So now the urologist is sending me to the neurologist?

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

Just doing a quick google search a few weeks ago, I am ASSuming that I have cauda equina syndrome.

Basically, the nerves coming out of my lower vertebrae are pinched.

I have had a spasm in my toes since college, I think.

Also, if I recall correctly, I have had E.D. problems since college too.

In like May of this year, the spasms in my toes on my right foot have gotten progressively worse.

I can kinda feel the spasm in my right calf, right hamstring, and upper right buttocks.

I remember last summer that the one girl I was screwing, my dick would go numb during intercourse. Yeah, like pins and needles, it fell asleep kinda numb. :redface: There were times when I couldn't cum.

At the same time my foot spasm got worse I started experiencing these spontaneous spasms in my anus/rectum/prostate.

Also every now and then, walking at work, my right ankle would just give out and it would look like I tripped over something invisible.

When the anal "orgasms" and foot spasms picked up, I wasn't dating anyone.

Every now and then too, I have had this really sharp stabbing pain in my back.

Now, I have been dating a gal for about 3 weeks.

Our sex life, at least to me, has been way less than satisfactory. :frown1: Thank God! She is so patient, and that I have a good tongue and lips.

So I made my way to a urologist last Monday.

She, yes, she checked my prostate. She said I good tone back there, whatever that means???

They then took a bunch of blood testing for all sorts of hormones.

They called me yesterday to tell me PSA was under 1. I think she said it was a 0.4 or 0.6 . I think she said that anything under 4 was good.

She said I have a very healthy prostate. I am 36.

So anyway, I have an appointment to meet a neurologist on Sept 25th.

Any of you guys have to go down this neurologist route?

I am just wondering about what I should expect.

Thanks!

 

[Smartalk]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you having the problems your having. It does sounds as though you have compression, possible prolapsed disc at the level of either L4/5 or L5/S1. When you see your neurologist you can expect a full range of tests, reflexes, more bloods, x-rays including a CT or MRI scan, the scan will establish where the compression is and its cause.

I think you need to be aware that you could be facing surgery to release the compression. Have to say that this is a standard proceedure and nothing to worry about. I had a similar operation on my neck 35 years ago and had no problems since. Once done all your sysmtoms ie ED parathesia in your leg, spasm of your toes, anus and calf, will gradually return to normal. You will be new man in every sense of the word. You should tell you girlfriend this, that way you will both look forward to the outcome.

Keep us posted of your progress.

I wish you well bud,

If you want any further info you can e-mail me via the site

Regards

Smartalk

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

Hey, smarttalk, I know it's been a while but I just wanted to duck in here and say thanks for the reply.

Hopefully, it won't come down to surgery.

That would suck.

I was thinking that I have cauda equina syndrome. Something about the bundle of nerves leaving your lowest most vertebrae, it resembles a horse's tail.

I'm off to see if that cauda equina syndrome forum ever came back up.

Thanks again!

 

[Smartalk]

Hi again,

No worries I too hope you don't have to go down the surgery road. Having said that if it were to be a disc prolase, the outcome is likely to be better than cauda equina syndrome.

The end of the spinal cord, which you refer to as the 'horses tail' is from the latin cauda equina an extension of the filum terminal, terminal filements of the spinal cord.

Here is a website on Cauda Equina Syndrome:

Cauda Equina Syndrome - Advice for sufferers.

I would be interested what the diagnosis and out come is, do let me know.

Again good luck

Regards Smartalk

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

Again, thanks!

I will be seeing the neurologist on Sept 25th.

I am pretty sure he will send me in to get an MRI. How soon? I don't know.

But once the neurologist see's the scan and reads whatever report from the radiologist ( ) and let's me know something, you all will be the first to know... okay... not really... maybe the 3rd to know.. :wink:

I also expect to get wired up some how or some way for whatever nerve conduction tests that they do...

that could prove to be an interesting experience....

I think.

 

[Smartalk]

Hi,

Well wish you the best of luck and hope your results are all positive. As to whether the nerve conductivity tests prove interesting depends which muscle they stimulate

Cheers

Smartalk

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

Ahhh...jeesh....

what a rigamorale....

I am going in on Oct 16 for the nerve conduction test.

I am supposed to go back to the urologist on the 8th.

I might just call them and cancel because without any findings from the neurologist (an no nerve conduction test and no MRI yet) I don't see the point on driving all the way into St. Louis (hey, gas is expensive) and blowing 40 bucks on a copay.



I wonder if I could call the neurologist's office and request an MRI and schedule it now for some date after the nerve conduction test.

If the doc performing the test doesn't think I need an MRI, then I can just cancel it.

Why wait another 3 weeks or a month to wait for an MRI appointment to open up?



Oh yeah, I will be back later to post the results of my bloodwork.

The testosterone range I was given was between 250 and one thousand something for "normal".

Mine was like 300 something, maybe 340.

I am wondering what I would be like if I was given something to make it higher??

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

pardon the necro-post....buuuuttttt....


the nerve conduction test was inconclusive and I never did get an MRI.

since I am seeing a new gal now....she is an RN ....she recommended that I should start seeing a chiropractor.

with the last girlfriend, the ED issue basically resolved itself. I think that it was psychological...performance anxiety most likely.

in fact, she complained that sex with me lasted too long. it was intentional on part...making it last....and I think she would have rather had quickies all the time.

I still have the spasm in my toes. I can feel it trickle down my right buttock, the right hamstring, behind the knee, and down the calf.

since the new gal is an RN and had worked at some STD clinic, she is "geeked out" about catching anything....sssooooo....I went back to the same urologist to get checked out. actually, my urologist is female, and I like her. she asked me about the ED issue. I told her that it resolved itself and that it was just mental. she offered to prescribe me something like viagra or cialis, but I wasn't interested.

so long story short...about the only thing flaring up two years ago was my hypochondria.

LOL!

so the chiro I am seeing now sent me to get some xrays. supposedly the xrays showed some issue between L4 and L5.

the chiro puts me on this extension/flexion table to make my legs go up and down. I can feel it stretch out my lower back. then in another room he uses an ultrasound "wand" on my lower back. it is a machine made by the Rich-Mar company.

I had no idea up til then that ultrasound could be used for therapeutic purposes.

today was my fourth time seeing him.

ito me, it appears that there is no difference in my foot spasm...same frequency...same intensity. there is nothing going on as far as "anal spasms" go....so I guess that resloved itself too.

the chiro thinks I have some form of sciatica.

I don't know what to think. if you all have any advice....I am all ears.

thanks

 

[deleted356736]

I had similar symptoms to you in 1986: numbness in my feet, minor spasms in my legs, that sort of thing. I had many tests but the results were inconclusive, escept that some of my nerves were damaged at L3. Later, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, sarcoidosis, in my lungs. This causes swelling and damage in the organs that it resides in, and I took prednisone for a while to reduce the damage. Later I discovered sarcoidosis returns and slips into remission, and I may have had it in my spinal column. This would have caused the menges to swell, and damage my nerves.

If this was the case then I was extremely lucky, as had the sarcoidosis continued to be active in my spine, the nerve damage could have been much worse. I could have ended up paralysed at the waist! That was a sobering thought.

I did develop partial ED as a result of my nerve damage, not at first but later as I aged. I now use standard ED treatments, and this is fine.

So the nerve damage you have could be caused by a range of things, from a once-off infection (they should have done a spinal tap and tested for antibodies), through to what I had (which is extremely rare). But any of these conditions are difficult to diagnose, and it sounds like you went through a similar range of tests to me with no positive result. It's very frustrating, because you don't know if it will return, and if it does return, what damage it will do.

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

thanks for your reply. I am sorry to hear about your sarcoidosis diagnosis.

I had a girlfriend who had sarcoidosis in her lungs. she got tired very easily and had to take naps during the day.

I have had this spasm in my foot for 20 years now...I think. it always stays the same pretty much. no pain anywhere else. sooooo????

I am switching chiro's so maybe this next doc knows what he is doing.

the urologist's office called and said I was negative for any STD's and again negative for hep and HIV.

I did ask about testosterone level. she said it was 373..the cutoff for normal on the low end is 250.

I am going to use the search function here in a minute to see what everybody else's testosterone levels are like.

my next best guess is that if my spasm isn't caused by a pinched nerve in the lumbar vertebrae is that it is the muscles that are rubbing on the nerves my internet sleuthing lead me to piriformis syndrome.