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Severe Erection Difficulties as Consequence of Prostatitis
To everyone who reads this, I'd like to thank you in advance for trying to help me with my problem.
Please forgive me if this post is a tad too long, but I want to make sure that I give as full of a medical background as I possibly can. That being said, I will try to be as terse as possible in my recitation of events passed.
Sex: Maie
Age: 26
LEADING UP TO THIS POINT:
About 1.5-2 years ago I began having trouble maintaining an erection while engaged in sexual activities. The problem persisted with 3 different sexual partners. About a year ago it got so bad that most of the time I couldn't even get an erection when I was on my own (hence in a no pressure situation). Accompanying the apparent impotence, I also began to experience pressure in my lower abdomen as well as some discomfort in my testicles (it almost felt like by whole reproductive area was somewhat numb). i noticed that drinking excess amounts of water (which prompted constant need for urination) helped alleviate my symptoms. However, even with this new discovery, the condition soon escalated to the point where I was experiencing testicular pain and sometimes even burning while urinating. Finally, I had to make a trip to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. There I was told that I had bacteria in my urine (hence I was infected). On the spot they couldn't determine what exactly the infection was, so they gave me a slew of antibiotics to combat all bacterial based STDs. I was pretty sure that I didn't have an STD, since my erection problems had caused me to be involuntarily abstinent for several months. The visit ended with a prescription for Doxycycline (I think that's what it was) and a referral to a urologist.
Full List of Symptoms @ Worst Condition:
- Pressure @ lower abdomen
- Discomfort and sometimes pain in the testicular region
- At times a burning sensation during urination
- Feeling of numbness in the vicinity of lower abdomen and testicles
- Inability to get an erection or, if one did occur, it was completely unsustainable
- If an erection (alas an extremely weak one) was sustained long enough to orgasm, then there was absolutely no force behind the ejaculation
- Frequent need for urination
After I had done a week's worth of the prescribed antibiotic, I saw that there was not much change in my condition (there was a slight improvement after the elephant dosage of all the other antibiotics that they gave me @ the hospital, but not much). My next step was to visit the urologist. As part of routine procedure, the doctor gave me a prostate exam. The prostate was of normal size. As everything else (minus the infection) had checked out just fine, he told me that I have a "textbook" case of prostatitis. He prescribed to me 20 days of Cipro and daily ejaculation (preferably in a hot bath).
For the next month I did exactly as I was told. Initially it seemed that there was a dramatic improvement. I was able to sustain an erection (I am not sure if it was as firm as before, but it was up!). However, the first time I had a patch of stress (from work) all the improvements vanished. I didn't hit as low point as before; hence, there wasn't any testicular pain or burning during urination. However, I had little luck with obtaining an erection and the discomfort and numbness were back. Again I began drinking copious amounts of water, which carried me over for the next few months (meaning that at times I felt normal). Finally, after 3 months or so, I saw that there was little improvement, so I set up another appointment with the same urologist. This time I came away with a 20 day prescription for Sulfamethoxazole.
At this time I was again severely stressed at work and saw almost no improvement from the new antibiotic. I did the first 10 days and stopped.
I did not want to go for another visit to the doctor, because I didn't want yet another antibiotic prescription. Instead, I did my own research about what supplements/vitamins/minerals can help me with my problem. The list I managed to compile is mostly comprised of antioxidants. I summarize it below.
Supplement List:
- Vitamin E - 800 IU/day
- Quercetin - 1 g/day
- Selenium - 400 mcg/day
- Omega 3 - EHA: ~1 g/day, DHA: ~1 g/day
- Ginseng Complex (different Ginseng variation mixed into one) -
- Acidophilus (probiotic) - As much as 10 capsules a day (~2.5 billion viable microorganisms)
- Saw Palmetto Extract - 320mg/day
- Vitamin C - 2g/day
- An extra potent multi vitamin
As an additional tidbit of information, I would like to comment on my physical shape and fitness regiment. I am relatively lean @ 9-11% body fat. I am 5'8 and weigh about 175-180lbs. I regularly train @ the gym in a an extremely vigorous manner. Specifically, most of my training is aimed at power lifting exercises, which means that I usually move around very heavy weight. I only mention this because I think I read somewhere that lifting heavy weights may contribute to risk of UTIs. It's probably BS (I think so), but I thought that I should add it for completeness.
CURRENT CONDITION:
It has now been 5 months since my adoption of the above supplementation regiment. Overall my condition is greatly improved, but still very far from perfect. I've also had a recent blood test and urine test. Both seem to indicate that I am fine (I can provide numbers if that is required).
List of Improvements:
- I am now able to consistently get an erection, however I still have trouble sustaining it
-> As an aside, the erection has a habit of disappearing very suddenly even though I am still filled with sexual desire (this happens
alone and with a partner)
- Except for some rare occasions, the discomfort in my testicles and pressure in my lower abdomen have ceased to exist.
- Although it is by far not the norm, my ejaculations do sometime have force behind them
List of Remaining Problems:
- As i mentioned above, I still have tremendous trouble sustaining an erection
- When my erection is present it doesn't seem to be as firm as it used to be before all these troubles began
List of Empirically Derived Observations:
- When i drink coffee my sexual performance worsens (a lot of coffee makes the testicular and abdominal discomfort return)
- Abundant hydration improves matters (feel better with respect to all symptoms)
- When I stop taking my probiotics (acidophilus) my condition drastically worsens
- Cardiovascular exercise seems to slightly improve things
EXTRA POTENTIALLY USEFUL INFO:
5 years prior to the beginning of all these problems (so the time period between 7 years ago and 2 years ago) I was under an absolutely absurd amounts of stress. I averaged very little sleep (3-5 hours/night) and i brutally abused caffeine (way more than the recommended daily dosage of 300mg... probably somewhere near 500 or 600mg per day). During this time I became fascinated with weight training and power lifting. So for at least three of those five years I pushed myself to extraordinary levels of fatigue, despite already being plenty tired from a lack of sleep.
CONCLUSION:
Again, I would like to apologize for the length of this essay. I figured that this would be the best way for me to reach out to people who might have had similar experiences, as well as to medical professionals who might have advice on what the next step should be. My current state of affairs is literally crippling my life. With fear of sexual inadequacy I have basically stayed away from any romantic involvements for over 1.5 years now. But my greatest fear of all is that this is something that can eventually lead to an inability to procreate. I do want kids one day!
Thank you so much for helping me!
Please forgive me if this post is a tad too long, but I want to make sure that I give as full of a medical background as I possibly can. That being said, I will try to be as terse as possible in my recitation of events passed.
Sex: Maie
Age: 26
LEADING UP TO THIS POINT:
About 1.5-2 years ago I began having trouble maintaining an erection while engaged in sexual activities. The problem persisted with 3 different sexual partners. About a year ago it got so bad that most of the time I couldn't even get an erection when I was on my own (hence in a no pressure situation). Accompanying the apparent impotence, I also began to experience pressure in my lower abdomen as well as some discomfort in my testicles (it almost felt like by whole reproductive area was somewhat numb). i noticed that drinking excess amounts of water (which prompted constant need for urination) helped alleviate my symptoms. However, even with this new discovery, the condition soon escalated to the point where I was experiencing testicular pain and sometimes even burning while urinating. Finally, I had to make a trip to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. There I was told that I had bacteria in my urine (hence I was infected). On the spot they couldn't determine what exactly the infection was, so they gave me a slew of antibiotics to combat all bacterial based STDs. I was pretty sure that I didn't have an STD, since my erection problems had caused me to be involuntarily abstinent for several months. The visit ended with a prescription for Doxycycline (I think that's what it was) and a referral to a urologist.
Full List of Symptoms @ Worst Condition:
- Pressure @ lower abdomen
- Discomfort and sometimes pain in the testicular region
- At times a burning sensation during urination
- Feeling of numbness in the vicinity of lower abdomen and testicles
- Inability to get an erection or, if one did occur, it was completely unsustainable
- If an erection (alas an extremely weak one) was sustained long enough to orgasm, then there was absolutely no force behind the ejaculation
- Frequent need for urination
After I had done a week's worth of the prescribed antibiotic, I saw that there was not much change in my condition (there was a slight improvement after the elephant dosage of all the other antibiotics that they gave me @ the hospital, but not much). My next step was to visit the urologist. As part of routine procedure, the doctor gave me a prostate exam. The prostate was of normal size. As everything else (minus the infection) had checked out just fine, he told me that I have a "textbook" case of prostatitis. He prescribed to me 20 days of Cipro and daily ejaculation (preferably in a hot bath).
For the next month I did exactly as I was told. Initially it seemed that there was a dramatic improvement. I was able to sustain an erection (I am not sure if it was as firm as before, but it was up!). However, the first time I had a patch of stress (from work) all the improvements vanished. I didn't hit as low point as before; hence, there wasn't any testicular pain or burning during urination. However, I had little luck with obtaining an erection and the discomfort and numbness were back. Again I began drinking copious amounts of water, which carried me over for the next few months (meaning that at times I felt normal). Finally, after 3 months or so, I saw that there was little improvement, so I set up another appointment with the same urologist. This time I came away with a 20 day prescription for Sulfamethoxazole.
At this time I was again severely stressed at work and saw almost no improvement from the new antibiotic. I did the first 10 days and stopped.
I did not want to go for another visit to the doctor, because I didn't want yet another antibiotic prescription. Instead, I did my own research about what supplements/vitamins/minerals can help me with my problem. The list I managed to compile is mostly comprised of antioxidants. I summarize it below.
Supplement List:
- Vitamin E - 800 IU/day
- Quercetin - 1 g/day
- Selenium - 400 mcg/day
- Omega 3 - EHA: ~1 g/day, DHA: ~1 g/day
- Ginseng Complex (different Ginseng variation mixed into one) -
- Acidophilus (probiotic) - As much as 10 capsules a day (~2.5 billion viable microorganisms)
- Saw Palmetto Extract - 320mg/day
- Vitamin C - 2g/day
- An extra potent multi vitamin
As an additional tidbit of information, I would like to comment on my physical shape and fitness regiment. I am relatively lean @ 9-11% body fat. I am 5'8 and weigh about 175-180lbs. I regularly train @ the gym in a an extremely vigorous manner. Specifically, most of my training is aimed at power lifting exercises, which means that I usually move around very heavy weight. I only mention this because I think I read somewhere that lifting heavy weights may contribute to risk of UTIs. It's probably BS (I think so), but I thought that I should add it for completeness.
CURRENT CONDITION:
It has now been 5 months since my adoption of the above supplementation regiment. Overall my condition is greatly improved, but still very far from perfect. I've also had a recent blood test and urine test. Both seem to indicate that I am fine (I can provide numbers if that is required).
List of Improvements:
- I am now able to consistently get an erection, however I still have trouble sustaining it
-> As an aside, the erection has a habit of disappearing very suddenly even though I am still filled with sexual desire (this happens
alone and with a partner)
- Except for some rare occasions, the discomfort in my testicles and pressure in my lower abdomen have ceased to exist.
- Although it is by far not the norm, my ejaculations do sometime have force behind them
List of Remaining Problems:
- As i mentioned above, I still have tremendous trouble sustaining an erection
- When my erection is present it doesn't seem to be as firm as it used to be before all these troubles began
List of Empirically Derived Observations:
- When i drink coffee my sexual performance worsens (a lot of coffee makes the testicular and abdominal discomfort return)
- Abundant hydration improves matters (feel better with respect to all symptoms)
- When I stop taking my probiotics (acidophilus) my condition drastically worsens
- Cardiovascular exercise seems to slightly improve things
EXTRA POTENTIALLY USEFUL INFO:
5 years prior to the beginning of all these problems (so the time period between 7 years ago and 2 years ago) I was under an absolutely absurd amounts of stress. I averaged very little sleep (3-5 hours/night) and i brutally abused caffeine (way more than the recommended daily dosage of 300mg... probably somewhere near 500 or 600mg per day). During this time I became fascinated with weight training and power lifting. So for at least three of those five years I pushed myself to extraordinary levels of fatigue, despite already being plenty tired from a lack of sleep.
CONCLUSION:
Again, I would like to apologize for the length of this essay. I figured that this would be the best way for me to reach out to people who might have had similar experiences, as well as to medical professionals who might have advice on what the next step should be. My current state of affairs is literally crippling my life. With fear of sexual inadequacy I have basically stayed away from any romantic involvements for over 1.5 years now. But my greatest fear of all is that this is something that can eventually lead to an inability to procreate. I do want kids one day!
Thank you so much for helping me!
In many diseases, acupuncture does a miraculous job. In absence of availibily of this therapy, one may research in internet for acupressure which is acupuncture without needles. You may do self treatment with the help of relevant website.
Hello, I'd like to learn more about the procedure that you had. Is there a website etc that I can see? How are you now? Do you still have issues that have returned or are you still well? How long ago did you have the procedure?
You may try prostate massage. There are 4 types of massage. One of them is anal peripheral prostate massage. Google the phrase or prostate massage, try it if it resonates with you or discard it.
I guess this all started six months ago I had unprotected sex with this girl we did everything and I noticed a few days later I was urinating a lot more than usual and that not a lot was coming out at the lake I wasn't emptying my bladder enough also other complications with my erection on the scrotum and testicles felt tight and sucked in my stools and droppings wasnot looking good so I went to a clinic where they did some tests gave me some antibiotics and a shot in my butt for STDs when all the blood work came back it said negative for any STDs and everything and I was still going to the same symptoms I ended up going to the emergency room where they told me everything was fine I didn't have an emergency so they referred me to a urologistwhen I went to see the urologist to check my prostate and told me it wasn't flames and told me acute prostatitis he gave me some antibiotics and sent me home months later I came back to him saying hey I still don't feel right I still have all the same symptoms I don't believe the antibiotics help and he said it was all in my head and there was nothing to worry about I looked at him like he was crazy cause yes there somethingextremely wrong with my body right now my directions or not how they used to be my scrotum and testicles feel sucked in and tight throughout the day my stools look like Clayette not broken up sometimes I get hot flashes this is all very crazy I've been living with this for like five or six months now I just want to retn the normal you know I'm not an old guy am only 31 years old with 165 pounds prettyActive I like to skateboard always doing something I have two jobs. Juangonzo above wrote about bactrim F I haven't tried that yet the antibiotic I was on is called ciprofloxacin. I have actually started doing acupuncture but not sure if it's fully helping me. Can anybody help me out with this? This can't be how the rest of my life is going to be. I'm also on Isopathics but not sure that's doing anything either. Please anyone help Juangonzo id like to talk more w you cause I feel like my case is similar to yours or to anybody that is going through something like this
For all of you suffering of prostatitis, i have a solution for you. This is mi story of how i got cured after having this for the past 6 years. I went to 6 different urologist, several times to each one, they had me do a bunch of exams and didn't find anything wrong. I didn't feel pain, just a bit of discomfort, i had erection problems, my urine flow was weaker and when i had to go to the bathroom for number 2, i felt more discomfort in the prostate area. The symptoms I had, increased gradually over the years. I read that bactrim F was a good medicine for this, so I tried it 3 different times . The first time i took bactrim F for one month and i got 90% better and gradually the symptoms came back, then i had bactrim F for 6 weeks and the same thing happened and i tried it one last time for 7 weeks and the same thing happened again. I was really tiered of not finding a solution to my problem with conventional medicine, so i decided to try out chinese acupuncture. I went and i explained my symptoms to the chinese Dr., he injected me something right on top of the prostate, he put needles with small electric shocks in 6 different places, he used a heat lamp right on top of the prostate, he massaged my feet and he send me 8 natural pills 3 times a day. He told me that i only needed 5 sessions (one per day), each session lasted 45 min. After the first session i felt 98% better!!!! It was incredible!!! I went 4 more days in a row and i actually felt cured 100%!!! I couldn't believe this! I decided to take bactrim F for 3 months after this just in case there was any bacteria left, i did this just as a safety measure. I suggest you find a Chinese acupuncture Dr. near you. I live in Caracas, Venezuela and the phone number of the place I went to is (+58) 212- 7315781. I hope this information can help you. Good Luck!
For all of you suffering of prostatitis, i have a solution for you. This is mi story of how i got cured after having this for the past 6 years. I went to 6 different urologist, several times to each one, they had me do a bunch of exams and didn't find anything wrong. I didn't feel pain, just a bit of discomfort, i had erection problems, my urine flow was weaker and when i had to go to the bathroom for number 2, i felt more discomfort in the prostate area. The symptoms I had, increased gradually over the years. I read that bactrim F was a good medicine for this, so I tried it 3 different times . The first time i took bactrim F for one month and i got 90% better and gradually the symptoms came back, then i had bactrim F for 6 weeks and the same thing happened and i tried it one last time for 7 weeks and the same thing happened again. I was really tiered of not finding a solution to my problem with conventional medicine, so i decided to try out chinese acupuncture. I went and i explained my symptoms to the chinese Dr., he injected me something right on top of the prostate, he put needles with small electric shocks in 6 different places, he used a heat lamp right on top of the prostate, he massaged my feet and he send me 8 natural pills 3 times a day. He told me that i only needed 5 sessions (one per day), each session lasted 45 min. After the first session i felt 98% better!!!! It was incredible!!! I went 4 more days in a row and i actually felt cured 100%!!! I couldn't believe this! I decided to take bactrim F for 3 months after this just in case there was any bacteria left, i did this just as a safety measure. I suggest you find a Chinese acupuncture Dr. near you. I live in Caracas, Venezuela and the phone number of the place I went to is (+58) 212- 7315781. I hope this information can help you. Good Luck!
..don't know if any of your symptoms have persisted.. following are some suggestions that might be helpful... sometimes people have systemic fungal infections (usually candida albicans related)... that the medical community in general is not trained to isolate and treat. If your urine at times has a yeasty smell.. if sometimes after prolonged antibiotic use symptoms tend to worsen (maybe at the beginning of the antibiotic therapy there was some improvement, but later it begins to worsen while still on the antibiotic therapy)... perhaps a therapy with fluconazole and/or terbinafine HCL might be helpful. Sometimes Fluconazole 150mg in the am and Terbinafine 250mg in the pm on a daily basis for a couple of weeks will resolve the problem.. However, keep in mind that often infections are caused by multiple pathogens, and killing off a fungus might encourage bacteria to flourish, and vice-versa.. Also fungi infections might need retreatment 2-4 weeks after the previous drug therapy... and sometimes candida becomes resistant to fluconazole (hence the use of Terbinafine which works synergically with fluconazole).. some people have been helped by taking antibiotics (like Azythromycin) simultaneously with the anti-fungal drug therapy... good luck! and beware that your liver might be taxed quite a bit with the fluconazole therapy.. so periodic blood tests (testing Hepatic functions) are important
hi you have replied to 2 messages on here but i can only see one. can you please post on here what chrono said as it appears to have disapeared now.
I am a similar age to you and have have nearly identical symptoms
I am a similar age to you and have have nearly identical symptoms
I am 49 and I am suddenly suffering from ED. The doctor says it is probably prostatitis, since everything else appears normal. It is hard for me to get and then maintain an erection, alone or with my wife. My penis feels sore (but there is visibly nothing wrong it) and it feels small and sort of stiff all the time, but is not erect. My testicles are hanging lower and farther from my body most of the time and rarely get tight as they usually do when I am aroused. Morning erections are few and far between. Uncomfortable feeling in the end of my penis. Now on antibiotics and hoping for a miracle.
i had the same issue. It was from years of masturbation to porn(10 years).
One day it just suddenly went limp and then I've been having difficulty getting erections.
I now have OCD to touch my penis from discomfort in the genital area.
Was it the result of excessive sex? Hav e you had excessive sex for a long period of time.
My guess is that nerves simply got burned out from all the abuse.
Search "Truth about masturbation" on google. You will find an article from 1900's regarding lost of virility from excessive ejaculations.
So far I am at lost in finding a cure. I am Chinese and traditional Chinese mecidine had noticed "sexual exhaustion" for thousands of years....but I just found it out a year ago.
I have prostatitis too...I am not sure if it's related to ED tho. It's interesting to find that in your case, antibiotics seem to work.
Keep me updated on your progress.
One day it just suddenly went limp and then I've been having difficulty getting erections.
I now have OCD to touch my penis from discomfort in the genital area.
Was it the result of excessive sex? Hav e you had excessive sex for a long period of time.
My guess is that nerves simply got burned out from all the abuse.
Search "Truth about masturbation" on google. You will find an article from 1900's regarding lost of virility from excessive ejaculations.
So far I am at lost in finding a cure. I am Chinese and traditional Chinese mecidine had noticed "sexual exhaustion" for thousands of years....but I just found it out a year ago.
I have prostatitis too...I am not sure if it's related to ED tho. It's interesting to find that in your case, antibiotics seem to work.
Keep me updated on your progress.
Thank you both for replying! I really appreciate the fact that both of you took the time to read through and digest my hideously large post.
Having done some research on sexual fatigue, I think that this indeed may be the overbearing culprit cause of my problems. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction chrono!
Dave: I only experienced testicular pain once. That's when I made the trip to the emergency room and it was revealed that I had an infection. After the munching on antibiotics for several months this symptom was cleared up. The worst thing that I had experienced since then (in the testicular region) is discomfort. Unfortunately I really don't know how to describe it clearer than that... But it's definitely not pain.
Also, I absolutely agree that there is a psychological component at play here. I mean, horrible sexual performance for over year will definitely take it's toll! However, I am convinced that it's not the only factor here. My certainty of this stems from the fact that I experience sudden loss of erection even when I am by myself. In any case, I am trying to attack this thing from all angles.
A final note regarding a comment that you made - "Maybe in your case emotional stability will go hand in hand with sexual stability." Emotionally everything seems to be in check. I don't really find myself throwing tantrums or have an excessive need talk about my feelings :) I know the intent behind your words wasn't belligerent, but a different person might have construed it differently and may have taken offense.
Having done some research on sexual fatigue, I think that this indeed may be the overbearing culprit cause of my problems. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction chrono!
Dave: I only experienced testicular pain once. That's when I made the trip to the emergency room and it was revealed that I had an infection. After the munching on antibiotics for several months this symptom was cleared up. The worst thing that I had experienced since then (in the testicular region) is discomfort. Unfortunately I really don't know how to describe it clearer than that... But it's definitely not pain.
Also, I absolutely agree that there is a psychological component at play here. I mean, horrible sexual performance for over year will definitely take it's toll! However, I am convinced that it's not the only factor here. My certainty of this stems from the fact that I experience sudden loss of erection even when I am by myself. In any case, I am trying to attack this thing from all angles.
A final note regarding a comment that you made - "Maybe in your case emotional stability will go hand in hand with sexual stability." Emotionally everything seems to be in check. I don't really find myself throwing tantrums or have an excessive need talk about my feelings :) I know the intent behind your words wasn't belligerent, but a different person might have construed it differently and may have taken offense.
Hi there, far from being a professional I have 1 or 2 suggestions.
Firstly I think you should make a second post which is less daunting in size to the average reader here, the length of this could put off some readers who may have useful advice.
Secondly regarding the testicular pain, did you regularly find yourself aroused but unable to relieve the sexual stress because of the erection problems? I've had crippling testicular pain simply from being aroused for such an extended period of time Ive felt like my balls would burst! The only cure i found for it was orgasming, which was obscenely painful in itself, as was urinating.
Im afraind thats all the help I can give you, except that maybe the anxiety due to pressure to be 'normal' has secretly built up and you dont recognise it. In which case maybe you should see a psychotherapist regarding the matter. This theory can maybe link high stress levels to low performance! Maybe in your case emotional stability will go hand in hand with sexual stability.
Ive probably been of no use but hopefully something I've said will help :)
Dave
Firstly I think you should make a second post which is less daunting in size to the average reader here, the length of this could put off some readers who may have useful advice.
Secondly regarding the testicular pain, did you regularly find yourself aroused but unable to relieve the sexual stress because of the erection problems? I've had crippling testicular pain simply from being aroused for such an extended period of time Ive felt like my balls would burst! The only cure i found for it was orgasming, which was obscenely painful in itself, as was urinating.
Im afraind thats all the help I can give you, except that maybe the anxiety due to pressure to be 'normal' has secretly built up and you dont recognise it. In which case maybe you should see a psychotherapist regarding the matter. This theory can maybe link high stress levels to low performance! Maybe in your case emotional stability will go hand in hand with sexual stability.
Ive probably been of no use but hopefully something I've said will help :)
Dave
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STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
STDs aren't transmitted through clothing. Fabric is a germ barrier.
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