Testicle / Epididymal Pain

Posted , 5 users are following.

Okay, so here's the story. My pain has been going on for around 2 - 3 years, hence why I have come here to seek others in the same position or different professional advice.

The pain exists (so it seems) at the back of my right testicle. It can take some time to find but there is one tender and sensitive point on the testicle that, once found and disturbed or pressed, causes a sickening feeling in the lower abdomen, much like a kick in the nuts! On regular occasions this pain can be felt at random times of the day during both strenuous and non strenuous activity, from walking to sitting at a desk. Along with the pain, there is often a thickening of the epididymis and speramtic cord, which can be anywhere up to a small grape sized near the testicle with the rest of the chord inflamed / thickened.

At its worst, it has prevented me from walking for half a day in excruciating pain, admitted to hospital only to be told to go home with no diagnosis and some co codemol (Warrington General) ... Wheelchaired in may I add.

Following countless emergency appointments wob various doctors at my local surgery as well as 4 ultra sounds on different occasions, I was referred to a consultant urologist, who later performed a Varicocele treatment on me in May 2014.

Following this, the issue is still apparent and can cause discomfort on a daily basis. I am fearful for fertility although doctors have told me not to.

If anyone can add any other angle on this, you could possibly save my life from occasional misery.

Kind regards and thank you for your time,

Will

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi

    What treatment did the doc perform for varicocele? Embolisation?

    Have you had a semen analysis done? I'd demand that from your GP.

    Has epididimytus been ruled out (an infection)?

    • Posted

      Hi Jack, 

      He performed a varicocele (vein removal). Ihave not had a semen analysis done, this will be equested in my next appointment. Epididymitiis has not been ruled out as far as i'm awae - I can bring this up in my next appointment. To add, I am 23 years old.

      Will

    • Posted

      Epididimytis is a possibility if it's coming from that area. That can usually be diagnosed with a urine sample. You may as well have a semen analysis done, just to give yourself a full picture, with your age they won't offer that to you unless you disclose that you and your partner have been trying and trying for a while, which I assume you aren't.

      When you say vein removal I assume you mean a varicolectomy, which is unusual nowadays as urologists normally will push you to have an embolisation, done by a radiologist using xray equipment, the key difference in the procedure is that you're awake (local anaesthetic or sedation)...

      you need to probe this with a urologist, preferably a different one to get a fresh opinion. The issue you mentioned regarding excruciating pain... that's usually a sign of testicular torsion, where it sort of twists. Sometimes it can untwist itself and never reoccur, other times it may reoccur and worst case, if it doesn't, you'd need an emergency procedure to untwist it as it will eventually kill the testicle. It doesn't sound like it's permanently twisted (believe me, they'd see that and you wouldn't even be able to type these responses it's that bad) but it could be twisting and going back.

      GPs are generally useless and need a good kick up the arris to get them to pull their finger out and act. Go back to the GP... get an emergency appointment, tell them you want a new referral for a second opinion. Do your research and question them. However, try and keep googling to a minimum, you can go out of your mind if you self diagnose.

  • Posted

    HappyJackJunior,

    I really do know how you feel. You describe my exact symptoms. You also describe most of my non-treatment issues as well. Of course you will most likely not want to read how my issue was solved. Over the past 2 months I had level 10 of 10 pains that was like a twisting of the nuts and this NEVER backed down. To add to the misery I had the feeling of a knife traveling up my spermatic cord. By the way I had three surgeries. 1st was a testicular mass removal non cancerous hematoma. This surgery did nothing to ease my pains in both remaining testicles. A scar formed and caused the left testicle to attach itself to a portion of my scrotal sac. 2nd surgery was done after many non helpful waste of time appointments that did nothing to solve my pains. So a left Inguinal orchiectomy was performed and this meant they had to remove a portion of the scrotal sac as well. 2 months healing and I still was suffering from various levels of pain up until December when my level 10 hit and no relief. ER just sent me home with aspirin wheelchaired in. Finally I was told by the pain specialist that my remaining testicle should be removed to spare non working treatments or a lifetime of Oxycodone 80 mg per day. This was not an option for me as you can guess. So the family doc and the endocrinology department agreed that testosterone treatments would be much more manageable than a lifetime of narcotics that I still felt the pain through. No matter which one you can name, tried em all. Then the urologists were not comfortable finishing this pain relieving surgery. I knew this would help because I had zero pains on the left once the testicle was removed. I finally found a surgeon who agreed and was a specialist of the sexual reproductive organs. My surgery was last Wednesday to have my right inguinal Orchiectomy. Very important to have the spermatic cords removed to avoid phantom pains amputees get after losing a limb. I must say I was scared of not being able to get an erection or be able to ejaculate any more. Let me assure you all the remaining plumbing works as it should. I get normal erections just as before, ability to maintain also, and my ejaculate is actually not as white due to no more sperm. The biggest part for me that makes me happy is NO MORE TESTICLE PAIN. I am able to avoid all pain meds for the first time in 7 months. Varicocele was present and surgery to save these testicles would have been possible with robotics however the testicle may die anyway and require orchiectomy. This is an extreme case of debilitating nerve pain as Orchialgia was diagnosed too. Requires surgery at some point. Please discuss all options with a urologist and seek a reproductive specialist if available.

    • Posted

      Hello mate, I'm 46 years old from Israel and suffer from a chronic pain in my left testicle that started 25 years ago after hydrocele surgery, I want to consult with you about the option to remove the testicle, can we speak on the phone/ whatsapp ?

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