big breakthough after six months

[johnnyblotter]

Thanks MajorSky. I don't seem to really share your symptoms. I had that feeling of something clicking, or giving during masturbation just the one time really. Since then my issues with masturbation have seemed to be that too much feels like it fights the relaxation of the levator muscles, but if I go for 4-5 days without doing it, it sometimes feels like it helps to make me feel a little bit lighter back there when I then go ahead and do it.

In the past I've had the idea that it was a really bad idea to masturbate and that the clenching and squeezing was a real setback, but now I sort of think that once or twice a week might actually be good. But I've definitely had a numbers of times where I've done it and then felt bad about it. I've had to work hard to really cut it back. What can I say.. I work from home, and it's way too easy to just do it. But I've cut back a lot and I feel like that part of things is more under control now.

Sex seems to be even less of an issue...I feel a little tight right afterwards, but otherwise I feel like it neither helps nor hurts. The only problematic part is my sex drive is a lot lower because of this issue. I have a high sex drive but because of this it's just been...lowered. I miss wanting to have sex 5-6 times a week, but having a lumpy feeling in your ass doesn't do much as a turn on.

My issue is really a one-trick pony...a pressure-filled, lumpy, slithery annoying rectal tension that I can't seem to cut down too much.

[MajorSky1]

Ok. It sounds like a different nerve color of what I have. I call it an itch-ache, though it's not really an itch, but has the sensation that it needs to be massaged out. It's primarily a nerve thing from what I can tell. Something going on with the nerve itself, mostly.
I am able to imagine the sensation you describe. I may have a form of that. Either way, simply very uncomfortable.
Hope you heal as efficiently as possible.

[johnnyblotter]

By nerve, do you mean pudendal nerve?

I would assume not...as it seems the diagnosis of pudendal nerve problems is something that's considered pretty rare (at least as suggested on these forums). Or do you mean just the nerves in that area generally?

I'm a bit confused by that because I've been following the idea that the muscles are in spasm and need to be relaxed, so how do nerves play into this exactly?

[MajorSky1]

I meant the nerves in general, yes.

As to how nerves play into this, I am just as confused to some degree. The muscles spasm and cut off oxygen to the tissue and nerves. Maybe causes damage, or inflammation of the nerve channel itself. Also, something happens in the hypocampus, a hyper sensitivity. Then there are the substances that cause inflammation too.
I'm still trying to learn what I can find about this area.
For me, it seems like my nerves were goosed, or damaged back when my trigger points were at their worst for a duration. Now most of the trigger points, possibly all, are much better, but the nerves are still healing. Nerves take a looooong time to heal, usually.
That's the only thing I can deduce at this time.
That and pain pathways that need to be relearned which also takes a long time.

[ezer]

Johnny,
The main message I would like to convey is that to remain asymptomatic requires a lifetime commitment. You cannot just go back to your old ways once you are 80% better. Worrying, striving etc. You also cannot fight this pathology, you can only work with your limbic system.

This is valid for any self-help method. The Wise-Anderson Protocol is no different: while PT can be eventually discontinued according to Dr. Wise, paradoxical relaxation must be part of your regimen or way of life.

If you want to pursue the mind body method you must forget about where it is tense or where the trigger points are. Whenever you are distracted by the pain you have to attend to your emotions. It should become automatic. But you cannot grab your Theracane when that happens, palpate your perineum, or call a PT.

You have to communicate unambiguously to your subconscious mind.

[johnnyblotter]

I'm fed up.

I have things that I'm trying to pursue which only require me to be able to sit pain-free...working on music and my web business.

And I can't really pursue those things. I have one day of energy and life only to be sucked back into this shitshow of bullshit.

What a @#$@# bunch of SHIT.

[johnnyblotter]

Do I really have to choose between the Wise Anderson method and the mind body method? I've been trying to do both, I guess.

I just ran into a wall with the mind-body method. I felt like it helped relax the perineum quite a bit but then the muscles were still just screwy underneath the perineal tightness. The walks and the thinking of the emotional situations etc that had worked...i just couldn't squeeze any more mileage out of it.

I'm lost. Really lost. I do tons of stretching, paradoxical relaxation, trigger points, and I can't get anywhere.

[johnnyblotter]

Sorry for the agitated tone..I would delete the post two up if I could, but I don't have the option.

Just very frustrated.

[johnnyblotter]

What actually happened was that a few days ago I was doing ok...about 75% better from my original position...which is where I've been hovering for about a month or so.

So a few days ago I spent sitting on a hard chair for longer than usual, and I had maybe two cups of coffee over the course of the day. As we had company coming over later that night I decided to take a valium just to make sure I'd feel good and relaxed. And I had a beer (not smart, I know). Also I ate a bunch of somewhat spicy polenta. Well, about 2/3 of the way through the night I was just sitting there doing fine when I started to get these horrible zaps in the back of the rectum...like there were little bugs way way back there or something, just horrible. It was a bit like the onset of this whole mess when I went to the emergency room thinking I had some terrible infection.

Was it the chair, beer, spicy food, coffee, that caused this flare up? I don't know. I have a hard time cutting coffee out completely...I've cut down a lot, but when I'm feeling ok I do like to have a small cup. This particular day I had more.

Either way this zapping thing is like a very separate feeling from the usual demon ball of tension that likes to park itself in the perineum..the zapping thing is far worse and when I get it, I immediately have to stop sitting.

So following this episode, which was on Thursday, now I'm just all knotted up with the perineal tension and heaviness and I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and I'm just worried about this weird zapping thing and I've been doing tons of stretches and TP work to mostly no avail.

Obviously it's time for more professional help as I'm just spinning out right now. Maybe I will try Stacy Futterman. I previously had been seeing Marilyn Freedman but maybe someone new will have some new insight.

[webslave]

In your case, diet seems to be important. Try an exclusion or elimination diet.

So what is an elimination diet? Well, it’s all in the title: you eliminate certain foods for a period of time, usually three or four weeks, then slowly reintroduce specific foods and monitor your symptoms for possible reactions.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5537

[johnnyblotter]

Thanks webslave.

Do you have any thoughts on what I might cut out first? I'd think I really need to just stop completely with caffeine, but after that? I think I'd be able to stop eating bread, do you think that's a good first step?

[johnnyblotter]

One thing I do think helps slightly is honeydew and blueberries..they seems soothing.

Although if I eat too much of them (usually the case) then I get gassy, which I don't think helps.

I admit it is very hard for me to be as scientific and disciplined about this as I should be.

I'm still pretty confused after the great results I got from the mind/body work, and if I should've dug deeper in that direction.

It's very difficult as you know.

The only thing that exacerbates the symptoms that I can make any direct connection to is too much masturbation.

I do an incredible amount of yoga type stretching...hamstring and stuff from Headache in the Pelvis, but I am starting to think it isn't helping. I've put a lot of work into it.

I've been reading this guy's information on a random prostatitis site I found...there seems to be some quacky stuff on there but there are some things there that deal with circulation that I have been trying and think it's worth pursuing. The massages he talks about in particular I think are good. I have been doing them, but with the idea of relaxing trigger points, not with the idea of increasing circulation to the area. I think this is an interesting distinction.

http://www.prostate-massage-and-health. ... ssage.html

I have been doing these type of things but not in the way he suggests. It's a bit of a different mindset..I wasn't thinking in terms of circulation before, but these exercises are interesting. Not sure if you've seen his site..it's poorly organized but there are some interesting ideas on it.

[webslave]

There is a book in the thread I linked above; I'd suggest getting it (Amazon or library). Also Google "food intolerance elimination diet" for advice.

[johnnyblotter]

I really seem to have taken a step and a half back. I'm hoping what I'm experiencing is just a bad flare up after being too aggressive with the internal TPs...therawand and finger. I was doing it too much and too aggresively, perhaps out of frustration. My concern is this flare up is really giving me weird nasty zaps way in the back of the rectum. This is something in addition to the general nasty tight feeling. It's like a crawling feeling that is just sorta zapping me regularly. I'm hoping I just need to lay off the internal TP and just try to really relax for a while. I've re-focused my efforts to include more relaxation and doing it as effectively as I can, but I really seem to be in the middle of something nasty here. I hope I didn't overdo it. I've been working my stretches and external TP's with no improvement over the last week. I'm starting new P.T. on Friday because I don't think I'm dealing with this as well as I can. I need some direction. I really hope this settles. I was much better than this last week, this is a huge slide down.

[johnnyblotter]

I'm being a bit paranoid and thinking that I might have pressed to hard on a nerve and created some problems that weren't there before.

Hopefully that's paranoia and I just really irritated the area and it just needs time to settle down.