Long-Time Follower - Male Pudendal Neuralgia

Hi all,

I'm a 27 year old male, ex-college soccer player and avid weightlifter. I have had trigger points in the upper glutes and around the piriformis since i can remember. I have constantly pulled my hip flexors and hamstrings more times than I can count. After and during weight lifting, I have had frequent urination. Caffeine exacerbated the urination. None of these things ever interfered with my daily life and activities. I would get severe burning and frequency from time to time after ejaculation, but it would always go away after a couple hours, so I just thought it was normal.

4 years ago, driving to return to college, I had burning in the urethra, coupled with frequency. It was 3 week after intercourse and I was subconciously worried about STDs. I freaked, thinking it was herpes, and incessantly searched the internet and got every test done over the course of 6 months, which all came out clear. I then discovered prostatis, which lead me to the pudendal neuaralgia diagnosis. This left me devastated, and after browsing the pudendal hope sight, I was convinced that my life was over. This put me in massive spurts of depression and anxiety, as I was getting ready to graduate and start life in public accounting, which is very stressful.

In my 4 year journey, I have stumbled across TMS and fit the description pretty well. Self esteem issues, health anxiety, depression, perfectionism, ect. My only quarrel is that the pain has been stagnant in the left perineal branch of the pudendal nerve for 2 years. It has remained stagnant, and my trigger points have always been there. Also, it's pretty constant and the same exercises flare it. Question 1 is, could it still be TMS is the pain doesn't really move?

Question 2 is reaching out to anyone that has dealt with PN. I have done 2 years of PT, and didn't get much out of it. I simply did not do the exercises as I could not wrap my head around how gentle stretching and foam rolling can reverse years of supposed imbalances and muscle atrophy/hypertension. It just didnt make sense and felt like I was wasting my time. I've also had nerve blocks which only worked for a couple hours.

I'm currently going the psychological route. I just need some reassurance from an actual vet that this is beatable, even when told your PN is caused by structural issues and repetitive strain. Pudendal Neuralgia / chronic pelvic pain seems to be the new buzzword, so I hope there are people out there that have beat it recently.

 

Y'all have really been a great community and have helped me along in my process. I just really want to get my active lifestyle back and return to the things I love. I just need a little faith and a push in the right direction.

 

Bumping this to see if anyone has any insight.

 

Yes.

I started to get really bad CPPS when I was 27 as well! It started as frequent urination. Then it felt like I couldn't empty my bladder. Then the pain started. It was all over everything in that region. I went to the DRs, three different urologists, and pelvic floor physical therapy for 6 months. Nothing helped. I felt like I could not sit down at work because it would hurt so bad. I was constantly doing stretches and massages thinking that would cure it. Live was HELL. It was pretty much all I could think about 24/7. I spent months on the internet searching. Finding out about TMS helped a little... it gave me some sort of hope. I never felt like doing the journaling or emotional work helped. This lasted for well over a year until I moved. There was so much that I simply HAD to deal with that my mind I think "got over it" and on to something else. I still get flares for a few minutes / hours now and then - at least once a month. There is no fear so it goes away.

I wish I could tell you how to beat it but I honestly don't know. It sort of just faded. I am now currently dealing with other symptoms that I think are TMS (dizzy, off balance, weird muscle tightening). I believe in the concept of there not being anything physically wrong, I'm just not as lucky as the others on here treating TMS in the popular ways.