Pressure pain after vasectomy
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi, I had a non-scalpel vasectomy 9 days ago. For the first 2 days the pain was minimal, by the morning of the third I felt almost 100% so I joined my family at a birthday party. Upon arriving I found standing was painful, so I returned home to lay down again. A week on and I have lumps behind my testicles and pain when standing. There is also a pressure pain in my lower abdomen. I went to the doctor 4 days ago who felt a small lump above my left testicle and said he thought it was a haematoma and it would pass in a week or so, I've been back today because the pain hasn't subsided and the pumps begins the testicles are painful. The doctor today said he thinks the pumps are a build up of sperm, and though they may last a year, the pain should subside in a week or two. My question is this: would masturbation help at all? Tbh it feels like an orgasm might hurt, but would it relieve pressure? I've been told to take ibuprofen through the day and lay up much as possible. Any advice would be great.
0 likes, 19 replies
Uksnippee
Posted
Might be obvious but "pumps begin" should read "lumps behind"
PVP-ouch Uksnippee
Posted
Any pain in that area is a total female dog and to be honest brufen will be like Canute trying to hold back the sea!
I'd suggest a trip back to GP and say pain is still high and request some prescription strength meds.
Masturbating - well you need to clear the piples quite a few times before going for the sperm clear test anyway so in a way it would be a start - as for a pain relieving method it won't work as the pain is likely to be nerve or damage based.
The recommendation is to only have sex or masturbate when you feel comfortbale to do so, arguably you're in pain so nowhere near to being comfortable to do so.
If it is a haematomoa then there will be considerable pain and it is sadly a common event after a vasectomy, it can clear pretty quickly or it can take a littgle while longer, hence suggesting script medications.
Wear the tightest underwear you can to provide support, I used a jockstrap and it did and still does provide relief at times, it may seem uncomfortbale at first as you're putting further pressure on an already tender area but in the long run it can really help.
Sadly to say 9 days in is still quite early days yet, despite what the idiots who perform the butchery claim. Further complicated by most GP's are ignorant of post vasectomy complications, usually citing an infection that requires antibitiocs - in your case at least they can pin it down, possibly, to a haematoma.
If you can't get script meds then advice would be wear tightest briefs possible and alternate brufen and paracetamol to keep a constant life of pain relief going. By alternating I mean at 08:00 take brufen, then at 10:00 paracetamol, then at noon brufen and so on using maximum strength and dose available and ONLY for the appropriate length of time. If after the receommended length of time pain is still there back to GP to get better pain relief.
Given how hard it can be to get GP appt's I suggest, if your surgery has online booking, that you book quite a few slots up...you can always cancel if not needed.
Uksnippee PVP-ouch
Posted
Thanks very much for your reply. The pain is not bad at all provided in resting, but it's getting very frustrating not being able to do much. I'll hold off on clearing the pipes for now and continue with the ibuprofen, just hope it doesn't roll on too long line some of the poor souls I've been reading about!
PVP-ouch Uksnippee
Posted
Rest initially is very important...when they say do nothing at all they really mean do nothing at all.
I've been in this nightmare for 5yrs now, still requesting castration and they still refuse saying it could get better! After 5 years I think we can safely say it ain'yt going ot get any better really.
Pain is down on what it used to be, switch from morphine to methadone of all things did help on pain front but ejaculations still hurt like hell and sex is still ultra sporadic.
More you keep on pain now, quicker things will die down for you - good idea to hold off on clearing the pipes just yet :-) Be warened it is usual for there to be some blood or colouration in first ejaculate
take care
Uksnippee PVP-ouch
Posted
Thanks again for your help. Your situation sounds horrific, I can only hope you get some relief soon. Starting to wonder what the hell I've got myself into.
Uksnippee PVP-ouch
Posted
I went to the emergency doctors this morning after some intense pain yesterday and this morning. He said it is definitely a haematoma and said 6 weeks before I expect it to be cleared up. Prescribed Diclofenac and Fluoxicillin, the pain has been much better today but the selling is worse, now third testicle size. In feeling more positive with the medication, we'll see what tomorrow brings.
PVP-ouch Uksnippee
Posted
Glad you went back to Dr's but sory to hear it was under such circumstances.
Diclofenic is a pretty good pain hitter, just be careful with driving or anything that requires dexterity and concentration as it can hit those pretty bad. Should really help with pain now that it is conformed haematoma.
Between pain releif and antibiotics hitting infection you should, hopefully, notice pain decrease within 48hrs. Sadly swelling will take a while longer to clear. Swelling on its own can cause pain but that, again, should take a hit now.
Just keep an eye on swelling, if it gets bigger then straight back with no delays. But when antibiotics kick in and blood begins to dissapate you should see it going down slowly.
Keep chin up and glad things look like their improving
cheers
Marc
Uksnippee PVP-ouch
Posted
I'm a long way off driving! Laid up 24/7 outside of toileting. The swelling has increased since my appointment and I'm trying to ascertain how big it should get before I think about going back, the trip to the docs can be an ordeal! Going to try and contact the urologist who performed the op today to get some clarification. The Diclofenac effects wore off at 4am and good god it wasn't pleasant! Allowed 3 a day so trying to maintain an 8 hour gap to cover a whole 24 hours. The worst thing about the pain returning is that it increases my anxiety.
Uksnippee
Posted
Just an update, trying to find info on this and it's not easy, so figure of I keep up a log someone else might benefit. Also nice to get reassurances of anyone has experience. I went to the urologist 2 days ago as I was suffering horrible side effects from Diclofenac. He gave me some new anti biotics and recommended Naproxen or Ibuprofen if I could cope with the reduced pain, which I can. Much happier with that. He said he thought I'd be back on my feet in 2 weeks but that looks very optimistic to me, this thing is still growing! I can't find my testicle amongst the Haematoma, the lump which inhabits that side of my scrotum is now about lemon sized and about as hard as a testicle is. It doesn't give me any more than a dull ache which comes and goes whilst I'm laying, standing becomes painful after 20 seconds or so which means I cradle as much as possible for toilet visits, other than that I'm bed bound. Ice packs occasionally and urologist told me to avoid the hot baths I'd started taking. How big does this thing get before I think about returning to the doctor? Or do I just wait it out? From what I've read I really don't want to have to have this thing drained. One other thing:the wound where entry was made in the affected side is healed, but that part of my scrotum feels attached to the mass inside, it doesn't move over the mass as any other area of the scrotum would.... Might be nothing.
PVP-ouch Uksnippee
Posted
Sorry to read pain still issue for you. Haematoma's are sods, they will die down though.
They can grow to be rather large in size that's for sure, As to when to revisit Dr's? I'd say either when pain increases or if it is noticeably larger regardless of pain levels. GP won't consider it a wasted appt if worried over any increase in size and will allow GP to keep eye on it as well.
So yep, either of those above is when to visit GP really.
You're doing all the right things to aid healing, so just keep on with that as you are.
hope it all settles quickly for you
Uksnippee PVP-ouch
Posted
Feeling much more positive this morning. Since last posting, I had a stint without any anti-inflammatories at all since the pain was so manageable and using a blood thinning drug whilst waiting for clotting to occur seemed counter productive. I switched to paracetamol for 2 days, and whether coincidence or not, the mass changed. There's now a clear distinction between the softer testicle and more solid haematoma. The pain began last night, it wasn't the worst pain I've had by any stretch and it was different, a pressure pain directly in the scrotum... A return to anti-inflammatories seemed sensible; Naproxen. It's dealt with the pain and the Haematoma is now very high in the scrotum and moving around causes much less pain, although I'm still doing little of it. Today's the first day I've truly believed things are getting better.
PVP-ouch Uksnippee
Posted
elljayusa PVP-ouch
Posted
I have read through some of the posts on here and i wanted to comment. I am a "injured spouse" looking for any information to help my husband. He had vasectomy in 2010, reversal in 2013, and robotic denervation earlier this year, 2017. Still in pain, and unable to work.
My main suggestion to anyone on here is don't go the the Florida specialist. I won't name him, just don't !! Last 2 surgeries were there and things are only getting worse. Bills were about $100,000 forvthe last surgery(we were given an estimate of $12,000). That is out patient surgery. No hospitalization. A friend had 4 procedures with them. After the last outpatient surgery he had such severe pain he had to return to the hospital and spent 4 days inpatient.
Just wanted to let people know Florida is not the way. I wish someone had given us information and accurate facts before a "simple" vasectomy ruined our lives.
PVP-ouch elljayusa
Posted
I know you're obviously raw with the surgeon but you could have had the most skilled, most brilliant surgeon and chances are your husband would still be agony.
This is the problem with vasectomy, the medical profession have zero idea what causes post vasectomy pain...so not one surgeon knows how to avoid inflicting it in their patient.
Surgeons do know however it is a real live crippling and changing risk, yet if they tell the patient this honestly they won't earn money...so they become adept, very adept, at side stepping the issue at best or outright lying about risks at worse.
Surgeons who try to correct the carnage can only hope their intervention doesn't make it worse. Yes reversals can help but they can also make it worse. As can epidydectomy or denervation operations. These surgeons know the pain the patient is in but their skillset becomes purely a lottery as far as post vasectomy pain reduction goes.
Best thing anyone with PvP can hope for is a loving and supportive wife or partner
elljayusa PVP-ouch
Posted
PVP-ouch elljayusa
Posted
Learning what to avoid can help a great deal.
Motorbike in my case was an obvious trigger for more pain...so gave that up sadly.
Baths were a trigger for pain but due to time lag between bath & increased pain took about a month you make the connection....switched to showers
Boxer underwater was another trigger for more pain, tight fitting underwear all the time now
Lots of stupid little things affect pain level or trigger pain. Learning which ones won't stop it but can make life more bearable
Talking won't stop pain either but bloody important to keep partner informed how your doing etc...helps understanding....and that goes for you too. As you say you're the injured spouse and your emotions and feelings will take knocks and dents as well....talking to each other is so important
Chin up and keep moving on