> I was wondering what everyone does for pain from inflammation? I have testicular pain from a failed left varicocele procedure a year ago that causes severe inflammatory pain in the groin and scrotum whenever I do a lot of physical activity including sex. I take Ibuprofen with codein and ketorolac and have to lie down with an ice pack for a few hours. > In 2 weeks I will get what is called a scrotal nerve block which is an jnjection of an anti-inflammatory (cortisone) into the spermatic cord that should help for a few months and then repeat. > Does anyone have any other ideas for pain management I could try? When i get these flare-ups they last for days and completely shut me down. Thankfully it does not interfere with my ability to CIC. Thanks. Howard
Howard, first of all, "Happy New Year"
I wish I had an answer, because I know how it feels to have constant prostate problems. Right now, I'm fine and have been for the last 2 years and 4 months.
If I hear of anything, I'll be sure to let you know.
Dennis
Howard
What type of procedure did you have a year ago. I was reading that a Varicocele Embolization is the best but you can still get them again. They say about 10 % of men.
I am sorry that you will have to go through this every couple of months. Is there nothing else that would stop the pain. I don't like saying this but what about removing the testical. I know that is a little harsh.
If the Ibuprofen is not working can your doctor give you some a little stronger. Do what you have to. Maybe sitting in a hot bath before the ice pack.
Good luck hope it gets better.....Ken
Hi, Howard,
First off, a Happy New Year to you and all the guys on this forum!
Sorry to hear that you're having an ongoing problem with inflammation. I just had a 2-week bout of a UTI, or something, that inflamed my prostate and urethra to the point where I could hardly CIC. At one point, I feared I'd end up in the emergency room with urinary retention. I felt lethargic and had a low-grade fever. Couldn't get in to see my uro right away so I started using my arsenal for inflammation. I don't know if any of these will help in your case, but I thought I'd share what I did.
First, I cut out sugar and refined carbs. (My holiday eating had gotten way out of hand!) I did a 3-day water fast, took extra strength Tylenol, and upped my D-Mannose dose to 3,000 mg per day. After the fast, I made sure to increase my intake of high alkaline vegetables. I also increased my water intake. (If you're on other medications, fasting may not be recommended.)
A few days after I completed the fast, the infection/inflammation cleared up on it's own without antibiotics. Not sure if my techniques actually worked or if the infection cleared up on its own. Either way, I'm grateful that my energy is back and that I can CIC with ease.
As we go into the new year, Howard, I want to thank you for all the research and sharing you've done on this forum over the past couple of years. Your insights have helped me a lot! Here's to a better year in 2019!
Stebrunner
In addition to what you've tried, why don't you use a low dose antidepressant such as amitriptyline.
I was prescribed this for bladder pain and it worked brilliantly (in low doses). In high doses it is an antidepressant.
Other meds you could investiagte include pregabalin (Lyrica) for neuropathic pain.
Thanks Barney - I tried Lyrica but the side effects were too severe. I will look into amitriptyline.
Thanks again Barney. What do you mean by "low doses"? I would like to try it.
Hi Stebrunner, Thanks for your kind remarks and good wishes. You and jimjames were instrumental in helping me learn CIC and I am always grateful to you both. (sure would like to hear from jimjames to know that he is ok). I know very well the fear of not being able to CIC with a urethral irritation/UTI. But I recall jimjames warning us that that is when we have to CIC to get any infected pee out of our bladders. So I put a lot more gel on my catheter so it goes in easier. But sometimes the inflammation makes it impossible so then I take a lot of nsaids and in emergencies I take 10mg prednisone. The ER would likely cause more problems than they solve as they do not understand our issues. I also have a standing order from my uro to take a urine sample in to the lab to be tested when I have a problem. Usually it does not grow anything and is just irritation but this last time it did test positive for enterococcus so I had to take a course of macrobid. Can you do this also as you don't want to take a chance with a UTI spreading into your bladder and kidneys? Thanks again for all your help and I wish you also the best for 2019. I agree about reducing sugar intake. I am a vegan but I love ice cream which has a lot of sugar and gluten so I need to cut back on that. Again all the best. Howard
Good morning Howard
Still nothing for Jim. Been trying. I will let you know.....
Take care........Ken
Thanks Ken. Can you phone him? I had a varicocele embolization about 14 months ago. I had varicoceles on both the left and right sides and thought by getting them sealed I might reduce my BPH according to the Gat-Goren theory. But I insisted on not using coils to seal the gonadal veins as coils have been linked to many nerve problems later on. So a chemical sclerosant was used but unfortunately my IR was not skilled in the procedure even though he said he was. He ended giving me phlebitis in my left testicle which has ruined my life since then. Any strong physical activity or sex causes my left testicle to swell up 3 times normal with severe pain. My right side procedure was ok though. This was a classic case of if it is not broken don't fix it since I really was not having any discomfort from the varicocele. But now he gave me a really big one so I may have my urologit do a varicocelectomy where the gonadal vein is just ligated. Hopefully the scrotal nerve block injection will work but if not then that is my next step. Otherwise I may have to have the testicle removed! I am good at making my own problems sometimes as if I need more of them. Take care. Howard
Howard
I know the way you feel. If it's not causing a problem leave it alone. Maybe the nerve block will help you. You have to do what is best for you. You can't live like that if you want to enjoy your life.
No I don't have a phone number for him. I have been sending him PM's every couple of weeks. I hope he is ok. He will let me know when he gets a chance
Take it easy...Ken
I've been doing cic for 28 months with no problem until around a week ago. My urine, was cloudy and at the end of cic, the catheter, was full of a white substance. In fact, sometimes a little gooy. No pain, but I was going to cic, more often, and I also had that uncomfortable feeling, like my bladder was not quite empty.
What I did was like you, start using D-Mannose. I don't know if it was the D-mannose, but I am pretty back to normal, except my urine is still cloudy, but the white stuff, is not as much, and sometimes, not present at all in the catheter, after draining the bladder.
I still don't know if it was an infection, or something else.
Just thought I'd share it with you folks on the forum. If anyone else had this experience, I'd be curious to know your thoughts.
Hi Howard, you have my sympathy! I too have had testicular pain for many months. I have suffered with prostatitis on and off for the past 2 years and 16 months ago, after various procedures and investigations, I started to get pain in my left testicle. (I'm 50.) It was very debilitating waking each day to the ache and getting little or no relief. I too used ice which did help, and I too had a nerve block injection but this didn't help me unfortunately. I think my trouble was epididymitis but happily for me, I have been pain-free for the past 3 months after having it for more than a year! I tried going to the gym 2-3 times a week to try and shake things up a little and get my body in better shape - maybe that helped. I tried ejaculating more often in case the pipework needed a blast (!). I did wonder if the pain continued whether removal might be an option, but there's no guarantee the pain won't continue. I saw a back specialist since I thought I might be suffering from referred pain my my lower back, but drew a blank there. Having said that, I've had no back pain for some time either! This doesn't really answer you request for pain management ideas but I hope it might give you some hope. My pain wrecked a holiday to Greece last year with my wife - the pain was just endless - but I'm so glad I've not had any further surgery. I think any procedures down there can upset things and cause unintended pain. I know of two friends who've had a vasectomy and they had chronic pain afterwards. Maybe best to manage the pain in the best way possible in the hope better days lie ahead. The ice is definitely one to stick with! Good luck!
Hi Dennis - I often the problem you describe and it almost always is just urethral irritation, as opposed to a UTI. You should get one of those 10 parameter test kits available so you can directly check your pee. If it just irritation then the leukocytes will be high as well as blood and a few other indicators but the protein should be normal if there is no UTI. It is a good first step. I also take a product available at the drug store for urinary tract health called " see PM ". Also some anti-inflammatories help like Ibuprofen. Still I always have a standing order to take in a urine sample to the local testing lab just in case it grows anything, which unfortunately it did a few weeks ago -it was a UTI and I had to take Macrobid. But after 3200 self-caths this was just my first real UTI. I do take D-Mannose as a preventative twice a day and I think that has helped a lot. One thing I do avoid is taking hot baths - I find with CIC that aggravates the irritation. Good luck. Howard
Howard, thank you. I also got your other message.
Hi Nick, Thanks for your note. I also had a respite from the pain for about 5 months during the summer and then it came roaring back and I've been crippled by it now for the past 2 months. I don't know why it went away or why it came back. It does seem to be triggered partly by sex which is indicative of epididimytis. Did sex trigger it for you? I live on Keflex which does help but it has side effects. Did you try any antibiotics? I am sorry to hear your scrotal nerve block did not work. Mine is in 10 days and I pray it will help me. Also did you ever get checked for a varicocele? The symptoms are also consistent with that condition. It sure is a miserable condition. Thanks again and all the best. Howard
Hi, Dennis,
Yes, I often have cloudy urine, but I'm not concerned by it unless I have other symptoms of a UTI. As I recall, Jimjames told me early on that cloudy urine is not uncommon for folks who CIC. I also have to keep in mind that I have a kidney stone--and that my median lobe presses into the base of my bladder, which might also cause cloudy urine. The directions on the D-Mannose I take recommend 2,000 mg per day, which means I take one capsule in the morning and one in the evening. When I suspected a UTI last month, I upped my dosage to 3,000 mg per day for 4 days. I've also noticed that when I take AZO, the cloudiness clears up. Making sure I drink a lot of water helps keep my urine clear, too.
Stebrunner
Hi Howard, yes, sex did trigger it, but sometimes also it helped it. I tried lots of antibiotics (Doxycycline, Ciprofloxacin, Trimethoprim) but none of them helped. They don't for most people it seems! I was never checked for a varicocele but they did various tests and scans and nothing was found.
I would suggest Cephalexin as it was developed specifically for epididimytis and it does help me every time with my flare ups and it has minimal side effects. I would also ask specifically for a scrotal ultrasound which is different than general ultrasounds. It looks for varicoceles and grades them. My problems started after I was given a varicocele following a botched interventional radiology procedure for my BPH. So if the nerve block does not work then I will get the varicocele ligated by my urologist. One reason the nerve block does not work sometimes is because the problem does not originate in the epididymis but rather with the varicocele so it is worth tracking down. Good luck.
Interesting Howard. Thanks for the suggestion. Will bear than in mind.