Sex/ejaculation flares: reduce frequency to recover?
Hello everyone,
I’m a 24-year-old male from South Korea.
About 2–3 years ago, I had chlamydial urethritis that was not treated properly at first. After that, I developed bacterial prostatitis, and over time it seems to have become chronic non-bacterial prostatitis / CPPS.
For about two years, my main symptoms were urinary symptoms such as frequency and nocturia, with little to no pain. Because of that, I did not take the condition seriously enough and did not manage my lifestyle well.
About five months ago, my symptoms worsened again. I developed penile pain, urinary frequency, and later pain spreading to the perineum, anus, lower abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and lower back. The pain is usually mild to moderate, but it is frequent and mentally exhausting.
My symptoms seem to flare most after sexual arousal, prolonged erection, sexual activity, and ejaculation. Even when I do not have intercourse, staying aroused for a long time seems to worsen my symptoms. After ejaculation or sexual activity, I often experience increased pain and pelvic discomfort.
I read A Headache in the Pelvis and traveled to San Francisco to meet Dr. David Wise and Tim Sawyer. I am now doing the home self-treatment program. I do feel that pelvic floor relaxation, breathing, and trigger point work may be relevant for me. However, in Korea it is very difficult to find proper male pelvic floor physical therapy, especially internal work, so I am struggling to know whether I am doing enough.
My biggest concern is whether sexual activity and ejaculation are preventing recovery. I am young and in a relationship, so the idea of having to restrict sexual activity for a long time is very difficult for me mentally. But at the same time, it seems clear that sexual activity is one of my main triggers.
I would really appreciate advice from people who had CPPS symptoms flare after ejaculation or sexual activity.
Did you need to temporarily abstain or significantly reduce frequency in order to recover?
If sexual activity used to flare your symptoms, were you eventually able to return to a normal sex life?
How long did it take before ejaculation or sex no longer caused major flares?
Were pelvic floor relaxation, reverse kegels, trigger point release, medication, or lifestyle changes helpful for this specific problem?
Thank you for reading.