i am so sorry to hear about your relapse. i guess this is a frustrating ailment that indeed recedes at a snail's pace.
from the looks of it your prostatitis seems to be of bacterial origin so antibiotics would indeed help. i would suggest go easy on the booze. after all we are not 21 anymore .
secondly carry on with the sitz bath they are indeed helpful. plus go easy on the clown. In my case jerking off or sex irritates the prostate and the discomfort returns. unfortunately i haven't found any work around this. my uro says this will continue for a while so just take it slow and hopefully in another month or so it be alright.
my view is that you've eradicated the infection but as is common in prostatitis the inflamation still lingers, as is my case too. it would go away with time hopefully in another month or two. start exercising and walking to stimulate the healing.
I was wondering if you've had any updates in your progress? I've been dealing with a very similar situation. I was on sulfatrim for about 5weeks. Halfway through I felt 90-95% like myself but in the last week of treatment I had a bad relapse. Except the symptoms were only urinary - issues voiding, pain and inflammation afterward but not during urination. My family doc checked my prostate at this stage and found it to be perfectly normal suggesting the sulfatrim was effective on the prostate yet something still lingered.
My doc put me on Ciprofloxacin for 4 weeks. I could literally feel an improvement within hours of taking the first pill. However, I'm on day4 now and the progress is very gradual. I still have inflamation after urinating and tenderness but generally no pain. He also gave me an anti inflammatory called naproxen but I waited a couple of days to use it and see what the cipro did on its own.
I have a theory that a lack of regular ejaculation causes seminal fluids to build up, which likely contain the bacteria we are trying to kill off. I too fear the potential pain of ejaculation but even doing so twice a week regularly could be a major factor in curbing the recovery time. Does anyone on this board have any more to add to this theory? I have not tested it myself yet, but hope to implement and follow up with the results.
Lastly, has anyone with these issues noticed white spec like substance present in their urine? Not seminal fluids but rather a much smaller particle like white substance floating in urine in large numbers?
Progress is good, very much in agreement with Youngman's response - I too think that once the infection is eradicated there is a lingering inflammation in the general area. Every day I feel slightly better while reminding myself that is space for a relapse. I would say I am 95% there - my urinary symptoms are going (today only been to the bathroom about 5 times yay!). Please find the list of things that I've been doing to combat this incredibly distressing disease that has been working for me (potentially not everyone but this is my twopennyworth)
- Very alkaline and bland diet - coconut water, blueberries, chicken, lots of water
- Pumpkin seed extract pills
- exercise - did an event called tough guy last weekend and I'm convinced the running and freezing cold water has speeded up recovery
- staying away from coffee
- chiro for the last month - explained the whole prostatitis situation to a very lovely chrio who has been taking the tension out of my pevis and lower back (was told it really was a mess)
Ofcourse on top of my this I took a ridiculous amount of antiobitoics but this has aided the recovery after. I'm not out of the woods yet but on the right track.
Youngman - how are you doing? Sounds like you are on the right track as well - agree about wacking off but in my case it doesn't cause irritation as such but can't pee especially well after but this too is subsiding.
Hi Tom, yeah sounds like me - only urinary symptoms, keep up with the meds - my uro told me that they carry on working after the course has finished and with prostatitis it doesn't seem to be a gone over night type of thing. My guess is that if the prostate was bad and then post meds normal, the drugs are working so in my experience that was a good thing, keep us updated,
progress seems to be good. my urinary symptoms are cured to a large extent and the frequency of urinating has once again aligned itself to the quantity of fluid intake. though the stream still narrows after jerking off or sex, but then as far as i remember this is no diff from pre-prostatitis days, there is no difficulty peeing as such.
but to be honest i am a bit tensed about the discomfort and slight pain after any sexual act. i can feel an inflamed prostate. giving a week off between jerking off helps and every successive act is less discomforting but then it has been too long, hopefully it will come back to normal in a while.
continuing with saw palmetto. my uro prescribed a mild antibiotic Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for 4 weeks. he says this is to prevent a relapse of bacterial infection as the gland heals.
i just hope another two months or so be the last of this ordeal.
Tom: mate, the opinion online seems to be split regarding the impact of masturbating during prostatitis. my uro advised against it and refraining from it actually helped me. but then again several people on diff forums have posted the positive impact of masturbating during prostatitis. In my roaming around online and my own experience i have found that diff solutions have worked for diff people suffering from prostatitis. so i would suggest you to go with whatever works man.
hoping a speedy recovery for you tom and for you too max.
I actually started seeing a specialist of prostatitis here in Canada about 3 weeks ago. I've only started seeing small but noticeable improvement over the last 5 days since I've been on his antibiotic, supplement and diet regiment. This doc is really knowledgeable regarding this condition, unlike most general practitioners who are kinda clueless.
Upon inspection of my prostatic fluid he could see I have a classic case of chronic infection of the prostate/urethra.
He literally checks my prostatic fluid on a weekly basis to track the level of infection. Ideally he would send fluids to be tested for specific bacteria but because some short sighted walk-in doc put me on antibiotics as a bandaid it will skew any tests and make them unrealiable.
Max, and other guys, if you've been off antiobiotics for long enough (at least a month) then I recommend you request these tests to confirm there is no bacteria. There are some STIs that are less commonly tested for but I would urge your doc to test for everything to be on the safe side.
I'll report back in a week or two as I am just about to start a new antibiotic prescribed by the specialist.
Thanks for your message, will do (got a NHS appointment next week so gonna request that test) but for me I'm 99% percent sure it's a physical thing for me,
Been getting physical therapy to relieve the tension in my pelvis from a myofascial release specialist who understands the condition and told me she gets about 1 guy every couple of months contacting her about this, and a chiro - seen a big improvement - my urinary symptoms are slowly going away - alot less frequency. Also, breathing exercises, stretches etc. are helping. Not to say that the meds may have done their job.. it is hard to tell,
I'm on the prostace supplement and flaxeed oil but no antibiotics since Dec and made much bigger strides without.
If anyone out there is suffering from this, I strongly advise that they check the state of their pelvis for twists and tension as this may be the cause or at least the root cause of prostatitis / cpps.
I repeat that this isn't to say that I didn't have an infection (I def has infammation) but the root cause was probably stress and over tensing of the pelvis muscles and it may be for other people.
i'm writing this is a perturbed state of mind. though my urinary symptoms have disappeared completely the stubborn inflamation refuses to budge. last week i went out on a trip with my gf and quite naturally indulged in regular sex. this however seems to have inflamed the prostate once again. although there is no pain, the discomfort is highly frustrating. it gets exacerbated if i sit for a while.
the urologist says all this will go with time, but now i am seriously starting to get worried about this. i am scared that this is affecting my sexual life not to mention the lingering stress.
so if you guys have any suggestion regarding an actually effective anti-inflamatory drug for the prostrate or ways to eradicate the inlamation once and for all it would be a great help.
What do you mean by feeling uncomfortable? You can feel the inflammation? In a particular place or the general area?
The only thing I've read is the natural supplements - taking something called prostace which is a mixture of everygood for the prostate - saw palmetto, pumpkin seed extract, etc. which I think has been good,
the discomfort(soreness) or mild pain i experience is at the pubic bone area (muscles just in front of the bone). Just above the point where the penis emerges, as in lower part of lower abdomen. the pain gets aggravated when i sit for a while or as mentioned earlier after any kind of sexual activity but if i keep lying down the discomfort or the pain eases.
I went to my urologist today. he administered a thorough examination of the groin, testicles and perinium area. according to him the prostate has healed itself and the problem i am experiencing is muscular and has no relation to prostate.
he has prescribed an antiinflamatory and muscle relaxant drug mobizox (diclofenac, paracetamol and chlorzoxazone) for 2 weeks along with another anti inflamatory agent chymoral forte (trypsin + chymotrypsin) but did not prescribe any anti biotic. he says the muscle problem should heal with the drugs otherwise he suggested that i get in touch with an ortho. It seems he is quite certain that the pain has got nothing to do with prostate but with pelvic muscles.
i have been lifting weights for more than 7 years but never experienced this issue, do you think lifting could have anything to do with it ?
Quick response coming back at you because I feel like you may have hit the nail on the head,
I have also been lifting weights for years, never experienced any issues at all.
I get discomfort in the same place occasionally, as well in my glutes, inner thighs. Mild but annoyingly there which is still affecting my urine flow and frequency but not massively - some days I'm completely fine and these days are becoming more frequent, ofcourse then come the bad days and its all doom and gloom for a bit.
IMO this is muscular - when you hold tension and clench those muscles from stress , lots of weights or a mixture of both, plus bad posture etc. (loads of possible reasons) it can cause the prostate to become inflammed. Again I'm not a doc but muscle relaxers will probably work for a bit, get yourself a good chiro/ortho and address the root cause.
I've been on this path for the last 2 months and I've seen massive improvement - I'm an open minded guy and I've read a lot but when you're going to the john 16 times a day and this is halfed after working with a PT and myofacial specialist I know I'm going in the right direction and this may be the same for you.
Keep us in the loop mate - I thought that discomfort around the pubic bone that you described was some bacteria randomly floating around for me when it was actually my muscles being all knotted up.
Thought I'd quickly chime in. I've had similar pelvic issues while dealing with this wretched illness.
Although I do not have a miracle solution yet, as I am still focused on my prostate infection stage of healing, I can still give a little insight as described by my specialist.
He describes my illness/treatment as twofold, eradicating the infection and rehabilating muscle tightness in the region.
What exactly causes the tightness? Swelling and inflamation of course, but what is happening is your brain is telling the muscles in the region to protect your prostate because it is somehow weakened. The muscles are trying to enclose on the prostate and that is what causes the feeling of tightness.
I suspect that untill the prostate is fully healed it is susceptible to minor injury or irritation. And this triggers a sort of muscular defense system.
Youngman, sex seems like a common trigger as the prostate plays a major roll in ejalucation. Even though you might not feel it in the prostate, the muscular tension is acting like a sort of reflex. But don't stop having sex, I would just maybe keep it moderate. In the long run the sex should help rebuild the muscle strength/memory.
Even sitting a certain way for an extended period can trigger the muscle tightness. Use a pillow, sit ergonomically, take baths, etc...
Max, sounds like you are on the right track as far as rehabilitation goes. Hope the progress continues. When I get into the rehab stage of my treatment I will definitely post notes in here for you guys.
That is a very plausable theory, its all abit chicken or egg, which came first. My uro was convinced everyone has an infection to begin with, I wasn't so sure,
Seems that a lot of people who have these issues with prostatis also have pelvic floor / muslce issues, what ever came first, wondering what the best solution is,
Tom, what are your symptoms? Are you on meds at the moment?
My very first noticeable symptom about 2.5 months ago was pelvic pain exactly as described by youngman. Followed by the typical prostate and urinary symptoms.
Nowadays I have few urinary and prostate symptoms, but more so urological inflamation and muscle tightness in groin, butt, hamstring etc...
I think every case is different and some people have bacterial infections and some don't. I think your doc is right in his thinking but no two docs seem to have the same opinion on this matter.
You may have had bacteria, killed it off and are now dealing with the gradual healing process. Or perhaps you have a muscular condition and there was never bacteria. I, personally have never had any of these muscular problems prior to this infection. In my case, my doc has used objective observation to detect an infection. And he also explains that the muscular issues are a symptom of the infection.
Right now I'm halfway through two weeks of amoxi-clav. Already been through Med-long rounds of sulfatrim, cipro, and azithromycin. Start another med tomorrow, crossing my fingers it kills off the infection. different antibiotics target different bacteria, so they are not always effective. Unless you have a lab determine the specific bacteria it's kind of trial and error.
Even when I kill off the infection, and I am determined to do so, I anticipate gradual recovery/rehab. I don't think you can expect such a sensitive part of the body to be fighting an infection for months and then just go back to normal as soon as the infection is gone. It's like with any major injury. It takes time to get back to its normal functioning state. The same should apply to non bacterial, it's a lifestyle adjustment like with any rehabilitation.
I'm glad you are making progress in your recovery max, I am probably going to seek similar treatments in the near future based on your experience. But I also urge you to do those lab tests and demand the full spectrum of possible bacteria be tested.
I hope tom's uro is correct about prostatitis being a two stage treatment ailment and that my problem is that second stage.
Max, it seems our symptoms and timelines have been quite similar from the beginning and so i'm gonna take your advice and get in touch with a physiotherapist. My apprehension here is about finding one with some experience in dealing with this issue. I think i'm gonna bid adieu to niceties and be blunt with the PT is asking him/her whether he/she has worked on such trouble before. is there something specific i should be asking a pt ?
since my uro was so certain that this was a muscle trouble i decided to go old school with it. used the typical sports method of treating a sore muscle with ice packs twice or thrice a day. there indeed is some relaxation but i'm not sure whether this is because of the ice pack or the anti-inflamatory and muscle relaxants kicking in. this however does give me some relief that the major trouble spots may have been crossed. (hopefully it won't be jinxed).
keep posting here guys, the forum has been a great help and a support plank.
Yes, I suggest finding a PT who has treated the condition before. Ask around and then ask about tension in the pelvic / twisted pelvis.
So, went to the NHS uro who I've been waiting to see for 2.5 months and he basically read the wiki page out to me. He basically said that the medical world don't know what causes it unless it is the bacterial. He also said that prostatitis is typified by pain (something I haven't really experienced) and that when I had a DRE the feeling of someone touching the prostate who have been excruciating. He didn't entertain anything I was saying about muscular issues being part of the pr
Oblem at all. He said that they could only treat the symptoms as the root cause is unknown. No timeline of recovery or anything anecdotal to help me. He did a flow test and checked that no urine was left in my bladder and both were fine and told me to hold in my urine and try to retrain my bladder which I guess is good advice. He also said that if it was truly bacterial, the meds would have cleared it up quickly (I'm 6.5 months in) He prescribed me some vesicare type drug that calms down bladder contractions and sent me on my way. Thought I'd let you know as I've been on a waiting list for months for this info.
Therefore, back on the muscular route, went to the gym and I do notice heavy weights have an adverse effect on it. And again I'm back to the thoughts of this being a pychomuscular type condition. Going to start retraining my bladder, carry on being mindful and doing the pt. The nhs uro said that if I hadn't taken the antibiotics before he would give them to me again but as I already have taken them there is little point.
A note on the sexual side - I've noticed my libido has dropped although not sure whether this is to do with confidence being low from this or a physical manifestation.
Are you both quite stressed out / pensive people in general? I know this started in the middle of quite a stressful period of my life.
It seems that bacterial or not, you've seen definite improvement so this can only carry on improving as time goes on and then heal.
Thanks for posting the realities of continuing to have prostatitis symptoms for most who contract it. Thank your lucky stars if you have been cured via medication at the outset. A lot of doctors will string you along as to achieving a cure. Eventually you learn to live with it though it is at times incredibly annoying. I've had it since 1978 as well and now have BPE as well (yipee!). The severity of symptoms go up and down. Over the years I've tried every medication, natural therapy and exercise I could find but no lasting cure. For me, the only relief from the severity of symptoms is managing stress, and be consistent with diet, exercise, alcohol, coffee, tea and sexual activity. With respect to the last, if I keep to a regimen of twice weekly (not on same day) the prostate settles and urine flow is better. Despite this I still have major bouts about twice a year requiring antibiotics to settle it down. I haven't heard about the connection between prostatitis and benign enlargement though I wouldnt be suprised. A number of specialist doctors have told me there is no statistical connection between prostatitis and prostate cancer. I have been told on numerous occasions that all men start to have prostate enlargement after 40. The extent of enlargement and symptoms depends on the individual. Wether a prostate becomes cancerous depends ,as far as the medical profession is concerned so far, is down to genetic tendencies of each individual.
I first came down with this in 2011 summer and had symptoms of rectal pressure. pain in testicles. erectile dysfuntion.pain in hips.pain in pelvic region. im curious to you symptoms?