Post vasectomy pain - might it just go away?
rbungay
had no swelling or bruising, the incision healed perfectly and I followed
all doctor's instructions. I've had long lasting post surgery pain for
OTHER small procedures as well and the doctor "guesses" that my pain will
just go away on its own. He prescribed a course of antibiotics and
anti-inflammatory which I have already taken so I don't feel infection is
likely.
My question is, at day 16, CAN I REALISTICALLY EXPECT THIS PAIN TO GO AWAY
ON ITS OWN? or am I experiencing the beginning of a permanent condition of
testicle pain?
Anyone out there have similar experiences?
Richard
Paul E Garcia
>ON ITS OWN? or am I experiencing the beginning of a permanent condition of
>testicle pain?
Just based on the stories on the website (good outcome and otherwise) I'd
suggest that having aches for two weeks is certainly not unheard of, for a
variety of reasons.
If you do have an infection, 16 days might not be enough time to get rid of it.
I was put on two different 20 day courses of antibiotics (Cipro and
Doxycycline) before infection was ruled out.
I would up being diagnosed with an infection by the first uro, and with sperm
congestion by the second. The second uro I consulted with stated that the
testicles are supposed to stop producing sperm (or at least slow down to the
point where your body can deal with the output) after a traditional procedure;
normally this process takes 3-4 months to complete.
I felt crappy at times until the 6 month mark. Prescription
anti-inflammatories (I take Indocin for a bad knee) helped considerably.
The second uro stated that this production shutdown does happen eventually, but
conceded that in some severe cases a reversal is necessary. He expressed
confidence that I would have relief within one year post-V. I'm thinking it
will take a bit longer but am confident that I'll get there eventually.
I would temper the optimism noted above by advising you see an actual urologist
for your condition (who actually seems motivated to help you), because actual
pain at two weeks is not the norm. Some surgeries are performed by GPs or
general surgeons, and some uros just seem to not be that interested/experienced
in handling these situations.
Good luck.
David
I'd say that you aren't alone. In the website survey 16% of men say they had
pain of some sort that resolved by three months.
Bear in mind that you've had an operation on "the" most sensitive part of
your body. There is probably a greater nerve concentration there than
anywhere else in your body. Operations simply don't heal themselves totally
in a
few days.
Many men report that they find it helpful to wear supportive
underwear for a while after (day and night). I didn't have any unusual
pains, or any noticeable swelling/bruising either. However, I didn't wear
boxers for about
a month, and didn't go"commando" for a couple of weeks after that. I'd
certainly be inclined to take things easy, and wear supportive underwear for
as long as you find you need to.
Maybe your doctor guessing isn't taking such a "guess"? After all, the guy
is aware
of your reaction to other procedures. It may be that you have a lower pain
threshold, and with you recovery usually takes a while longer. All men are
different in this
respect.
Also, the tales you tend to hear of men having a vasectomy then going back
to shifting piano's an hour later are - dare I say it - possibly slightly
exaggerated? We all take time to heal, some longer than others. The good
thing is that your doctor is aware of the situation, and is monitoring
things.
To stray off track slightly......
Apologies for using this thread to make a point. The title of the thread is
"Post vasectomy pain". I think this demonstrates one of the reasons that PVP
statistics tend to vary by such a huge margin. All of us expect to have the
vasectomy, and be back to normal in a very short time. If we aren't then
there is a tendancy to say that we have PVP. If our freind was filling in a
survey that had the option of PVP on it, he'd clearly answer "Yes" to that
question. I really doubt if he's alone here. The accepted deffinition is
unresolved pain after three months, yet how many of the statistics we see
apply this deffinition, and how many of the respondents also apply it?
I'm not trying to say that you are not in pain here Richard - you clearly
are having discomfort, and I sincerely hope it resolves quickly. Nor am I
trying to make any point about pvp being "In the mind" before I get jumped
on heavily! I merely wish to illustrate why (in part) the statistics tend to
vary so widely.
David
www.vasectomy-information.com
ROB
be bothersome . Especially when I was working out, I'd get sore. Make
sure that you are wearing a supporter or tight underwear just to be on
the safe side.
All good medicine,
GREENFEATHER