Could I have Pudendal Neuralgia?

[Rbvdk]

Hi, so since maybe January or February 2017, I've randomly suddenly began to get sizzling burning sensations in my sitting bones when I'm in a car (not always, maybe 50% of the time? It hasn't gotten worse or better I think). It goes away instantly if I stand up but while I'm sitting, not much movement or leaning will ever help it. I very very rarely get this while sitting on hard chairs too but I think that's only happened 2 or 3 times since this all began, I think it was mostly during the beginning though. Anyway.. these symptoms developed during my fear of pundendal neuralgia with a ton of other symptoms which turned out to be anxiety related and has since gone away. (I have very bad health anxiety and get a lot of psychosomatic/anxiety induced symptoms).

But this burning thing is still here so I think it's real? And just these past 2 weeks I've been having a feeling of needing to pee/still fluid in my urethra that doesn't come out almost every time I pee. I also keep getting back pain this week too, sometimes lower. (But I should mention there's a bug going around and I know a few people have been getting back and other aches) Then yesterday I felt a quick sharp pain in my right sitting bone whenever I moved too quickly, this morning it just aches very lightly everytime I focus on it (I also feel coldness and sizzling but I think that's just my anxiety) I'm really scared that I've had pundendal neuralgia all this time and it's finally progressing?? I would believe I just have a UTI with the pee symptoms but everything else is scaring me. could this just be anxiety? Or something else? I'd rather have anything but pundendal.. Also if I am in the early stages, is there anything I can do at all to cure it before it progresses? Or is it too late? Or is it just extreme tension caused by anxiety? Sorry for this long post and all the questions, I would seriously be so so grateful if someone could respond.
Thanks for reading!

[Violet M]

Hi,

How about if you get an evaluation by a good PT and in the meantime get a urine culture just to make sure it's not a UTI so you can ease your mind. My other suggestion is to keep so busy with other important things that it keeps your mind off your problems. Helping other people out can be a great way to keep your mind off your own problems. Is that something you might be able to do?

Violet

[Rbvdk]

Hi just an update! I did finally see the doctor and had a UTI and after needing 2 different antibiotics, it finally showed up clear. Problem is it's 1 week later and I still have the same "pee stuck at the end of my urethra" feeling. Ive had it for a whole month now, I'm wondering what came first really, the UTI or the possible urethra (structure or nerve?) problem. Is the feeling of pee being stuck in the urethra a normal symptom of pundendal problems? My flow is weaker than normal too since all this.. (I think I usually have a strong to average pee flow.)

I feel it a few seconds after I pee, when I get up after peeing, when I wipe it it forward (I wipe front to back of cause but sometimes I do mini wipes/pats just on the urethra area lol), when I lightly push/squeeze as if I'm about to pee, and I also feel it when I stretch my legs (like when I reach for something while standing). Oh and I randomly feel it while laying or sitting down but then it's higher up in my urethra and the feeling is much weaker. The sensation only lasts for a second whenever it happens, it's irritating but not painful, I'm just anxious that it's the beginning of something worse and progressive? Most of the pain I've been having has gone away - I believe it was from tension from anxiety and stress. The front of my pelvic floor feels very weak and tingly since straining to get the "last bit" out but most of the time there is no "last bit" which is one of the reasons I don't believe it's retention. Another thing that may or may not be relevant is that I've had (this is gross but..) pale yellow diareaha or very loose yellow flakey stools.. seems to be getting worse and more diareaha-ish this week.

Thanks for reading and also thank you for any replies! I am so confused by all this I really have no idea where to ask about this symptom besides the doctor who I'm hopefully seeing this week!

And to reply to @violet M, thanks for commenting! I definitely want to distract myself and helping people is a good way of doing that (thanks for the idea!) I've been going out each day for a week now and been shopping for gifts for my family since they've been so supportive and patient with me through all this, it's definitely made me a lot happier despite the symptom ! I would love to go to a good PT specialist but so far the doctor has only refered me to a urologist, maybe I'll ask him about the PT when I see him this week.

[April]

Hi Rbdvk,

So your culture did come back positive for a UTI but just recently it came back negative, but you still have the same symptoms? I think people sometimes get repeated UTIs, so you could request another test in a few weeks just to confirm that it really is gone and hasn't come back. What kind of doctor do you have an appointment with? If your symptoms persist and your doctor is sure that the UTI is gone, then getting evaluated by a pelvic floor pt (as Violet suggested) makes a lot of sense.

April

[Violet M]

Pudendal neuralgia can be related to a history of UTI's but I'm not sure if it's because the infection damages the nerve or whether it is because the discomfort from the UTI causes you to clench or tighten up you pelvic floor muscles -- or maybe it is a combination of the two.

Violet