5th & Last

[raggamuffin]

So my Dr gave me my 5th course of antibiotics and yet again it's not got rid of the Epididymitis. Over the counter pain killers don't work. Prescription anti inflammatories don't work. So he's finally given the diagnosis of Chronic Epididymitis. Basically it's not understood why the inflammation occurs if it's not an infection but it's nothing serious, life threatning and can't turn into cancer or anything horrid. The pain in itself is horrid however and he said it will be more of an irritation. I think that's putting it mildly as at times it literally feels like i've been kicked in the balls constantly.

He said it could be caused by cysts but they can't be removed because cysts come and go as they please and surgery would irritate the tissue and simply cause more cysts to arrise. It's only painful because of where it's situated.

So that's it. It's now a case of living with this because it will come and go as it pleases. It does so at the moment. At any moment in the day it'll come along and go within minutes or hours. At best in the past 5 months I think i've had 7-10 days totally pain free before it returned. The GP has given me some medication which can make reception of pain slightly lower; numbed as it were. He said try it and if it's effective give it a go for a few months then come off them.

Failing that it's just a case of putting up with this for the foreseeable future/rest of my life. I've read several medical essays on this subject. It appears it's quite a common diagnosis and yet there's no long term effective drug treatment. Removal of the testicle is an option but sometimes that doesn't even help.

It's a very stubborn condition and awkwardly placed for antibiotics to be effective in flushing out the cause. That is if it is caused by an infection. It seems a lot of cases which continue to hurt after antibiotics are proving this inflammation is not caused by infection. The situation is made even worse that it's not really curable and little is known in order to prevent it. As it's not caused by an STD in my case (and many otrher men's). I've read many stories of fellow sufferers. Some of these people have had it months, years, even decades. Understandably this drastically affects quality of life, heightens anxiety and makes you feel depressed, scared and desparate. But as of yet there's no cure.

Ironic as this situation is pain in the testicles because all I have to say to sum up this 5 month tedious and painful affair is this...

BALLS

Ed

[alankay]

Is this a Urologist telling you all this? If not try and see one as that's Ye' Olde Bullocks were talking about man!:) What could be more important!? :)
Alankay

[raggamuffin]

Well the consultant at the hospital STD clinic didn't feel the need to refer me and my GP said in all honesty given my full detail of all the symptoms this clearly isn't an infection. it's an inflammation. Over the months i've read countless medical essays on the subject of chronic epididymitis and read many sufferers treatments.

It goes like this - antibiotics and anti inflammatories. If that doesn't work then higher doses. If that doesn't work and there's no symptoms indicating infection or...hmmm I forget the term my GP used, some sort of urinary issue it's considered chronic epididymitis. The cause oof this inflammation could be cysts or symply unknown and cannot be treated with drugs.

There's simply no immediate cure for this condition at the moment as they don't know the cause. I'm seeing the consultant once again tomorrow I will ask him too if I need to see a urologist. Failing that there really isn't much more I can do at this point.

THis condition doesn't afect fertility or lead to anything worse. It is what it is it appears and Dr's and professionals aren't even sure of the cause yet.

Ed

[raggamuffin]

Spoke to consultant. He said same as my GP. nothing more can be done other than surgery and trying the Amitriptyline as it's a pain modifier and might help. So i'm gonna try this med for 1 month. If that fails i'm going to get a referral from my Dr and undergo surgery.

Ed