So, I've been in physiotherapy since December 2023 and I'm very happy with the results.

For a bit of background, my symptoms are mostly urinary and began in 2019. For the first ten months it was constant – a profoundly uncomfortable burning/tingling, combined with frequency and urgency. At it's very worst, I was going to the bathroom for a pee (regardless of whether I actually would or not) every 30 - 40 minutes throughout the day, which offered maybe 10 minutes of relief before the sensation would return again. Then, the same old feeling of being on the edge of pissing my pants. It was like clockwork, all day, every day. Since you're here, I assume you know the exact feeling I mean and how bad it is. After that first ten months, it became more episodic in nature. It would wane for two to three weeks, then come back with a vengeance for anywhere from one to three months. Go away for a week, come back for forty day follow-up. Etcetera. This cycle continued on for years until a couple of months ago. Suffice it to say, it really fucked up a lot of stuff in my life, making things very hard for me on pretty much every possible level. As a professional and a family man, it regularly got it the way and made me feel like I was subpar. I mean, avoiding any situation where a bathroom wasn't immediately available? Yeah – I feel like there's a lot I've missed out on, although I've always done my very best to power through it, for the sake of the people around me. But, yeah, you get the idea.

Anyways, the process of diagnosing and treating it wasn't any better. Name a test and I've had it done at least once. Bloodwork, urine cultures, STI screenings, ultrasounds, MRIs – the whole works. They never found a thing. Shit, they've even prescribed me things just as stabs in the dark to see if they'd help. They nearly never did.

And then, almost off the cuff, my urologist suggested I see a physiotherapist. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made. On my first visit, I was examined and told I have Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Disorder. Then, I was given a progressively longer and more involved series of stretches and massage techniques. Combined with bladder re-training and biofeedback, I feel like I have my life back for the first time in half a decade.

Now, I go to the bathroom and pee an average of five times a day. I still have episodes, but they're nowhere near the same in terms of length and severity. Think three months of being normal, with a week of needing to go maybe eight times a day instead of five or six. I'm even considering not taking Flomax anymore, instead opting for a short-term prescription of muscle relaxants for those now rare occasions when things get a little too spicy.

I've been told that, eventually, I won't need medication or stretches at all anymore. I'll be back to normal.

Needless to say, I'm over the moon and just wanted to say to everyone who might be feeling lost and hopeless like I once was – it gets better. Keep following your treatment and don't get discouraged. This isn't forever, although I know it can feel that way sometimes.

Don't give up.

basically what the title says. every 10 minutes or so i have urgency to pee again, and it’s always clear even if i’m not drinking anything. today, i’ve only drank 1 water bottle and have been running to the bathroom non stop.

i took a urine test, no UTI or STD’s. PSA test came back normal. Have a bladder ultrasound on wednesday, and am currently waiting for a referral for a urologist to go through. i really just don’t know what to do. i’ve read about pelvic floor dysfunction, but not sure if this symptom is exactly related. has anyone else had this problem? i’m just not sure how my body is producing urine like this so fast, and all of my lab work is normal.

this has been going on for a few years now on and off, but this week it’s been literally every single day and it’s effecting my day to day life :(

32F I had a horrible pelvic floor flare last summer that lasted 3 months, was basically bedridden in horrible vaginal pain and taking tramadol daily for pain management. My urogyn at the time recommended 300 units of Botox along with pudendal nerve block under anesthesia in the OR. After 10 days my symptoms began to ease and over the last 7 months I had gotten my life back and was basically symptom free 90 percent of the time.

I decided to do a preventative round of Botox with my doc even though I wasn’t in pain, and she was on board with it. I felt pretty much normal two weeks after the procedure. Well about 3 weeks after surgery I had a giant flare causing bladder frequency and vaginal pain. I am currently 4 weeks post op and still dealing with these symptoms.

Do you think it was a bad call to go in for Botox while I wasn’t in pain? I feel like it created a flare out of nowhere and I’m feeling awful. I’m going back to see my urogyn next week for an exam but I’m not sure what the next steps would be. I just really hope this calms down.

Has anyone had an experience similar? I had so much hope because Botox worked like a dream the first time and I’m not sure why I’m so much worse off this second time. Perhaps other muscles compensating for the Botox?

If anyone has advice or has been through something similar that would be great to hear.

https://palmtopinepelvicpt.com/menopause/f/radical-acceptance-at-any-stage-of-your-menstrual-career#91962069-da1d-4f2c-9c08-6ff2ebf91533

I have tons of symptoms, but wondering about these specifically and whether anyone else here has them.

My penis isn’t curved per say, but rather it is crooked at the base where the shaft meets the pelvis.

It also appears to be rotated slightly to the right. I know that this can be “normal”, but mine was never like this before my symptoms started about a year ago.

I am also wondering about foot cramps. It mainly happens in my right foot.

I’ve also been having perineum pain a lot more frequently lately, testicle pain, but I do have bilateral varicoceles.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Just wondering if I can get some more input from the community.

Hi. I'm 36f and been very stressed and anxious the last 5 weeks with that has come daily morning diarrhea. I noticed I had hemorrhoids the other week and treated them but now I have what looks like excess skin around my anus! I sent a picture to an online Dr (not sure how reliable they are) she said it is mild hypertrophy of the anal sphincter! Now I know I've been very tense all my muscles ache and I've got a feeling of pressure in my rectum most days. Now I'm wondering if this is caused by a tight pelvic floor?

Does anyone else here have the problem that the pelvic floor only tenses up when moving (e.g. when walking)? I am looking for the cause of my bladder pressure when walking. I have no bladder pressure when laying down or sitting. After walking for a long time, I get pain in my lower back.

I am having a PFPT next week.

So I was doing these stretches that are meant to release your pelvic floor and for like 2 days afterwards I've been super sore.

My inner thighs and glutes especially, plus my legs kinda shake and feel super weak when I'm standing for too long. I feel like all this points to weak pelvic floor but I'm not sure if the soreness means it's working or if I'm pushing myself too hard.

Any advice? Thanks!

I am going to be attending Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy soon (haven't had first session yet). I was referred to PT by my urologist. Starting 6.5 weeks ago, I have had what felt like a very bad UTI and/or prostatitis .... I have had multiple urine tests and cultures, blood work (with normal PSA), a CT scan, prostate exam, and other tests, which all came back negative. However, the last couple of days I noticed a new symptom: My urine smells very very strong (and quite foul). As in, I have to spray Lysol. Can Pelvic Floor Dysfunction cause this to occur, or is this definitely a sign of infection? Could a bacterial prostate infection (or UTI) take over 6 weeks to become evident? Should I go to urgent care for another urine sample, after having seen a urologist twice?

Heeeeelp!!!! I have surgery May 28th and I can't find ANY actual detailed answers from women / AFABs regarding long-term sexual function after healing from anterior & posterior repair surgery to fix rectocele & cystocele. I keep getting the same standard advice about the early healing process (6 weeks before attempting any penetration & use TONS of lube) but I cannot for the life of me find detailed helpful answers about the future BEYOND that!

I have a very healthy & active sex life with my husband, so I'd be absolutely devastated having to say goodbye to that! I honestly sooo badly want to hear some awesome positive stories to make me feel hopeful, but I also want the truth if that makes sense. The following questions will be about sexual health so proceed with caution if you're sensitive about this topic.....

My main questions:

1. Is your sex life better or worse post-op? How would you rate it from a scale 1 to 10 before VS now after surgery?

2. Do you have increased or decreased sensation in the vagina during penetration? Do you feel a noticeable difference in tightness and friction, and is this beneficial for both you and your partner?

3. If my partner is larger than average (7.5"+) would I still be able to accommodate him during penetrative sex after surgery? If no, will this be a problem only early on or will it be a long term issue spanning many years?

4. Overall, do you think this surgery helped your sex life more or hurt your sex life more?? Is there anything else I should know ahead of surgery that the doc def won't tell me during my pre-op visit (may 10th) ?? Thanks soooo much everyone! 😊💗

I was on youtube today and found this video of a guy explaining what the onset-recovery... Worth a watch.

https://youtu.be/3plCVA7LJ5M?feature=shared

Has anyone been told that they have issues with their coccygeus muscle and the sacrospinous/sacrotuberous ligaments? My symptoms are aggravated by sitting for extended periods of time and straining on the toilet. I can feel the ligament kink off my rectum and sometimes it pulls so tight that I can even feel it vaginally. It makes me feel like i constantly need to have a BM and then when I use internal methods to release it the sensation goes away. Wondering if anyone has had success with something other than internal manipulation (as that’s not always something I can do depending on the time/place)

Does hypertonic pain move around the pelvic and around that area?

Hi all! I promised myself I would post if I ever felt like I was on the other side of the constant discomfort and nagging feeling of needing to pee. It’s going to be long, I just know that when I could find the same symptoms in someone else, it made me feel better. I want to provide the same hope for someone else.

It started the first week of August 2023, so I’m about nine months into my journey. I went off birth control (I’m 34f, by the way) and my life fell apart before my eyes. I had extreme body aches, tingles/twitching in my legs, horrific health anxiety, and depression for the first time in my life. I convinced myself that I had the same kidney disease as my father, even though a CT scan ruled it out, and started counting how many times I peed a day (it was 10-14). 10 weeks into this, I started to feel like I had a UTI. Constant urge to pee, slight burning, and it felt like there was a rock where my bladder was. This was the last straw and I went back on birth control. The bladder pressure/pain went away within a week, but what was left was this constant nagging feeling of needing to pee. It was unbearable and there were many days where I didn’t think I would make it.

I started pelvic floor physical therapy about 3 weeks after symptoms started. I also saw a urologist who prescribed hydroxyzine, but was completely unhelpful otherwise. Of course, interstitial cystitis was brought up, but I really didn’t want to put that label on this. I vehemently wanted to pursue the pelvic floor dysfunction route first, but I was told several times it was wishful thinking. In pfpt, I couldn’t feel my pelvic floor drop at first and belly breathing did absolutely nothing. Daily stretches and yoga also didn’t seem to help, but I kept at it. However, I was learning to hold it when I didn’t really need to pee ( I now go 5-7 times a day). Three months into physical therapy, I finally could feel my pelvic floor drop and it was about 50/50 that stretches somewhat helped. I was still getting pretty bad burning during and after urination which I couldn’t tell if it was coming from my urethra or not. Later on, I would recognize it was from my perineum. I would also get weird tingles in my clit that made me feel like I needed to pee (sometimes it would feel like a weird zap when I belly breathed). I also felt like the urge to pee was coming from my vagina.

My physical therapist would perform internal work and dry needling with estim (my back and stomach, then eventually my pelvic floor). I never felt immediate relief like I’ve read on this subreddit, but nevertheless she persisted. Six months in, I would have days where I felt 80% normal, but I was never symptom free. This is when I almost gave up. I luckily have a friend who is a pfpt and I confided in her. She said when it’s born from stress/anxiety and potentially something that’s been building your whole life, it can take a year to a year and a half. So I kept going and 8 months in, I was having symptom free days. I switched birth control last month and weened myself off hydroxyzine. This last month has been amazing. I wouldn’t call myself “cured” because I had 4 days two weeks ago where it burned when I peed and stuck around for 30 minutes to an hour afterwards, but that is nothing compared to how it used to be.

I just want to let anyone who is struggling know that it can get better. Don’t feel discouraged when you read that someone felt better after two weeks or three months. Everyone’s body is different and it can take a long time to heal. I’m sending everyone so many positive vibes.

TLDR; it took 8 months of physical therapy to feel better. Things that helped: Dr. Bri yoga and stretches, dry needling with estim, internal work, at home pelvic wand, thc:cbn gummies to sleep, mental therapy, low dose estrogen birth control (maybe?)

18f I've been dealing with back issues causing pressure and stiffness. Then it causes me to pee a lot as well it's just horrible what could this be? Had an MRI and it shows up completely normal No spinal defects or herniated discs.

So Im pretty sure I have some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction. I have soreness in my lower abs and around my pubic bone area. I can sometimes feel the muscle straining when I pee and especially when masturbating (my orgasms are mostly weak too).

I told my primary care doc about the abdominal pain and he sent me for bloodwork and abdominal ultrasound and they came back normal. Now he prescribed me a muscle relaxer to take. I told him that my hunch is that this is posture related because I have poor posture but all he did was prescribe a muscle relaxer (haven't gotten the pills yet so I don't know if they'll work yet). Should I see a physical therapist or something? I feel like my primary care doc doesnt really understand this condition

After 3 months of barely getting sleep because after a few minutes of laying down my testicles will have moved around so much and give me intense pain until I stand up, which hurts after a few minutes too, I’ve finally been seen by a urologist and got told I had pelvic floor dysfunction. The doctor checked my testicles with his gloves for about a minute while I was squirming in pain at the slightest touch and immediately said everything lines up to be PVD and gave me a referall to PT, not even a 10 minute visit.

So, what do I do for now until it’s time for PT to start? I’m scared to even start it when the slightest movement cripples me and my health anxiety has me stressing I’ve been misdiagnosed or something, is it really possible to diagnose it so fast and accurately? I’ve been searching a lot and my pain is mostly just testicular and seems different than what I’m reading

Hello, I’m 34 years old. A week ago, I had a female grind on my male front part. A week later, I’ve been having burning feeling at the tip of my male urethra. I was checked for STDs, everything is negative. No blood, no swelling, no trouble going number 1, no back pain, no fever but I have a strong burning feeling at the entrance to my urethra. When I stand up, my pain drops and to very mild. When I go number 1, I pee straight and there’s no sign of ripped urethra. I’ve gone to a regular doctor and they’ve tested me for STDs and they think it’s just an injury. Is this common injury in men ? What can it be ?

Hi Reddit Fam -

After 2 years of chasing the source of my chronic constipation, abdominal pain, and severe bloating - I think I have an answer...

My colonoscopy, endoscopy, colonic transit test, CT scans and ultrasounds have all been normal. The only thing found was SIBO, which hasn't improved much after 5 different courses of treatment. I was referred to a colon and rectal specialist to see if there was an underlying issue. He believed I have an Obstruction in the defaecation process and sent me for a defecogram. My results were posted to My Portal, however my Doctor is out of office and I am way to impatient to not try and interpret the results myself. If anyone is familiar with this and could offer any clarity, I'd really appreciate it. This condition has put my life on pause for SO long, I just want to know that there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Results:

• EXAMINATION: DEFECOGRAPHY
• COMPARISON/CORRELATION: None
• CLINICAL HISTORY: chronic constipation.
• TECHNIQUE: Barium paste was instilled into the rectum in a retrograde fashion. Multiple rapid sequence fluoroscopic images were then obtained with the patient in the lateral seated position.
• FINDINGS:
  • A preliminary plain film demonstrates contrast opacified loops of nondilated small bowel which reach the pelvis.
  • The neutral anorectal angle is normal at approximately 92 degrees. There is appropriate cranial migration and increased puborectal muscle impression during the lift phase, and appropriate caudal migration with straining phase.
  • There is a 2.7 x 2.3 cm (AP x cc) anterior rectocele which accumulates contrast during the evacuation phase and only partially empties.
  • There is a small amount of residual contrast within the anterior rectocele on postevacuation images.
  • There is no enterocele or evidence of rectal prolapse.
  • Total fluoroscopy time: 0.7 minutes.
• IMPRESSION: 2.7 x 2.3 cm anterior rectocele, with incomplete emptying of the rectocele during evacuation.

Should you keep bladder training if you have a UTI?

My symptom is whenever I move my stomach or standing or press the bladder I feel I wouldnt say the urge to pee immidately but like it slowly starts to build up. Pretty annoying. Also loss of sensation while masturbating which what I noticed gets better when I nut and try again. I feel the discomfort in urethra mostly but not pain. Only sometimes pain in testicles but for a moment and it stops. And my testicles feel uncomfortable. But when I did prostate exam I felt no discomfort at all sometimes when i press right below the testicles (but not next to anus where the prostate should be felt) I feel that same discomfort as in urethra but im not sure does it have to do anything with the prostate? This is going on for 12 months.

Now for me its obvious that there is some kind of infection in urethra because of the discomfort but is it really possible all that could cause these symptoms?

Can anyone tell if it is pelvic floor or has to something with pudendal?

So I have endometriosis but also bladder pain but my gyno doesn’t think endo is causing my bladder pain at all. So today I went to a pelvic physio and my pelvic floor was really tight like super tight. So hopefully that’s what’s causing my pain.

Please share any tips you might have. I have been dealing with a constant urge to pee for 9 months. It started randomly after sex and never left. It's been non-stop since then. Nothing gives me a glimpse of relief. I have tried physical therapy, using a pelvic wand at home, daily stretches, using a hot pad, sitting as little as possible, supplements/medications to relax my pelvic floor. I already tested negative for everything, even less common bacterias. I feel very much depressed and tired of this.

According to my Mayo Clinic physical therapist my technique is great. I don’t think so as it feels weird and causes restless feet and I get very irritated as im engaging my diaphragm.

My issues are

1. it appears I exhale faster than inhaling.
2. feels like I don’t get enough oxygen if I’m engaging this breathing technique

That being said I’m not sure I’m actually doing it correctly it might appear to be so that my chest doesn’t move at all and belly goes up.

Looking for some insight (or even just commiseration). Since late January I’ve been dealing with pelvic pain that seemingly came out of nowhere, and I have yet to uncover what’s causing it. It started as a sort of spasm feeling in my lower abdomen (not painful). The next day it turned into a dull ache that lasted a month (sort of felt like period cramps). Then the dull ache subsided and gave way to a sort of tightness in the lower abdomen, especially in the hips and area where the legs connect to the groin. Every so often I get a sharp, shooting pain that travels down my right leg. While I’m happy the constant ache is mostly gone, I’m now annoyed that I’m dealing with this intermittent sharp pain and sore feeling down there. Considerations:

• There are no other symptoms (periods are normal, no significant cramps while on period, no GI issues, no fever, etc.).
• It tends to feel better in the morning and flare up towards the end of the day.
• Baths and hot compresses help.
• Stretching, especially butterfly stretches, make it feel better temporarily.
• When the sharp pain happens, stretching or movement usually makes it stop.
• Prior to the pain I had lost 30 lbs within 3 months (intentionally mostly through diet and nutrition) and was doing a lot of intense core workouts but I don’t recall getting injured or anything.
• I do have a history with anxiety and have noticed that pain gets worse when I’m stressed or anxious.
• I’ve seen my OBGYN twice and received two pelvic exams and a transvaginal ultrasound which were clear. She was insistent that it’s not a gynecological issue and basically sent me home with a shrug.
• When I really started to panic I went to the ER, where they did blood and urine work (both clear) and looked at my ultrasound results (clear) and too couldn’t figure it out and sent me home with a shrug.
• I went to a GI specialist to rule out GI issues. Doc didn’t think it sounded like a GI problem given I show no other symptoms that would be consistent with a GI issue, but did an abdominal ultrasound just in case which also came up clear.

I’m seeing a primary doc next week and will continue to investigate this but wondering if anyone has experienced something like this. Is it pelvic floor dysfunction? Endo? Hormones? Something else? Appreciate any insight to help me feel less alone in this frustrating (and painful!) experience.

Have you tried it? How did you feel?

I’ve read a lot about it, but recently saw a post claiming it’s not good for the pudental nerve.

I just started experiencing pretty intense pelvic pain right after using the toilet. This was bizarre, and it hurt almost similar to how it felt when I had my first hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. I think straining triggered it. Got a little better with heat in the tub just now. But it is still bad enough that I took Tylenol and am on my heating pad.

I also have interstitial cystitis and wonder if somehow straining to have a movement also put pressure on my bladder?

Idk. I am just VERY tired of this. I think it all started years ago, like...12 years ago when I was in undergrad. I started noticing I was getting constipated out of nowhere. It made NO SENSE, as at that time as much as now, I was eating like a bunny, drinking 64 or more ounces of water daily, and walking at high speed across my massive campus between classes. I knew something was probably wrong then because it definitely has nothing to do with lacking fiber, fluids, exercise...

I'm tired of being in pain. I think I need to go back to physical therapy, which I already do for my lower back and arthritis. Sigh.

Hi I really need some advice and I would appreciate anyone who could help, sorry for the TMI and for the long post :)

Summary:

I have always masturbated laying down and tensing my pelvic floor, also with heavy death grip. Now I have a hard time getting/staying hard mastrubating especially while not clenching pelvic floor, and I have low sensitivity in my penis. I have occasional hard flaccid as well. My pelvic floor is extremely tense often especially when I try to mastrubate and it it hard to ever relax it. When I did nofap for a month and tried relaxing my pelvic floor my penis started to get harder easier and feel more senitive but I have only tried it for that month so far. I am concerned about having Venous leak, Prostatitis, or Tense pelvis floor. What medical issue could I likely be having and what should I do about it?

Symptoms:

Since I can remember I literally only masturbated in the same lying down position, while clenching my ass/pelvic floor or even crossing my legs and I always felt tense. I also had heavy death grip and porn/masturbation addiction.

My erections feel weak and softer especially in the head, but my penis still can get fully hard during mastrubation especially when I am close to orgasm or in a crowching/squatting or missionary position, its softest in the laying down on my back position i always used. My penis is desensitized and doesnt feel that great during stroking. It is hard to orgasm/get hard in the first place when not clinching my pelvic/butt area. When i mastrubate too often i start loosing my erection fast, and often am half hard through mastrubating. Ive had these problems to some extent for a long time and cannot remember when they started. As far as I can tell I never have morning wood.

I havent had piv sex but so far I have had a hard time getting hard. I didnt really get hard the times I have cuddled/made out, but also I was very nervous. I have gotten mostly hard during a blowjob before, but it did not feel great due to desensitization and and I couldn't finish.

Pelvic floor:

My pelvic floor is extremely and always tense as far as i can tell. i usually feel tense there throught the day like my unconcious default is tense.

When i focus on relaxing it or squating/stretching i can literally feel the warmth/feeling coming back to that area and my penis feel more sensitive and aroused to touch, but it can also be hard to masturbate/stay hard i think because I'm used to only clenching.

Health/lifestyle:

My lifestyle has been very sedentary for years, literally no excercise no stretching, laying around all day besides school/work which i dont go to often. I have depression and my sex drive is generally low. Not on any medication and not diagnosed with any medical issues and I'm not overweight

I have not had a specific injury or day i can remember problems starting. But when i was really little i mastrubated a multiple times humping a pillow while pushing my dick downwards towards my feet instead of upwards toward my bellybutton. I remember it being somewhat painful but no specific major pain/injury and i cant remember my dick feeling differently afterwords.

I dont have any pain in my penis/pelvic floor unless I have been exccessivley clinching or death gripping, then I can feel pain or aching but never really on its own during normal activity. My sex drive is generally low. My butt/pelvis floor can also ache sometimes after sitting for long periods of time

Conclusion:

Recently I have tried nofap and doing some stretches/exercises for only a month and I think it helped. I felt like my penis was more sensitive and getting hard easier with less stimulation, and my sex drive was higher. After that month i tried mastrubating gently while relaxing my pelvic floor and it felt a lot better than normal and i stayed relatively hard easier. But it was very hard to not tense my pelvic floor because I'm so used to it, and felt boring/disinteresting without clenching and using death grip. It took a lot longer to orgasm and was hard too, I think because I am so used to tensing during mastrubation. That month was the longest I've done nofap ever and the first time Ive tried relaxing my pelvic floor.

I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions of possible diagnosis/problems i should look into. I have read about Venous leaks (I'm especially worried it could be that), Prostatitis, and Tense pelvic floor and I was wondering if I should be concerned about any of those and which my symptoms would fit into? Is this a serious issue, should I be worried and see a doctor, and if so what sort of doctor? Thank you for any advice :)