Epididymitis and Orchitis

[Mytical]

No real suckyness or anything, so if in wrong area please move. Just got diagnosed with these, and didn't even know they existed. All I do know it is very very painful. On medication for it, but not sure I really understand what is going on/what happened. Had to run to the emergency room, and then explain several times to several people why I was there. Explaining once was bad enough

[Ree]

I don;t know a lot about it, but a google search found this and this.

It does sound painful.
Hope you feel better.

[Gerrinson]

I don't have any experience with orchitis, but I'm well aware of epididymitis. In fact, my father nearly died from it.

Warning: The next paragraph includes a detailed description of the consequences of ignoring epididymitis, it may not be for the faint of heart.









My father, in his first bout of epididymitis, decided to ignore the pain and go to work where he then promptly passed out. When he woke up, it was the next day. While unconscious the doctors had to remove one testicle, which was swollen to the size of a grapefruit and 3/4 of the other testicle which was not quite as badly swollen. He had also received an emergency circumsion due to further swelling from the infection. It turns out that none of this is a fun thing to discover upon waking up.

Since then, he has had numerous recurrences of the epididymitis. However, he has learned to run to the ER at the first sign of symptoms.

Best of luck, and please do not ever ignore the symptoms of epididymitis if they show up. It's really not a good idea.

[Sheldonrs]

Been there; had that. epididymitis, that is.

A few times. They gave me Cipro each time. The same drug they give you if you've been exposed to Anthrax.

It is VERY painful! And good luck trying to walk when one of your testicles hulks out on you!

[Antisocial_Worker]

I had orchitis once. Bacterial infection of the testicle... Hurt like a bitch, enormous swelling, and the stories I could tell... It was a logistical nightmare to even turn over in bed.

I hope you feel better soon!

[morgana]

Oy-yoy-yoy! Mytical, take care of yourself!

Me, I'm gonna go cringe in the corner now.

[Mytical]

Pain medicine and me have a very odd relationship. Every single type I've tried has the side effect of putting me to sleep or causing my brain to feel like it is in a fog. So I hate taking pain meds..at all. I also dislike hospitals, but in this case not only did I have no problem going to the hospital, I felt like hugging the nurse that brought me the pain meds. How anybody could ignore this is beyond me.

[Sapphire Silk]

Been there; had that. epididymitis, that is.

A few times. They gave me Cipro each time. The same drug they give you if you've been exposed to Anthrax.

Cipro is a broad spectrum antibiotic, very powerful. It's used for lots of things, but is the antibiotic of choice for that particular problem. It's an infection you want to clear up quickly because of the pain involved, and the risks of serious complications if left untreated.

I had orchitis once. Bacterial infection of the testicle... Hurt like a bitch, enormous swelling, and the stories I could tell... It was a logistical nightmare to even turn over in bed.

I hope you feel better soon!

Orchitis=infection of the testicle
Epidiymitis= infection of the Epididymis, the little tube that connects the testicle to the rest of the male reproductive tract.

Both are painful. Both are serious if untreated. Both are medical emergencies.

Pain medicine and me have a very odd relationship. Every single type I've tried has the side effect of putting me to sleep or causing my brain to feel like it is in a fog. So I hate taking pain meds..at all. I also dislike hospitals, but in this case not only did I have no problem going to the hospital, I felt like hugging the nurse that brought me the pain meds. How anybody could ignore this is beyond me.

If it's any consolation to you, you are not the only one who feels that way about pain meds.

Take 'em when you need 'em, and try not to be an "iron man" about this. Take the meds before the pain gets so you can't stand it . . . the pain meds are actually more effective if you take them when you first start feeling uncomfortable.

Finish the antibiotics, even if you are feeling better . . . this is very important.

And eat some yogurt. The Cipro may kill off the normal bacteria in your gut and give you diarrhea.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Der Cute]

Owieyowie!
It's bad enough being female and having pain down there from UTIs and such. Daaaaaymn.

If it makes you feel any better, my ex had hydrocele. One of his testes (the sac around the ball itself) was swollen with fluid. Hydro . It hurt more AFTER it drained.
Hugs and I hope you feel better soon.

Thought: would a jock cup be any help guarding the junk from getting squished/trapped and or twisted?

[fireheart]

Owieyowie!
It's bad enough being female and having pain down there from UTIs and such. Daaaaaymn.

If it makes you feel any better, my ex had hydrocele. One of his testes (the sac around the ball itself) was swollen with fluid. Hydro . It hurt more AFTER it drained.
Hugs and I hope you feel better soon.

Thought: would a jock cup be any help guarding the junk from getting squished/trapped and or twisted?

try boxer shorts. If you're doing anything involving contact sports or re-enactments, then a jock cup would be required (my boyfriend uses his for his re-enactment kit)


And I can relate to the UTIs, I actually had to get an ultrasound to help figure out WHY I was getting them so often-now I know what pregnant women go through for their ultrasounds (drinking 2 litres of water and having to hold it)

[Seshat]

I didn't know what either was, except that 'itis' is an infection.

Seconding Panacea on both the 'finish the antibiotics even if you feel better' and 'take the pain meds'.

If the particular pain meds give you side effects you find unacceptable, it's perfectly okay to ask the doctor for different ones. Similarly, if the antibiotics you're given have unacceptable side effects or don't seem to be effective, you can ask the doc to check for whether a different one would be suitable.

(I'm not saying the doctor will definitely be able to give you a different med: but you can always ask!)

[Mytical]

Sadly, the effective pain meds all react with me the same way..if it is stronger then an aspirin it makes me groggy. Still these are better then some, the ones with codine in them had me making zombies seem intelligent and verbose.

[Seshat]

Wow!

At least it ensures you get plenty of rest when you're healing up? That's a good thing, right?

[tacohuman]

i feel for you; i just got done dealing with my own bout of epidymitis. i initially went to an urgent care clinic (as it was after hours for my regular doc), and as soon as i mentioned "testicular pain" they stopped me right there and sent me to the emergency room, as the problem could have been testicular torsion, which is very serious and requires immediate care.

three weeks of doxycycline later, i'm finally back to normal. fortunately i only needed the pain meds the first few days. after that, the antibiotics started doing their job and the pain got more bearable.

[Mytical]

I have not been updating this but thanks to the goverment I finally can afford to go to a specialist and have some REAL tests done. They no longer think it is an infection, the ultrasound will let them know if it is the C word..then they will go from there. Have developed a fever, which they think this is causing, and feeling even more miserable then usual..so hoping for the best here. After the ultrasound and specialist visit I will update.