Unexplained Testicular Atrophy at 23?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Hi guys, 

My question is quite the difficult one but I'm hoping someone can help me and shed some light on what can cause this, whether its normal, and what I can do about it. 

To start with, I'm a 23-year-old male, standing around 5 feet and 3 inches tall, and I am slightly overweight - weighing about 12.9 stones (Or 180 pounds) 

Around 2.5 years ago I had a severe case of Epididymitis in my left testicle which, by the time it was diagnosed had already caused damage to that testicle, and subsequently lead to testicular atrophy in the left side, and has left me with poor blood flow to the bottom half of my left testicle according to my Urologists who have done endless blood tests, blood flow scans, Ultrasounds etc...7 

Shortly after this problem began to get better, I started getting pain in my right testicle, and despite the fact that every single scan and test has come back completely clear for the right side, my testicle on the right appears smaller and less heavy than it used to be. 

The 4 Urologists I've seen about this, including one whom carries the name of Professor have all said that the right testicle looks fine both inside and out, and it is around the wright size for my age, height and weight, however I know for a fact that this is not the case, as I remember it used to be bigger and a lot heavier than it is now. 

Throughout my life I have been taking a medication called Atomoxetine for the treatment of ADHD. One of the side effects of this medication was that it would always cause my penis and scrotum to retract as if they were extremely cold all the time throughout the day - causing me to have to take hot or warm baths to temporarily solve this. It actually made it quite uncomfortable, and the surface temperature of the skin on my penis and testicles was quite cool as if not enough blood flow was getting to them. Stopping the meds has obviously solved this. 

From time to time I get a tingling feeling in my scrotum, and my testicles quickly retract for a while, and only seem to go back to their "loose" formation when I'm very warm such as when in the Sauna or a hot bath. They then go back to normal. 

My sex drive has not been affected as of yet and I can still have sex perfectly fine. I'm not so worried now about fertility since my fiance is now pregnant with our first child, but the size of things down there is really starting to bug me. 

I have also gone to the extent of purchasing an Orchidometer, which doctors use to determine the size of testicles, and my right one does measure almost exactly the top size, which is 25ml and according to this, this is the normal size for an adult testicle, but things still feel a lot lighter and smaller than they used to be.

My issue is that things used to be larger than they are, and there seems to be no evidence of any issue which could have caused the right side to get smaller, and yet I notice it quite a lot and notice that its not only smaller, but also a lot lighter than it used to be. 

I've discussed the use of Clomiphene to my Urologists, which is a hormone used in women mainly, but can reverse testicular atrophy, but none of the 4 Urologists seem to think this is necessary. 

So far I've had several ultrasounds by several different Urologists, physical examinations, blood flow scans and also had blood tests to see if I have the right amount of testosterone and growth hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, Luteinizing hormone etc... - all of which show normal results. 

What on earth could this be? What can I do to reverse the atrophy (if anything) and what on earth could be causing it? 

Thanks in advance!

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Hey man, im 22 i got the same thing as you when i turned 19. One day i noticed my left testicle was swollen and my right testicle was 1/4 size of the left so i went to the urologist he told me there was nohing he could do. Been living with testicular discomfort for 4 years now on and off some days are better than others i dont know if you feel the sensation of the atrophic one like its really light you can feel the imbalance too much. I should of gotten it removed and got on with my life but here i am 4 years later living with it because im scared of surgery and having the thought of a prosthetic ball and it being worse than the atrophied testicle. Sorry i cant help you out a lot with this man but it really sucks and it affects your quality of life you aint alone though. 
  • Posted

    Hey im in a similar situation as you im having testicle pain for about 6 months now and i had varicocele surgery. and after my right ball has shrunk and im thinking its atrophy aswell, i dont take any medication like you but i am a chronic weed smoker which may be the cause for me...

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