Testicular/Scrotal agony
 

Hi everyone.

Im not sure this is the right site for me but i've pretty much nowhere else to go at this point as I've been to Pelvic pain sites, pudendal nerve sites etc. I basically suffer from a host of urological/pelvic problems but most of them are manageable and I could lead a normal life with them. But one symptom I cannot deal with anymore is a severe tingling in my scrotum. It started about 13 years ago and was accompanied by a bulge in my pelvic floor (area between **** and testicles). I assumed and still assume that its an injury and that the bulge may be a hernia of sorts even though I can't find any info about hernias in that region. I've been to a host of urologists over the years. Most of them did very little until one recently put me on Lyrica which did all but erase the tingling. I took myself off of the Lyrica because I thought it was a series of stretches and exercises that was helping me. I was wrong and am now back on the Lyrica and am waiting for it to kick in.

As I mentioned, I've had this horrible sensation for 13 years with a mysterious 3 year hiatus at one point. But it came back last fall and it makes life so difficult. If i equated it to pain I would put it at a 6 or 7 out of 10. I'm going to see a neurologist for the first time in a few weeks but was just curious if anybody else had this. I also sometimes get a numbness in the left testicle but that is pretty rare. I would be so greatful for any help.

Thanks.

This IS the right site! Well, a start.
 

;)I'm hoping to put you in touch with someone experiencing a similar condition. He's dealing with numbness of penis & scrotum from a herniated disk. Numbness & tingling? Maybe not as similar as I think. The original post isn't current but latest is. Plus others will be along to give you the benefit of their experience.

Here's the link to the forum, then look for the thread:

Men's Health: *http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum114.html
-->Numbness in penis/scrotum from herniated disk

You might also want to post here, or at least check the threads:
Rare Disorders: *http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum2.html

Please come back, ask questions, ask more questions, tell us whatever we can do to make the trek a bit easier. NeuroTalk has links to objective, useful information (articles, news stories, etc,) as well as peer-level support and camaraderie. Take what you need, give what you can, we'd always be pleased to find your shoes under the chair & feet up on the table! :rolleyes:

I see you've seen Urologists, maybe you've also seen a specialist in colo-rectal surgery, but have any of them mentioned Spastic Pelvic Floor Disorder with Pudental Neuralgia? Your symptoms could certainly fit that condition; one that many doctors are still unfamiliar with, although awareness appears to be spreading.

Diagnosis consists of a MRI and EEG biofeedback, and with treatment varing from muscle relaxants through to surgery, treatment of choice seems to be physiotherapy by a therapist who specialises in pelvic floor conditions. A specialist physiotherapist would work your muscles and nerves from your abdomen to the thighs and buttocks external and internal. It's a bit invasive, but certainly worth a try.

I assume your doctor has ruled out chronic infection, both in your epididymis and your prostate gland because with pain in this area, most doctors would initially look for infection. With no infection present, and because tingling is nerve based, the muscle surrounding your prostate gland could be irritating the nerves around it. Again a physical therapist who specialises in pelvic floor therapy would be the person to see. They could determine if your muscles in the area are tight, and can treat it.

If you’ve had a vasectomy in the past, then one more thing to consider is Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome, even though you describe tingling rather than pain. If you've not had the surgery then there's no need to read this site: http://www.vasectomy-information.com/moreinfo/pvps.htm

I daresay you’ve searched the internet for answers but here a few sites I found informative.

http://www.pudendalhelp.com/symptoms.html
http://www.theaword.org/index.php?op...d=90&Itemid=41
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m481856256l8r200/
http://www.london-urology.co.uk/scrotal%20problems.htm
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interacti...40458-f10.html

Good luck with getting a diagnosis; you'll need that before any effective treatment can begin.

I'd also recommend taking a look at:
 

http://www.pudendalhelp.com/home.html

http://www.pudendalhope.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudendal_nerve_entrapment


Problems with the pudendal nerve distribution are more common than many think, but is it underdiagnosed, and, as Koala mentions, really requires very specialized physicians and therapists.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone whe responed (and to others who I hope will respond).

I didn't actually have a lot of expectations but you all provided me with some good info. The website Koala supplied about the nerve that runs from the abdomen down into the groin was particularly close to the symptoms I have.

I've been on those pudendal nerve sites before and about a week or two ago I thought that condition most closely matched mine. I've since backed off of that assumption a bit but still consider it.

The posts about other men who had conditions affecting the same region were helpful too. Makes me feel as though I'm not the only one in the world with this problem. And I've certainly considered that it could be a herniated disk issue.

So basically I need to see a neurologist I suppose.

But I do still have some other questions. I'm curious if after 13 years i'm beyond help and that my nerve(s) are too far damaged to be helped. Also, are there any supplements etc. that can reduce tingling? Like I said i'm waiting for the Lyrica to kick in but in case it doesn't, i'll be searching far and wide for any other medicine to help.

Thanks again. The info you all provided me could have me finally headed in the right direction.

I'm so glad you got off on the right track so quickly! You might want to take this over to the medical forum/s since there's so much more traffic there.

You've got my best wishes that you can now connect with the right doctor/s. 13 yrs is a long time, but they can do amazing things now. I think medicine has made great strides because of all the wars we've been in.

Take good, good care! :circlelove:

Take it to the medical forums on this site or sites elsewhere? I don't know a whole lot about this stuff.

Thanks

In my 1st posting to you above, the two links (the underlined Internet addresses starting with http://) will take you to the Men's Health & to the Rare Diseases Forums on the NeuroTalk site we're on now. You might start by going there.

The other links provided by Koala77 are for separate websites, not part of NeuroTalk or PsychCentral. Since you have a link, you probably won't notice much difference getting to them. Ditto, glenntaj's links.

How you use these is up to you. Try one at a time if you like or do them all at once. If you run into any problems, we'll be here.

I'm sure that BlueCarGirl meant well elmwood, but I do not believe that Rare Diseases is the right forum for you. Men's Health is where I suggest you post, and as you have already posted there .... hopefully you'll find that forum again easily.

Those links I gave you and the ones that glenntaj gave you are links to specific educational data, and as that is what you came here looking for, I hope you find them beneficial.

Unfortunately our Men's Health Forum has been rather quiet lately but should you continue to ask any questions over there, hopefully others will see it and come help you out. I look forward to hearing how you get on.

Koala77, being SuperModerator & more, is right: Stick with Men's Health!

Hi, and welcome

You're going in the right direction.

I do hope you find answers soon.

Take care...

Thanks again. I actually haven't posted on the Mens Health site (at least not intentionally). I'll do that now. I actually saw a neurologist yesterday at one of the top hospitals in the U.S. and they said my condition is not neurological in origin. Seems kind of strange considering the horrible tingling i'm having.

Anyway, I'll try the forums you mentioned. The other educational sites you forwarded to me were very helpful. Thanks again for going out of you way to do that for me.

Elmwood

I would really look at your remission in detail. What changed then? Activity/sports issues, changing?.
Things like that.

This tingling...is it the skin, or deeper inside?

Many men compress nerves by sitting on hard surfaces, or doing bicycling at length.

The fact that you improved for a while (and 3 yrs is quite a remission) then had a return, lends me to think you need to be a detective to see what was happening in your life/heath during those times.

Yeah i've thought about it at length believe me. Can't really come up with any changes other than maybe stress that could trigger it. I know stress can do all sorts of crazy stuff but this seems a bit extreme, especially since not being stressed out doesn't seem to do much good. Oh well.

Thanks

mrsD beat me to it! Not unusual, lol. You need to think deeply and critically about any and all changes in lifestyle, food, living arrangements (partners etc), when this remission occurred and you need to go back AT least three months before you noticed the remssion taking place.
Did you move? Did you change partners? Did you buy new mattress? Did you have major dietary changes? Did you have medication changes? Any change in job/work station? Driving more or less. Change in exercise habits? Wt gain/loss? Change in usual clothing? Environmental exposure to toxins, I know this one in particular seems a stretch, but if you have some damage to that nerve, it would be the sensitive spot in your body for toxins...Has you blood pressure been up/down? Has anyone checked the blood flow to that area? including your lower back?.....There you go, get going, lol. Good luck

Those are all good thoughts. At the time of remission not much had changed. I'd been working in the same job and living in the same house for 2 years or so. I'd had different partners but its definitely not sexually transmitted. It must be damage of some sort considering the only time i ever get the tingling without fail is when I yawn. This has got some curious looks from the doctors. But I had an MRI last week to see if there is any damage or unusual stuff going on in there. We'll see but I really don't expect them to find much. I guess thats a natural feeling when you've had so many let downs over the years.

Have you seen a gastroenterologist or colorectal doctor? Your rectum sits right there on that space and it could be a hernia, they'd need to ultrasound it or CT scan to be sure. You said it tingles when you yawn, does it tingle when you cough? Coughing can put pressure on a hernia, thats why the doctors grab 'em and make you cough during a physical, to check for hernias in the scrotum, but they can occur anywhere. It might only be bulging through when you yawn or stretch that area, which they won't see when your at rest in an MRI or a CT scan.

I'd see a colorectal specialist, a quick sigmoidoscopy could help solve the problem, or at least rule out a few things.