Lower abdomen/groin pain

[nh_user_1023578]

Hey guys,

I posted a few months ago about same issue but its worsened. Seen my internist a few times and 2 separate urologists. blood work and urine tests normal. Also a normal CT.

VERY hard to describe. So hard that the first month or so, I thought it might just be All in my mind.

Mainly concentrated to just a dull, throbbing, sometimes pulling/sticking pains, but more discomfort in my groin, right in area above base of penis and inguinal areas. Had a vasectomy sept 2016, zero problems. Then in late Jan 2017, started feeling twinges and dull aching in groin. It FELT like it was like after you get hit in the nads but all dr visits completely rule out vasectomy related issues and quite honestly, my testicles, epididymus, etc. feel absolutely fine. Its in my lower abdomen and even feels like it's inside. (I cannot reproduce the pain by touching/feeling/pressing on anything. My testicles feel fine.) (Tet I still constantly "check" them out of paranoia.

Even twinges and slight "shocks on my inner thighs and under my scrotum in the cracks of my legs.

None of this is near excruciating but it IS excruciatingly nerve wracking and uncomfortable. Some days worse than others and I'm becoming more and more frustrated.

Sorry this is long but want to give as much info as possible. Ive now got a referral from urologist to see a musculoskeletal specialist. (Again, vasectomy in sept of 2016, but then I started exercising pretty hard and lifting from oct-dec...started feeling twinges about late January.) Urologist referred me to this new doc thinking it could be something torn or a ligamental strain, etc. Just hard to accept that this would last 4 months and get worse, rather than improve if an exercise related injury.

I'm really confident it's not vasectomy related but now I'm just p*ssed no one else can find anything else.

Summary: ever present, dull, achy, lower abdomen/groin area. I'm always guarded with kids jumping on me. Zero testicular pain. Zero problems with sex or ejaculation. Also bilateral and just "all over and feels like IN my inner groin.

ANY related experiences/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please follow up if anyone needs any more detailed info that might help with usurful suggestions.

I really appreciate it.

[nh_user_31034]

Don't be too quick in ruling out link to vasectomy.

Look up referred pain, specific to nerves and you may gain a better understanding of why I say above.

An example...some folks having heart attack may feel the pain in jaw, neck or arm and not in chest region.

Pain hits where the nerves wish to scream ouch to the brain not necessarily where the actual injury is.

Testicle and scrotum area is jam packed with nerves, each one capable of referring pain to another site.

In my case I get pain in upper thighs, abdomen and back...all linked to vasectomy

[nh_user_1023578]

I understand and that really sucks and scares the sh*t out of me. Just so frustrating because I don't think I'll ever get a true diagnosis. I'm familiar with referred pain but it's hard to accept that so many complications can come from such a "minimally" invasive procedure.

My point being.....people (myself included) have surgeries all the time on various areas. I've had an inguinal hernia repair in early nineties.(when they had to make a 2" incision. People have gallbladder removal, knee and back surgerie, and and endless list of others. I don't hear much about lingering nerve damage or weird pains following those procedures like I do vasectomy trouble. There's no such thing as PGBRP (post gall bladder removal surgery).

So the other unknowns are: is it possible to find a urologist that will acknowledge my symptoms? Is there repair/relief/medication that can alleviate some or all of my discomfort?

And the other big question I have is: why would I have 4 months absolutely symptom free and then all of a sudden start experiencing this? And if it spontaneously crept up, is it not reasonable to assume that it may subside on its own? Has anyone else experienced symptoms and then they subsided?

Thanks for the help.

[nh_user_1023578]

Few other things. I've seen 3 Drs to about this and know and trust 2 of them. 3rd has very high reviews. It just seems very unlikely and cynical to me that there is some grand conspiracy and that they all disregard PVPS and try to avoid addressing it. That's not to imply it doesn't work exist. But I've had 2 of those Drs tell me point blank that they feel it's extremely likely my symptoms appear to be related to vasectomy. I'm not being naive, just saying I think I have a bit more trust in the Hippocratic Oath than that.

Secondly, it seems so horrific and extreme reading all the testimonials online and it seems PVPS is just absolutely hopeless. Can ANYone give good news or an update how their pain subsided with minimal intervention (surgery) or just mild medication? Surely there an option of it going away if it just spontaneously appeared 4 months after vas.

I know I probably sound naively optimistic but I wonder if it's just that you hear only the bad cases and those with no trouble aren't likely to be on these forums and blogs.

I've known 4 men to have had vasectomies and all 4 say no problems.

Lastly, is my next step to see a neurologist??

[nh_user_31034]

It is not a minimal procedure, nor is it safe and simple....if they damage nerves you're screwed excuse the pun, for life. 

Perhaps there are more nerves and receptors in the scrotum than abdomen hence increase in pain...flick yourself on chest then flick testicle...which one hurt more?

I've had multpile surgeries over years, broken bones, appendix etc so I do take your point.

The other operations are not normally elective though but to resolve pain, whereas a vasectomy is 100% not needed just to save us slipping on a condom

As for why after 4 months? The "official" guideline by mendical bodies is it can appear any time within 10yrs of vasectomy (they keep that nice and quiet as well eh) - so 4 years in is within limits. A reversal can also trigger PVP as well and again the time frame is any time within 10yrs.

I've tried so many diferent meds and some worked but made me a zombie or didn't work and I coudn't move for pain. Opiates are the only help now but that does negate driving and drinking :-( 3yrs without my motorbike and without a proper drink. So meds are truly a hit and miss affair, more miss than hit it must be said, and depends massively on the individual.

Surgery can help some but the current options can also make it a hell of a lot worse as well

The complete list of symptoms from PVP is legion sadly.

It may or may not be PVP - but if it is then it is lifelong

[nh_user_31034]

There is no grand conspiracy at all. It is just as usual Dr's do not reveal all the facts to the patient before surgery

Example - were you told there was a risk of chronic lifelong pain? Were you warned between 5% and 30% chance of PVP occurring? These figures aren't made up they are what Drt's are required to quote by both US & UK Dr's under the guidelines they operate to - sadly they tend not to tell the patient but bury it deeply in the small print of the consent form

Given that it affect between 10 in 100 and 30 in 100 men - you could ask between another 70 & 90 men and they'd say no probs so the 4 really is not an indicator.

You are spot on - vast majority on here have PVP or complications within that header and are nor problem free so the amount of posters is really irrelevant and not helpful to you. The figures that will be useful are the ones provided by various medical professionals over the decades in various medical papers and reports - one report put the incidence rate as high as 43%! 

Majority of Dr's / surgeons do not follow up for the 10 year period it can occur in, so they have no real idea how vast the problem is and can claim ignorance - Dr's who research and prodiuce peer papers tend to do a far better job at ensuring stats are captured - plus they don't have a vested interest like the surgeon...if they told the risks as they are supposed to by their professional body then many would nor proceed and that's the loss of a few thousand £/$ - when people have a vested interest they gloss over issues.

My pain is down to a "controlled" (ha!) level but it still hurts every day and I still want them to castrate me. I've been ion pain for 5yrs now and think I've waited loing enough for their options to work - so the good news is the pain is down to the point I have retained my job and I know others here are in much the same boat - each holding on by their finger tips

If it is PVP then it does not go away, sorry but you need to lose that idea - it is lifelong which is why many consider extreme options like castration. There is another brilliant forum dedicated to PVP on US servers - you'll find it if you look and on there you will find all the verified medical info that you need and that is generally hidden from the patient.

As I have said it may not PVP - in which case stunning news - personally I do not trust any Dr now and always seek a 2nd or 3rd opinion The Dr / surgeon who did my vasectomy refused to acknoweldge it could be PVP for 2 months leaving me in pain in that period. It couldn't be, nothing to do with vasectomy to I've never had a patient with this - turns out it could be, it was and I was his 3rd case albeit most severe.

My own GP refused to even recognise PVP due to absoutely miniscule risks making in highly unlikely and it was all in my head and di I want a pysch referral - insuytling given I work in mental health - it was only went I went to see urologist privately and laid out all symptoms and events that he said PVP which left my GP with lot of egg on his face

So whilst it may not be PVP unless your two Dr friends are specialist nuerologist or urologist then they really have very little ideaof what they ar etalking about - it is very easy to say it is not related, for them to say that it must mean they have an idea of what it must be to be able to rule it out - or have they said no can't be related to vasectomy but we don't know what it is either? If they don't know what it is then by nature they can't say it isn't rel;ated to snip as they have just said they don't know.

Anyway bit long winded sorry. Really hope it turns out not to be PVP for you. Do not trust anyone that is a bopg standard Dr, go see urologist or neuro.

Take care and keep on going

cheers

[nh_user_1023578]

Wow, thanks for info pvpouch. Good info. I agree with most of what you said. I e seen 2 general urologists. Next is neorolgist.

But I am thankful (albeit empathetic too) that my symptoms really are slight compared to what I'm seeing they could be. Mostly just an inconvenience at this point. But part of the inconvenience is not having a proper diagnosis. Even if I were told "yes, you have this and it will be for life but it's maneagable" then I'd stress a lot less.

Right Joe, I compare it to say, sleeping in a bed of cookie crumbs. Is that painful? No. But it would drastically affect your quality of life. And on top of that, it's like asking a mattress professional to confirm the crumbs, and they tell you it's not matters related.

[nh_user_1067102]

What is the state of your back? I had some testicle pain(no vasectomy) and later bad sciatica that was eventually linked to back pain. An MRI showed two compressed disks in my spine. After a year of misery, job change and Pilates I am pain free and active.

Not sure if this is a red herring, but if it helps...

[nh_user_1123533]

I’m just wondering if and how this issue has resolved.  My husband is suffering from groin issues post vasectomy but onset was right away.  

[nh_user_1301204]

jcrowley,

Not sure if you still look at this. but I’ve been frustrated for the couple months following my vasectomy. It started like yourself with no symptoms, pain, or complications, etc., but recently in the last month or more I’ve been feeling exactly the way you described. Like yourself, it’s been scaring me. Not only because I don’t know what’s going on with me, but also because the Dr’s can’t tell me anything either. I’ve been through all the tests, (CT Scan, blood /urine sample, even an ultrasound. )and what I started as thinking was internally, turned out to be “fine”, and now they have me in physical therapy thinking I tore a muscle. I don’t think its even remotely close to a muscle tear, but I’m playing the guessing game with my Dr’s and it’s getting me no where, except in debt. I know you originally post several years ago, has there been any positive progress for you with this or any type of diagnosis? This could help me and my family tremendously. Thanks.

[nh_user_1301240]

TBone5150 , this is Jcrowley had to make another username cause i couldnt reset password

1st off, sweet handle!

I can’t confirm if you’re experiencing the same thing exactly as i did, i can say I haven’t had any real symptoms in 1.5 yrs. I finally found a muskuloskeletal doc who was very understanding and felt he knew what was going on likely just some nerves going a little haywire AND partly my mind playing tricks on me i know that’s probably frustrating to hear but as soon as i started an over the counter treatment from him, I started noticing symptoms less and less.

• epsom salt baths
• MSM Pro supplements
• Vitamin D3
• thera mineral body cream
• RELAX. not physically. your mind i mean. it will VERY likely turn out to be absolutely nothing.

Try this out for 2-3 weeks and let me know!

[nh_user_1449119]

I know this post is old but I am 8 months post surgery and have all those groin muscle pulling sensations. Has anyone found relief over time?