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My recovery from Chronic (and debilitating) Pelvic Pain/PN

Vouthon said:
You are more than welcome Sarah! I am so sorry to hear that you are suffering from pelvic pain but also happy that my success story has been able to offer you some much needed encouragement.

In my case, it was reading the stories of other people who had already come through this and out the other end that gave me the hope to go on and eventually, with time (a full year, more or less), get better/recover.

Please let me know how you get on, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Click to expand...
Hi Vouthon, thank you for your message. Is it ok if i send you a private message with some questions? Thank you so much!
 
SarahR said:
Hi Vouthon, thank you for your message. Is it ok if i send you a private message with some questions? Thank you so much!
Click to expand...

Of course!

I may be unable to answer tonight due to my work schedule but I will get back to you sometime tomorrow.
 
Do you recommend any readings from Lorimer Moseley other than Explain Pain (already read it a few months ago)? Love reading about research into non-structural pain, helps me with my own recovery.
 
Vouthon, I started to do the same (still suffering 9 years and counting), but you're sooooooooooooooooooooo right! We get caught up in the physical side of things. I also question what did I do to trigger off this latest flare up, etc, etc. I'm in a huge flare up right now (and all my symptoms started to change in April 2018), and like Lorimer Moseley says, nerves cross talk and wire up with other nerves, and so on and so forth.... But the fear in me questions everything!

Back in March 2016, for one blessed and magical week, my symptoms shut off. It was like someone flicked a switch, and I was back to my normal self. The moment I became happy and thought "Great! It's finally gone!" I went into a series of major flare ups :(

I'm older than you, hence I've had the career and the travel and the lifestyle I wanted, but all this came to an end in 2009 with PN (although since my late 20s I developed bladder problems, which I learned to live with because no one could find out what was wrong with me at the time).

Needless to say, I'm now trying to cope with the new symptoms (or I should say a variation of my old symptoms) of PN; and when one doesn't know what to expect the stress levels go skyhigh! At least I became used to my old flare ups--I guess when I lost my fear of them, back in 2016, my brain decided to change the variation of it. So the fear is back, my life quality is non-existent, and I'm now searching for an answer. I'm also working with the Dr Sarno books (and awaiting a DVD I purchased online since Australia is still in the dark ages and we don't have TMS doctors over here. It's a shame Lorimer doesn't see patients. Anyway, I'm trying my best to do what you did, but I'm so broken and worn out, and dealing with so many issues, that it's so difficult to do. Unfortunately, I don't have family support or friend support (only one brother with a young family who has his own issues); parents passed away, and so I'm on my own with my kitty. She's the only companion I have these days aside from the odd acquaintance.

I hope to overcome this one day. I chose early on not to go down the road of doctors and surgery when I saw that they didn't know what they were doing and none of them could agree on anything. I stuck to my chiropractor, who has been very supportive, and who still helps me with the emotional side of things via kinesiology. At least I'm releasing some emotions this way.

Wish me luck! And a huge congrats to you, of course! I hope you keep well, and don't let that brain fool you anymore :)



Vouthon said:
In January 2016, at the age of 23, I came down with severe pelvic pain that would go on to cripple and debilitate me for the next two years of my life.

Even thinking about it just now is a difficult experience because it causes me to relieve all the suffering that I had to endure. But I've decided to tell my "story", in the hope that it will encourage others not to lose hope (trust me, if I can recover from this given the severity of the symptoms, anyone can).

After initially being diagnosed with prostatitis in June 2016 and spoon-fed a useless cocktail of antibiotics (one class of which, ciprofloxacin, temporarily damaged the tendons in my legs for a whole year), I was subsequently diagnosed with both CCPS and Pudendal Neuralgia by different urologists.

I underwent test after test (digital rectal exam, prostate massage, cystoscopy etc.), with every result being negative for any sign of structural defect, infection or physical cause.

All the while my symptoms were unrelentingly painful, often meaning that I felt the need to either consign myself to bed or bathe in a warm bath. I had burning uriniation, sharp shooting pain in my rectum, perineum and sometimes testes along with ejaculatory discomfort. As you might expect, the pain severely impaired my quality of life and interfered with my career moves, which were at that time just beginning.

For a long time, far too long, I got caught up in the inevitable and understandable quest for a definitive structural explanation for my agony.

Then, one day last year, I read about both TMS and the research of Dr. Lorimer Moseley and decided that I had nothing left to lose. I began posting on this forum and trying to practise a set of mental techniques.

Firstly, I got over my "fear" of sitting or engaging in a range of physical activities out of deeply-seated apprehension that I would further 'damage' myself in some way (i.e. pudendal nerve, pelvic floor muscles etc.). I would sit and walk and run and ejaculate and do all these other things, no matter the pain - with the understanding in the back of my mind, the constant message to myself, that the pain (while very real) did not arise from structural damage.

Over months, I purposefully relaxed and reduced all signs of perceived danger whenever I experienced a bad "flare-up" in pain. In time, I disengaged myself from the 'narrative' that I had built up in my psyche - by which I mean, every time I felt the 'pain' I would usually 'rate' it i.e. "that was worse/better/the same as last time and I'm feeling this way because I did xyz physical activity and I'm going to feel really bad in the future because of the way I'm feeling right now".

It was hard, really hard to fight against the narrative that I'd allowed to play out in my head. But I did. I stopped worrying about whatever pain I'd experienced an hour, day, week or month ago. I stopped fearing that I would experience that same pain in the next hour, day, week or month. I stopped telling myself that I was in pain because I'd sat down for too long, or ran too fast, or lifted something too heavy, or ejaculated or whatever. And I stopped fearing that I'd be the same in the future.

I lost my fear. Lorimer Moseley's scientific studies were instrumental in helping me to believe, against all my inclinations to the contrary, that pain did not need to have a structural cause. That's why I credit him along with Sarno and the other TMS literature.

And after many months, losing that fear gradually led to a rapid reduction in both the magnitude and frequency of my symptoms. I stopped experiencing pain while sitting, whereas before I could only lie down or risk provoking a flare-up. I stopped experiencing any great pain while urinating or ejaculating, save for the odd flare up or two. I started to go days, weeks and now even months, without any or hardly any noticeable pain.

When the pain went away, sometimes I'd get a burst of excitement. "This is working, my pain is gone, I used to have pain every hour of every day and now I don't!" And then I'd get a major flare-up and all my confidence would ebb away. I'd fall back into the same negative thought-patterns and have to pull myself back up from the deep, back onto the road of progress that I was slowly but surely travelling down.

Eventually, I stopped feeling dejected and depressed when the pain flared-up and contrarily happy, elated when it went away. I became sort of apathetic, with practise, not reacting to one or the other.

And, to cut a long story short, over the past couple of months - with the odd flare-up here and there - I've been doing great and feeling fantastic. For days upon days, week after week, I've gone without any pain - which is apparently impossible if I really had PN or some kind of other serious structural defect.

In other words, IT works guys. This is no "pipe-dream" for chronic pain patients, as some doctors I now realise wrongfully assume or allege. It really was the "cure" in my situation and thanks to practising the mental techniques and honing the state of mind that I've just described to you, my brain appears to have been gradually re-wired - neuroplasticity, if you will. And the results for me have been nothing short of astonishing.

By conventional structural explanations, how is one to account for my dramatic improvement as a result of practising a set of psychological techniques and reducing all feelings of being in danger?
Click to expand...
 
Vouthon said:
In January 2016, at the age of 23, I came down with severe pelvic pain that would go on to cripple and debilitate me for the next two years of my life.

Even thinking about it just now is a difficult experience because it causes me to relieve all the suffering that I had to endure. But I've decided to tell my "story", in the hope that it will encourage others not to lose hope (trust me, if I can recover from this given the severity of the symptoms, anyone can).

After initially being diagnosed with prostatitis in June 2016 and spoon-fed a useless cocktail of antibiotics (one class of which, ciprofloxacin, temporarily damaged the tendons in my legs for a whole year), I was subsequently diagnosed with both CCPS and Pudendal Neuralgia by different urologists.

I underwent test after test (digital rectal exam, prostate massage, cystoscopy etc.), with every result being negative for any sign of structural defect, infection or physical cause.

All the while my symptoms were unrelentingly painful, often meaning that I felt the need to either consign myself to bed or bathe in a warm bath. I had burning uriniation, sharp shooting pain in my rectum, perineum and sometimes testes along with ejaculatory discomfort. As you might expect, the pain severely impaired my quality of life and interfered with my career moves, which were at that time just beginning.

For a long time, far too long, I got caught up in the inevitable and understandable quest for a definitive structural explanation for my agony.

Then, one day last year, I read about both TMS and the research of Dr. Lorimer Moseley and decided that I had nothing left to lose. I began posting on this forum and trying to practise a set of mental techniques.

Firstly, I got over my "fear" of sitting or engaging in a range of physical activities out of deeply-seated apprehension that I would further 'damage' myself in some way (i.e. pudendal nerve, pelvic floor muscles etc.). I would sit and walk and run and ejaculate and do all these other things, no matter the pain - with the understanding in the back of my mind, the constant message to myself, that the pain (while very real) did not arise from structural damage.

Over months, I purposefully relaxed and reduced all signs of perceived danger whenever I experienced a bad "flare-up" in pain. In time, I disengaged myself from the 'narrative' that I had built up in my psyche - by which I mean, every time I felt the 'pain' I would usually 'rate' it i.e. "that was worse/better/the same as last time and I'm feeling this way because I did xyz physical activity and I'm going to feel really bad in the future because of the way I'm feeling right now".

It was hard, really hard to fight against the narrative that I'd allowed to play out in my head. But I did. I stopped worrying about whatever pain I'd experienced an hour, day, week or month ago. I stopped fearing that I would experience that same pain in the next hour, day, week or month. I stopped telling myself that I was in pain because I'd sat down for too long, or ran too fast, or lifted something too heavy, or ejaculated or whatever. And I stopped fearing that I'd be the same in the future.

I lost my fear. Lorimer Moseley's scientific studies were instrumental in helping me to believe, against all my inclinations to the contrary, that pain did not need to have a structural cause. That's why I credit him along with Sarno and the other TMS literature.

And after many months, losing that fear gradually led to a rapid reduction in both the magnitude and frequency of my symptoms. I stopped experiencing pain while sitting, whereas before I could only lie down or risk provoking a flare-up. I stopped experiencing any great pain while urinating or ejaculating, save for the odd flare up or two. I started to go days, weeks and now even months, without any or hardly any noticeable pain.

When the pain went away, sometimes I'd get a burst of excitement. "This is working, my pain is gone, I used to have pain every hour of every day and now I don't!" And then I'd get a major flare-up and all my confidence would ebb away. I'd fall back into the same negative thought-patterns and have to pull myself back up from the deep, back onto the road of progress that I was slowly but surely travelling down.

Eventually, I stopped feeling dejected and depressed when the pain flared-up and contrarily happy, elated when it went away. I became sort of apathetic, with practise, not reacting to one or the other.

And, to cut a long story short, over the past couple of months - with the odd flare-up here and there - I've been doing great and feeling fantastic. For days upon days, week after week, I've gone without any pain - which is apparently impossible if I really had PN or some kind of other serious structural defect.

In other words, IT works guys. This is no "pipe-dream" for chronic pain patients, as some doctors I now realise wrongfully assume or allege. It really was the "cure" in my situation and thanks to practising the mental techniques and honing the state of mind that I've just described to you, my brain appears to have been gradually re-wired - neuroplasticity, if you will. And the results for me have been nothing short of astonishing.

By conventional structural explanations, how is one to account for my dramatic improvement as a result of practising a set of psychological techniques and reducing all feelings of being in danger?
Click to expand...
This is a story. You’re so brave to push past the pain and not react emotionally to it.

Can I ask, did you have an MRI to determine your PN?
 
Hey Vouthon,is there any way i can message/contact you i would really like to talk to you,i am in the almsot same boat as you are,would appreciate it if it is possible to talk to you.
 
Hey,

I've not been on the forum for many months due to work purposes (a busy career in law).

After logging in today, however, I noticed that I've received messages from folk whom I've never caught up with - stretching back to 2019 and even 2018. I just wanted to say that whilst I cannot get involved in extended chats at the moment, I would be happy to do so in about three weeks with anyone that would like to discuss my recovery and how it worked in my case.

An update on my health:

I have been 100% pain free for many, many, many months. 2020 has so far been an utterly pain free year for me. No mini relapses or flare-ups.

What's more, I progressed early this year - during lockdown - to doing something I'd have thought impossible two and a half years ago: weightlifting. A year and more after recovering, I still couldn't muster the daring to actual lift heavy weights.

Even though the pain had long since gone, a fear still lingered somewhere in my psyche even though I knew that there was no structural cause behind the chronic pain I'd experienced. But with free time to spare during the lockdown, I just went for it - and have experienced not one flare-up after months of my fitness routine.

During my years of chronic CPPS/PN, I couldn't even sit down, walk to the park etc. without terrible sharp pain in my rectum & burning urethra etc. Now, I do intense running and weight training without any pain on an almost daily basis.

As a result, I no longer have need to use the psychological techniques that got me through it anymore, as I have such few flare-ups.

But the basic reason I'm writing here is just to let everyone know, firstly, that I remain pain-free and wholly recovered and secondly that when time allows I will get back to every single person who has messaged me.
 
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Vouthon:

You story is truly inspiring as I am currently experiencing what you did. I am glad to hear that you healed and that I will heal in my own time too.
 
*Bump*

Hey guys,

Just wanted to pop back in again to say that I will catch up with all messages sent to me by PM when able.

Since my last update here in July 2020, just over a year ago, I have again not experienced even one flare-up of pain - major or minor - and for all these months have continued to lift heavy weights and doing resistance training at least three, sometimes four, days a week. In between, I also do intense running and interval training, again no problem. Entirely pain free, very active.

I have been out of the woods for a very long time now.

This can be done people, I'm living proof. Never lose hope.
 
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[moderator edit: text deleted and reposted to Support subforum as a new thread]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello @jox07. You might not get any responses because you added this to an old thread started four years ago, and because it's in our Success Stories subforum, and because the title of the thread is about someone who recovered. I review all recent posts, but many folks only look at titles to decide what to read, or they only look at posts in certain subforums to focus on topics.

You are looking for help and support, so I suggest that you find the Support subforum, start a new thread with a title that is personal to your situation and your request for help, and then copy your post there. Then you should delete this one so there is no duplicate confusion (or I can delete it if you ask me to).

Sorry I can only respond in English - I haven't studied French for fifty years and it's mostly gone :rolleyes:

Good luck,

~Jan
 
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JanAtheCPA said:
Hello @jox07. You might not get any responses because you added this to an old thread started four years ago, and because it's in our Success Stories subforum, and because the title of the thread is about someone who recovered. I review all recent posts, but many folks only look at titles to decide what to read, or they only look at posts in certain subforums to focus on topics.

You are looking for help and support,
So I suggest that you find the Support subforum, start a new thread with a title that is personal to your situation and your request for help, and then copy your post there. Then you should delete this one so there is no duplicate confusion (or I can delete it if you ask me to).

Sorry I can only respond in English - I haven't studied French for fifty years and it's mostly gone :rolleyes:

Good luck,

~Jan
Click to expand...
Oh I'm sorry, thank you so much for answer my question .. I'm going to post this in the right place!

Don't worry your French is probably good as my English hahs

Thanks!!!
 
Vouthon said:
In January 2016, at the age of 23, I came down with severe pelvic pain that would go on to cripple and debilitate me for the next two years of my life.

Even thinking about it just now is a difficult experience because it causes me to relieve all the suffering that I had to endure. But I've decided to tell my "story", in the hope that it will encourage others not to lose hope (trust me, if I can recover from this given the severity of the symptoms, anyone can).

After initially being diagnosed with prostatitis in June 2016 and spoon-fed a useless cocktail of antibiotics (one class of which, ciprofloxacin, temporarily damaged the tendons in my legs for a whole year), I was subsequently diagnosed with both CCPS and Pudendal Neuralgia by different urologists.

I underwent test after test (digital rectal exam, prostate massage, cystoscopy etc.), with every result being negative for any sign of structural defect, infection or physical cause.

All the while my symptoms were unrelentingly painful, often meaning that I felt the need to either consign myself to bed or bathe in a warm bath. I had burning uriniation, sharp shooting pain in my rectum, perineum and sometimes testes along with ejaculatory discomfort. As you might expect, the pain severely impaired my quality of life and interfered with my career moves, which were at that time just beginning.

For a long time, far too long, I got caught up in the inevitable and understandable quest for a definitive structural explanation for my agony.

Then, one day last year, I read about both TMS and the research of Dr. Lorimer Moseley and decided that I had nothing left to lose. I began posting on this forum and trying to practise a set of mental techniques.

Firstly, I got over my "fear" of sitting or engaging in a range of physical activities out of deeply-seated apprehension that I would further 'damage' myself in some way (i.e. pudendal nerve, pelvic floor muscles etc.). I would sit and walk and run and ejaculate and do all these other things, no matter the pain - with the understanding in the back of my mind, the constant message to myself, that the pain (while very real) did not arise from structural damage.

Over months, I purposefully relaxed and reduced all signs of perceived danger whenever I experienced a bad "flare-up" in pain. In time, I disengaged myself from the 'narrative' that I had built up in my psyche - by which I mean, every time I felt the 'pain' I would usually 'rate' it i.e. "that was worse/better/the same as last time and I'm feeling this way because I did xyz physical activity and I'm going to feel really bad in the future because of the way I'm feeling right now".

It was hard, really hard to fight against the narrative that I'd allowed to play out in my head. But I did. I stopped worrying about whatever pain I'd experienced an hour, day, week or month ago. I stopped fearing that I would experience that same pain in the next hour, day, week or month. I stopped telling myself that I was in pain because I'd sat down for too long, or ran too fast, or lifted something too heavy, or ejaculated or whatever. And I stopped fearing that I'd be the same in the future.

I lost my fear. Lorimer Moseley's scientific studies were instrumental in helping me to believe, against all my inclinations to the contrary, that pain did not need to have a structural cause. That's why I credit him along with Sarno and the other TMS literature.

And after many months, losing that fear gradually led to a rapid reduction in both the magnitude and frequency of my symptoms. I stopped experiencing pain while sitting, whereas before I could only lie down or risk provoking a flare-up. I stopped experiencing any great pain while urinating or ejaculating, save for the odd flare up or two. I started to go days, weeks and now even months, without any or hardly any noticeable pain.

When the pain went away, sometimes I'd get a burst of excitement. "This is working, my pain is gone, I used to have pain every hour of every day and now I don't!" And then I'd get a major flare-up and all my confidence would ebb away. I'd fall back into the same negative thought-patterns and have to pull myself back up from the deep, back onto the road of progress that I was slowly but surely travelling down.

Eventually, I stopped feeling dejected and depressed when the pain flared-up and contrarily happy, elated when it went away. I became sort of apathetic, with practise, not reacting to one or the other.

And, to cut a long story short, over the past couple of months - with the odd flare-up here and there - I've been doing great and feeling fantastic. For days upon days, week after week, I've gone without any pain - which is apparently impossible if I really had PN or some kind of other serious structural defect.

In other words, IT works guys. This is no "pipe-dream" for chronic pain patients, as some doctors I now realise wrongfully assume or allege. It really was the "cure" in my situation and thanks to practising the mental techniques and honing the state of mind that I've just described to you, my brain appears to have been gradually re-wired - neuroplasticity, if you will. And the results for me have been nothing short of astonishing.

By conventional structural explanations, how is one to account for my dramatic improvement as a result of practising a set of psychological techniques and reducing all feelings of being in danger?
Click to expand...

your story is really inspiring. Could you provide more details on the techniques you used to overcame the fear of pain? I’m really struggling with it. Once the pain start I build anxiety and fear and it seems I can’t exit this negative loop.

thanks
 
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