What is muscle pain vs. nerve pain vs. anything else?

[rumncoke]

Hello,

I am new here and up until recently, had thought I had a horribly infection.

To start, I could use a lesson on what the difference between muscle pain, nerve pain and anything else that may be in this category.

I have burning pain in my penis, inflammation pain in my testicle, pin like pain in my prostate(I think) and it feels like they are never happening at the same time. They occur and shift at random, but I do feel my best when I wake up and gradually get worse in the day. Have had symptoms for 9 months.

Any thoughts in what category of pain this might be?

[davyboy]

Hi Rumncoke,

Welcome!

It sounds like you have a very similar experience to some of the men on this forum. There is a starter list floating around somewhere but I can't seem to find it.

I'd recommend reading up up on trigger points and what they are. For a lot of people, this element is key to creating a good environment for the muscles and nerves to heal:
https://ucpps.men/forum/vie ... =37&t=7186

If you've gone through the tests with doctors then you are probably in the clear for an STD. Sometimes an STD can cause the pelvic floor and muscles to tighten - almost sortof instinctual reflex, a defense mechanism if you will. A couple of men on this forum had their bout with pelvic pain start with an STD or a one night stand, but the pain they suffered from proved to have nothing to do with an infection in the long term. If your doctor states that you don't have an infection then trust him or her. Its a useless road to continue to blame your pain on some sort of infection if your tests come back negative. It just delays your healing process as well.

I don't know if it is necessary to differentiate between nerve and muscle pain. I believe the idea is to create a good environment for both. Muscle tightness can pull the bones and tissues of the pelvis in all sorts of ways. My tightness in my hips has caused my pelvis to tilt and that in turn has caused a lot of referred pain all over the place. Symmetry is important in the body. You have to try to get things to calm down in the pelvic area so that the nerves and muscles create a hospitable environment for your organs, nerves, etc. For some, this means stress reduction, for some it means dietary changes, for some this means avoiding certain exercises. You have to find what works for you and it requires patience. You can't impose a timeline on your path to recovery. There is a ton of great information on this forum which will aid you in your recovery process.

You can read about what has helped me here: viewtopic.php?f=37&t=7998&start=75#p45963

I am not a doctor, I'm simply just sharing my experience with pelvic pain. Sorry if all of this information is overwhelming. Just be patient and you will be feeling better in no time!

Hopefully some others can chime in too.

Good luck!

[webslave]

There is a starter list floating around somewhere but I can't seem to find it.

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=6475

[rumncoke]

Thanks for the advice on the starter kit. I ordered some any accredited quercetin product and looking forward to trying something new. Glad that they deliver to APO addresses.

I feel like inflammation is my problem and may be triggering a nerve problem. The fact that antibiotics helped at first but then wore off leads me to believe the initial relief I felt was due to antibiotics anti-inflammatory properties. This was the case with 5 different classes of antibiotics.

Ibprofen is ineffective though, so I believe the inflammation is less likely due to a muscle problem. Going to try and treat the nerves first. My doctor just prescribed me Meloxicam for different class of anti-inflammatory and I'm going to take it for 10 days. Will keep a log of how this works. Not going to take any accredited quercetin product until I finish this new drug cycle.

Elavil has my interest too. Going to look into it but after Quercetin. I want to take one thing at a time to get clear cause and effect.

I'm a runner and already stretch a lot. I am comfortable under stress and even think that it helps keep my mind off of the pain. Going to try the drug route before I get into this.

Let you know how the plan goes.

[rumncoke]

Thought I'd give an update.

I was feeling relief from taking Levaquin and azithromycin, but it wasn't perfect. So I tried a new pain killer, meloxixam.

Meloxixam/Meloxicam (Mobic) was a more effective pain reliever than ibuprofen. It gave me the feeling that it was reducing the message of pain I was feeling, but I could tell the pain was still there. Overall through I was between a 1-2/10 on the pain level. Very good.

I ran out of azithromycin first, but didn't notice any change. It could be because azithromycin has a long half life, but I was still taking levaquin and I having taken levaquin before I think this was the primary source of my relief.

I ran out of levaquin a few days ago and am now feeling a gradual increase in pain even though I am still taking Meloxixam. The Meloxicam does still reduce the pain a bit, but it alone will not be enough to settle with.

Fortunately, any accredited quercetin product arrived today in the mail. Have taken one tablet. Not immediate relief. Will try it for two days and then decide if it has an effect.

I got some tetracycline from India. Not sure about the quality of it but it seems legit. I'm going to try it if and will post if it give any results.

Going to try and see a urologist to do some kind of scoping. Doesn't sound like fun but not something I have tried before. Problem is that he is on the other side of Afghanistan. Going have to wait for a good opportunity before I can go. When I do I will try and get some Elavil.

[webslave]

Please read about the anti-inflammatory effects of antibiotics.

[rumncoke]

Thanks for the info. Very detailed and seems to match what is happening to me. I notice that the antibiotics used to treat arthritis are the ones that have helped me the most. Doesnt necessarily mean anything though.

I tried 2 days of any accredited quercetin product and not noticeable relief. I started taking the Tretracycline from India. Felt relief within an hour but did not last long. Good to know its the real stuff haha, but I will run out quick at this rate. I am going to a doctor tomorrow to try and get more levaquin and maybe Elavil. My work is too demanding at the moment to make the trip to the uro.

Currently I am very upset. I have had pain for almost a year and had to tough it out for the most part. I have read a lot about peoples success with this muscle therapy and stress reduction. I want to believe that this is the case for me, but I find it hard to. This doesnt feel like muscle pain, and I have had lots of different kinds of muscle pain. Mine feels much more nervy. Like a single cord from my prostate through my left testicle to the tip of the left side of my penis is sending a surge of pain. No where else do I feel tension or discomfort. I am not a stressful person.

I have read about a clinic in standford. Where can I get more info on this? How long is the visit and how much does it cost?

I am determined to reach a pain free endstate by any means and am now seriously considering subduing the pain through powerful drugs or surgery. Going to continue to browse through the success stories for healthier hope.

[webslave]

I tried 2 days of any accredited quercetin product and not noticeable relief.

Give it at least a month. A few men even take 3 months to react to it. Or you could be one of the 30% who are not helped.

I started taking the Tetracycline from India. Felt relief within an hour but did not last long.

It's a really bad idea to use antibiotics like this.

This doesnt feel like muscle pain, and I have had lots of different kinds of muscle pain. Mine feels much more nervy.

CP/CPPS is not your typical muscle pain. You are not an expert, so why not leave off trying to diagnose yourself (a seemingly irresistible temptation for most CPPS patients)?

I am not a stressful person.

That's what they all say. But you're too busy to see a uro...

I have read about a clinic in Stanford. Where can I get more info on this? How long is the visit and how much does it cost?

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1252

[GARYS]

I just want to throw in my two cents here for anyone reading this, I went for over 10 to 15 years without making the decision to go to someone who understood and could help me with this awful condition (I made half attempts like trying to do internal work on myself without a clue, even went to Chicago a few times to see a very good PT and with no luck gave up). A little over a year ago I got up the nerve and borrowed money from my parents to go and see Dr Wise. I'm glad I did, I just wish I would have done it in the beginning!!!! I waited like an idiot and I think if I would of went sooner I would be getting better quicker. I am getting better but I think I let my pelvic muscles get so used to being tight and contacted that its making it that much harder to get them back to their normal state. I'm much better than I was before I went but its taking time and I still can't help but have doubts until my wife reminds me how I used to be!! So the point is go, I really don't think your going to find anyone who understands and can help you like they can. Its a slow process (like Dr. Wise will tell you) but by the time u waste your money and time elsewhere, it makes a lot more sense to just go!!!! Don't wait!!! Good luck to you!!

[rumncoke]

Its been a while since I've posted.

I finally saw the urologist in Afghanistan. He took some cultures to include a sperm sample and found everything negative for infections. I received a prescription for neurontin when I explained that I felt what I thought was a form of nerve pain. I felt that Gabapentin (Neurontin) changed the way my body interpreted pain, but the feeling just a different kind of bad so I decided to stop taking it. I experienced withdrawal like symptoms for 2 days which was very unpleasant. Overall, I'm glad I tried it and ruled out that I had a form of nerve damage.

I started taking some penicillin and was feeling relief again. While on penicillin, I attempted some of the yoga like stretches. After about 2 weeks, I really can't tell if this is doing anything, but I want to keep an open mind. I experienced another "flare up" and changed my antibiotics to doxycycline, my anti malaria medication. It seems to be helping, but not as much as I would like. I wrote the uro and he said he would attempt a nerve block on my left testicle. I am going in the next 7 days to give it a shot.

[rumncoke]

Well I had a genitofemoral nerve block 3 days ago. It was a fairly simple procedure which involved an injection in my left oblique area. The goal was to block pain I was feeling in my testicle and tip of my penis. I don't remember what specifically they injected me with but it worked. I am numbish in my left testicle and a bit at the base of my penis. The pain in tip of my penis is reduced, but I can still tell something is wrong. I masturbated once to make sure everything still worked and it does. Whew. There was less sensation but not significantly less.

I can tell this is not a real solution. This is a partial treatment of my symptoms. I still have pain in my prostate which is fairly significant and I believe is tied to the root cause. Still I am glad I tried this and thought I'd share my experience.

I still don't know what is wrong with me, but a muscle problem seems more likely now. I am going to continue to do these yoga stretches even though I feel like nothing is happening.

As far as physical therapy, I really doubt there is anything available in Afghanistan, but some day I will be in the states again. Does anyone know of a PT professional in the Richmond, VA area?

[davyboy]

Keep up with it. It can take months to notice any significant improvement. You have to lengthen those muscles.

Try an anti-inflammatory diet as well. Meditate. Relax.

[rumncoke]

I figured I'd update my situation. The pain continued after the injection. I have tried three more treatments since the operation. All were initially effective, and the last is still working fairly well.

Steroids: I took oral steroids at an attempt to reduce inflammation starting with a surge and then slowly decreasing my dose. It helped a lot at first but the pain came back. I also gained weight during this time which was likely due to the medication.

Opioid: I tried Tramadol for three weeks afterwards. This did help with the pain, but I wasn't sure if I was also going through easy period. I tried this for three weeks, and then a new doctor started seeing me and wanted to try something else. I did not feel any highs or withdrawal from this drug, and it decrease my pain a noticeable amount.

Flomax: I am now on Flomax or Tamsulosin. This has been very effective for me. I had been on an alpha blocker before and it had little effect on me but this one working very well. It is still simply treating the symptoms and I can tell my pain is there, but it helps me keep it off of my mind. I will probably stay on this until I leave Afghanistan. I do feel remarkably tired, but to be fair I have been pushing myself hard for months now and in some serious sleep debt. I think this drug makes me notice my fatigue a bit more though. Make me shoot blanks too, so I may go off of it when I get back to dating again.

I am starting to buy into the muscle theory, but I have to admit I stopped stretching. I didn't feel like the stretching was doing much. I will try it again for the next 30 days and try to determine if there is a difference.