New symptom and wanted to run it by you guys

[scoobysnacks]

All along I have found that much of my problem was the result of an overly tight anal sphincter which caused the external muscles around the internal urinary sphincter to be too tight.

I have continued to do my stretches and play soccer; no weights. As the anal sphincter seems to stay more and more relaxed throughout the day I dont get the urinary muscle contraction before I urinate like I used to. Think of almost an orgasm type contraction before you pee, then I would pee normal.

At night though my sphincter muscles seem to be tired or hypersensitive. What I mean is at night when laying in bed watching tv, about 10PM, they will voluntarily clench up when I move (much like a stool was just passed, but there hasnt been one).

When I sleep now and begin to relax I will be awakened with this odd sensation (slightly achey) where the external urinary muscles seem to be too far relaxed, like they are pushing too hard to relax, this wakes me, and then the contract hard like at the end of a urination. At the same time the anal sphincter contracts too.

This symptom has been something new as the sphincter seems to be loosening up. And I was just wondering if you have heard of this. It doesnt cause me to wet the bed, nor any urgency, so I dont think its the internal urinary sphincter, but the muscles around it, which are the ones that always used to contract on me when I tried to pee back when my anal sphincter was very tight.

My one thought is that this is a step in the right direction, meaning this is the muscle trying to relax or go back to where it should. But, it feels really weird.

Any thoughts, or anyone else experience this. I know if I go tell my uro, he'll reply, okay, sounds like dysfunction, and Ill reply, no shit.

Thanks in advance.

[lookouth]

I used to have this 'snap back' type feeling a lot, both waking me at night and right when I got up in the morning- in fact I used to get it at even on the point upon waking up from a nap. The tightening, spasm feeling, was always complemented by a quick nerve type shooting pain that would shoot through my perineum and urethra. I never quite noticed the earlier sensation of the muscles being relaxed, and actually as I have gotten more relaxed, and this condition more under control, this has become less and less frequent- at least in my case it was a sign of tension not relaxation- granted these snap back pains only started after I started physical therapy, from what I can remember, so no doubt there were somehow connected with getting better.

[scoobysnacks]

Thanks lookouth for you input.

I do believe I am better than I was before in the past. Used to I would have that spasm before I urinated all day long. Plus I had left testicle pain, pain in the perineum, and a golf ball feeling in the rectum.

Now I have minor rectum irritation, very minor if any, and just this damn urethral irritation, along with the new symptom I discussed above.

I take .5 Ativan every three days or so, sometimes less, and that helps a ton, so I'm not that severe of a case, but it still bugs the hell out of me on a daily basis.

Hot baths help a ton. This new symptom just sort of scares me because it really really affects my sleep, and my biggest fear with this problem is a) incontinence and b) sexual dysfunction, which neither have been a problem yet.

[lookouth]

from my anecdotal experience (not a doctor) you shouldn't be worried that this sort of spasm is a sign of such things- personally I know the main cause of my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is undue anxiety about pretty much everything- you might want to take your concerns about incontinency/sexual dysfunction as a sign in and of itself- a sign of larger anxeties about such issues (sexual function, bodily functions) that may have helped to start or perpetuate your CPPS. I was oblivious to the sigfincance of my anexities about health and sexual function, etc for such a long time, but since starting pyschotherapy I have become increasingly aware of their impact of my life and chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome and have started to address their root causes and I have seen my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome symptoms get better dramatically. I would think long and hard-why when you feel a spasm do you immiedatly start to think about long term damage or it being a sign of more serious complications (like sexual dsyfunction or incontitence), is this type of 'catastrophic' thinking present in other parts of your life? I am willing to bet it probably is. In which case, or in any case- I certainly would reccommend investigating this condition from a pyschological standpoint with the help of a professional, it is just as important as any physical therapy and possibly even more so, because while physical therapy can only address current/acute problems such as trigger points, tight muscles, it cannot, on its own, stop these things from forming- this can only be achieved with cognitive work or some kind of another.

[goodthx]

You wrote:

At night though my sphincter muscles seem to be tired or hypersensitive. What I mean is at night when laying in bed watching tv, about 10PM, they will voluntarily clench up when I move (much like a stool was just passed, but there hasnt been one).

I empathize with you. I have the same thing. I haven't been too concerned about it as being very dangerous, but it sure is annoying and frustrating.

[jj77]

Scooby, what kind of exercise are you doing for your tight sphincter? Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol? I share a similar story with you: all my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome symptoms started with a tighter and tighter sphincter...

[scoobysnacks]

Exercises and regimen:

There was a long time where I said screw this disease, and tried to pretend like I didn't have it, and continued to lift weights and do all the normal things. It never got better, a bit better than when it first happened, but never 100% better.

Only recently have I wanted to try to really put effort into making it heal as much as possible. So I'm back on the board talking with these great gents here.

I quit lifting weights. This sucks big time. When you have a passion for something, it makes you look and feel good, and you can't do it, its the worst thing ever. But, it just made the spincter hyperactive and tight which exasperated the urinary pain and muscle lockup when I tried to first pee, which seems to cause more irritation.

So now I walk almost every morning for at least 30 mins at a pretty fast pace. I also do yoga stretches for the whole hip region. Diamond Dallas Page the wrestler has a book entitled Yoga for Regular Guys, and in there he has a section called Hammers and Duct Tape targeted at specific areas. I do all the yoga stretches for the hips. Sometimes I run through an entire 30 min yoga sessions, but sometimes that much seems to put a strain on my pelvis.

I also do my own internal massage. I dont go very deep. I put one leg on toilet, get some Ky Jelly, and just massage the sphincter. I hate it, but what are you going to do. I have found though that this sometimes causes my symptoms to get worse for a few hours, but I normally have less symptoms by the morning. However, sometimes I have to take .5 Ativan to calm it down, but then I'm always more loose and relaxed in that area with less hyperactivity.

I've tried cushions etc, but I dont like any of them. I prefer to sit with one leg under the other, and more back on my tailbone to alleviate the direct weight on the sphincter.

I still play soccer on Sundays evenings as well in an outdoor league, this much running seems to bother symptoms directly afterwards, so I take some Aleve (naproxen), .5 Ativan, and normally by the next day I'm somewhat relaxed in that area.

I'm still trying to figure out what works. Sometimes Ill do something and it will take away my symptoms for a few hours, and I think I'm on to something. Then 5 hours later, they are back, and I'm like damn this shit. It really really sucks at times. And sometimes I just think why me. But I try to get out of that and deal with the situation at hand.

I also find that for me sex loosens things up. Here is my take on it for me. My problems are mainly in the anal sphincter and surrounding muscles. Sex causes this big tightening then release, much like a Kegel. So you get the muscle to tighten really tight, then it releases, and says, oh this is how I'm supposed to be normally. So after sex I can always pee normal again and the hyperactivity calms down. However, it also causes a bit of more irritation the next day in the muscles around the urethra so you pick your poision and dont overdo it.

I think that about covers how I deal with it as far as exercises go. I have yet to get into the paradoxical relaxation side of things, because if you know me I'm one of the most laid back people. Nothing much bothers me, care free would describe me, so I'm a bit unusual. I dont fit the bill of a normall chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome person. I can explain that too, but thats for another topic or PM.

I hope this helped some.

[treynor33]

Yeah I go through periods where sex helps and periods where I think it hurts....right now it seems to be helping...I would think that the muscle experts ought to be able to say why. I mean if it helps then it should tell them one thing and it it hurts it should tell them another...but so far, no PT or anyone else can nail it down...