stretching, relaxing, all those things will help.

I think it is smart that you are starting to look at therapy early. Everything in the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol with the exception of therapy is free, and you can do it as much as you want at home. You might find that you LIKE doing some of this stuff (I like my stretching and relaxation sessions). Listening to calmer music, going on more walks, all those things will make you feel better. When you go on your honeymoon, you'll probably find your symptoms getting better for the week. That will be a clue that your mind-body connection is strong in this case. So don't hesitate - get to it and start helping yourself now, before the wedding.

Ok, I keep blathering on here... I want to say lastly t hat reducing the tension and stress is good for reducing pain, but at this point, it won't do ANY good without the rehabilitation of the muscles that are causing the pain. Once you form a good trigger point, or have muscles that are painfully locked in position, no amount of Bob Marley and ocean breezes will unlock them. You need to get those muscles in a place where they can heal, then ALLOW them to heal. That's why AHIP recommends a multi-disciplinary approach to healing yourself. You can't do it with one piece. You need all facets of the therapy. Anxiety and stress reduction will certainly help as all those things increase pain sensation, but they won't get you all the way, and aren't effective without all the stretching and therapy.

Mike

[robertpagen]

reducing the tension and stress is good for reducing pain, but at this point, it won't do ANY good without the rehabilitation of the muscles that are causing the pain. Once you form a good trigger point, or have muscles that are painfully locked in position, no amount of Bob Marley and ocean breezes will unlock them.

This is well said and deserves emphasis.

[CppsDad]

This is well said and deserves emphasis.

Unfortunately, most of us successful people always believe we can "think" our way out of problems. We've been able to think ourselves through high school, college, grad-schools, difficult internships, and tough jobs, all the way to the top of our game. So why would this be any different? Positive thinking, by itself, won't do all the work this time.

[joehansen12]

I am guilty of this exact same attitude. But over the years, I've learned that the mind-body connection is so much deeper than most of us understand while we are healthy.

Yes, I agree. But its a vicious cycle of Pain/Stress and Anxiety. May be the only way to break the cycle is by trying to remain calm! Easily said that done.

With all that said, I should clarify: I don't think stress is the SOLE reason for your pain.

I have a very stress free job. I mean I don't think about work once I get home. Being a programmer, I do sit for prolonged hours.

I need to tell you guys one thing though. I have had the habit of watching a lot of porn during weekends without getting up. I would let the pressure build up till the point where I feel I HAVE to masturbate. Could such a routine have caused a problem?

Anxiety, stress, and tension can also cause tightened pelvic muscles, from a long-term buildup of muscle tension and trigger point formation. When people go through stressful events, or get an illness, and suddenly have symptoms, they tend to blame the last event. But the reality is that the pelvis was probably on the edge of showing symptoms already, and then BOOM, you are up a creek without a paddle. Many people have warning signs when they look back at it, but others don't.

I did not see a single warning sign. I wish there was a warning sign. I went for a jog and came home with throbbing pain in my penis.

So, to sum up. Stress, anxiety, and tension aren't the sole causes of your pain. They may not be the cause at all. But they probably have contributed to push you over the edge. And at this point, it doesn't really matter. They are all your enemy now, as they will alternate with other causes to bring you flare-ups and make your life miserable. So they have to be treated the same as any other cause.

Yes, It doesn't matter now, does it? However, in life you always try to look for a proper explanation for things. If I happen to get better, I would always try to avoid that thing which could have triggered the pelvic pain.

I think it is smart that you are starting to look at therapy early. Everything in the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol with the exception of therapy is free, and you can do it as much as you want at home.

I talked to Dr.Wise and he said most of the PTs dont know about the Trigger Point Therapy used under Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol. I am keeping my fingers crossed about my first appointment with my PT on Monday. I hope it goes well. Does anyone have a database of PTs who specialize in Trigger Point Therapy?

You might find that you LIKE doing some of this stuff (I like my stretching and relaxation sessions). Listening to calmer music, going on more walks, all those things will make you feel better.

I like listening to music in general. I've started meditating these days. That's helping me a bit. But I think stretching is the one that's really helpful. Do you know any stretches that have helped you in the past?

Ok, I keep blathering on here... I want to say lastly t hat reducing the tension and stress is good for reducing pain, but at this point, it won't do ANY good without the rehabilitation of the muscles that are causing the pain. Once you form a good trigger point, or have muscles that are painfully locked in position, no amount of Bob Marley and ocean breezes will unlock them.

You got me rolling on the floor, laughing!! You do have a great sense of humour! hehe

Anxiety and stress reduction will certainly help as all those things increase pain sensation, but they won't get you all the way, and aren't effective without all the stretching and therapy.

Stretching, I am doing. About to get started with Therapy. I pray GOD to be with me during this difficult time of mine. Thanks CppsDad! You have been so very helpful with your advice.

[CppsDad]

I need to tell you guys one thing though. I have had the habit of watching a lot of porn during weekends without getting up. I would let the pressure build up till the point where I feel I HAVE to masturbate. Could such a routine have caused a problem?

Thanks for being honest here. (seriously. it's hard to be honest about these things, but that's why this is anonymous).

With that said, I would give a resounding YES to that being a serious factor. This is one of the most common behaviors reported on this board, and probably the one that most commonly precipitates chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome pain (or at least in the top two or three).

That pressure you feel building up is muscle tension. Too much of that, for too long, can lead to tenderness in the muscles and form trigger points. Combine that behavior with a small amount of stress, anxiety, and prolonged sitting, and that can be enough to make things go over the edge.

The good news is that if excessive "pelvic exercise" is a major causative factor for you, then you have a clear path to recovery. This is better than having no clue as to why the pain started. Like we've touched on already, it doesn't matter how it started, and what makes it worse. At this point, everything contributes to pain, and they all have to be dealt with.

A lot of people on these forums feel guilt for whatever they think they did to get them here. That too is a useless waste of energy at this point. It doesn't matter. You have to focus on getting better now.

At this point, just stopping your weekend excursions won't heal you. You need to reverse the damage you've done to your muscles (nothing is permanent damage), then tone down your habits. Once you've worked out the trigger points, and started serious stretching, restored some blood flow to your muscles, given them time to heal, and then reduced your pelvic tension, you'll see serious improvements. You might not even realize how tense your pelvic region is at this point (lots of masturbation can cause tension that feels normal, but is still there when you aren't doing it). In a year, you'll notice the difference between a relaxed pelvic floor and a tense one.

Do searches for: masturbation, stretching, cobra, etc... on these forums (even replies written by me), and you'll find lots of info (even in the last 3 months alone).

Mike

[joehansen12]

Thanks for being honest here. (seriously. it's hard to be honest about these things, but that's why this is anonymous).

With that said, I would give a resounding YES to that being a serious factor. This is one of the most common behaviours reported on this board, and probably the one that most commonly precipitates chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome pain (or at least in the top two or three).

OK!!! I masturbate only 3 times a week. Which I think is far less when compared to my friends. But one thing that differentiates me from my friends could be the fact that I wait for as long as I can till I REALLY feel a GREAT urge. As I now understand (thanks to CppsDad) that pressure build up could have resulted in a pelvic floor dysfunction.

The good news is that if excessive "pelvic exercise" is a major causative factor for you, then you have a clear path to recovery. At this point, just stopping your weekend excursions won't heal you. You need to reverse the damage you've done to your muscles (nothing is permanent damage), then tone down your habits.

Its a HUGE relief to hear that no damage is permanent. I really hope so. I've started doing the stretches and they are helping me IMMENSELY. I will keep you all updated with my progress. I am feeling very positive right now.

Once you've worked out the trigger points, and started serious stretching, restored some blood flow to your muscles, given them time to heal, and then reduced your pelvic tension, you'll see serious improvements. In a year, you'll notice the difference between a relaxed pelvic floor and a tense one.

One year!!! Sounds like a really long time to me. I am getting married in 3 months from now! Should I postpone my marriage? May be I should wait and see how I improve over a month or so and decide from there.

Do searches for: masturbation, stretching, cobra, etc... on these forums (even replies written by me), and you'll find lots of info (even in the last 3 months alone).

I just did a search on masturbation, and wow! I found so many cases similar to mine. Looks like sitting in front of a pc and staring at nude females and building up pressure is not a good idea. Especially if you are susceptible to CPPS. I wish I knew this before! Damn it!!

Thanks a million, CppsDad!