jd

sci.med.prostate.prostatitis
alt.support.impotence
alt.support.celiac


For the past 6-8 months, I've had pain in my lower abdomin and
problems with maintaining an erection, or even starting one. I've had
many tests done to rule out other physiological causes of erectile
problems:

Thanks for taking the time to read my post!

* a negative NPT test (tests erection activity during sleep),
* clean mri/mra of the pelvis area and abdomin (except for celiac
issue described in #8 below)
* negative blood tests, etc.
* blood pressure in the penis vs. arms and legs was normal as well.

Here are the major "Features" of my ED/pelvic pain particular problem:

1) very quick onset. One day I just started having problems
maintaining an erection (doctors tell me that a quick onset like that
is actually better than something that came up slowly over time with
regards to getting better)

2) pain in right around the pubic area and the very lower abdomin
right above. It seems to get if I stand up and bend me head all the
way back so my stomach is sticking out. Also worse while lying on my
stomach as opposed to lying on my back. Sitting also irritates. In
both cases, right above the pubic area.

3) pain sometimes referred to areas right around the base of the
penis. Doctors say the only thing there is a muscle junction. also
sometimes radiates to two points on the lower abdomin about three
inches out on each side - doctors say those are muscles as well.
sometimes into the testicle as well, but less often

4) I have absolutely no problems with urination - no increased urgency
and no problem completely emptying out, no burning, not feeling like I
have to go (which to me, is a good way to rule out most forms of
prostatits)

5) Just a general achy or heavy feeling in the whole area which
doesn't seem to be affected by exercise, just stretching.

6) the weirdest thing - a couple months ago while lifting weights, I
felt what felt like a tear in that area - but nothing came up in the
mri of pelvis and abdomin. I've got a follow-up scan coming up, but
that may be clean as well.

7) They found vericoceles on each side, but despite what I've read on
some sites, doctors are not worried.

8) The MRI of ab was clear except for "High Grade Stenosis of the
celiac artery due to median arcuate ligament compression with
extensive collateral circulation through the pancreaticoduodenal
arcade". The doctor seemed unconcerned about this an upon research, I
found one reason why he might feel that way:http://
radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/228/2/437 - but I'm wondering
if it would be a good idea to look further into this.

9) The weird thing about the erections - it feels like the reason it's
difficult to get one is because the muscles on the top of the penis
and the pubic area almost feel like they are too weak to hold it up!
The same muscles that are used to make it get harder appear to be
strained.


Thanks again, and I appreciate any and all replies.

- JD

janice

Quite possibly a pinched nerve in your back. I do not know the exact
joint but it will be somewhere in the L3-L4-L5 area. See a good
Chiropractor. The pains in the groin area are quite common for this
type of injury. Weight lifting can aggravate this also or even cause
it by compressing the disks between your vertebrae.

If, after about three treatments from a Chiro no relief is had, quit
or find another one. If you access to an inversion bench, try it to
see if you can affect the problem. If you can, I recommend getting one
and seeing good Chiropractor on a depreciating basis. Try ineversion
for a few minute every night before bed and do not walk around to long
to re-compact the disks. Put an ice pack from you tail bone, to just
above it, after the inversion each night before sleep for about 15
minutes. You will get used to it.

Accupunture comes to mind to promote healing quicker.
Electrostimulated accupunture can speed natural healing, aid
circulation and make your body produce pain killing hormones more
effectively than any medical drug, even morphine. Again, if it doesn't
show big gains after two or three treatments you are wasting you
money. Here I pay $35 for half an hour treatment. See some oriental
person that hardly speaks English and make sure the needles are
disposible...ask!

When one form of health care doesn't work,,,try another one.

Best of luck.

fatty mawson

GO to a neuro and have him check
your femoral genital plexis nerve
maybe he will give you some injections
to clear up the problem

wanderer

The fact that your doctor doesn't seem to be concerned about this would be of
great concern to me. Stenosis can be a very serious condition, and depending
on where it occurs, can affect many different parts of the body... including
back, buttocks, legs, feet, etc. I very much agree with the poster who said
you should be seeing a neurologist. From your description, it sounds like a
nerve issue... and the longer you wait to deal with it, the greater the risk
of permanent nerve damage. What part of the world are you in? I can recommend
a top neurologist in NYC.

Wanderer

wanderer

Another thought. I'm not a doctor, but I don't believe scans necessarily
reveal hernias. They are usually detected by a doctor's examination (with his
or her hands). The pain you are describing sounds as if it might come from an
incarcerated hernia. This is when a little hole is torn somewhere in the
abdominal area, a piece of the gut pokes through, and the hole closes enough
so that the piece of the gut can't go back out. It is a very painful
condition, and if untreated, can be dangerous. It is also apparently very
hard to diagnose. Back in my late twenties, I often had abdominal pain after
working out with weights. It would usually subside after a few hours, and I
convinced myself to ignore it. Then one day, the pain just didn't go away. In
fact, it kept getting worse and worse. I must have seen half a dozen doctors
(some of them in the emergency room) before I found a specialist who figured
it out. He simply had me lie on the table, and looked at my body from the
side. He could tell just from looking at the profile of my abdomen that it
was an incarcerated epigastric hernia. (Boys and girls, watch those
workouts... don't overdo it. )

The point is, when one doctor can't figure out what is wrong with you, you
need to find another doctor. Often, a good internist is just the starting
point... he or she narrows down the possibilities, and sends you to the
appropriate specialist(s).

Wanderer

janice

I doubt pain pills wil help him cure this.

jd

Well, I actually did see a top neuro here in LA who sent me for an MRI
of my entire spine (three scans in all - over two hours at $5000+) to
rule out any nerve-related conditions. They found nothing abnormal.

And from my non-doctor perspective, the fact that my pain is far worse
when I lie on my stomach and rest on my elbows (so my body is arched
with my stomach facing out) would seem to indicate some sort of
herniation. Pain is much, much less when lying on my back.

If my pelvic/ab scan shows nothing on Tuesday, I need to find an
amazing diagnostician in my area that can help with this, or I'll go
crazy!!! It feels like it should be so diagnosable. I'm in Los Angeles
so if any of you can help with that, I would appreciate.

Thank you very much.

JD

jd

where do you live? All the acupuncturists I found charge upwards of
$85 to $100 per treatment and don't seem to have helped at all. I'm in
LA...

california_chief

Nor are they intended to cure (anything).

wanderer

Nor were pain pills mentioned here by anyone except Janice.