U&F and PT

[webslave]

Yes, keep up with the PT, and for the anxiety get a benzodiazepine drug that you take whenever you feel stress/anxiety is peaking (but don't take it routinely every day).

[Gooner14]

Will do, also going to do therapy + continue the PT now that the surgeon has cleared me to do so.

The surgeon did say something that was disconcerting--he told me that when he went in, that he didn't think the hernia was affecting the bladder or causing the bladder issues. It could be done indirectly, though, as in, like you said, through affecting the pelvic nerves, right?

[webslave]

Yes

[Gooner14]

Thanks. Is this something that you've seen before? And when should I expect to see improvement (if indeed it was Hernia-related): months? years?

[webslave]

Yes, people with hernias have reported here before.

Now that the hernia is repaired and the related noxious pain stimuli are gone, your case is simply an ordinary CP/CPPS/IC case. How long it takes to resolve is a function of your actions from now on, and your genetic make-up. It's like asking "How long is a piece of string?"

Follow as many aspects of the protocols we discuss here as you can. Some of them will surely help to bring the syndrome to an end.

[Gooner14]

Just a quick update, so I went to this amazing doctor here in the DC area a few weeks back, and he suggested, in addition to what I was already doing, to include a bunch of new things: going gluten free, magnesium supplements, and some sort of medical option (benzo, etc.).

So far, I've done the Gluten free aspect and just begun the magnesium supplements, and doing relaxation and seeing a therapist to deal with my anxiety.

The gluten free diet starting was bizarre. I was having almost withdrawal like symptoms, sweating, horrible nausea and stomach aches...but I noticed that the spasms were easing. After about 4 or 5 days of horrible pain, my CPPS/IC symptoms have really eased. I am sleeping through the night about 60-70% of the time. Before this, it was probably 20-30%. My sex life is still not good, but its better than it was before this. I am able to go without urinating for 5,6,7,8 hours, instead of 1-2 or 2-3 hours. This is, of course, not consistent, and I've had a couple of not-so-pleasant flares. But even then, I'm able to sleep still.

I would say I am about 60-70 percent better than I was just a few short weeks ago. I am still having flares, but they are not nearly as severe. The diet is still not enjoyable, and I am only rarely having a drink (I've noticed that drinking while flaring makes things a lot worse, while drinking not during a flare has no impact). But everything else is much, much better than before. For the first time, I am convinced that I WILL BEAT THIS. Even if there are setbacks, I know that the worst is now behind me.

[webslave]

going gluten free, magnesium supplements, and some sort of medical option (benzo, etc.).

All these strategies are discussed extensively here.

Glad they are helping.

[Gooner14]

So just need a bit of reassurance right now.

I've felt really good for the past 2-3 months, worked hard on relaxation, diet, etc., slept through the night all weekend, and I noticed that a bit of dairy was triggering me yesterday. Anyway, have had a horrible flare up over night, did not sleep, wasn't able to go to work today. I know I've been a bit stressed (the fiancé and I got in a huge argument last night), not to mention we're getting married in just a few weeks.

This isn't a reversion to how things were before? I've been doing so well with everything that it is very frustrating. I just hope that this is a couple day "speed bump," but the inability of the hot bath/relaxation/stretching to make it even slightly better is very worrisome.

[webslave]

Marriage is a major life change and ranks up there with the big stresses. Test yourself on the Holmes and Rahe Life Events Stress Test.

[Gooner14]

Oh I definitely realize that, and it is certainly something that has stressed me out a bit, but I had been dealing with stress a lot better, without using any medication, and had been sleeping through the night pretty consistently, whereas Sunday, Monday, Tuesday it feels like have gone back to "Square one" in regards to the CPPS/IC. I am hoping this is just a flare that happens to last 4-5 days, and am just hoping that all my hard work the last few months in regards to diet and stress have not been in vain.

[webslave]

Flares are pretty routine. They become less frequent as you improve.

[Gooner14]

Oh yeah, they've become so infrequent but this one has been particularly bad that I almost forgot what it was like....and good motivation to keep working to make sure this doesn't happen for a while.

[Gooner14]

Another Q for you Webslave. So after almost a year of work, one thing about working with my PT that really distressed me is that, while we were able to find TrPs externally, and internally toward my tailbone, we were never able to "recreate" my urinary symptoms through internal trigger points, and she felt that my improvement through anxiety reduction, stretching, etc. was enough to discharge me. (my symptoms had improved from going every 2 hours to going every 4-6 hours to now, on a good day, going every 5-8 hours)

While, as I've stated, I feel a lot better, I'm a little concerned about this still...is that normal?

[webslave]

Yes. TrPts will not always recreate symptoms because some symptoms are due to local inflammation in the GU tract. How does this happen? Through the nerves, via crosstalk. It's a little complex, but I think it's fairly well explained here: https://ucpps.men/chronic-prostatitis-is-a-psychoneuromuscular-condition

Basically, overactivated nerves to the constantly-tensed pelvic floor muscles also activate adjacent nerves that innervate the prostate, bladder etc, via crosstalk between nerves, and this causes inflammation. Sounds far-fetched, I know, but there is experimental proof that it happens (see above link).

[Gooner14]

SO what you are saying, and what my PT is saying basically, is that I just have to give it time (I've only been GF for 2 1/2 months now) and let this situation resolve itself, while reducing stress and continuing to stretch, right?