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VARICOCELE...can it effect testosterone?

darkblue1 - GREAT news on the CT scan .... So now you don't have to worry about the pain in your abdomen .... It is most likely part and parcel of the varicocele and once you get the surgery that should go away as it did for me .... I still have a tinge of pain every once in a while in my scrotum .... I chalk that up to the veins dieing off ....
As for feeling down there at genitals during night time .... Do you mean that sense that it is alive ? If that is what you mean I know exactly what you feel like .... There is a theory that I read somewhere during my research on varicocele and it stated that Testosterone is vital for blood flow .... If your T level is low then that in turn can affect the blood flow throughout your body, including your genitals .... So that can be a reason .... I felt the same way .... I never brought it up in the discussions here because I thought it may just be in my head .... Good to know it wasn't .... It adds to the theory ....
It is a known fact that those that have varicocele, when they lie down that the blood stops the pooling and the varicocele is hard to feel, even at grade III, which is what my left varicocele was .... I still felt mine though, so it may have actually been larger than grade III as when the surgeon gave me the post op talk he said he was very impressed with how many veins he had to ligate .... 20 on my left side ....
As for the weakness you feel .... I was very weak in my legs and arms .... I did not want to do anything .... At All .... I was lazy as a pig in slop ....
The getting up at night to go to the bathroom .... Part and parcel .... Same here ....
Sex can be a chore, but I found if I waited a week or so I was ready and roaring to go at it .... Although afterwards I was COMPLETELY wiped out for the rest of the day .... All I could do was to stay awake to watch TV ....
With the varicocele I think we can all say with certainty that our WOOD is not as full and firm even when we are ready to play .... I used Cialis for the most part to play, and it helped but I could tell an immediate difference from before the surgery to after ....
Not sure if what I am saying means what you want it to or not ....

I would go to both appointments .... As you have read from my posts here and in other threads you can see I had to go to 3 different urologists, about to go to yet a second endo, mainly just to make sure what the urologist is doing is within the norm ....

I beleive the pain in your abdomen is due to the varicocele .... It was the same for me ....

The headache could be part and parcel of the varicocele .... As I had constant headaches and all my test for the pituitary came back normal and good numbers .... I still have a headache but it is not as severe as it was ....

Going back to the theory I read about .... I think this can explain the headaches .... Lack of T can be causing areas of our brains to become starved for testosterone .... As other parts are starving for T too .... It is just a theory .... But maybe that can put your mind to rest a bit ....

It is also a known fact that the low T causes depresson and brain fog .... So you not being able to concentrate at work .... Well I was in the same boat ....

Angelina - I do not feel like you are invading at all .... This is a support group and you as the "Other Half" have just as much right to be here as the next .... SMILE

As for the talking part .... I can not say enough that understanding is the key here in this situation .... Know that he wants to be with you and let him know that .... That is if he is at the point where he is having ED issues ....

It is your business, because you love\care for him .... I wished my other half was more interested in what I was going through but .... Such as life ....

I would make sure that the CT\MRI was clear .... You didn't say whether or not he had that checked out .... It is rare but it is possible ....

A Day or So ? Yeah Right .... His balls are going to be elephant in size .... and sore .... Is he having the Micro-Surgery or ?

Some guys have said a frozen bag of peas help .... I just laid around a lot .... I have loratab for the pain ....

S*x is at least a two week wait for int*rco*rse .... Although mast*urbation may be sooner ....

Hope that helps you both .... SMILE
 
beckerj,

So you and me have same symptoms becos of varicocle.Do you know why did varicocele occur to you?
I lost 10 pounds in muscle mass especially in and around thighs and arms. fat is accumulating at abdomen. Did you loss weight. After surgery , did you get your weight back?You explained the same symptoms as I am having. In that case , after varicocele, your testosterone should have gone up (after 3 months). Did it go up?
 
I forgot to add one more

When I was in sleep (night time) sometimes i get erection, if i wake up and touch my thing,it limps all of a sudden (not in erect state).What does it mean? Did it happen to you beckerj?
Does it mean blood circulation is not good there.
 
If I had to guess why it happened .... Hard pushing when going to the bathroom (number 2) and/or caffeine .... I have cut all caffeine out of my diet .... And am trying to be more conscience of how I go number 2 .... Other than those two things .... It is a mystery ....
I lost about 20 pounds from Sept. to Oct\Nov .... Mostly due to the depression .... I then started gaining more weight around the mid section .... I do think I lost a lot of my muscle ....

Another theory .... Because of the low T your body prioratizes what little it has and puts it to use in the places it is needed .... IE you don't need all this strength so take some here and put some in your head so you can at least still operate .... Just an idea .... May be silly though ....

I can say that now I am on Androgel I was able to work out in the yard yesterday all day and I didn't feel weak at all .... Although today I am sore .... Not wasted .... A week or two ago I worked a little in the yard and I was wasted .... Not even sore, just wasted .... So I see a definite difference ....

There are many thoughts on the surgery and what results to expect .... I have read the clinical reviews of post op recovery of varicocele and they do say that a significant increase in T levels were observed .... But that the rise in T levels were a percentage of all patients in the group .... So I guess I see myself as part of the percentage that did not see the increase .... Everyone is different .... There are a couple of guys that seem to be recovering here, but not sure if they have added things to their daily regimen to help themselves along .... I myself take a multi vitiman and l-arginine .... I also take pycogynol .... Although I am out right now .... I also am taking Nolvadex 20MG on M-W-F .... I have yet to hear from anyone as to whether I should be or not ....
 
I would like to know from any and all that have varicocele what your blood pressure is running .... before and after repair ....

Mine was running VERY HIGH 160 over 95 .... Now that I am on Androgel .... I am running 120-130 over 65-75 .... A very big improvement ....
 
Varicoceles: usually small and asymptomatic; underdiagnosed (most pediatricians do not check for varicoceles); may cause testicular growth arrest; with repair, affected testis can eventually equal size of contralateral testis; testicular assessment—calipers measure testis in 3 dimensions (preferred approach); US correlates poorly with caliper data; monitor patients annually and document testis size; indications for varicocele repair—disparity in testicular size; testicular pain (uncommon); abnormal right testis; grade 3c varicocele (ie, varicocele twice as large as left testis); abnormal semen specimen

Varicocele repair: retroperitoneal laparoscopy—minimally invasive; artery often distinct from veins in older adolescent; recovery relatively rapid; operating time reduced with experience; disadvantages include transperitoneal approach, risk for injury to abdominal viscera; risk for postoperative hydroceles, cost, difficulty encountered in operating on obese patients, and learning curve; angiographic approach—requires general anesthesia; radiation exposure significant; may be useful for managing varicocele recurrence or persistent varicocele following open repair; subinguinal approach without microscope—advantages (avoids opening inguinal canal; requires small incision; promotes rapid recovery; procedure can be extended into inguinal canal when necessary); disadvantage (artery may be more difficult to identify); pointers on approach— place patient in reverse Trendelenberg position; use loupe magnification; pulse Doppler can identify artery; microscopic varicocelectomy—generally provides no clear benefit over loupe dissection; reasonable option for managing large varicocele with higher recurrence rate

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What you are quoting is from the pediatric side of the fence .... It is VERY serious for adolescents to have varicocele in my opinion ....

We have already gotten all of our masculine qualities by the time we get varicocele .... So development is not a big issue for us ....

What is the issue we deal with is what I would call the maintenance issues ....

T drives our bodies as men and as women to a certain degree .... I read that the human heart has more Testosterone receptors than any other part of the human body ....

I beleive that there is also a threshold that one has poersonally and is different for everyone .... Once you near or pass the threshold you experience the symptoms of Low or Normal T level ....

I just started the Androgel on April 4 and feel much better .... So i would have to say i have a low T threshold .... Maybe mine is about 350 or 400 .... They say Androgel will put your numbers back to a normal level in like two days .... So ....

i am just theorizing obviously .... There is little in the way of concrete proof ....
 
The author is Dr.Brugh , .He is the one I am seeing.
He said by removing varicocele won't improve testosterone or increase size of testicle. How can i assure him that after i got varicocele My T went down.
 
Honestly .... There isn't a way to convince these Doc's of anything ....

I would just go along the road I had to travel and once you get to the end .... 3 Months after the surgery say .... "Doc I know I am in the normal range for T, but I am on the low side .... Can we try some Androgel and see how I feel in a month .... "

Basically that is how I had to get to the point where I got my script for Androgel .... Jump through the hoops till there aren't any left to jump but the HRT ....

Of course your T level is low to begin with .... I would not recomend doing the HRT though until you have had the surgery and see if your boys will come back on line after the surgery .... They just might .... In the mean time I would DEFINITELY get the Welbutrin and get that into your system so the depression recedes a bit for you .... Like I said the Welbutrin was a life saver for me ....

Bottom line you need to get the surgery and see how you feel at your three month post op visit .... As well as your Labs ....
 
I think the GP would be better, but as you are seeing the endo and urologist I would ask either of the three .... Just say what you have said here about the way you feel this is really ruining your life .... And you are not very happy ....

There were\are little to no side effects for me .... But everyone is different ....

One of the reasons I really liked the Welbutrin was because there was a possibility that it could increase libido .... Not sure if I experienced this or not .... But the cialis worked much better when I was taking it ....

Everyone is different though ....
 
my husband has one

Hi guys-
I hope you don't mind me jumping in on the guys club too. My husband has a varicocile as well. We have been trying to get pregnant and he did a sperm count and his counts were low. We got to the urologist and he found a varicocile and when my husband was actually in surgery he doc found another one.
The doc stated he thought the varicocile was causing testicular failure and the low counts/low testoterone. My husband is on clomid as well.

If any of you guys that have been doing massive amounts of research on this have any feedback for me I would really appreciate it.
As for you guys that are asking if you should get it fixed ABSOLUTELY DO IT. This varicocile has caused us more grief than ever and I think about the time this could have saved us had we known he had it to begin with.

Thanks guys-
 
Darkblue1 ..... No Cialis is a drug to help with erectile dysfunction .... i took ambien to help with sleep ....
 
At 51 and on TRT, should I get varicocele fixed?

I also have a varicocele on my left testicle which I have had for years but didn't realize the potential it had for test suppression. Anyway, I started TRT with Dr. Shippen a few months ago (T cream and HCG) and I am feeling great.

Now that my test is at a good level via TRT, and I'm 51 years old and looking at TRT for life, is there any point for me to get the varicocele fixed? It doesn't hurt.
 
beckerj said:
Angelina - I do not feel like you are invading at all .... This is a support group and you as the "Other Half" have just as much right to be here as the next .... SMILE
Click to expand...

Amen. Some women could care less.



Reminds me of that song by Toby Keith, "I want to talk about Me."
 
Muscles need protein. Hormones, like testosterone, IGF (insulin-like growth factor) and HGH (human growth hormone), help proteins find their way to muscles and stay there. They also help maintain muscle once it has been made, and help the body burn fat instead of muscle. If it wasn't for these hormones, protein from food would not be used to make muscles, and existing muscles would get quickly burned up. Studies of low testosterone in HIV-negative people show that protein fails to build muscle, and old muscle is broken down by the body to fuel itself. Low testosterone levels lead to muscle loss.
 
After you got varicocele, Did your package (scrotum and othetrs) change in size. Mine became very small.night times, it just stays there,no movement.Not sure why is that?but when i get erection (if i make it erected) it wil be big.
 
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When you say package, do you mean your **** too? Because i suffered some "bad" shrinkage in all departments (scrotum, testicles and ****). Luckly when erect, everything is back to normal (Size wise). Did you notice any skin changes (thinning, dryness, etc) on the same area? I still have problems at times maintaining erections (libido is also low), which is part of the shrinkage problem.
 
Yes .... Definitely .... Even when I would get an erect*on, it did not seem as full/firm .... Now that I am on Adrogel, even as short a time as it has been I notice that it is fuller and firmer .... I think my scrotum is also hangin lower .... Although I have only been on the Androgel for the past week I can tell a 360 in how I feel .... Again, this could be a placebo effect .... But I feel like I remember me feeling .... Or very close to it ....
The other half finally told me last night that it wasn't gonna happen .... Guess I have worn it out a little .... SMILE
 
Megazoid,

Where were you all these days.Did you start website? I saw you in most of the forum srelated to varicocele. Megazoid,Beckerj,We shhould stay in touch , becos we have same symptoms. We should do something about this.

Regarding colour,
Yes it changes every now n then. sometimes, dry,sometimes,ichy,sometimes low hanging. If i eat fat food it hangs low and colour beocmes red scrotum skin becomes thin (becos more blood flow in veins), if i eat low fat or greens it wil be normal colour (black).When erect scrotum still not full , sometimes it hangs, sometimes pulled up. currentyl I am making my thing erect, it doesnt get erected by itself.
 
nice article ..it says after vericolectomy testosterone levels increases by around 50-60%,but not in all the men who underwent surgery.

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7 Years and counting .... That article is a good read ... was one of the first I read .... One of the main reasons I opted for the Micro-Surgery .... All the studies I read were based on that procedure so I felt that if I had that done then I had a better chance of recovering the boys than say Embolization or Laproscopic .... But .... As you will read .... Most of us that suffer from varicocele need to go on TRT .... Now some of us are doing better than others, and some, like myself are only at the begining of the TRT experiment .... And that is basically what it is ....

I was doing 2 pumps of Androgel on each arm .... I thought maybe that was a bit much and dropped this morning to 1 pump on each arm .... I'm not as amped as I have been this past week .... I guess part of this is just watching how you feel and adjust accordingly ....
 
beckerj said:
7 Years and counting .... That article is a good read ... was one of the first I read .... One of the main reasons I opted for the Micro-Surgery .... All the studies I read were based on that procedure so I felt that if I had that done then I had a better chance of recovering the boys than say Embolization or Laproscopic .... But .... As you will read .... Most of us that suffer from varicocele need to go on TRT .... Now some of us are doing better than others, and some, like myself are only at the begining of the TRT experiment .... And that is basically what it is ....

I was doing 2 pumps of Androgel on each arm .... I thought maybe that was a bit much and dropped this morning to 1 pump on each arm .... I'm not as amped as I have been this past week .... I guess part of this is just watching how you feel and adjust accordingly ....
Click to expand...


Does androgel has any effect on tests, if we want to have kids in future
 
From What I have read .... Yes .... So it is something that you will need to plan out .... Like do a sperm bank ....
 
hi, this is my first post here,
i`ve had bilateral varicocele for about 3-4 months,the only thing i can link it to is a pretty big effort in the gym, and since those veins popped out i started having some weird headaches, can`t sleep well at night, some lower abdominal discomfort , and most of all a big case of ED . this ED situation has really started to depress me , i`m only 19 btw.
anyway the reason i am posting here is that so far i`ve been to about 6 or 7 urologists and at first the r3tards thought i had epididimitys and they gave me antibiotics and anti-inflamatories for like 2 months, and after 2 months they said: sorry, we think you have varicocele you took those pills for nothing, so now they told my parents i shouldnt get surgery coz i`m too young ..when i told them i have ED they said it`s not possible , it never happens , it can`t happen.
can i ask you guys for a link to an article of some sort or a specialized opinion so i can show these retards that bilateral varicoceles can cause ED ?because i just can`t take it anymore.
oh and btw i live in romania in case you were wondering how can 7 urologists be so dumb.
 
andrei, i am going to be launching two websites soon dedicated to the cause. I am hoping to get stories such as your own into the lime light with proper medical evidence to backup the claims too.

The ED happens due to the hormonal inbalance that varicocele causes (check my other post "new research & findings") on the forum for more information. Low thyroid and adrenal hypofunction as the prime cause of the ED.

How bad is the ED and have you suffered any "shrinkage"?
 
I will get back to everyone else on the forum asap, making lifestyle changes at the minute and a little stressed.

I am still fighting our corner and will be fighting even harder in the next month. The website is almost complete and fully dedicated to my research, findings, personal stories and forum for all varicocele sufferers. I want to pull together printable content too (to present to doctors for fellow varicocele sufferers). We need to make an impact here, this varicocele situation is getting out of hand and i truely wonder how many people are effected but never mention it.
 
Anrei,

I have the same symptoms as you. Do a google search on varicocele + erectile dysfunction. These urologists are fit for nothing. When we say what we are experiencing they are not believing.




A varicocele is an enlarged (varicose) vein in the cord that connects to the testicle. Varicoceles are found in 15 - 20% of all men and in 25 - 40% of infertile men. When varicoceles occur in both testicles, they may contribute to hormone imbalances that cause erectile dysfunction

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Varicoceles are common. About 15% of all men have a varicocele. Varicoceles usually develop slowly and there may not be any symptoms. Over time, the veins may become quite enlarged and painful.


Varicoceles usually appear on the left side of the scrotum, but can involve both sides, in which case there is an increased possibility that they may contribute to hormone imbalances that cause erectile dysfunction.
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current time is 3:52 on east coast of US. I just wanted to take a na, but i couldn not because I felt my legs are not getting enough oxygen supply or enogh blood (not sure) and I felt somehting is blocking me in breathing. And i have big head ache.I lost muscle mass in thighs and hands and they are lean now. My jeans size usually 32 now it's very lose for me.
 
Megazoid said:
andrei, i am going to be launching two websites soon dedicated to the cause. I am hoping to get stories such as your own into the lime light with proper medical evidence to backup the claims too.

The ED happens due to the hormonal inbalance that varicocele causes (check my other post "new research & findings") on the forum for more information. Low thyroid and adrenal hypofunction as the prime cause of the ED.

How bad is the ED and have you suffered any "shrinkage"?
Click to expand...

well about ed it works at like 60% of what it used to be ( firmness and length ) and it gets started really hard, will try some cialis when the occasion will arise but i rarely seem to be in the mood and yes some shrinkcage has occured. anyway what blood tests do u suggest i do? i did testosterone like 2months ago and on the papers it said it should range between 17-29 and i had like 19 if i remember well.

oh and btw some more funny things the docs said:
they said that they`r not sure i have a serious case of varicocele coz the veins are only huge when i stand up , when i lay down in bed they get smaller , and i told them maybe gravity causes this ?
and they said no , that bloodflow in that region isn`t affected by gravity:D
 
andrei said:
well about ed it works at like 60% of what it used to be ( firmness and length ) and it gets started really hard, will try some cialis when the occasion will arise but i rarely seem to be in the mood and yes some shrinkcage has occured. anyway what blood tests do u suggest i do? i did testosterone like 2months ago and on the papers it said it should range between 17-29 and i had like 19 if i remember well.

oh and btw some more funny things the docs said:
they said that they`r not sure i have a serious case of varicocele coz the veins are only huge when i stand up , when i lay down in bed they get smaller , and i told them maybe gravity causes this ?
and they said no , that bloodflow in that region isn`t affected by gravity:D
Click to expand...

when you lay down, you dont feel varicoceles, even i dont feel, but blood flow is definetely effected, cos those two hang low, even in erected condition 9semi or full)
 
sorry to ask again but here goes:
so what tests should i run ?
i mean when i go for some bloodwork what should i ask them to check out ? can you please say it here and i`ll go and take them , i`d really appreciate it.
 
andrei said:
sorry to ask again but here goes:
so what tests should i run ?
i mean when i go for some bloodwork what should i ask them to check out ? can you please say it here and i`ll go and take them , i`d really appreciate it.
Click to expand...


When you go to endocronologist, ask him to test for
Total testosterone
Free testosterone
LH
FSH
prolactin
ACTH
TSH
serum cortisol..These are very important ones

Mostly Endo knows what tests he need to do..
 
If you read through all the posts .... It is possible .... Just not accepted by the Docs .... I had bilateral varicocele and now I am on TRT .... Androgel ....
 
Read this
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Oct 30, 2007
New findings in male factor infertility.

Scientists at the Weill Cornell Medical Center have recently discovered that varioceles - varicose veins in the testicles - can be caused by low levels of testosterone.
If a man suffers from low testosterone, it may cause andropause (the male equvilent of the menopause). Symptoms include low energy levels, lowered levels of muscle strength, a lack of interest in sex, inability to get an erection and in some cases, depression.
Dr. Goldstein found that varicoceles causes low testosterone levels and that following surgery to remove varicoceles, these levels improved by as much as 100% in more than two thirds of the men who took part in the study.
Surprisingly, the condition can be hereditory and is present in a staggering 15% of all males and is thought to be responsible for 35% of cases of infertility and up to 80% of cases of secondary infertility (difficulty getting pregnant after the successful birth of a first child).
Dr. Goldstein has developed microsurgery to remove varicoceles and he says after such a procedure, testosterone and fertility levels are subsequently restored.
 
I wasn't given a choice to add HCG .... From what I have read I am not really big on adding the HCG .... I have an Appt. in June with another Endo .... I will see how things are at that point and go from there .... The Androgel has made a HUGE difference for me .... I am very happy with it .... The first week I was walking High and Long .... If you get my drift .... I dropped to 1 pump per arm on Friday, thinking the 2 per arm might be a bit too much and felt it .... So I am now at the 2 pumps per arm ....
I was also doing the Nolvadex on M-W-F and Megazoid said it isn't doing what i thought, so I stopped the Nolvadex .... I am now only taking a Multi Vit and 1000MG L-Arginine .... I have yet to get my pycogynol .... I ran out and have been low on funds to get more ....
 
beckerj said:
I wasn't given a choice to add HCG .... From what I have read I am not really big on adding the HCG .... I have an Appt. in June with another Endo .... I will see how things are at that point and go from there .... The Androgel has made a HUGE difference for me .... I am very happy with it .... The first week I was walking High and Long .... If you get my drift .... I dropped to 1 pump per arm on Friday, thinking the 2 per arm might be a bit too much and felt it .... So I am now at the 2 pumps per arm ....
I was also doing the Nolvadex on M-W-F and Megazoid said it isn't doing what i thought, so I stopped the Nolvadex .... I am now only taking a Multi Vit and 1000MG L-Arginine .... I have yet to get my pycogynol .... I ran out and have been low on funds to get more ....
Click to expand...

Beckerj,

Did you have lower abdominal discomfort before your surgery.Can you explain the symptoms. Were the muscles tight just above groin area and 3 inches below belly and some kind of buring sensation inside...
 
Yeah .... I had some abdominal pain .... Nothing severe .... But more noticable when lifting heavy things or sitting for long periods of time ....
I can't say the muscles in the groin area were tight but i can say that during sex it was obtrusive ....
Burning sensation .... Not really .... Can't remember that one .... Sorry ....
When have you scheduled your surgery ?
 
beckerj said:
Yeah .... I had some abdominal pain .... Nothing severe .... But more noticable when lifting heavy things or sitting for long periods of time ....
I can't say the muscles in the groin area were tight but i can say that during sex it was obtrusive ....
Burning sensation .... Not really .... Can't remember that one .... Sorry ....
When have you scheduled your surgery ?
Click to expand...


Tommrrow i hve doc's appointment, surgery not yet decided. He will let me know tommorrow
 
Remember to push fromt he pain perspective .... Tell them it is painful, but more of a constant acheing kind of pain .... That is what I told them .... SMILE

Good Luck ! Fingers Crossed for you ....
 
thanks guys for the advice , will get the tests done this week hopefully , will update when results come in , i`ll also go in approx 3 weeks to another city where supposedly there is a better urologists , i`ll beg this one for surgery anyway.
 
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