Neuropathy v. muscle dysfunction

[scoobysnacks]

How do you know if you have permanent damage?

I think its largely muscular, but has the fact I've been tight now for going on three years mean I have nerve damage too. Although my muscle contraction upon urinating has improved greatly, its still there, or its more of a hiccup type thing right now. Meaning Ill start to pee, then it will mildly contract, and then keep going. So its improved.

On the one hand I think its muscular. If I get so drunk that I pass out, I pee like a new man for the entire next day, and largely now into the following day as well. With absolutely no sign of muscular, CPPS, issues. Does this suggest its merely muscular, or can alcohol also calm nerves too?

I tried to order Elavil off the internet once, but it never came. In my research this is supposed to help more with the burning feelings, which I get in the rectum and urethra.

Bear with me here, I also went to the proctologist after realizing suppositories help. He prescribed me with an even stronger form of the suppository that you can buy on the market. These have lidocain in them. When I insert these I pee completely normal again, and have no problems. I have read where lidocain calms nerve pain, and my burning also goes away as well. I'm wondering if my issues now are all nerve related.

Your thoughts on this?

[Richie]

On the drinking issue, its a real muscle relaxer for me. I am always great the next day.

Unfortunately, this drug takes its toll and usually ends up causing worse effects emotionally and physicallly 2-3 days later.

[scotsman]

My feelings/thoughts/beliefs are that the body will be able to heal itself eventually given the right environment (with regards to CPPS).

Richard.

[jj77]

Scooby, we have basically the same doubt.

[webslave]

Nerve damage can be permanent. For instance, RSI type injuries have a tendency to recur, so care must be taken. There is also a possibility that as a group, we have more mast cells in the genitourinary tract tissues than controls, making us more likely to experience problems in the future.

Bottom line is that most of us will never be "good as new" again, but then life is not a dress rehearsal, and time's arrow is unidirectional, so who cares. No point crying about it. Simply get on top of this problem and try like hell to avoid the triggers.

[jj77]

what's the meaning of RSI?

[webslave]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_injury

[alprost]

A couple of points:

- The likelihood of irreversible nerve damage from chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome caused by muscle dysfunction is very small in my opinion. Nerves may be irritated by muscle tightness etc, but this is unlikely to cause any permanent damage. Treat the muscles and give the nerves time to heal up and de-sensitize is my philosophy.

- Alcohol acts as a muscle relaxant, and many people report a lessening of symptoms following a drink (or a bevvy session as we say in Scotland ).

- You need to remember that one of the the common characteristics of trigger points is that they mimic symptoms of neuropathic pain. This can cause patients and medical staff to misdiagnose nerve damage - because they haven't treated and ruled out trigger points.

[webslave]

When I say nerve damage can be permanent, I mean that the tendency to re-create a nerve related problem can be permanent once the original problem has occurred. For example, I developed RSI in my right hand from mouse usage over many years. I stopped using the mouse and it went away, but if I start using a mouse again it comes back very quickly. Similarly, if I use my hand to grip anything very tightly, such as an axe (which I used to chop down a tree), my hand starts aching in the same fashion. So in normal life, I have no hand pain problem, but if I "trouble the trouble", I get pain. Once that nerve damage is there, once the pathological neural pathways have been burnt into the local and central nerves, it is quite simple to recreate the problem.

Bottom line: we can recover, but we must be ever vigilant to avoid the conditions that set the problem off in the first place.

[scoobysnacks]

thanks for the replies everyone.

I think I'm going to try to get a Rx for Elavin. See if that helps with the slight burning in the rectum and urethra. I notice this burning is worse after running or lifting, as too are my symptoms. All I know is with the addition of the suppository that contains a form of lidocaine and cortizone all my symptoms disappear for hours. When I read that article about lidocain helping the burning issues caused by neuropathy it got me thinking.

I will of course continue with my stretching and external and internal massage.

Thanks!

SS

[rider fan]

Start Elavil very slowly. Ask for the 10mg tabs and start with a half or even a quarter.

[webslave]

Mirtazapine/Remeron is as good (perhaps better?) than Elavil.

[latte]

This is an interesting topic and relates to my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome journey. I took Elavil early on the it helped relax my pelvic musculature but had bad side effects for me. They say to take it at night before bed. I woke up with vasoconstriction in my hands every nite so I couldn't take it anymore. I thought it did help some. Regarding the suppositories, I remember reading that some chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome patients with colitis realized some benefit from steroid suppositories given to them for their colitis. I took oral steroids in 2002 and it helped a lot so don't discount the steroid effect in addition to the lidocaine in the suppositories. Lastly, I am realizing that my pelvis actually feels better now than it did before the chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome hit me in 2001 so their is hope that the nerve damage isn't permanent when you do your stretches and relaxation. Life can get a lot better.

[scoobysnacks]

I dont have colitis. Been checked by a proctologist for anything wrong with the colon as a routine thing when I first went to see him. Sound my bowels were A okay!

[latte]

Scoobysnacks, I did not intimate that you had colitis but some colitis patients with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome had their pelvic pain improve from the steroids given to them for another problem(colitis). Didn't you say that the suppositories included lidocaine and cortisone?