CPPS is taking my life from me (Brett's Case)

[BrettP]

I have done that for a while. It provides good relief. I usually put it on lower abs. I did it last night.still in pain though not as bad as last night. Got a killer headache too ehh. Time to sleep.

[BrettP]

Hola everybody... Have a major flair right now... It was preceded by... Guess... STRESS.

So I went to sleep on Thursday night, and was awoken at about 2AM by my wife in extreme pain, needed to take her to ER. Apparently she had a pretty nasty gallstone/gallbladder attack. I was in the hospital for about 4 hours with her watching her suffer. My stress coping mechanisms went out the window. Freaked out a lot, major IBS flair, major chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome flair, I can barely piss still. Lots of discomfort in my lower abdominal region that is not going away. I'm more relaxed now as she seems to be getting better... I'm just not sure on how long the residual pain of her gallbladder should last. She told me the pain was at a 10 when into ER, and at 5 when she left, and is now down to a 3... So I look at this as an encouraging sign... But its stressing me out to see her like this, I'm afraid I won't get well until she does. Sometimes I think its worse watching the people you love suffer as opposed to being the one suffering. I guess I can only hope for the best. I can't sleep, I'm going on 6 hours in the last 48. Ehh. Just when I thought I had been making months of pretty good progress. Also was tempted to up my dose of valium to cope, but did not. I'm down from 40mg/day to 1mg and have steadily made progress. My nerves are totally fried right now. Such a crummy situation.

[Jay]

Hi Brett,

I just moved into a different house yesterday, and that has already been presenting some "interesting" problems. So, I can sympathize with stress.

Firstly, I'm glad that your wife seems to be okay, and I'm sure they wouldn't have released her without certainty that she'd be okay. I've never had gallstones, but I've heard they can be super painful and would imagine that the discomfort wouldn't entirely resolve so soon. 10-5-3 is a healthy reduction, though!

When there are sources of stress around you, and they pose no immediate danger, it's best to take some quiet time to just breathe through it. Go into a dim room and do some diaphragmatic breathing. Into the stomach through the nose, out slowly through the mouth. This is a very reliable technique for reducing anxiety. If you need to up your Valium a tick just for this flare, and doing so is okay with your doctor, then it's not that big of a deal. You can always reduce again from there.

If it would help, and she is willing, you could take your wife to the doctor and see if they'll double-check. Some peace of mind.

[carld]

But its stressing me out to see her like this, I'm afraid I won't get well until she does. Sometimes I think its worse watching the people you love suffer as opposed to being the one suffering. :

It's a sign your a very good man...Love is pain for sure...I don't do well at all when my wife is in any sort of pain...especially my children...I think it's part of our personality and UCPPS...

Eckhart Tolle quoted something I find ties into the human spirit..."This too shall pass"...

[BrettP]

Seems to have passed Carl. I have been getting flared up like crazy lately. I've never had thus many post ejaculatory flares like this. At least once per week. Not sure why. They come and go quick, very odd. Seems to be connected to gas though. But man this is terrible.

[BrettP]

Hey folks hope all is well. I have had my longest no flare period. I don't think its a coincidence that certain stress reduction techniques helped. Today though I'm flared up. I have real bad pain on left side like an ulcer. Not sure, the anxiety is killing me. Also I'm benzo and nicotine free. Haven't smoked In over a month and last benzo was Friday after long taper. Feeling better. Quitting smoking was a great help!!!

[BrettP]

Hey guys just had a ct scan showed nasty inflammation in my duodenum. Suspect is a duodenal ulcer. Just when I was feeling good. I think thus has been there for a while!!!

[BrettP]

Worrying about the scan caused a nasty flare -- one more example of how stress affects this condition!!!

[BrettP]

Hey all, its been a while. I guess I have been doing acceptable. For a while there I was pretty good, no issues. I had a real bad stomach ulcer for a few months, and while I had my ulcer, I was regular BM's and very very little chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome pain. Odd right? Part of me wanted the ulcer to stay and the chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome to go. Anyways, my ulcer has since cleared. And what do you know, the chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is acting up.

I don't get it. 2. 5 years with this and I just don't understand. Here is how it happens for me EVERYTIME.

I wake up, and generally have a full bowel feeling, about an hour later I have to use the restroom. I have urinary frequency when I have a full bowel sometimes, or when my stomach is bloated and distended (that's the WORST of it). So after I use the restroom, I generally have a period of 2 hrs where I feel ok, but after that two hours is up, the frequency and urgency start. It is ALWAYS after a BM.

Does anyone else have any clue as to why this is? I'm really at a loss for words, thinking of going to a gastro and uro again.

thanks

[webslave]

A BM uses the pelvic muscles, after which you get symptoms. Fairly common situation here, so not sure why you are so concerned about it.

[BrettP]

Howdy folks. Checkin in with ya'll. I'm about the same. I'm still fighting the constipation and bloating. And it's still causing frequency urgency. It is what it is.

I crap the frequency starts. I eat it goes away generally bloat as the day goes on which i knowis 50% of my problem. Started stretching the lower abs with a deep ab stretch some stones the stretch is so intense it causes pain in my rectum! Amazing just feels like some tight muscle is pulling. I feel better after though. I tell ya though sitting at work is just an absolute nightmare. By the end of the day I'm pissing every thirty minutes! Just crazy tension and anxiousness. And when I'm home I get better. So that's how I've been-- another thing to note. I have been taking laxatives to battle the constipation and it definitley reduces the time I have the "bowling ball" in my lower bowel. I have been taking senna once every two weeks and if things get truly miserable I'll take a monster dose of milk of magnesia. However that gas it's obvious drawbacks. Sometimes it was causing a horrible pain in my bladder. But it goes away. So that's my update for now. Oh yea 9 months smoke free!!!!!

[d_man]

Hey Brett,

I don't know what kind advice I can give since I'm a relatively new to the board but in terms of BM's have you considered taking a probiotic? I take this brand http://www.culturelle.com/ (it helps maintain reg BMs). As well at every dinner, I take a Magnesium Citrate which also helps with consitpation and it helps with muscles spasms too. Turns out most people are Mag deficient. Lastly, I eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and as much fiber I can during the day. My BM's are great cause of this. I know constipation is a killer when it comes to Pelvic Pain. Last time I was "congested" there, I had the worst pain in my tailbone for a few hours.

Good job on the quitting smoking. I quit for a few days early on, but i was not ready. It's the last bad thing I do. I have cut back though...

[BrettP]

Well its been a couple good months, really had this under control. I don't know wtf just happened.

However, I have been on a road trip the last 7 days, today culminated with a 12hr non stop drive from Albuquerque to Los Angeles.

I was with the wife, and feeling "spunky." However, ended up having to finish myself off when I got back to my house. And this is something new here..... Not sure if you have experienced this. But the semen was like gelatin, almost like a silicone. It was absolutely dreadful. It's been about an hour and the flare started up BIG TIME. I have not had a flare this bad since 11/2009!!!! And I remember because I was on a road trip then too.

So my query is, what's the correlation between road trips and ejaculatory flares - too much sitting, clenching? Its just been so long since its been this bad that I don't know what to do. Really truly just ruined the entire week I had enjoyed in New Mexico -- flare free --

God they always freak me out x100000000 as I start fearing it will never stop. This is just so painful. My appendectomy pain diddnt even touch the annoyance and freak out factor of this, yes its that flippin' bad. I just don't know what to do. I just know historically it will go away after I wake? Or a few hours from now? But as the bladder fills it doesn't want to come out, I don't know it just hurt.

I took two tylenol and two advil, and just took a emergency 10mgvalium will probably take 1 or 2 more as the night progresses and a hot bath, yet the discomfort continues. This is going to ruin my holiday, but wtf does it matter, it pretty much already ruined my life.

[BrettP]

Also, as an FYI.

When these happen I drink a ton of water to flush whatever it is out. Each urination burns less and less until it goes away. (This doesn't happen every time, but it does seem to help for those looking for help with this issue).

Also, my bowel spasmed pretty bad and I had a huge BM just now, I felt slightly better after that.

Honestly guys, for all you suffering with this condition, I often think of everyone here, and the struggles and tribulations we as men have come to deal with. Others don't understand until afflicted. Most laugh, and think its funny as if its some kind of quick pain with a quick fix, not a horrific life changing/altering disorder. And for us to get up everyday and attempt to live normal lives and continue to strive to get better, says a lot about the character of the people on this board. My holiday best wishes are with you all, and I hope to the god I don't believe in we will one day be set free from this terrible affliction. If I still believe in Santa, I would ask for a cure, I would trade all the money and possessions I have for this to be gone. I would give up everything for normalcy, even my wife, and current life. That is the level of desperation this condition takes me to. And going through the years, with its ups and downs, I'm still haunted by this ghost that haunts me here and there. Something's gotta give. Desperation is no state of mind for man. And every time my bullshit goes into overdrive, I realize that.

[webslave]

During a long road trip, the nerves to the foot pressing on the accelerator are continually activated, unless you are using cruise control. This can flare the condition via nerve crosstalk. Best to let the wife drive.

Other than that, driving does tense many people up badly, especially if you are in traffic.