A Pain in the Nuts - Epididymitis/Variococele?

Whatever happens, do not, under any circumstances, allow a Dr to prescribe a Fluoroquinolone antibiotic for you. Fluoroquinolones usually have 'flox' in the title; Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin etc. They are a synthetic antibiotic, originally (unsuccessfully) developed as a chemotherapy drug but found to be effective at destroying DNA in bacteria. Unfortunately they can also attack human DNA. The European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee reviewed evidence of serious, often irreversible and life changing adverse drug effects of FQs in 2018. In 2019 they issued significant restrictions on FQs, essentially making them a medicine of last resort, only to be used in life threatening situations where other, safer, antibiotics have failed. This restriction was notified to UK healthcare providers via a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) circulation. This restriction is not followed by a worrying number of GPs, Urologists and other specialists, who continue to prescribe Fluoroquinolones today either prophylactically or as first response to minor or suspected infections.

I was given two courses of Ofloxacin for suspected epididymitis in 2017. (Tests negative for bacteria). I ended up in a Cardiac Care Unit with a mild heart attack and over the last 5 years have had issues with, eyesight, hearing, taste, smell, Central Nervous System, Peripheral Nervous System, digestive disorders, skin, cardiac scares, brain fog, muscular atrophy, weakness, a general malaise and all manner of musculo-skeletal problems with joints, ligaments and tendons.

Many people in FQ patient support groups are in exactly the same position, with many of the men having been prescribed FQs for suspected Epididymitis or Prostatitis.

Just a heads up, don't touch them!

Mat, I had Varicocele on my left side (more common than the right) Basically varicose veins in the bollocks. I spoke with my GP and later a couple of Urology consultants, all were happy that as long as I could put up with the pain then I could continue riding and I would do no further damage. The pain varied day to day, week to week. Some days I just had to give up and realise that I just wasn't strong enough to beat the ache. (like you ibuprofen had little or no effect). I often found the pain worse when I was exercising hard, presumably pumping more blood faster around my body. I learnt not to go uphill at full belt!!
Eventually, after seeing the urologists I had them treated, and since then have had no issues whatsoever.
Sorry no experience of epididymitis, I guess as its an infection you might find antibiotics work.
As far as exercise is concerned, the usual caveat; I'm not a Dr.

I had an episode of epididymitis (more the tubing around a ball, than what you describe) about 6 months ago. Came on suddenly. Possibly due to a change in saddle, but also possibly post viral. Anyway, it went away on its own, over about three weeks iirc. I found it relieving to keep my tubes ‘flushed’. Cool packs also helped.

If you have a uti, then your urine is likely to be cloudy and whiffy.

Had epididymitis about 25 years ago...wasn't pleasant.

Went to doc who sent me to the hospital - who kindly commented to the 6 female student nurses that I had good-sized testicles and they should all have a look! - he thought it was epididymitis but sent me to gum clinic for a swab down the shaft to confirm it wasn't anything else.

Amusingly, my result got read out loud from a window to the whole waiting room - announcing I was clean and could leave!

Back to doc and from memory was told to rest for a week - which meant no biking and a week off bar work. I may have had some tablets but can't remember.

Sorted soon enough though.

Ok so had mild left sided nut ache on & off over almost a year. After the ultrasound came back clear my GP prescribed that Fluroquinolone medication. I'd echo the post above about this stuff. Not mentioned is also the increased risk of Achilles Tendon rupture. Good luck with whatever's ailing you. Mine resolved itself.

Got prescribed Ofloxacin after a diagnosis of epididymitis a couple of years ago. Would agree that the medicine is not nice, messed me up with bad digestive problems and just felt physically really weak. As soon as the course was over I started to feel fine again. Hard to say if it would have cleared up of its own accord but would avoid that medicine if I had the choice.

Had epididymitis a number of times due to using intermittent catherterisation (spms) and it’s not funny (first time is amusing, 2nd/3rd/4th etc it gets a bit tiresome) when your bollocks swell up to the size of an orange, prescribed ciprofloxacin and they return to normal pretty quickly.

Edit : I should add that the first time it happened I ended up in hospital on an iv antibiotic drip for 5 days.

Doesn't sound like Epididymitis to me. I had one testicle like a tennis ball. Well OK I exaggerate for effect. But it was extremely painful (emergency GP callout in the middle os the night) and it put me in hospital for 3 weeks on IV antibiotics. Took 3 different ones before one worked (the doc threatened me with Dettol). Oh ended up in theatre too to have a drain fitted.

That was a very long tome ago and no recurrence since.

Has the OP had the snip ? Possibly a flare up caused by it - I've have long term pain for over 10 years following the snip. That was followed 12 months later with lefty having the epididymis cut out to relieve the pain - it didn't and knackered the nut, and I'm on estosterone replacement.

Still bothers me now, and if I get 'cold' down there the pain is bad.

Thanks for sharing everyone , I think it was Ciprofloxacin they were offering but Dr suggested it’d be quite nasty so I avoided.

From the descriptions of a Varicocele and how people have described Epididymitis I’m thinking it sounds more like a varicocele but I suppose I need to wait and see!

33yo, I’ve not had the snip but do have two kids so thankfully the fertility side of things isn’t as concerning.

Trying to weigh up whether I should drop out of Ard Rock sport next weekend, will be the biggest enduro-esque ride I’ve done in a long while and my prep hasn’t been great what with Covid the other week!

So I've had both. What do I win? Varicocoel in early 20s. No pain, just a bit of a mass. Minor surgery. Epididymitis - full on Buster Gonad territory a couple of years ago. Probably riding related. Highly amusing for everyone who wasn't me. And contra to that weird post above about antibiotics, just take whatever you're prescribed. They're not making it up.

been diagnosed twice with epididymatus on the left side. not sure on antibiotics. there's a constant low level pain down there for several years now. certainly don't want to apply any pressure or it hurts. have accepted its just another ailment I have to live with

its also pretty common to have epididymal cysts - benign lumps that can vary in size from pea to grape to small tomato. Can be scary at first until diagnosed, they are apparently more common as we age.

If you have a uti, then your urine is likely to be cloudy and whiffy.

Uti?

Uti?

Urinary Tract Infection

iainc
Full Member
its also pretty common to have epididymal cysts – benign lumps that can vary in size from pea to grape to small tomato. Can be scary at first until diagnosed, they are apparently more common as we age.

Yeah I've got one of those had it for 20odd years, never caused me any bother, tbh I'm not really sure exactly when it first appeared.. Was concern for a while in my 20s as it took me a while to build up the courage to talk to the doctors about it. I wouldn't recommend that approach.

@johnx2

And contra to that weird post above about antibiotics, just take whatever you’re prescribed.

I used to faithfully take whatever the Dr prescribed 'cos, y'know, Dr knows best....

Sadly they don't. They are harassed, over worked and expected to recognise something like 12,000 conditions a patient may present with and be able to either refer the patient or treat them directly. Some of them are also dogmatic p*icks with a god complex. When previously approved drugs such as FQs are reviewed, considered dangerous, heavily restricted and that restriction is notified via an MHRA circular, many GPs and Urologists who have happily been prescribing FQs for years, aren't going to bother checking to see if they've suddenly changed status. Hence the continued erroneous administration and subsequent harm.

I'm in a support group for people with Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability. We have newly 'floxed' people joining every week. They can't believe that Docs are still handing out prescriptions for them years after they were expressly notified not to. Like you and I, they took whatever they were prescribed, presuming them to be safe.

Mat started a thread on Epididymitis and sought tips from others with similar experiences. Sorry if you thought my contribution to be weird but I now have lifelong debilitation from a drug that should have been withdrawn years ago and I wouldn't wish you, him or anyone else to go through the same experience.

FQs are reviewed, considered dangerous, heavily restricted and that restriction is notified via an MHRA circular,

you mean this: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ciprofloxacin/#important-safety-information

fair enough I guess though I'd expect a GP to be aware of pros and cons. I'd not want to take any antibiotic unnecessarily. (And I have been in the er hot seat on this, unable to bend over to tie shoelaces without dropping trousers on account of tighness in the crotchular region. I'd've taken pretty much anything at that point and still would. Others are more switched on than me I guess. Though frankly this https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29147464/ puts in context, though there was a bmj piece from a couple of years ago on slighly increased risk of aortic aneurysm from 2018 that I can't link.

Whatever, a little learning and all that. Take this as a grudging semi-apology as in you've v much got a point, but I'd still take it if prescribed.

That's the one, although NICE do play it down with 'very rare' labels. Unsurprisingly the medical profession isn't keen to investigate whether or not it has been unwittingly damaging patients for decades.

The consultant that diagnosed me (and many others) reckons that FQAD / FQ Toxicity is hugely under reported as many don't make the link due to delays between taking the drug and symptoms starting. He suspects up to 10-15% of patients taking FQs are adversely affected in some way, some permanently. There are thousands of US deaths reported from them as well.

Onywho, they shouldn't be prescribed for suspected Epididymitis but here we are....

T'other half had epididymis years ago - we were about to go out to a gig and he came into the living room, dropped his trousers and pants and went,
"This isn't right, is it?!!!!!!"
Poor sod's balls had doubled in size. Yikes.

Cue swift visit to out of hours. Dr just said, "if it doesn't get better in a day or so, here's a prescription for some antibiotics", but it did and we even got to the second half of the gig (Smiths cover band iirc).

I had a minor varicocele issue that was uncomfortable when cycling. Switched to ISM / Adamo saddles to prevent sitting on the offending bit and it pretty much disappeared on its own. No problems for the last 10 years (apart from the cost of the saddles....)

Oh, I had the willy lumps a few months ago! Well, only one under my helmet but it was worrying, more like a hardened bit of tissue than a round lump though. Turned out it was a lymohocele that was caused by (physical) stress, usually a surgery complication but can also be brought on by sex or ****ing. It went away itself after a week or two thankfully.

Funnily enough around that time I also had sore bollocks which may have been a contributing factor. I think that was mostly radiant pain from my groin and back. Was on ibuprofen for a couple of weeks, not fun at all.