Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Pudendal neuralgia can present as itch. That was one of my early symptoms and one of the symptoms I experienced when healing from PNE surgery. Thought I had a bad yeast infection but didn't.

Feeling of needing to urinate frequently even when you don't can be one of the symptoms of PN since the pudendal nerve innervates the bladder sphincter. That was also one of my symptoms. I'm not saying you have PN -- just that those are some of the symptoms of PN. I agree with nyt that it would be smart to have other possibilities like UTI and fungal infection ruled out first because those are easier to treat.

If you can find a good PT who is knowledgeable in treating pudendal neuralgia they may be able to assist you with a diagnosis and provide some treatment that is not as invasive as a nerve block would be. I was originally diagnosed by a PT when the docs didn't know what was going on. There have been guys who posted that PT along with lifestyle changes helped them get better so it's definitely worth a try when you get back from Japan.

Best,

Violet

I thought I would give an update since people who get better rarely post.

Once I took to standing instead of sitting and found a very good cushion (flat, middle cutout) for driving, life became a lot easier. And actually, I could sit if I curled one leg under me so no pressure was on my perineum. Since I sit like that normally anyway, it wasn't a big deal. For January and February, the pain cycled worse and better, but with a healing trend. By mid-March, I was essentially asymptomatic so long as I didn't try sitting normally. This lasted a blissful three months. I tried sitting normally, and I got some twinges, nothing horrid.

In late November, I developed the opposite to the dorsal pain, more sciatic-ish, down my butt and back of thighs. A daily stretch regimen seems to have cured it.

I do not know if this is related, but recently (a week ago), I started getting dull nerve pains in my penis. It travels. The head, the side, right now, midway on top. It's annoying. I went to the doctor who cursorily diagnosed prostatitis (it hurts when I stand and lie down, not so much when I sit), and gave me Sulfamexalone. Two days in, the pain went away, a day later, it's back and moved. So I don't know if this is related to my first problem or not.

No incontinence, no ejaculation problems. I do pee in the middle of the night, but I think I always have.

Anyway, had I posted four weeks ago, I'd be telling you I'm totally better. Right now, I'm not quite sure. It certainly does *not* hurt where it used to, though.

Thanks for the update. It's not unusual for males with pudendal neuralgia to be told they have prostatitis and to be given numerous courses of drugs. Hopefully things will continue to improve for you.

Best,

Violet

Just wanted to add that it's common for people with PN to report the pain moves around, and often PN exists in conjunction with other problems, many of them musculokeletal related. Can't remember--have you have seen a physical therapist yet?

Violet