Another CPPS candidate?

[borat1]

Hello Gents...

Here's my story in a nutshell. I was recently deployed to Afghanistan. In the few remaining months of my time there I came down with a stinging sensation in the tip of my urethra. It tended to come and go, but didn't seem worse with urination. I visited the doc to get his opinion. His clinic was pretty limited due to where we were, but he did a gram stain to check for STD's and a visual inspection. He noted 2 red areas inside the urethra, and mentioned it could be urethral herpes. Well, as you can guess, this pretty much shot my anxiety level about through the roof.

To fast forward to now, since then I've researched HSV in-depth and what I have doesn't match up. The red spots inside the urethra went away after 2 days and have never returned. I initially had some tenderness in the pelvic area, but the main discomfort was the tip of the penis. It followed this way for several months, to a point I almost was convinced I had some rare version of urethral herpes that didn't break out in sores... seems there are a bunch of us out there on the medhealth.com site with this belief.

Once I had my 4th herpeselect test done proving I was HSV 1 and 2 negative, my anxiety dropped a bit and things started to get a little better. I used to have a burning sensation at the tip of my urethra that was around a 5/10. After the negative test results, things calmed down, but then I started having these tingling sensations in my perineum and upper thighs. I started to experience the following symptoms that would wax and wane for unknown reasons....

shaft discomfort, tingling episodes, golf ball in the perineum, tender rectum, occasional clear discharge after urination post ejaculation (don't remember this before?), rare burn when urination, incontinence after urination, reduce urine flow at times.

I found relief from extremely hot baths and drinking enough booze that I relax. The symptoms definitely wax and wane with anxiety and tension, and I have plenty of that in my line of work. I also picked up the "A Headache in the Pelvis" book and tried some of the external trigger point PT. Works pretty well, but it's still there or comes back.

I finally saw a urologist today, explained everything to him. He checked my prostate and said it had a slightly boggy center... This was the first non military doc I've seen so far, and he did another urine test and said there was a little blood and white blood cells in my urine? Could this still be an infection?

As the visit came to a close, he offered me 4 weeks of Cipro and pelvic floor therapy at an outside clinic. I declined the Cipro, from what I've read on the internet, it can be more harmful than good... but, as much as I don't look forward to the thought of what pelvic floor therapy includes, I'm trying to go that route for a cure.

My theory is that I got some kind of infection... it cleared, but then the anxiety levels brought on by the HSV possibility kicked off chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome that was just waiting for a reason to start the party.

I know that you guys have been through a lot of this kind of pain, and if you have any advice or opinions I'm all ears.

It's amazing that there are so few support groups for this kind of problem on the web and I thank you all for being here.

Cheers,

Borat.

[webslave]

Doubtful you had an infection. Stress alone can cause inflammation: https://ucpps.men/chronic-prostatitis-is-a-psychoneuromuscular-condition

It's good you're going to try physical therapy, but remember that PT can range from bad to indifferent to good to brilliant — depends on who you choose.

Don't forget try the other things we recommend, including quercetin.

[Jay]

Hi there,

If it's any consolation, your symptoms are pretty typical of what we see on the boards. I would definitely give the pelvic floor PT a try. To be honest, it's surprising that your urologist knows anything of it, much less having a PT to refer you to. A rare blessing!

[borat1]

Thanks for the replies...

I found out today the PT will take my insurance, just have to wait for a referel from the doc. Anyone heard of Creative Therapeutic in Fresno, California?

On another note, I had the slight trace of blood and white blood cells in my urine as mentioned above. I've read on here that most encourage taking a 30 dose of Cipro to rule out bacterial infection.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for the advice.

Borat.

[webslave]

Based on your symptom profile, I think antibiotics are a waste of money and time. Unless your doctor asks you to take them, don't.

[borat1]

My doc offered me a month of Cipro... but strangely enough, he just mentions all the different things I can do and doesn't have any guidance one way or another.

What surprised me was the blood and white blood cells in the urine sample... isn't that a sign of infection?

[webslave]

No. WBCs (pus cells) denote inflammation in the absence of other signs of infection. Blood traces are not significant at your age.

[rs81]

Hey borat1 I have wrote to you on medhelp.com.

Well my problems have changed from burning in the urethra to now pain in the pelvis and it seems a day after sex makes things worse, and my uro can't do jack, I have taking antibiotics 3 times, did many urine test, semen test, ultrasound of my bladder and prostate, and everything negative. This is crazy, well I'm planning on going to see a PT and see what they say, and I just found on the net about Rush medical center having a program for abdominal and pelvic health. Will give them a call to see if they can help.

Hang in there, I'm trying my best with this pain for the past 5 months

[borat1]

RS,

I hope you're able to get some help at Rush... I haven't hit PT yet, but I have a feeling it will be the answer.

I'm pretty sure most of us that were posting in the burning urethra site back in the med help area have CPPS. Hopefully they will find some good answers if they make it to this website.

Keep the faith,

Borat

[rs81]

borat1

well I'm hoping that someone out there can help but its like everyday its a new thing going on, somedays its ok then somedays its not, just keeping to think positive but its so hard when this pain never goes away,
good luck

[gmccormack]

RS81
You mention that your pain has moved from a burning in the urethra to pain in the pelvis, I see the changing of symptoms a good sign at least in my case. For me my most recent bout I had horrible burning in the urethra, that has now moved to the pelvis and testicles. In my first bout it was the same thing, pain moved around a lot until it eventually got down to a level where it didn't bother me anymore. I see the movement of symptoms as progression of the illness in a positive way.

Just recently I pain in the hip pointers when I sat for more than 5 minutes, well about 3 weeks ago I noticed this pain is no longer there. Although, I am still in pain that affects my life, the change in symptoms is a good thing in my mind.

If you look at others cases where the patient has improved significantly the symptoms almost always moved.

[rs81]

gmccormack, yes the burning pain has almost gone, but some times it comes back but it is not as bad as it was before, it seems for me the day of sex or day after sex I get perineum pain, its more like something down there is stretched too much. And all the butt muscles are very tight, today I did some pelvic stretches and it seems it kind of helped, when this all started I couldn't even sit for 5min without a lot of pain now the pain have gone down, now I feel like I tighten my pelvic muscles all the time and without me even controlling it. Well at first I had burning in the urethra, then after 5 weeks my butt got sore, and my tailbone hurt, then that went away, now I start the perineum pain, and just like you I get the pain in the hip as well some times, its more like some thing is pulling inside the hip. Has anyone on this site been able to get rid of this fully?

[gmccormack]

Continue to stretch, your symptoms are classic, continue with PT. For the pain in the rectum do internal work, if you don't have a wand or care to make one use your thumb in the shower. I would take it as a very encouraging sign that your pain is on a trajectory heading lower, no reason to think that you can't continue this path and bring the symptoms way down. I think the burning in the urethra is the most difficult pain to deal with and also hardest to bring down, you seem to certainly be "seeing the light."

[rs81]

gmccormack, thanks a lot for your support. Well I'm at work and I was doing some of the stretches, I have to find a PT that deals with this issue in Chicago, anyone know any good ones, does the book by Dr Wise show us how to do internal work, now that I been sitting for a while at work the pain in the perineum has increased, but its not as bad as before. Hope I will recover, but sometimes I think is this what I really have (CPPS) or some kind of virus that got in the pelvis somehow, which makes me worry. And sometimes I'm like does anyone get back to 100% ever.

[webslave]

And sometimes I'm like does anyone get back to 100% ever.

Would you settle for between 95 and 99%? Or does it have to be 100%?