VARICOCELE...can it effect testosterone?

[jtstp17]

in november 2010 i had microsurgery on varicoceles on both my testicles. 2 years later and so far so good. if anybody has any questions i will try to answer them.

how is your varicocele repair working now?

no effects? no pain? has it disappeared? can you feel the threads they used to ligate the veins?

any problems from cardio or working out or abs?

has testosterone increased or hormones increased? how about testicle size

 

[jtstp17]

hoping some varicocele veterans can chime in here...i had varicocele surgery exactly 3 months ago. My recovery went well, i've been lifting, and biking for some time now...

My question is this - is it normal, due to the obvious trauma of the surgery, to still have tenderness/lingering pain in the testicle, even 3 months after? my left nut is still sensitive if i brush it, etc...I mountain bike, and thus on technical sections of a trail i try to stand, etc, but it's definitely not fun to have it react just when i adjust myself in my seat etc...

I don't head back to the doc for another month. Is lingering tenderness normal after 3 months?

hows your varicocele repair? any tenderness still? any problems running or lifting a few months after surgery?

 

[jtstp17]

I'm 2 months out of varicocele repair and I am hurting more now that I was before. Now it's actually my testicle that hurts whereas before it was more in my groin area. As of now I wish I hadn't had the surgery. My sack and balls are all "sucked back" not hanging low and loose as they were before and its not comfortable.

do you still have pain?

 

[jodywebb]

"Does anyone have success stories of one or both of these issues?"

i was able to run hard, lift heavy, and jerk off hard and regularly after my surgery, with very few side effects long term. which surgery you have, and how good your surgeon are, will be factors.

i can't speak to an inguinal hernia surgery. but you are probably correct that if you want both problems fixed, a urologist and a general surgeon could both operate on you at the same time to fix those issues simultaneously. the surgeries probably conflict with each other if done separately, so doing them at the same time is the best way, in my non-medical opinion. my guess is that you will want microsurgical varicocelectomy on your testicle by the urologist, and laparoscopy and a minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair by the general surgeon.

"Type of surgery would help as well. Does the pulling/dragging pain sensation go away after surgery?"

i have bilateral varicoceles that are genetic and appeared when i was 12 or 13 during puberty, so i can't exactly speak to hernia-induced varicoceles and how those might feel versus large grade 3 genetic varicoceles. but after surgery, most of the pain went away. i'd say the pain was about a 4 out of 10 on the right side sometimes, enough to wake me up from sleep and enough to scare me into thinking i might have testicle cancer, which i got checked out. after surgery that pain went to a 0 out of 10 almost every day and occassionally would return as a 1 or 2 one day a month at most, usually several months between aches.

 

[jodywebb]

"Do the thick veins go down after being tied off?"

in my case they did but they never went away completely. they are probably one third to one quarter the size now than they were before surgery. i'm not sure anybody's veins will completely atrophy down to almost nothing, or be absorbed by the body, after varicocelectomy.

the veins on the right side, which were not as bad, did nearly completely go away. basically, can't even tell i had any varicose veins there. i had 7 ligated on the left, and 5 ligated on the right. the right side was much less worse to begin with.

"are you able to workout/cardio/abs etc?"

9 months after surgery i was able to run a half marathon in 1:48 at about 210 pounds. not fast for a runner, but fast for me. did 6 months of training, running 7 miles a day 6 days a week in the woods over trails. incisions were tender and slightly sore during that first year, pelvis felt like it had lost about 10% to 15% strength and integrity. did not do any strength training above 100 pounds on the bar. that was my limit.

1 year after surgery i was already lifting heavy and all soreness in the pelvis went away in year 2 and i began to even lose any weakness, and stopped thinking about my abdomen and pelvis during squats and deadlifts and cleans. lifted for 3 years and got up to reps with 365 deadlifts, 315 squats, and 225 cleans. bodyweight up to about 230 pounds. never tried to max so i don't know what i could do beyond those numbers, wasn't interested in pushing to the limit. i also did not wear a belt, nothing but perfect form and careful lifting for 3 years, and never had any trouble or scares during those lifts.

so for me, i was going over 300 pounds on basic compound lifts with no belt, and no effects from surgery, at 6-1 and 230 pounds body weight. if i did get closer to 400 for singles i would have thought about a belt.

decreased running training to 20 miles a week, 3 runs a week for 7 miles at about a 9 minute mile pace. resting heart rate was about 50. stopped thinking about my testicles. checked them once or twice a day for heat and position, that was about it. got on with life, thought about my exercise plans, hobbies, interests, women, porn. began to worry less about my balls or my varicoceles coming back.

 

[jodywebb]

"able to have sexual activity?"

i never had sex after surgery. i never felt comfortable having sex again. of course you can have sex and this is the whole point of the surgery for infertility patients. but i never did. so 4 years, no sex.

i jerk off a lot, most days, for an hour or two sometimes, and everything works better than before surgery. well, i should say, before surgery but after 20 years of damage from the varicoceles. obviously when i was 20 years old i had the varicoceles but i was a lot better sexually at 20 and with the varicoceles, than i was when i was 33 and had had surgery and had fully recovered and improved. the varicoceles cause progressive, PERMANENT damage, so get them fixed, now. don't wait. the decline i went through from about age 27 to age 33 was HUGE. basically asymptomatic from 12 or 13 up to 25 or 26, then the damage really started to begin.

"im talking months later and years. can you feel the thread that tied off the veins?"

you can't feel the threads used to ligate the veins pretty much ever. not even the week after surgery, when you first start touching and inspecting yourself. they're not palpable. your veins are, but not the ligations.

if you had a BIG varicocele, then you'll still know it was there. it won't completely go away, in my experience. it will be much smaller, totally cool to the touch, and way less heavy or bulky. but it doesn't simply disappear over time down to nothing. the veins will not fill with blood anymore but the mass of the ligated veins will persist in a smaller form pretty much permanently. i thought they might go away almost completely, but they don't. it's kind of disappointing, but i'm thrilled the surgery works at all, so i'll take it.

 

[jodywebb]

"no more pain from the varicocele?"

the pain in my right varicocele, which was the much worse one for pain, was reduced to almost nothing. that was one of my main concerns - in the latter stages of damage and atrophy, my right testicle would ache with pain so bad it would wake me up once or twice a week. i took aspirin once a week sometimes just to make it through the hours of aching pain. i'd say the pain got up to about a 4 out of 10, but when you have a 4 out of 10 pain in your testicle and it goes on for an hour or two, you definitely notice. it hurt so much i actually got it checked for testicle cancer in 2006. microsurgy reduced that pain to a 0 probably 350 days a year. after surgery and recovery, it might have ached at a 1 or 2 level once every couple months.

the left side, which was the bigger, hotter, worse varicocele, never hurt much but it did get heavy, warm, thick, annoying, and i really wanted all that gone, and microsurgery again reduced all that to almost 0, except for the bulk, which was cut more than half. the heat went from hot, all the way down to cool - my testicles were cool to the touch almost all the time, only getting a little warm during heavy physical exertion, but cooling off quickly afterwards, in about an hour, back down to cool. i assume the temperature was 3 or 4 degrees below body temperature, so probably 94 to 95 degrees for, oh, 20 to 22 hours a day. whereas before surgery it was 98 degrees or higher for 16 hours a day, only going down when i was on my back, sleeping.

"does varicocele surgery help or worsen testosterone?"

it might help improve T production some, although i don't think it will be a huge difference. it mainly improves sperm production and sperm quality. i was only tested once, before surgery, and came in at about 320ng, which is on the low end for somebody my age and my fitness level. this was never a concern to me and remains no concern to me at all. for some guys it is and they're always seeking to improve their hormone numbers, for me, zero concern. i work out hard 6 days a week and get good results and do not have any worries about increasing my T. i build big muscles and get hard boners at night.

i care about stopping my balls from shrinking, preserving their hormone function so i can age more slowly, and keeping their sperm production, so i don't drop off a cliff as i age, since i'm already really messed up and totally in the hole compared to all normal guys my same age. my concern is for the long term.

testicles are about 25% leydig cells and 75% sartoli cells. leydig cells generate T, sartoli cells generate sperm. so when your testicles atrophy, you are proportionately losing more ability to make sperm than to make T. your brain and endocrine system regulate T pretty well, and your testicles have a good amount of reserve capacity in them. just because they atrophy doesn't mean they can't continue to produce a good amount of T. it does, however, mean you steadily lose your ability to produce sperm, and not only produce sperm but generate good sperm. there's nothing your brain or body can do to replace lost testicle volume when it comes to sperm. they can signal your balls to make more T, but they can't do that for sperm. what your balls make is what you get, they produce flat out 100% of the time, and that's it.

it's like reducing the displacement of your car engine. that torque (sperm capacity) is gone forever. but you can open the throttle some more to make more horsepower (testosterone).

 

[jodywebb]

"how about testicle size"

my testicles stopped atrophying. i know this because i had an ultrasound before surgery, and an ultrasound last month, 4 years after surgery. and my testicles had not decreased in size. the radiologist will indicate the size of both of your testicles by giving their dimensions in mm and their volume in ccs. i believe the formula they use is length x width x height x 0.52, which is a commonly used calculation to estimate an ellipse shaped testicle.in fact they were slightly bigger in 2014, although that's probably due to daily fluctuation, or measurement error by the radiologist, where a couple different technicians can measure your testicle dimensions and disagree by 0.1 or 0.2mm. it's also possible my testicles did actually get slightly bigger due to recovery and healing. but it wasn't a big increase.

if you're over 19 or 20, your testicles will probably never catch up to where they were supposed to be. so if you have the surgery at like 25, the size your testicles are now, is the size they will be forever. they will never go back to the way they were. again, get big varicoceles fixed as soon as possible, they cause progressive, PERMANENT damage that can NEVER be restored. primary care physicians and general practitioners seem to be either oblivious to this, or do not see the point in treating varicoceles if you are asymptomatic. they are wrong. large 'asymptomatic' varicoceles are actually melting your balls right now. just because you don't have pain, doesn't mean it's not happening. you'll realize in 10 years how messed up you are when you feel around one day and you're like, man, my balls are a lot smaller now. the ONLY medical professional who EVER told me my big varicoceles would be a problem for me later in life was a nurse who gave me a physical at college when i was 19. every other doctor who examined me from age 12 on up, never commented on my large, obvious varicoceles. i had to figure out this stuff on my own, the hard way. don't listen to doctors. they'll tell you if a varicocele is big but the patient is not having problems, to not treat it. they're wrong.

 

[jtstp17]

"how about testicle size"

my testicles stopped atrophying. i know this because i had an ultrasound before surgery, and an ultrasound last month, 4 years after surgery. and my testicles had not decreased in size. the radiologist will indicate the size of both of your testicles by giving their dimensions in mm and their volume in ccs. i believe the formula they use is length x width x height x 0.52, which is a commonly used calculation to estimate an ellipse shaped testicle.in fact they were slightly bigger in 2014, although that's probably due to daily fluctuation, or measurement error by the radiologist, where a couple different technicians can measure your testicle dimensions and disagree by 0.1 or 0.2mm. it's also possible my testicles did actually get slightly bigger due to recovery and healing. but it wasn't a big increase.

if you're over 19 or 20, your testicles will probably never catch up to where they were supposed to be. so if you have the surgery at like 25, the size your testicles are now, is the size they will be forever. they will never go back to the way they were. again, get big varicoceles fixed as soon as possible, they cause progressive, PERMANENT damage that can NEVER be restored. primary care physicians and general practitioners seem to be either oblivious to this, or do not see the point in treating varicoceles if you are asymptomatic. they are wrong. large 'asymptomatic' varicoceles are actually melting your balls right now. just because you don't have pain, doesn't mean it's not happening. you'll realize in 10 years how messed up you are when you feel around one day and you're like, man, my balls are a lot smaller now. the ONLY medical professional who EVER told me my big varicoceles would be a problem for me later in life was a nurse who gave me a physical at college when i was 19. every other doctor who examined me from age 12 on up, never commented on my large, obvious varicoceles. i had to figure out this stuff on my own, the hard way. don't listen to doctors. they'll tell you if a varicocele is big but the patient is not having problems, to not treat it. they're wrong.

thank you for the reply! really good stuff.

lots of people complain about testicle tenderness after surgery and wish they didnt have surgery.
i virtually have no pain right now before surgery and only get it about 2 days out of the month. have had it for only a year.

im worried ill be worse off if i do get the surgery. i know my sperm production will be safe if i go w surgery but what if all my tests come back okay?

 

[jodywebb]

it depends on the surgery but if we're talking about microsurgery then yes your testicles will be tender possibly for years after the surgery. i'm talking after the initial 1 or 2 month recovery period where you have healed from the incisions and intrusions into your body. for the next year or two, my testicles were slightly tender and hurt slightly to manipulate or touch. eventually that went away in year 2 and now they're rarely tender or sore, but they've never gone back to being rugged or robust, where you can handle them roughly with minimal discomfort. not that i would EVER do that. i now protect my testicles as if they were diamonds. this will make you guys laugh but back before i had surgery, when the varicoceles were really starting to damage me, i asked my girlfriends to stop doing anything with my balls. please don't suck them or do anything to them even to cause them pleasure. LOL. i lost that part of life, which is fun and sad to give up forever, but i'd rather have no pain and keep what's left of my balls healthy and distress free for the rest of my life.

if you had big, damaging varicoceles, then you won't care AT ALL about a year or two or residual soreness from a pretty invasive surgery that saves your testicles. you'll GLADLY accept that. if you have smaller varicoceles, that maybe don't FOR SURE require surgery, although surgery could be helpful, then yes, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself. i don't think there's much of a decision here myself. do you want to save your testicles and preserve all sperm and testosterone function for the next several decades? or do you want to avoid some tenderness for the next couple years but let your testicles slowly decline so that by the time you're 40 you're in TRT land and barely ejaculating.

if you're considering the surgery strictly due to pain, then yes, it is again, a consideration you need to make. if you only get enough pain twice a month that it bothers you, maybe having microsurgery is not the right way to go. it also depends on what else the varicocele is doing to your balls, without you knowing. if you do semen analysis, ultrasound, and bloodwork, and you find that your semen is ok and not decreasing over time, that your testicle size is ok and not decreasing over time, and your hormone levels are ok to you and not declining faster than normal over time, then maybe you don't need varicocelectomy.

however, the opposite could be happening. varicoceles damage testicles in the same way you slowly lose your vision over time as you age - you don't notice the decline because it happens so slowly. then one day you wake up and realize you can barely read. you'll have to make that decision with your doctor, after doing some tests for a year or two. that gives you enough time to see whether you're declining or not.

 

[jtstp17]

it depends on the surgery but if we're talking about microsurgery then yes your testicles will be tender possibly for years after the surgery. i'm talking after the initial 1 or 2 month recovery period where you have healed from the incisions and intrusions into your body. for the next year or two, my testicles were slightly tender and hurt slightly to manipulate or touch. eventually that went away in year 2 and now they're rarely tender or sore, but they've never gone back to being rugged or robust, where you can handle them roughly with minimal discomfort. not that i would EVER do that. i now protect my testicles as if they were diamonds. this will make you guys laugh but back before i had surgery, when the varicoceles were really starting to damage me, i asked my girlfriends to stop doing anything with my balls. please don't suck them or do anything to them even to cause them pleasure. LOL. i lost that part of life, which is fun and sad to give up forever, but i'd rather have no pain and keep what's left of my balls healthy and distress free for the rest of my life.

if you had big, damaging varicoceles, then you won't care AT ALL about a year or two or residual soreness from a pretty invasive surgery that saves your testicles. you'll GLADLY accept that. if you have smaller varicoceles, that maybe don't FOR SURE require surgery, although surgery could be helpful, then yes, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself. i don't think there's much of a decision here myself. do you want to save your testicles and preserve all sperm and testosterone function for the next several decades? or do you want to avoid some tenderness for the next couple years but let your testicles slowly decline so that by the time you're 40 you're in TRT land and barely ejaculating.

if you're considering the surgery strictly due to pain, then yes, it is again, a consideration you need to make. if you only get enough pain twice a month that it bothers you, maybe having microsurgery is not the right way to go. it also depends on what else the varicocele is doing to your balls, without you knowing. if you do semen analysis, ultrasound, and bloodwork, and you find that your semen is ok and not decreasing over time, that your testicle size is ok and not decreasing over time, and your hormone levels are ok to you and not declining faster than normal over time, then maybe you don't need varicocelectomy.

however, the opposite could be happening. varicoceles damage testicles in the same way you slowly lose your vision over time as you age - you don't notice the decline because it happens so slowly. then one day you wake up and realize you can barely read. you'll have to make that decision with your doctor, after doing some tests for a year or two. that gives you enough time to see whether you're declining or not.

great post.
thanks again for replying.

i basically have awareness from the varicocele when sitting down. i sometimes have to readjust because there is some little pain/discomfort from my testicle.
i get that everyday. it doesnt hurt bad at all but it reminds me of it everyday. i guess it could be tenderness.

now the serious dull ache dragging pain comes only twice a month. hot showers fix that easily tho.

would the testicle tenderness be basically what im feeling right now? a little pinch here and there. mainly when sitting?

im a pretty active guy and want to stay the same afterwards and worried the tenderness or pain will hurt after its healed up 2months later.



insight on this would be helpful thanks again

 

[jtstp17]

it is now 4 years since my microsurgical varicolectomy. please see my posts in october 2010.

for 4 years everything went well, until october 22 this year.

i believe i have accidentally made my right varicocele come back slightly. i think this is because of 4 years of lots of hard running, hard lifting with squats and deadlifts and clean and jerks, and lots of hard masturbating. everything was going well in my life, meeting my running and lifting goals, masturbating well, ejaculations were good, testicles seemed cool and varicoceles were ligated and controlled.

a few weeks ago i decided to try pumping my penis again, i had done this dozens of times in 2004, 2005, and 2006 without any incident. pumping for fun with my girlfriend and having sex was no big deal. thought it would try it again a few times since everything was going well. nothing crazy, started with a small tube, keeping testicles well away, and pumping with low vaccuum for 30 to 40 minutes. at the 40 minute mark when i was about done, and everything still felt ok, i suddenly felt a slight twinge on the right side. immediately stopped pumping, pulled the tube off, and checked my body for problems. right scrotum felt a little difference and noticed possible change in veins or spermatic cord. masturbated to ejaculation to make sure everything was ok otherwise, which it was, then went to bed.

woke up next day, was pretty sure something was different down there. over the next few days, dull aching pains on right, and possible recurrance of 1 or 2 veins of the varicocele - or could be a new varicose vein, not sure. also testicles felt large, swollen. went to ER october 25 because pain was about a 4 out of 10 for 15 minutes at a time, just to be sure no immediate threat or damage. no testicular torsion, no cancer, but they did give me the bad news, a new small varicocele on the right side. and worse, small hydroceles on both sides. which i never had before. was also checked for a minor inguinal hernia, which ER doctor said she could not detect.

follow up exam with general practicioner doctor october 28 also confirmed no large or apparent hernia, so if there is one, it's subclinial. seems to be a real issue though, i cannot lift much weight without aggravating the symptoms, so i'll probably eventually be checked out closely by MRI or CT for a small inguinal hernia which may need to be repaired. new varicoceles, and hydroceles, are symptoms of inguinal hernia, so it's a possibility. i tried jogging a few miles slowly and the hydroceles swelled up like balloons, so i stopped. they decreased in size over time and mostly go away at night, returning during the day if i exercise or do standing work for a few hours.

set to see my original varicocele surgeon, dr sam thompson in indianapolis, on november 10. hopefully we can work out what has happened. really stupid mistake i have made, which i thought was relatively low risk since i have pumped many times in the past, has cost me big time now.

also set to be examined on november 18 by dr marc goldstein in new york city, to get his opinion on the matter as well. flying in and out on the same day and the exam is about 2 hours long and costs about 500 dollars. so i figured it was worth it to get checked out by the guy who is probably the best guy in the country on this stuff.

so yeah, the varicoceles can return, even from a microsurgical varicocelectomy, if you live hard, lift hard, jerk off hard.i suppose any stress you put on those ligated veins could, possibly, cause it to recur. will keep the board updated on diagnosis and progress in recovery. will definitely have to get the hydroceles treated, hope the varicoceles can be as well treated but surgeon may say he's not sure it's worth the surgery just for a small one. which i hate. i want these things gone and under control.

was there an update on this?!

sounds like you maybe have a hernia? hydroceles?

how was your follow up visits.

im very curious about this post.

 

[jtstp17]

any one with embolization have pain down the road like people do with microsurgery?



also, i noticed i have a dragging ache when doing obliques on a roman chair ( sideways). anyone else have this

 

[Zero12]

Hey guys,

I'm 19 and first had all the low T symptoms (no morning wood, ED, prem E, bad sleep, poor sperm quality etc..) just over a year ago. I don't think I had my varicocele for long before my symptoms started.

Anyways, finally got my doctor to get me a urologist after a lot of trying and had the surgery in August - about 10 months after my first spell of ED. I had the embolisation and for about 2 months I felt on top of the world. Morning wood, hard wood, raging libido all over again like I had pre-varicocele.

My bloodwork 4 weeks post surgery:

Serum Total Testosterone: 21.3nmol/L (9.0-29.0) - 14.9 before surgery
Calculated Free Testosterone: 437pmol/L (216-768)
Serum TSH: 2.66mU/L (0.30-4.50)
Serum SHBG: 46nmol/L (10-80)
Serum FSH: 5.6 IU/L (1.5-12.4)
Serum LH: 8.1 IU/L (1.7-8.6)
Estradiol: 51pmol/L (0-157)
Serum Prolactin level: 432mIU/L (86-324) - has been repeated since and been 237mIU/L
Serum Vitamin D: 44nmol/L (25-150)
Serum Cortisol: 443nmol/L (170-650 - reference range is for data collected at 7-10am)


Problem is after this initial good spell I woke up one morning and everything was bad again, if not worse. It has been this way for over a month. My doc won't do more bloodwork and says it's psychological, yet I know it isn't.

So what do I do now? Find Clomid? Or will my Leydig Cells be too damaged for it? There only seems to be 10 months of testicular damage.. I can't go on like this and need to know what's wrong.

 

[xx40541xx]

Zero 12,

How is your varicocele after the embolization. Can you please update on how you are doing? did you go in to discuss your symptom with your doctor? Some of the members said their varicocele have return. I would like to know since I am trying to decide for a surgery or an embolization. Thanks in advance.

 

[jtstp17]

I had the surgery 1 week ago.

Swelling is crazy. But, they said it'll be 3 weeks

 

[xx40541xx]

Hey jtstp17,

Are you in US and did you go through you insurance? I was not planning to get this done but it has been hurting since last week so I am trying to get as much as info before I see my doc next week.

 

[Zero12]

40541,

Things haven't improved. For 7 weeks post surgery things were dramatically improving and I was really getting somewhere.

Since then, libido is dead, completely. However, this may be something unrelated as I suspect my thyroid has crashed. I've just recently had blood taken actually and get results in just under 2 weeks (finally found a doc that wants to help!).

I'll continue to update if you want. No sign of varicocele reoccurring yet though, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[xx40541xx]

Zero,

First of all I wish you a luck on your status.

I am just really frustrated that my pain recently started and I want to get rid of this ASAP. I am trying to see what will be the best effective way. I have been reading this thread but it does not seem like anyone had a success with an embolization so I am thinking of going for an actual surgery despite that the recovery time will be slower. I already made an appointment at UCLA next week with a conventional radiologist to find out what was his success rate. I just want to get it done at once since I am turning 33 this year. My testosterone level was 530 ng/dl last month and according to the level chart I am in average 60 years old... According to the guys at this forum/thread it will decrease dramatically after turning 30 and I do not want to take my chances as I am already seeing few symptoms of low testosterone. I have been eating very healthy for last 3 years at least and work out at least 3 to 4 times a week and it seems that the work out is not really showing the result. My libido is low and erection is weak. It started few years ago and I am not sure what it is. My uro told me that it is all mental problem and gave me cialis and other stuff. I do not think it is mental problem that I am going through,

I just want to see if my pain will disappear and testosterone will not drop if I get the procedure of any kind.
It will mean a lot to me if you can update time to time to show everyone in this thread that how your doing/keeping up.
(I think I saw your post from other website too so replying on this one time to time will be just fine)

Thank you in advance and I really wish you a luck. Since you are young I doubt you will have any problem recovering.

JS

 

[Zero12]

Well i'm in the UK and have seen no signs of reocurrence. However, if I'd been given the choice I'd have taken the microsurgery route, but I thought the varicocelectomy (not sure if spelled right - i mean the traditional surgery) was risky. Best of luck either way.

I felt a lot better when my testosterone was just below the 600 mark and I know it should be even higher than that at 19 years old. The libido seems to be the biggest problem right now. I'm 19 and my girlfriend has to beg me for sex - doesn't get any lower than that!

As a side note, I tried viagra a couple of weeks ago and it didn't work, just gave me a bad head. Did cialis make a lot of difference for you?

 

[xx40541xx]

I did not try them out. I was kind of afraid to use them. I think I am still young and I want to increase my sexual functions naturally. My uro said just try them, you should be fine -----> did not really sound like he was really concerned about me. Seemed like he just wants to make money. I want to make sure nothing is wrong with my body and the first step would be fixing varicocele and probably see how it turns out. I think I've had this for a while but I just did not know. But first symptom that I remember when I was around 23... not sure. I think I was having few problems here and there around but Since I was partying and doing lots of drugs I thought it was just a side effect. Now that I am clean for many years and it seems that maybe it is not the side effect from drugs. I am trying to find out what is really wrong with my body at this point.

So I know lots of people try medications and other stuff such as hormone balance to boost their bodies to a normal level but I would like to do everything naturally and then maybe turn that way if nothing works. I am planning to get microsurgery and probably go for acupuncture for further remedy. I read somewhere that acupuncture have their ways to cleans the bad blood that is clogged.

Please keep the update and I will post what I can find about emolization at UCLA and other acupuncture stuff.

Thanks,

 

[jtstp17]

I am in the USA. And went through insurance.
Not sure how much it is since its been a week

 

[jtstp17]

I did microsurgery. Not that painful but mainly discomfort and dealing with the huge swelling of the scrotum.

 

[xx40541xx]

Does anyone have a positive outcome from an embolization?????
I just did an ultrasound yesterday and found out my testes are normal but definitely have stage 2 varicocele on my left.
I am planning to get an embolization next week and I want to hear some results of actual people.
My intervention radiologist told me that he has done this procedure for about 5 years, 1 in every three months or so. Since it is in UCLA, I definitely think they will have the most updated equipment you can ever imagine and that what the guy told me who did my ultrasound. My doc told me that he never had a recurring patients yet (was knocking on his wood desk) and I hope he keeps it that way after my procedure.

I just want to found out if anyone's embolization went very successful; meaning their actual T level increased at least a bit, libido went up, harder erection(including morningwood--->mine has been becoming very soft compared to before), better ejaculation (I don't think I get regular orgasm compare to before. it seems that I just ejaculate without feeling much of an orgasm), and better quality sperm.

I understand once you have a good outcome, you don't care about it anymore and do not come back to this forum but if you can share, it will mean a lot to many people.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zero12]

Got my test results today, and in need of bit of assistance. My sex drive is very low and erections aren't as strong as they used to be (still stronger than pre-op though). I get no morning/random wood.

My doctor tested just about everything under the sun, so I'll post the ones which I thought were relevant:

Total Test: 22nmol/l on a range of 9-27 (635ng/dl - it's gone up again!)
TSH: 2.56 on a range of 0.5 to 5 (I heard my result was borderline hypo but could this cause my problems?)
Prolactin is ever so slightly high, but didn't see the number

I also am slightly deficient in vitamin D, but still just within the normal range, could this cause my problems?

Overall, I actually think my embolisation worked but am lost on what to do now. Can anybody help me?

 

[xx40541xx]

Zero,

Are you working out? Running? and taking vitamins?
I think it is essential to take multi-vitamin and fish oils for better blood circulation (Zinc will help you a lot too). And when you work out, focus on leg such as squats and dead-lifts.
I was getting random morning woods but after doing above things, it seems like everything is getting better (almost getting morning woods everyday but not hard as when I was in 20's)
And I quit cigarettes and reduced the amount of alcohol consumption.
For vitamin D, you should be able to increase it from taking multi-vitamin (supplements) and you should be out in the sun at least 15 min a day. Always you can not get everything from pills. You should try to get it from natural sources first.

I am just waiting for my insurance to approve embolization and I hope they do.

I am planning to look for acupuncture to see what can help my situation. I will let you know if I find anything!

 

[Zero12]

I'm working out regularly, focusing on all compounds rather than just squats and deadlifts. I go out drinking quite a lot though which can't be doing me much good. Convinced I'm borderline hypothyroid but wouldn't know where to start improving it. Living in the UK it's difficult to go out in the sun, as it's never actually out.

Anyways, I think the embolisation isn't a bad option as long as it's done right. I wish you all the best with it and I'm sure you'll be fine soon.

 

[xx40541xx]

So I just talked to the hospital, and they are trying to get the HOSPITAL cost for the embolization. I asked her, how much is the professional fee(dr fee) and she said $17,000. Can you believe this crap? $17,000??? I am going through my insurance since I have pain down there but why the hell is that so expensive? I am pretty sure the hospital fee will be about 6k~10K so total max 27K for that simple procedure? I am a Korean so I check the price in Korea and they said it is probably less than $2000 and less than $1000 if you have insurance. My insurance will cover 80% after deductible and 3000 max out of pocket. I just don't understand why US hospital and doctors charge so much.

If you don't have an insurance in US just go somewhere else... I might go to Korea if everything costs more than $4000. I rather fly out, get it done, and get some rest. It will still save me money.

Anyways, I am schedule to get the embolization 2/11/14 next Wednesday so I will update after, if my cost comes below 4000...

 

[xx40541xx]

I am not sure if anyone is reading this post anymore but I will keep update till the day I get my final blood test after embolization. I will be getting it tomorrow at UCLA and again, I chose UCLA because of their most up to date equipment and their staffs. If you do not have an insurance, do not go to the big hospital. My dr fee came out so much but since I have an insurance through my work, I am only responsible for $3000 max. My deductible is $1500 and the max out of pocket is $3000.

To recap on my symptoms and status of the varicocele..
Swelling of veins on left side (got an ultra sound and i was diagnosed with stage 2 and whenever I work out my legs, it gets worse)
dull aching
not getting full orgasm with ejaculation
not getting 100% hard erection (especially morning wood is not hard..)
a sign of PE (I think this is related from not getting hard erection for me)
Urination problem (does not feel like I am emptying my bladder completed and it seems that I have to push a little harder than before to pee)
low testosterone (530 ng/dl --->doctors will say this is normal but this is normal for 60 year old male)
I haven't done sperm analysis because I already have dull ache and that gives me a enough reason to get this thing revolve.

Except for the dull aching, doctors will definitely say all that problem I have is not related to varicocele and I do not think that is true. I have read from several internet sources (I do not trust everything from internet but this was a good source) varicocele might affect your prostate. And few people had the symptoms that I had have been cured after treating their varicoceles. If you see the anatomy of a male body, you can probably guess that it will affect your prostate and other sexual organs that you have. I still dont understand some doctors who say it will not have any affect to your testosterone. It is literally cooking your testicle and it does not function properly. What is your testicle's main function? Make testosterone and sperm!!!!!!

My pain is not that much. I can take the pain. But after researching, this should be done ASAP to save your testicle. I feel that my left one is not firm ans the other one and the size will probably shrink soon. I will be updating for others to get more info on this and hopefully it will help them (I got lots of info from here so trying to give back)

If you have any questions, please let me know.

 

[jtstp17]

any that has had open surgery (microscopic), are the veins completely gone as in not dilated? mine got better but now (4 weeks after surgery) i can feel the veins and they seem to dilate in shower and go down when i lay down.

i know for sure, that its not as bad as it was but it definitely is there.

any others have this. does it take a long time for it to go down? its been 4 weeks but still worried that the veins pool with blood when they are supposed to be ligated/tied off

 

[xx40541xx]

I just had the embolization done yesterday and I would like to share my experience.

I went in around 9 to check in and started the surgery around 11 30. After the sedation, I felt a little sleepy but didn't want to fall asleep so I kept myself awake. The surgery finished around 1 PM and did not really feel any pain. Got back to the resting area and rested about 3 hours and came home. When I was in recovering/resting area, doctor came by and said everything went really well. I asked him what kind of material was used as coil and he said platinum...as I expected. I saw 4 different places where the coil was replaced so I asked him how many coil was used in total. He said 25.... 25!!!!!! I am not sure how many is a normal but I thought it was too many but it seems that he wanted to make sure that there are no recurrence. I came home around 5 and ate and rested.

I still have pain, not sure where... I know I have pain in my testicle area and seems that I have pain in my lower abdominal area (Left). I was planning to go to work today but it still hurts so I called in and I am staying home now. Most of the morning, I get morning woods but today it felt like it was harder. I didn't want to touch it since dr said no sexual activity for a week. I want to make sure it does not go wrong.

I will update again in one week.

 

[jtstp17]

any that has had open surgery (microscopic), are the veins completely gone as in not dilated? mine got better but now (4 weeks after surgery) i can feel the veins and they seem to dilate in shower and go down when i lay down.

i know for sure, that its not as bad as it was but it definitely is there.

any others have this. does it take a long time for it to go down? its been 4 weeks but still worried that the veins pool with blood when they are supposed to be ligated/tied off

bump

 

[xx40541xx]

Okay, here is my update on recovery.

I am almost pain free at this moment. I am glad that I got embolization than regular surgery. I was still hurting until 2 days ago and my doc told me that is very normal since the vein is closing off. I feel that I can start working out but I will take it very easy for another week. Other than my cold symptom everything feels fine.

For sexual side, I masterbated yesterday and it seems that the erection is stronger than before. It seems that more blood is going in my penis. Ejaculation was also much better and the sperm quality looked alot better too. I have been getting morning woods everytime I go to sleep. I have been sleeping alot since it was a holiday yesterday and I slept the entire day. Everytime I woke up, I had morning woods so I do not worry about that anymore.

Like how I mentioned before I had some urine problem and it seems that I am getting better. I think the problem with prostate is getting better.

For last, my left testicle is feeling much better. At one point, it was really soft and I was worried. Now, it is getting bigger and firm so I do not worry about mine getting reduced in size.

All the sexual side and urine problem might have been related to my habits (smoking and drinking) and I have not smoked and drank for about 2 weeks and will continue not to smoke (will prob drink though). I still get dull aches ones in awhile in my testicle area since there are still pool of blood remaining. I think it will go away as time goes by.

If you have insurance and thinking, hmmm should I get it done or not? Just think of it this way... your ball is getting really really hot because of this and it will impact your hormone and your sperm. If your urologist say it never affects your hormone and unless it hurts, I would not do anything. You have to make your own decision because he does not give a fxxx if you lose your testicle or not unless he is really caring (which rarely happens). I am not telling you that you should get embolization but that that thing taken care of ASAP. The younger you are it will have a better result. I am 32 and I kind of regret that I did not know I had varicocele. I probably had it for a longtime and it was affecting my body.

I will post again when I get my 3 weeks post surgery check up and my blood check to see if my testosterone have increased or not. Let me know if any one have a question.

Thanks.

 

[varicocele21]

I'm getting an inguinal surgery in a few weeks (not sure if it's micro or not) and apparently if it isn't a microsurgery, then the recurrence rate is higher (~35%)? Has anyone ever had a recurring varicocele?

 

[xx40541xx]

Okay, it is time for another update. I am keep updating since there might be a person who is still searching for more information or help. It has been exactly 1 month and 1 week post my embolization. I am almost pain free but not 100% sure that the embolization was a success because I have not done ultrasound yet to see the flow of the blood. I visited my doctor on 3/10 and he said he is positive that everything went really well. I will have the ultrasound in 2 month to make sure everything went well. He also told me that usually if the surgery goes wrong, they will be able to tell it within a week or two.

I have been working out about 4 times a week. Everything is great. I can run, squat, and deadlift. I do not feel any discomfort or pain. One thing is that when I am masterbating, my scrotum just becomes really small. I think it is because I am cold???

I do not have any pains but still a little bit of discomfort. If you would like to fix your varicocele, seriously think about getting embolization.

I think this will be my last post since no one has any questions since my updates.

good luck everyone and get this thing fixed!!!!!

 

[oldschoolbean]

Thanks for the update! God bless you and your recovery!

 

[heman repairi]

Hey what was the outcome of the consultation

 

[darkblue1]

People worrying too much about varicocele..People read too much on internet.. varicocele does not cause any harm to body.it doesn't cause impotence. Check my previous posts. Now I have two healthy boys. I used Testosterone for 2 months and then stopped. Still I got two kids. Go figure it out....People are giving too much importance on testosterone products to improve testosterone.

 

[sammpedd88]

People worrying too much about varicocele..People read too much on internet.. varicocele does not cause any harm to body.it doesn't cause impotence. Check my previous posts. Now I have two healthy boys. I used Testosterone for 2 months and then stopped. Still I got two kids. Go figure it out....People are giving too much importance on testosterone products to improve testosterone.

Not sure what your point is. Are you on TRT or were you running a cycle?

 

[darkblue1]

Not sure what your point is. Are you on TRT or were you running a cycle?

Yes. I was on TRT for 2-3 months. Did not like it . Then stopped. And I never checked my levels after that.

 

[sammpedd88]

If you were on TRT for 2-3 months and stopped then you should have never been in TRT in the first place. Guys that truly need to be on TRT have to be on it for life.

 

[darkblue1]

If you were on TRT for 2-3 months and stopped then you should have never been in TRT in the first place. Guys that truly need to be on TRT have to be on it for life.

No. not true. Doctors said you can stop it anytime. He told me his friend who is a doctor publishes articles about varicocle surgeries and TRTs so that he can make more money. I stopped it 6 years back. Last year I had a kid. So it is proved that we can stop it any time.and we still be healthy.

 

[sammpedd88]

No. not true. Doctors said you can stop it anytime. He told me his friend who is a doctor publishes articles about varicocle surgeries and TRTs so that he can make more money. I stopped it 6 years back. Last year I had a kid. So it is proved that we can stop it any time.and we still be healthy.

So you are saying that anyone on TRT can stop at anytime and be fine?

 

[Skymarietta]

What do you mean went away ?without surgery?

 

[sammpedd88]

I don't think this guy is checking out posts.

 

[v4lu3s]

darkblue whatever doesn't actually reed peer reviewed studies that show varicocele CAN reduce testosterone levels, or that that many men who are infertile also have varicoceles. I got my wife pregnant and we had a healthy baby while i had a grade 2 and grade 3 varicocele (the grade 3 caused many days of pain every month for decades) and total testosterone of 300. I had no sex drive, could get hard about twice a month, was tired all the time, could never lose fat without losing the same weight in muscle, had monthly mood and weight swings like a woman. Bllod testing showed the 300 total test, elevated estrogen, and indicated that surgery for the varicocele might be worth it.

I had the surgery. Total test did not increase, but my varicocele had been present for over 20 years. My total estrogen and e2 measures dropped WAY down to the bottom of the range rather than being double the top of the range. My symptoms improved SOME, and a year later I went on TRT. If you correct varicocele early it prevents the long term damage it causes...

 

[jtstp17]

i had my surgery in jan 2015. i just had my 6mo post op in aug 2015.

i feel great. do not have a varicocele anymore. there is sensitivity but it has gone down over the months and it isnt too bad. I can ride a bike for hour straight.

the spermatic cord feels a little different but pretty similar to the other side.

the testicle did grow back a little bit.

the area of incision is swollen a little bit.

i do have occasional pain but i have been working out for 4 months straight with heavy lifting and running. i feel good.

very happy with the microsurgical surgery



feel free to ask me anything!

 

[TheJailer521]

Just adding my .02 to an already great thread.

I was diagnosed with a left sided Grade 3 Vericocele when I was 14 or so, and my parents never set up the surgery.

When in I was in my early 20's I went in to the Dr, and he wanted to do the surgery instead of emobilization so I put it off having it done.

I went in again when I was 29 (2 years ago), for some dull pain and my concerns that it was effecting sperm quality. This time the urologist didn't think I needed to do anything about the varicocele, even though the all of my past Dr's recommended the surgery. So after some arguing my case he gave the go ahead for the emobilization....which I put off AGAIN.

Finally after after 10 years with my wife and still no kids (Not for the lack of trying.) I decided enough is enough and I finally scheduled for my emobilization on 11/24/15.

Just to note I had my Test levels checked when I was 29 with the following results:

COMPONENT STANDARD RANGE YOUR VALUE
TOTAL TESTOSTERONE 250 - 1100 ng/dL 402
FREE TESTOSTERONE 35.0 - 155.0 pg/mL 104.4

My primary care Dr said these levels were fine and did not want to do anything about them. So I am hoping to improve sperm quality/count, and hopefully raise my test levels a bit.

Also I read an anecdotal report of someones body temperature stabilizing from the 97 range to 98.6 after the repair. Mine has been the the 96-97 range as long as I can remember, it doesn't bother me but it is something that I will keep an eye on.

I will keep this updated with my results, future blood work, and semen analysis.

 

[TheJailer521]

Pain (dull) but its transient, only hurts from time to time.

Libido frankly is horrible, and only get morning wood once every two weeks? Erection quality is maybe at 85-90% of what it was in my early 20s.

I do not believe I have any atrophy as both sides feel equal when Im not standing up ( cant tell standing through the massive veins)

I tested my sperm @ home with a microscope and literally only saw a few swimmers per slide. So I will do a full evaluation post surgery.

So Im hoping for a lot out of this procedure but of course not getting my hopes up. The DRs said when I was 14 I may not be able to have kids because of it. So only time will tell.

 

[TheJailer521]

Unilateral.

And yep, I know you cant see them with the naked eye. Hence the microscope at 400x power. Hopefully Im just bad at using microscopes

And I never notice any excess heat per se.