Feel the burn

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I have a really specific question: why does my penis wake me up at 4 or 5 am with a burning sensation? Here’s the background: I’m almost 6 weeks post radical prostatectomy with a fair amount of residual pudendal nerve pain (penis and anus) and very little urinary control. I’ve learned how to calm the pain before I go to sleep with deep breathing and massage. I wake 3 or 4 times a night, pinch my penis off and pee a good amount. No trouble getting back to sleep if I change my diaper each time, until 4 or 5 am. Then my penis starts burning and interfering with my sleep until morning. I can’t tell whether it’s urine in my diaper, residual pudendal pain or both. I don’t care what the cause is if there is a way to fix the problem. Any suggestions?

 

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Hello. Sadly you are experiencing what many have dealt with, nerve damage. Because the surgery removed probably about an inch of your urethra this pulls back on the penis and causes it to be shorter and pain. Just one of the many painful side effects of RP that they do not warn you about. It took 1.5 years for my pain to subside.

 

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Swell. Do nerve pain and incontinence go hand in hand, or are they separate issues? Kegels make my pain worse, so I’m trying to decide whether to push through the pain to get a strong pelvic floor or wait till the pain subsides.

 

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In my experience burning was due to uti and I'd suggest requesting a urine test to rule it out or treat, they can get worse quickly.
I'd also suggest finding a diaper that offers you a complete nights rest without having to change. I hope this helps.

 

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Hello. Sadly you are experiencing what many have dealt with, nerve damage. Because the surgery removed probably about an inch of your urethra this pulls back on the penis and causes it to be shorter and pain. Just one of the many painful side effects of RP that they do not warn you about. It took 1.5 years for my pain to subside.

Thank you Bobdog, that explains why I thought I had become a turtle and that same occasional burning sensation. My heart goes out to you Rrice!

 

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I had pudendal nerve pain going into surgery and would get a burning sensation periodically in the penis area which I tested negative for a uti in the past. This also caused me to have frequency problems getting up every hour peeing 10 ounces and having urge incontinence At the time of surgery I was badly sleep deprived and bad pain in the prostate area. After the surgery I felt great and with the catheter I was sleeping through the night producing over 2000ml every night. At the time I got the catheter out the only pains I has was the burning/aching in the penis area and anal pain feeling I had to go. The burning/aching pain had not gotten better by the 6 week Drs appointment and the anal pain had gotten so bad I could not sit. I had fecal issues, it felt like I had to go all the time even after going and when I had to go the pain went very high. I had gotten a donut for sitting which helped and was sent for pelvic physical therapy. It was hurting me to do Kegels and I was given pelvic stretching exercises and stopped Kegels. I am at 20 weeks now and the anal pain and fecal incontinence has been gone. The penis area pain appears to be the bladder sphincter muscle in my case and is getting better. The most important thing to me was the cancer first which is ok so far, then the sleep which has been helped by oxybutin and elevating my feet during the day, then the fecal incontinence, then the urinary incontinence
I am very happy with my progress getting rid of the cancer, the bad pain, fecal problems but have not done well on the urinary incontinence. I use two diapers during the day since it works best for me to keep my clothing dry and one at night. This depressed me but now that the people I care about know, I am being more accepting.
The pudendal nerve has been a problem for me for many years and when it becomes active it magnifys anything that is going on in the pelvic area. This includes pain and sensing. Things that gives a lot of pain is not really hurt badly.

 

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Hey @Anxiety;

I can relate to your post. As someone who doesn't suffer from fecal incontinence, I do suffer from bowel movement pain due to an acute fissure I got in my college years. I've had a colonoscopy, I just haven't gotten it resolved. Sometimes my BMs are painful, sometimes not.

In regards to the bladder pain, like yours mine is located in the sphincter area and not pain or burning like what you get during a UTI - I think this pain in some ways is worse on your self esteem because like you said it's the constant pressure that causes urge incontinence.

I suppose the best thing I can equate my bladder ductwork to is somebody clamping a hose; while no water gets out temporarily its the spasms and the frequent movement of urine in the bladder that push and create the pressure and the pain and very short daytime hold times.

During the beginning of my condition, I isolated myself - but since living with it; ive figured out all I have to do is go places where there is always a restroom; I typically am always good during the day. Sometimes on rare occasion when my spasms worsen, I will stay at home as usually that coincides with bladder pain anyway thus wear a protective brief.

Nice to meet you,
Honeeecombs