Summary: Developed PVPS (pain, ED, etc ) after vasectomy. Multiple treatments provided minimal or no relief. Then complete relief with trigger point release and stretching as outlined in books, A Headache in the Pelvis by Wise and Anderson and Heal Pelvic Pain by Stein and Ending Male Pelvic Pain by Herrera. Also website pelvicpainhelp.com.
Now the full story,
I was healthy married man, no problems and a very satisfying sex life. I had a vasectomy and within a day or two developed a constant burning pain in the penis/urethra. This pain was not related to urination. That pain would stay for 9 months. Then a burning pain in the rectum that would gradually increase until it felt like I was sitting on red hot golf ball. Erectile dysfunction and difficulty reaching orgasm became a real problem after a few weeks. Noticed a bad smell to semen and also reduced volume of semen. Pain and ED never went away but would get worse with prolonged sitting, exercise especially with squats (tried to exercise) and just before sex/while getting an erection. Sometimes pain was worse after sex. Also developed overactive bladder symptoms - frequent urination and had to urinate immediately, unable to make it to bathroom sometimes. Also another very disturbing symptom was my penis seemed to be permanently contracted and shrunken.
By the way I did have some significant testicular pain that last longer than the urologist had said it would but that got better after 2 months.
For weeks I iced, was very inactive and waited thinking things might eventually get better. But after 2.5 months, with no relief in sight I went to an urgent care a night before leaving on vacation and was diagnosed with prostatitis (urinalysis was completely normal) and given levaquin. I did feel better with Levaquin for the first couple weeks but then my symptoms plateaued and it became obvious this was not going to cure me. I tried naproxen with no significant benefit.
An email to my urologist after the urgent care visit resulted in instructions to continue Levaquin and his office would get back to me about a follow up visit. I never heard back from his office.
Months 3-4 postvasectomy and I am depressed, in constant pain, working but unable to do anything else except lay around and ice, sex life a shambles. Start to pray and ask the Lord for relief, this is was a miserable life with no end in sight.
My wife, my wonderful supportive wife, starts to research my situation - comes across postvasectomypain.org and finds that many other men have had problems like mine and get relief with vasectomy reversal. I talked to Dr. Burrows at ICVR (great office) and decided vasectomy reversal could help me.
Decided to part with $10,000 because I’m desperate. Traveled to Tucson,Arizona and had vasectomy reversal with Dr. Burrows. For about 6 weeks I did feel better, less pain and better sexual function and my semen smelled normal again (had smelled bad after vasectomy) - but I wasnt normal.
Postvasectomy semen analyses were required by Dr. Burrows. Mine showed no evidence of infection or inflammation.
Then as I started to become more active - just walking for exercise, nothing much - I again noticed worsening penile burning and worsening rectal burning and erectile dysfunction. The final blow was when I ate some hot sauce and within minutes I developed a horrible penile and rectal burning and very bad erectile dysfunction and urinary frequency and urinary urgency problems. Tried a short course of antibiotic Cipro and no relief this time.
Wasted an afternoon going to a new urologist who listened to my story and asked me if I thought it could be psychological. He admits he has no idea what is causing my symptoms. Recommends I avoid hot sauce and keep a food diary. Again a urinalysis is totally normal.
My irreplaceable wife again does some research and comes across a condition called chronic pelvic pain syndrome/chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. So we try home prostate massage, truly desperate at this point, and it that provides some relief but nothing dramatic. Tried Quercetin, which actually did provide some temporary modest relief. After awhile though it becomes clear prostate massage and quercetin aren’t the answer.
More prayer. More research by my wife and she comes across A Headache in The Pelvis by David Wise, PhD and Rodney Anderson, MD. Book says chronic pelvic pain is due to knotted up, contracted pelvic muscles and pelvic tissues. Their treatment involves trigger point release, stretches and relaxation techniques. I couldn’t afford $4500+ to go to their 6 day treatment clinic. So we did the best we could at home and it worked. My relief came primarily from the internal trigger point massage - my wife puts on surgical glove and lubricant and inserts finger into rectum and applies pressure to my pelvic muscles as diagramed in the book. Tight, painful muscles in there would relax as she applied mild pressure and my pain would vanish. The penile burning, the rectal burning were noticeably better after 1 day and I was a lot better after a week. After about 2 weeks I was totally back to normal - no pain, able to sit on hard surfaces, no ED, bladder symptoms gone. After nearly 10 months of misery I was not only better but back to normal. It was a miracle. Praise the Lord for my wife and for leading her to this information.
So what I think happened to me (and maybe happens to other men after vasectomy) is that my intrapelvic muscles and other tissues went into a spasm and never let up. That spasm caused pain - maybe pinched some nerves in there and interfered with the muscle or nerve action involved in erection and orgasm and prostate function and bladder function.
I am basically back to normal. There are times I get some pain after sitting too long but it is transient. I do stretches everyday now and the trigger point release when needed. If I have a relapse then I think I might bite the bullet and go to Dr. Wise and Dr. Anderson’s clinic in California.
I hope my miserable experience can be of value to others.
