Prostatitis and Backpain?
Posted , 8 users are following.
I have had pain in my lower back, buttocks, and pelvic regions for over 2 years now. I was initially seeing doctors about my back and tried various treatments and saw many different doctors, yet none could figure out the problem. I recently got an MRI on my pelvis(MRI on lower back showed nothing) and what came up was a black spot on my prostate, which may indicate prostatitis. I am currently seeing a urologist who has put me on various medication(cipro, rapaflo, etc.) to relax my prostate, but it has not helped. He seems to have concluded that my pain is not being caused by my prostate, as I have no trouble urinating and am only 21 y/o, but it is the only lead I have been given in 2 years.
Symptoms include:
Extreme, almost unbearable, morning stiffness in lower back/buttocks
Pain in lower back, up in buttocks, and taint when sitting
Pain in buttocks and taint when getting an erection while sitting or even things like laughing while sitting(can feel it up there)
Very tight hamstrings
No problem using the bathroom
I spend all day stretching and exercising and everything still feels extremely tight all day, every day. Has anybody had a similar experience?
0 likes, 19 replies
steven43881 joe2611
Posted
Yes , I have had prostatitis for years and am getting very tired of this condition. There must be answers and i am trying to not let go of my hope. I had a turp done 6 years ago and that didn't help. When I sit down it feels like the urethra wants wants to move up. I am taking Serrapeptase for scarring tissue. There must be answers for us. Certainly we must count. Steve
arlington joe2611
Posted
You might want to find a good PT who specializes in working on the pelvic floor. It sounds like they could help you.
Good luck!
Dawnay joe2611
Posted
Also, my husband had this problem and seeing a chirporactor totally helped him. Chiropractors go to med school for 8 years, they understand how the body works.
joe2611 Dawnay
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Dawnay joe2611
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OMG, I'm betting that you have found your cause. Soft mattresses cause so much pain, especially if you sink in.. Firm with a pillow top is the only way to go, and they are the most popular these days.
Dawnay
Posted
joe2611 Dawnay
Posted
I got the new mattress after my back pain began over 2 years ago, but it is certainly not helping. I have a more firm bed in another room of my house that I will try to sleep on tonight. My pain makes it impossible to sleep on my back no matter the surface so I always sleep on my side. Not sure if that's worth mentioning lol
Dawnay joe2611
Posted
ES28567 joe2611
Posted
So my situation is way different than yours but I was having similar symptoms of lower back pain and pain in the buttock (it felt like the pain was in the bone because there was pain when I sat on a hard surface. I even had a bone scan to see if I had bone cancer,
I will share something that believe helped me but makes absolutely NO medical sense. Doctors and pharmacists will tell you that there is no way what I tell you could possibly be related. I'm also not recommending anyone try this but if you do, please come back to the forum and let others know if it worked for you. If it doesn't work post that too! I am only sharing this with you because of the frustration and despair I feel in your post.
Background
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and went from not knowing anything about the prostate including where it is or what it does to what I would call a non medical expert. I have researched all the procedures available for my condition along with their success rates, and their short-term & long-term side effects. I also looked at available drugs such as hormone therapy, read books and spent countless hours searching the Internet for the best solution for me. (Every man is different and there is no "one right solution" when it comes to the prostate).
So, I settled on a procedure called HIFU (look it up if you want). Unfortunately, to do this procedure I would need to shrink my prostate an almost impossible amount. So, my doctor put me on a prescription of Avodart. Normally Avodart is taken once/day. My prescription was 3 tablets 3 times per day (9 TIMES THE NORMAL DOSE!) I was shocked and a little scared but my doctor assured me (in front of my wife) that he has done this with many of his patients. Still...in the back of my mind I'm thinking, he wasn't the one that's going to be taking the Avodart, it's me. So, after more research on the use and side effects, I started taking Avodart and looking for any sign of negative side effects to give me a reason to stop taking it. Well, after taking the high dose for one and a half days, I was in noticeably less pain than I had been. Here is a copy of my post with another group in this forum.
"So I started on the high dose of Avodart Monday afternoon. In comparison, I have taken a fifteen day dosage in one and a half days. So, here's the weird part...when I woke up and got out of bed, I wasn't as sore as I usually am. I have NO explanation as nothing else has changed in my life. It very likely could be coincidental but it's the least sore (best I have felt) in over a year. And the improvement was very noticeable from the very moment I got up. (It wasn't like, oh, I'm not as sore today. It was, Wow! I feel pretty good). I was not expecting that type of result and if it only lasts a day, I will just count it as coincidental or placebo effect but as I was not having any expectation of such an effect, I honestly don't think it's a placebo effect. If it is due to the Avodart, then I will actually be a little concerned about what is the Avodart attacking that has been making me so sore all the time and is there something else I need to be worried about...."
I was having pain in my lower back, right shoulder, buttocks, and left hip and sometimes in my testicles. Prior to taking the Avodart, when I got out of bed, I felt like an old man, stiff and sore. I couldn't hardly walk straight until I had a hot shower. Not all the pain was gone, I still had some pain in my hip and shoulder but it was significantly less.
I am not taking the Avodart now as I have switched doctors and the plan has changed (still doing HIFU but only treating the areas of cancer and not the whole gland) so I don't need to reduce the size. My back pain is still gone, very slight pain in buttocks, hip and shoulder are back to the pain level they were prior to Avodart, testicle pain back (but that varies anyway), and I still fell pretty good when I get out of bed.
If you ask your doctor or pharmacist they will tell you there is no way the Avodart had that kind of result and I can't argue with that as I have not found any information to backup what happened. All I can do is share my experience with people looking for answers. Our situations are different as I am dealing with cancer. But many of the symptoms are similar so I wanted to share my experience. If you want to try this, be sure to read the possible side effects. If it helps, I don't think it is a long-term solution as you should probably not stay on a high dose for long. But if it does help, it might give you a new path to follow in seeking the cause of your pain.
One thing I will suggest you do is ask your doctor or urologist to do a PCA3 test. It is a good indicator of cancer and unlike the PSA test, it is not influenced by the size of the prostate. (Don't mean to scare you, doing the test will just rule out any concern). Find out the cost because your insurance may not cover it.
Dawnay ES28567
Posted
And yes, the Free PSA test is another test they could do, but I sincerely doubt that he has cancer.
joe2611 ES28567
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nealpros joe2611
Posted
I agree with those recommending a good cancer screening. Those also could be the symptoms of cancer. Your doctor should have already done this, and if he/she hasn't, I would consider getting a different one. I don't mean to worry you, and it is unlikely, but it is worth checking out.
I know this sounds crazy, but also check out your shoes. I get similar symptoms when my heels become worn. Perhaps it throws my spine out of alignment.
Please let us know what you find out. That's the only way any of us can learn.
Neal
joe2611 nealpros
Posted
I wear custom orthotics in my shoes that I have had for years and buy shoes regularly, so I don't think that is it. None of my doctors have had me get a cancer screening but I will definitely ask them ASAP. Thank you.
ES28567 joe2611
Posted
1) Get a better mattress.
2)Get a better Doctor!
3)Get screened for cancer.
A) Get a PCA3 test.
B)Get a full body bone cancer scan.
C)Get an MRI as described below.
So your first MRI did not show any signs for cancer (that's good). However it depends on the type of equipment they used and the expertise of the tech who read the images. You need a 3T MRI with and without Contrast. Then you need a tech who is a specialist in recognizing signs of cancer. Check with your doctor to find out what equipment was used and if the images were with and without contrast. (You can also just call the place that did the MRI and they will tell you). If the MRI was 3T (with and without contrast) and a cancer specialist read the images, then you can probably rule out cancer. (That's just my opinion and I'm NOT A DOCTOR). If they suggest other tests to help rule out cancer...do them. You can have a PSA test done (one that also tests for Free PSA) but they are not considered very reliable anymore as you can have a low PSA score (below 4) and still have cancer or a high PSA (above 4) and not have cancer. PSA tests are still used but the trend is now headed to using the test to watch to see if the level rises over time as a better indication of cancer. (Again, I'm just sharing with you what I have researched and others may have a different opinion). So, that is why I suggested the PCA3 test instead. This may seem like a premature statement but I'm going to say it anyway...Don't let a urologist talk you into jumping on the table for a random biopsy. Do everything else first!
If everything else comes back with no signs of cancer, I would start looking for other causes. (I totally don't know what I'm talking about here but if everything looks negative for cancer, a thought just popped into my head to see if there are some tests to check for rheumatoid arthritis). I have NO clue if that is a good thought or not.
I have a cousin who was scheduled to have back surgery because nothing was helping but had to take an antibiotic prior to surgery. As it turned out, his back pain all but disappeared and he canceled his surgery. So, perhaps a round of antibiotics is in order. I will ask him what he was prescribed if you like. I think I would try this first before I did the items I suggested above...other than get a better doctor. I would do that right a way.
nealpros joe2611
Posted
Neal