Epididymitis - views/thoughts?

I have been advised by my GP not to wear Boxer briefs and wear supportive briefs - or even a jock strap to help recover

I'm hoping not to jinx this, but after 6 months of suffering with this, I may have found the solution. I read this on another forum and was up for giving anything a shot, and that thing is Vitamin E.

I was sceptical but after downing a lot of sunflower seeds, I've not had any pain whatsoever! I read a scientific study that someone did on rats where this did affect the epididymal structure. It's been over a day since and it seems to be fine. I don't think it's a placebo because this is the first thing I've tried that has subsided the pain and I've tried other ideas that I thought were more 'viable' and they didn't do a thing.

Worth a shot if anyone is still suffering, right?

Is the Vitamin still working? Im tempted to try, I've been taking garlic capsules and saw palmetto for 2 weeks- mixed results, I actually thought it sorted it until last night - im now in bad pain again

Well, I have been having pain and problems passing urin for about a year and a half now. I a few days ago I had to go to the doctors, because the pain in my right testicle became unbearable, and from there ended up in the ER. They did an ultra sound and the urologist there couldn't find any abnormalities, other than he said it was a case of Epididymitis. My right testicle was swollen and had cosiderable pain. It felt like some one had kicked me in the nuts..... The doctor prescribed 500mg of Ciprofloxcin every 12 hrs, for the next 20 days. So far its only been 2 days. He also gave me somepain killers ( Hydrocodone with acetamin ) doesn't help much for the pain, but icing it seems to help. I haveFibromyalgia also.. Could having Fibro have any relation to the Epididymitis? I am also a bodybuilder and not being able to excersice is just driving me crazy....Like I said the pain in the testi is just unbearable. I guess I should mention I am 60 years old and have been physically active all my life. Please all comments are welcome........

God damn, thanks for sharing this... I was worried about the pain going down my right leg sometimes or just feeling my leg weird.

I was diagnosed with epididymitis 6 months ago, was given anti inflammatories and antibiotics as well as analgesics but it comes back in waves like you say. It also almost always hurts when I touch the affected testicle/scrotum area, of course. I think it has left the whole zone sensible or something.

I hav had it for a year now. labs come up neg. i now believe its from a yeast infection as well. Before it occured, the pain, i noticed an odd smell to the sweat in the groin. this was after an encounter with a questionable partner.. so i thought i might hav STD. they checked for the usual suspects without finding. months after having a strange smell is when the epid. showed up. im pretty sure its a yeast infection. after reading everything on yeast infections. never having one and taking into account the name, it does smell like yeast. lol

I have had epididymitis since Oct 2013 and it has been no fun. In Jan they removed the left epididymis and the testicle and I thought I was on the road to recovery and then it came up in the right side. I have no idea why this happened and the surgeon (urologist) now has told me to find a new doctor  as he can not do anything more.

I was in the ER with pain that was so bad they put me on morphine and that worked for a while. I start to see an internal medicine doctor and a new urologist next week and continue this path of frustration.

The ice helps and the hot water bath helps the best at night so I can get a bit of sleep before the pain sets back in. All blood test and urine test are normal but I was told that those test can not identify if is caused by a viral infection. If I had known that before they removed my left side I might have followed up in a path for a viral test if they even exist. I will ask the next two doctors. 

Maybe they can put some fluid from the area and test for what is causing the problem.

If anyone has had a test of that nature performed please let me know so I can suggest it to the new doctor or find one that is aware of the specific tests required.

dan

Hello, I have been suffering with pain in my testicles for 2 years now tried various antibiotics but they did not work.

my Doctor sent me for a ultrasound all was clear except for some small cysts which I was told they won't be given me pain.

The pain now is worse than ever sometimes having tummy pain and pain at top of my legs.

i have been told that pregabalin might help me .

Pregabalin (pree-gab-al-in) is a medicine which is used in neuropathic pain, anxiety disorder, partial epilepsy and secondarily generalised partial epilepsy.

i am going back to my Doctors on Tuesday to discuss this with him as I cannot cope any longer with this pain.

any advice guys please? And if you would like to ask me any questions please feel free to ask me.

I CANNOT go on any longer with this Pain it is ruining my life.

Once doctors start talking about "surgery," I move on. I've had this horrible pain for the past two months. Funny thing is, nobody can tell me why it happened, as all my tests come out negative. Hell, the ultrasound readings have said the epididymes are of "normal size," which is weird because I can actually feel the swelling on both sides. So, if the doctors cannot tell what caused the inflammation of both my epididymes and if they cannot get a clear reading from the ultrasounds, then there's no way in hell I'd consent to have any kind of surgery for fear it will not improve my condition or make it worse.

There are steroid shots they give right into the epididymis. Has anyone tried those? They sound extremely painful, but I have not read anything about this kind of treatment... nor have I read about using electric therapy to ease the pain (where they put your balls between two boards). These only mask the problem, but at least it will get rid of the pain for some time.

I forgot to add that I have it on both sides, but the positioning of both testicles are radically different now. My right testicle now sits higher in the scrotum and below the penis shaft while the left testicle hangs really low and behind the right testicle. This happens when the cremaster reflex (scrotum tightens up) is in effect. Once the scrotum is relaxed, both testicles go towards their sides, except the right testicle still sits higher and the left testicle hangs really low.

My scrotum basically looks warped/deformed. I can still see the swelling at the tail ends of the epididymes, too, and becomes really apparent when I take the hot baths. The right testicle looks "pointy" with that inflammation. It freaked me out thinking this may be an abscess.

I'm afraid to masturbate or have sex because I don't want this to feel worse. At the same time, I feel the urge to masturbate and have sex (haven't had sex or masturbated in over a month).

JCA, I will let you know what my doctor suggests when I see him next Tuesday.
My pain is definitely getting worse,doctors have said that amiltriptyline helps with the pain I'm already taking this nightly to prevent migraines.
No one knows what we are going through Ive had 2 years of pain and I pray to god for a end to this nightmare.
I don't know if masterbation is a good thing or not while suffering with this.
If injections kill the pain I won't mind having them.
It seems the more active I am in the day the pain becomes worse.
My both testicles now seem slightly swollen on both sides it started on the left side only.
Not long ago I masterbated and there was a 'normal ' amount of sperm but the last time hardly any at all.
I believe if I was given antibiotics in the very beginning it would have been gone by now.
2 years of this is enough to say the least.
JCA have you found any painkillers that work for you? I have not.

JCA how old are you? Wondering if it only affects certain age groups?

I am 33, but will 34 in a few weeks. Ironically, this happened as soon as I started dating again.

Originally, I thought this came from some kind of injury or trauma. I was having sex with my girlfriend and when we changed positions with her on top, she accidentally pulled down on the left side of my scrotum with her weight. It hurt, but it wasn't like a horrible pain. Days later, I saw the left side of my scrotum hanging very low with the testicle practically facing horizontal to the floor surface. The right one was normal.

The right testicle was injured or innervated from me straining myself to not laugh. My scrotum seized up and my right testicle went to the top of the scrotum and got stuck there for a good six hours. I took a hot bath to relax it back down, but it never fully came back down.

This is something I've been telling ALL my doctors and they've all ignored this. However, the epididymis on the right testicle is also swollen and tender, so I do have an inflammation of both epididymes. It's just that "epididymitis" does not explain the position of the right testicle, nor does it explain why it is innervated by my abdominal muscles. It does not explain all of my symptoms. I figure that if the doctors cannot explain the root cause, then their "treatments" (i.e., surgery to remove the epididymes) will not work.

As far as what "works," nothing works. I've taken vicodin, ibuprofen, xanax, norco, a muscle relaxant - all these meds do is knock me out unconscious into sleep. It's pretty much the only way I can get more than 3 hours of sleep per night nowadays. Otherwise, if I take nothing, including the ibuprofen, the swelling and pain get a lot worse, and I'll stay awake around the clock with pain.

It's screwed up. This has literally turned my life upside down and ruined its quality. It's even affecting my erections for fear it will be painful or I will exacerbate this sh*t. Yesterday, I tried going on a date and I couldn't even sit in a comfortable position for more than 30 minutes and I had to excuse myself to the bathroom to "readjust" my f*****g balls since the right one rides up and is innervated by ANY kind of abdominal muscle movement. According to the doctors, this is nothing to worry about - "testicles do that," "it's the inflammation," or "I have no physiological explanation for that." "Then, request a f*****g MRI, you death-panel hack! You're ready to chop me up without hesitation, but you can't explain sh*t" is my reply back to them. 

f**k those quacks.

You know what works? Having my family and friends comfort me.

Additionally, I also think that if I was given antibiotics and strict bed rest, I may be better now, but the f*****g doctor did nothing for a week. And even when they gave the antibiotics, none of them told me to do bed rest and the other stuff you're supposed to do to recuperate. By the time one of them had the brains to say it, it had been a month and a half of this sh*t. It was too late.

JCA,My problem first started 2 years ago when I first had the pain I also had a bad back from lifting at the same time,went to the doctors showed him where the pain was coming from my left ball and he said hmm I think the pain you are getting there is from your back so told me to keep active which I did and as you know he should have told be to bed rest and given me antibiotics by the time I went to another Doctor who said I WAS RIGHT IT IS EPPIDIDYMITIS it had become chronic .I also feel quite sick with the pain now and then .
I just don't know what to do for the best if I walk to far it makes it worse or if I sit too long it's no good .
The only time I'm out of pain is when I'm sleeping.
I'm wondering will it ever go away???
To be honest sex is at the back of my mind while I've got this.
There has gotta be a cure somewhere I'm hoping that someone will post with the correct advice to get rid of this constant pain,I'm self employed but not been able to do much work since all this started my pain at the moment is the worst it's ever been .
I thought that if I went on sickness benefit they would soon get me fit to get me off the benefit .
I wish I had some positive advice for you but I don't I'm so sorry.
It seems a LOT of men are suffering with this and like us can't get rid of it.
Like I've said SOMEONE IN THE WORLD MUST KNOW OF A CURE FOR THIS .
like I said I will let you know what my Doctor says on Tuesday I ain't gonna let him fob me off yet again.
When I did see the urologist that was a waste of time as he told me to take some paracetamol as you know that won't touch it.
Keep in touch my friend any advice I will welcome Thank you.