Clear Sticky Fluid & Swollen Penis

[pbecvarova]

Hi All,

I've been a member for over a month now, pouring through all the posts and making sure I read as much as I could find related to people who were having the same type of problems as myself. I've been dealing with CPP now for about a year. My symptoms came on about 1 month after my PHP diagnosed me as having Non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), based on symptoms & circumstance alone despite never having a lab test confirm a bacterial agent was at play. Like some of you I'm sure you found this website to be an awesome source of info and a place I wish I would have stumbled on at the beginning of this ordeal. Unfortunately a lot of us start the journey with websites like prostatitis--dot--org or medhelp.org, which still do very little to promote the benefits of physical therapy over other courses of action like antibiotics. Thankfully chronicprostatis.com is out there spreading the good word.

About me: I'm 33. I have a stressful life and I let myself get more anxious than most people. I let little stuff get to me and rarely just "go with the flow." I sit quite a bit in my job and jogged on hard surfaces for the past 15 years as my top mode of exercise. I'm a little overweight but relatively healthy. I used to masturbate a lot (too much) from an early age all the way up until this CPP came on. I have had hemorrhoids since my mid-20's which I had tied 3 years ago. They have chronically bled which has resulted in anemia. It's worth noting b/c I think hemorrhoids are common amongst CPP sufferers. I have also had varicocele from a very early age and have developed a little lump on my right testicle within the last year (spermatocele I think), neither of which contribute to my CPP I believe. I switched to a vegan diet about a year ago, which was a week before the CPP symptoms started. I really don't think there is any correlation but I've found a lot of negative literature on estrogen, soy, etc. as it relates to good prostate health and would welcome any definitive study dispelling these myths. I was a vegetarian for 10 months prior to going full-blown vegan which didn't seem to have an effect plus there's literature that talks about Asian men having fewer prostate problems and diets higher in estrogen foods so that's why I dismiss diet.

For the most part my symptoms are discussed on the site. I have lots of pain every day (which I rate about 3-5 most of the time but sometimes much higher), my urine stream is always shaky (sprays like buckshot from a gun) and regularly splits when it feels irritated down there or after I've been aroused or masturbated. My CPP has also evolved over the past year. It either started, resulted or was influenced by what I was told was NGU. The NGU came on 4 weeks following a high-risk exposure and took the form of a spontaneous discharge that stained my underwear after urination. I continued to have this spontaneous discharge after urination for 2 months, despite taking Azithro + Cipro (single dose) and 7 days worth of Doxy and 10 days worth of Metronidazole. About a month after the NGU diagnosis I started feeling an aching behind my pubic bone and the feeling I couldn't empty my bladder. My urine stream started twirling, spraying and splitting. My ejaculate turned yellow and I started leaking this clear, sticky fluid all the time. I also have had penile swelling that has left excess skin on my circumcised penis. The excess skin has actually bunched up now so much that my penis sometimes disappears underneath it.

A rough timeline of my case looks like this.
- Exposure to NGU
- 1 month later: spontaneous discharge diagnosed as NGU. Negative CT & NG urine tests. Swollen penis.
- 2 month later: CPP symptoms erupt including urinary frequency, stream issues, more swelling, yellow ejaculate, loss of force of ejaculate etc. These symptoms persist for another 5 months.
- 5 months after CPP eruption: spreads to itchy feeling in genitals and in perineum.
- 7 months after CPP eruption: spreads to pain in buttocks, especially when sitting, fatigue in buttocks muscles, including quivering/spasm with muscles in butt, very difficult to sit for long periods of time
- 10 months after CPP eruption: dull aching pain develops when I'm sleeping, unlike urgency issues, almost feels like "blue balls" or like gas is being trapped in my body.

Testing: I have had routine STD panels for CT & NG. I had 2 urologists look for WBC's in my post-prostate massage fluid/urine. One came back and told me the fluid was covered with WBC's and that I should immediately start taking Levaquin. But I did not feel he was being truthful which you kind of had to be there to understand. The whole appointment did not seem right. He pushed on my prostate really hard and I had to request he look at the fluid under the microscope about 10 minutes after we extracted it. The fluid had already dried up. This urologist disappeared for like one minute and came back shaking his head "Yeah, definitely prostatitis, covered with WBC's." It felt like a load of crap. A couple of days later I saw a more well-known urologist who said my post-pm urine did not have an abnormal WBC count. The very first urologist I saw told me during the initial visit he wanted to do a cystoscopy as his first course of treatment. Needless to say, I moved on. (Although websites like prostatitis--dot--org seem to encourage this procedure)

Things that definitely trigger more pain & discomfort are caffeine, stress, dehydration and lack of sleep. Irritation also comes on after defecation. I'm still unclear about the effects of alcohol and masturbation. Masturbation is such a relief to me immediately after but I can't tell if it causes more pain the next day and beyond for example. I'm producing so much fluid each time I masturbate it's almost like I'm de-congesting that area. I'm also unclear about the benefits of PT because I've only gone a handful of times but my therapist is awesome and of course I want to believe this is the way to fix the problem.

Like I said, I doubt any of what I've endured is particularly unique though I do find some of my symptoms less discussed on this site and just want to know if anyone can share some insights or have had similar experiences.
-- Leaking of this clear, thick, gooey, stretchy (almost superglue-like) fluid from urethra. I get loads of it now which I never used to have. From the description it sounds like pre-ejaculate but I never had pre-ejaculate before all this. And the amount continues to grow. It comes out in large amounts if I'm ejaculating. It always shows up for many hours after masturbation and frequently shows up after urination or is mixed with my urine regardless of whether I am aroused. It is one of those mindf*cks because even though I read of some guys having this fluid, they don't discuss seeing as much of it as I am. I've read about "trace" amounts but I get a lot more than that. I sometimes wonder if I could have swelling or pressure on the Cowpers Gland which is causing this problem. I had a semen test done and it showed my volume at 8.0 ml which is considerably above the reference range (1.5 - 5.0 ml). I also had a Semen pH result of 9.0 which is above the range too (7.5 - 8.5). My sperm count was only 34 MIL/ml which is lower than range but does not concern me like the volume and PH levels.
-- The swollen penis resulting in excess skin is strange to me. I never find anyone who reports this. It's like I am losing my penis because of this bunched up skin. That's the other mindf*ck for me. It affected the first 2/3rds of my penis starting from the base. I could mold it or shape it which I think was due to the swelling. It developed a curve. I have noticed that over the past couple of months I am not seeing the swelling as much. One theory I have: since my urine has a harder time coming out these days it's possible that this is what is happening with my semen too. Perhaps it is getting stuck in my urethra and just causing general irritation which manifests as swelling.
-- My semen is always yellowish and sometimes very yellow (if I go more than 2 days w/o ejaculating). It also sometimes has a fishy odor to it. The yellow color is something I've come across on this site from other users but can't find anyone who has talked about a fishy odor to their semen. I am currently ejaculating pretty regularly (i.e. about 1X/day).
-- The spraying/split urine stream seems to be par for the course though it's one of those symptoms that more guys report having "occasionally" rather than frequently or almost always.
-- In the last month I feel like I'm unable to pass gas like I used to be able to. Either that or perhaps nocturnal erections are causing this new dull "blue balls" like aching in the morning. Mornings used to be my favorite time because I felt as close to normal as I get these days. This has changed, unfortunately.
-- My PT appointments haven't revealed any really nasty trigger points, though I was hoping she would. I feel like if we had found well-defined trigger points we could work on those areas specifically. I still believe in the PT and will continue to go. It is expensive and I wish these stupid insurance companies would recognize this form of treatment for CPP and reimburse. Sadly they are behind the times or in cahoots with the drug makers who are in cahoots with some of the urologists in my opinion.

Ok, so now for the questions (and I've tried not to repeat anything that is discussed in a tremendous amount of detail and frequency on the forum):
-- Can anyone relate or have some thoughts on this fluid issue I describe above?
-- Ejaculate color: Can someone confirm that the yellow ejaculate is because of dead WBC's? And WBC's can be there b/c of inflammation / irritation as a result of the tension/stress in the pelvis and not some other reason?
-- Ejaculate odor: Has anyone noticed a fishy odor to their semen?
-- Has anyone ever had a "discharge" simply because they did not masturbate for a while? My original spontaneous discharge, which was diagnosed as NGU by a description of the symptoms alone did occur after I had gone 10 days or so w/o masturbating which was something I normally do not do. Sometimes I wonder if all of this just started as a response to a congested prostate.
-- Does anyone's pain begin after defecation?
-- Does anyone have this dull aching in the morning like blue balls or they can't release gas? Do others have less pain in the morning?
-- Has anyone on this forum had a cystoscopy or know of someone who has had a cystoscopy that revealed a cause of their prostatitis? I am highly skeptical of this procedure.
-- Would like to know if others with CPP have Hemorrhoids? Varicocele? Spermatocele? Wouldn't that be a hoot if there was some correlation between CPP and the latter two?
-- Is there anyone who has done the PT and did not have well-defined trigger points but still benefit a lot from the treatment?
-- To be clear, I do not think I have a bacterial infection going on but there are a couple of questions I just need to get off my chest since I believe I haven't really had any meaningful tests done (e.g. STD panel looking for CT & GC and even post-prostate massage urine microscopic look for WBC's does not feel meaningful). Does it make sense to pursue a post-prostate massage CULTURE vs. a simple look under the microscope? How about Mycoplasma or Ureaplasma cultures? If no, why not? And does it ever make sense to take an antibiotic for more than the 7 days of doxycycline I was on? Has anyone ever heard of someone being cured of "prostatitis" as a result of being on an antibiotic like Levaquin? I doubt it, but just have to ask. There's a doctor in L.A. that claims to have an NGU-specific test that goes beyond CT & NG to diagnose NGU but when I called he said he didn't perform the lengthy cultures necessary to find Mycoplasma Hominis or Genitalium or Ureaplasma Urealyctum. So what he screens for that could be of use I have no frickin' clue. Probably something like e.coli. http://www.californiastd.com/

To be honest, I've gone 1 year without having unprotected sex with my partner simply because I just have never felt 100% confident that I knew what was going on with me. The excess fluid, the swelling of my penis, the yellow color of my semen, the proximity of my CPP symptoms to a high risk exposure and the lack of solid testing has left me with some doubts about what is going on inside me. That said, I'm going to start having unprotected sex again because there's nothing else I can do to establish more peace of mind. Perhaps some answers to the questions above will help so thanks in advance to anyone who spends a few moments to help answer. After a year of experiencing pain everyday I'm pretty levelheaded about the whole thing. I will admit it was very tough for me at the start but I have accepted this is juat something that is part of me which I need to work hard at to get on top of.

Thank you webslave for all the insights offered on this site and keeping the forum focused on the pelvic myoneuropathy explanation and treatment plan. I realize some of my concerns are going to sound borderline with regards to the debate over an infectious cause but I assure you I am a huge proponent of the belief this is a neurological / myofascial problem and not something else. I have read Headache in the Pelvis and seen a leader in the CPP field. In fact, I think we're on the verge of a significant medical breakthrough for all sorts of people who have pelvic pain that may be attributed erroneously to problems like STD's, UTI's or even colitis. I wish the PHP's and urologists would do more comprehensive testing right from the beginning before any antibiotics are given. It's important regardless of whether they're going to show negative results. Establishing peach of mind is important, especially considering the type of guys CPP seems to affect the most (e.g. high stress, high anxiety, etc). Hopefully through understanding one day they will help patients understand they may have something like CPP as opposed to an STD (or recurring STD) right from the beginning and even during an initial office visit. It's possible that the only thing I've ever had going on was CPP.

I apologize to those who are turned off by the length of my post. You can scan for the parts that interest you. As I recall seeing somewhere on this forum there are a lot of guys who come here just to read and never post. I believe knowledge is key to this battle and the more guys who can share their experience the more we gain. This note was therapeutic for me as well.

I'm coming up on PT appointment #6 and I will be sure to update the group if/when I start to see progress in my treatment. In case you haven't heard, Dr. Wise & Co. have developed a wand that patients can use to perform internal trigger point massage. I don't think it has received clearance yet and that's why it hasn't been released to the public. I got the sense it's not that far off though based on a telephone conversation I had with Dr. Wise a few weeks ago. He also said they're going to be coming out with some literature that provides linkage of CPP to high-stress situations or in the aftermath of high-risk sexual exposures regardless of whether an STD was ever involved. Regardless of when the wand becomes available I will still complete my PT appointments because there's a lot to learn in those that you can't get on your own. I will probably also start seeking counseling if I can find a way to pay for that as well. I believe it is recommended by Wise/Anderson in Headache in the Pelvis.

[webslave]

I'm frankly surprised you have not yet had a long course of quinolone antibiotics. This will sound strange coming from me, but with your history and discharge, I would try to have any possible bugs treated first. CT (Chlamydia trachomatis) and NG (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) are not the only bugs around.

Yellow semen is par for the course for CPPSers, but apparently normal men have it too. We speculate it is caused by WBCs.
Heavy fluid discharge is unusual and may denote infection.
Fishy smelling semen may also denote infection, but AFAIK is normal for some men (not me).

My advice would be to ask a doctor for a month of something like Levaquin and if possible a concomitant course of azithromycin. If there is no permanent improvement, come back here.

[neis]

I had many of the same symptoms as you. I too had the clear, sticky discharge. I was on Cipro for 6 weeks, and got no improvement. I've heard of more success with Levaquin. You might want to give it a try, but beware some people develop nasty side effects from the quinolones. I developed vision problems while on Cipro, which resulted in what seems to be permanent floaters, and a lot of them, in my eyes. Never had them before the Cipro. Have you had any heart palpitations or pains? I got those too, and ended up in the emergency room with atrial fib. A course of Tetracycline cleared it up. I had something which triggered my CPPS, but it's diminished to almost zero after some prostate injections. Let me know what you learn. I'm interested as our cases are very similar.

[pbecvarova]

Thank you webslave and neis for your responses! I really appreciate them. That one doctor who pushed like Hell on my prostate and told me I had a bunch of WBC's upon microscopic evaluation prescribed 3 weeks of Levaquin. Like I said though, I think he was full of it. Regardless I picked up the prescription but have been reluctant to take it. That was 3 months ago. I take issue with antibiotics. They're prescribed here in the U.S. so willy-nilly and without any type of bacterial confirmation. I'm just kind of leery about the potential long-term side effects. That's why I would love to find any way to get adequately tested for other pathogens before taking but there's just nobody who seems to know how or is willing to do it here. It seems like all the studies on the detection of these take place in Australia or Europe and I haven't found one urologist who has a clue or an interest on how to test for them. It's much easier just to throw an antibiotic at the problem. Webslave, I realize you're simply advocating the "might as well take a shot" approach due to the unique symptoms I've described (e.g. leaking lots of clear fluid, swollen penis) and not endorsing any change from how 99% of us should be looking at this issue. I've always thought my symptoms were pretty unique because I'm very detail-oriented and have spent a ton of time trying to find similar cases. And I've spent a year looking and waited a year before posting on a forum like this. I was hoping it was more a matter of people just not articulating their problems with the same language that I could find in a search. I'm still on the fence about the Levaquin and I appreciate your perspective. I'm going to wait and see if more users might chime in here!

[sam5935]

Webslave is the professional here, and there are people on the board with more medical experience than myself. That being said, I'm about 5 months from obtaining a BSN in nursing and when I was reading your post I was thinking to myself, "Wow, it actually sounds like this guy might have an infection."

Like Webslave said, I wouldn't rule an infection out yet, could be a different bug, or you might be one of those folks that actually need the 6-12 weeks of antibiotics. Prostatic tissue is hard for many antibiotics to penetrate, and it can take a long while to kill everything off.

Anyway, just my two cents. Good luck, and welcome to the board!

S-

[Jay]

Hi there,

If you have never tried antibiotics before, then I don't think any of us would advise you against doing so. It's a necessary first step on this path, and it would be irresponsible of us to tell you otherwise.

While we believe that the majority of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome cases are non-bacterial, we never say never. Conditions such as acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis do exist, however uncommonly, and they need to be appropriately treated. We're only discouraging of people who're pumped full of antibiotics over months or years without justification, or those who believe they have some sort of mysterious stealth bacteria.

I'm not saying that you have an infection, nor would I be qualified as a layman to make such an assessment, but some of your symptoms are possibly indicative. Believe me, if you have an infection and can get better on antibiotics, you should be very grateful for the opportunity! Most guys here can't pop a pill and recover.

[webslave]

pbecvarova, the chances of a severe side effect from antibiotics is remote. In your shoes, I would not hesitate to take a long course of them, but I'd stop after, say, 2 weeks if there was no improvement.

[graeme]

Is the clear sticky fluid not just prostatic discharge. I always get this after a bowel movement, urination and during pt.

[carld]

Is the clear sticky fluid not just prostatic discharge. I always get this after a bowel movement, urination and during pt.

I have had this a few times as well after a BM. I think it's prostatic fluid from the stool passing and pressing on the prostate. I'm sure webslave can expand on this.


Cheers...

[Sandcrab]

Neis-

I'd be interested in learning more about your vision problems and the association with Cipro. I have also developed floaters in both eyes which didn't exist before my Cipro prescriptions. Two floaters are right in the middle of my vision, so I'm having a hard time ignoring them. Sadly, an unfortunate side effect to antibiotics I didn't need.

[sam5935]

Webslave-

Do you mean to stop after 2 weeks? Or switch to another kind? Isn't there a good amount of evidence showing that true cases of infection of the prostate often need many (up to 6-12) weeks of anti-microbial therapy?

S-

[neis]

Sandcrab, Cipro was a real bummer for me. I noticed after beginning the 6 week course I started having difficulty seeing my TV set. The image would be clear then fuzzy. I had never read up on Cipro side effects, so I made no connection. This continued, then I began having short term memory loss and vertigo that led me back to my doctor. All this time I harbored thoughts of having some nasty bug crawling through my body causing this. My doctor did a balance test with eyes closed, and I failed miserably. He immediately said this is consistent with MS, and ordered an MRI, which freaked me out more than I already was. I was MRI negative, and was then sent to the eye doc where I tested 20-20. For the last two years I'd be with someone and I'd complain of vision changes. One day I was in proper lighting where all the dark spot produced by the floaters became apparent. It them became clear to me that what I was experiencing was movement of these accumulated beads of gel across my retinal path producing the vision problems. My balance is fine now, as is the memory loss, but the floaters remain. Don't know if they'll ever resolve.

[webslave]

Do you mean to stop after 2 weeks? Or switch to another kind? Isn't there a good amount of evidence showing that true cases of infection of the prostate often need many (up to 6-12) weeks of anti-microbial therapy?

The best thing for the OP would be to get proper testing for infection, but it looks like he has found that impossible over a long period. So that's why I advised him to ask his doctor for a long course of a broad spectrum antibiotic, combined with another broad spectrum antibiotic, both known to penetrate the prostate well, to see if that can reverse some of the very unusual symptoms, like swollen penis, odorous semen and constant discharge.

Now, if after 2 weeks of taking these abx he is unchanged, it is highly unlikely that there is an infection. Not worth changing antibiotics and not worth the risks of continuing for a long time.