Testicle Pain - Orchiectomy

Have you asked your doctor whether or not your bad testicle is even likely to be doing its job 100%? If it is underperforming already due to damage then your other one might already have picked up the slack.

Yeah it’s been a nightmare and I was only 29 when it happened (now 35) so have lost the best years of my life to this problem. To make matters worse I asked for a second opinion but was told it would be a waste of time and the radiologist had 40 years experience and wouldn’t make a mistake this serious. Well he did and the NHS hung me out to dry without even offering me counselling then they discharged me eventhough I was still suffering with chronic pain. I’ve spent around £20k of my own money trying to resolve this pain I have in my surviving testicle and finally figured out I seem to have something called hyperactive cremaster muscle so will be having my cremaster cut so it doesn’t pull up all the time. The only thing that helped me was hot baths or showers as it helped relax the muscles and the epididymis. My testicle has grown much bigger since the orchidectomy but my testosterone is unfortunately quite low which is another thing the NHS have let me down on, they’ve offered me no treatment eventhough I’ve twice given a sample of around 7.2nmol. Do hot baths help you at all? Is the pain exacerbated by bowel movements or lifting weights? Those are both signs of chronic epididymitis or prostatitis.

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Teahupo, I did wounded the same thing, is my right testicle under performing, but I didn't think to ask.

Hi Paul, That must have been awful for you. To be honest the NHS haven't been very good to me, they done nothing at first, they didn't want to know. It's only now that I have had to keep on to them because my quality of life is so very poor, they are now actually helping me.

Yes, after a bowel movement can start or make the pain worst, also the top and bottom of my testicle is so tender and painful. 

Does your pain effect your leg, my pain starts in the testicle and will travel down my leg to my foot, this causes me to limp.

Hi Chips,

My pain used to effect my leg but now mainly in around the groin area. The nerves around the genitals and bowels are closely related. I found that one thing to really help me and is worth a try was to go gluten free. It made my bowel movements much easier and put less stress on my testicle if i was constipated. Gluten is also known to inflame the prostate which is closely linked to the epididymis. I also found that doing deep squats at the gym really helped stretch the area out and I usually felt a bit better next day. There is also a book called “a headache in my pelvis” which is also worth reading. I just remembered as well, flomax is very helpful in reducing pain in the epididymis. I would ask you GP for that. As I’ve said please take time to try every avenue before opting for orchidectomy. Thats the easy option and doesn’t always help. It wouldn’t hurt getting a second opinion from a pain specialist as well.

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul, Thank you for your reply.

Its really confusing, as some people say its best not get the testicle removed, but they don't really give a reason why, what is so terrible about having a testicle removed, what are the reasons why people say don't do it? 

Hi mate, there’s nothing terrible about it but if your pain is nerve related it’s common for the pain to move to the other testicle. I’ve spoken to a few guys which that has happened to. Losing a testicle isn’t that big a deal. I have a lower sex drive but I’m sure thats related to my ongoing pain and not the loss of my ball. I can still build muscle quite well too.  One testicle can do the job of two just like a kidney, it’s not a big deal.  It won’t hurt to get a second or third opinion from a pain specialist just incase though. One of the best urologists I’ve spoken to lives in the US and his name is Parviz Kavoussi. I had a skype call with him and it only cost me around £150. Might be worth speaking to him or finding another one in the UK even if you’re slightly unsure.

thanks

Paul

Hi mate, It's certainly a hard decision to make, my stress levels are through the roof. 

I have seen several urologists and surgeons over the years and been to different hospitals, they all say orchidectomy is the last resort, and it seems I'm now at the last resort after 14 long years of agonising pain. 

The surgeon I'm under now reckons orchidectomy is the answer, that cutting everything and removing it will give me a better chance of being pain free. When they performed the varicocele surgery they found that my testicle was inflamed, I guess its been inflamed these past 14 years, I just hope my left one doesn't malfunction.

I'm booked in for the orchidectomy, but I don't have a date yet, so I've got time to think it over. 

Paul, If you don't mind me asking, how big has your left testicle become, and how does everything look with just one testicle?

Does the left testicle still sit over to the left, or does it fall towards the centre? Does your penis still fall to the centre, or does it hang towards the right now there is no right testicle to support it? 

Sorry for all the questions mate, I hope you don't mind me asking. 

Ok mate, yeah take your time. Remember you’re not alone, this is a fairly common problem but is quite difficult to cure as it can have many different causes. In answer to your questions my testicle has grown about 30% bigger and heavier than it was before. I’m 35 and until the covid lockdown trained a lot down the gym so it was probably growing to make more testosterone. It hangs very slightly to the middle but the scrotum tightens up on the empty side so its not like you have much skin hanging there to notice one is missing. I would say it’s hard to notice that I have one missing and I’ve walked around gym changing rooms naked plenty of times before without any worries. I wouldn’t worry too much about the appearance and feeling of it and would definitely not recommend getting a prosthetic by the way as they can have positioning issues. I remember trying to sleep on my front and it was like laying on a tennis ball. I know it would’ve probably settled down eventually but I had to get it removed, far too much hassle.

cheers

Paul

Thanks for the reply Paul, much appreciated. 

My pain seems to start or get worst after ejaculation, sex can often make it worst, as far as I know this normally means epididymitis, is that correct? I've taken antibiotics many times before and the pain always gets better, but soon comes back after I've finished the course of antibiotics. 

My surgeon has said that he will cut the cord high up, I think I'm having a inguinal orchiectomy, seems to be the preferred method for orchialgia.