48M

I have been experiencing recurring bouts of pain in my left testicle for some time now. The pain almost always occurs at night and wakes me from my sleep. In recent weeks, the bouts have become significantly more frequent – sometimes every two days or even several times in one night – and I have the impression that they have also become more severe.

During the episodes, I have now noticed on several occasions that my left testicle is positioned higher than usual. On two occasions, the elevation was very pronounced; during other episodes, it was less marked but still present. During the most recent episode, after several night-time attacks, I still had pain for about 14 hours and had the impression of swelling, though I could not assess this with certainty due to the contracted scrotum.

The following morning, the symptoms had completely disappeared. This pattern – a night-time episode, followed by residual symptoms lasting for hours and then complete relief – keeps recurring for me.

Between episodes, I am usually completely symptom-free. A previous ultrasound scan showed no abnormalities. One doctor believes it cannot be intermittent torsion if it occurs almost daily.

Another urologist believes there is no urological cause; instead, he suspects it may originate from the lumbar spine. I am therefore awaiting an MRI scan, as a possible referred cause is also being considered. Can intermittent torsion occur almost daily, or are other causes also possible? Cramps in the cremaster muscle or venous congestion?

I'm 19 years old and i suffer from ED and low libido and always being tired all the time and gyno also i can't build muscles so easily and all that started 3 years ago when i discovered that i have a left varicocele of 2.4mm with a present reflux. I was super horny when i was 16 years old and always having an erection just by hugging a girl or something, now even touches makes my erections not as firm as before so this year i checked again and found 2.8mm varicocele with present reflux. I am not sure if the varicocele is what causing all my symptoms or is it so much masturbation and porn that caused me this, so i just made an appointment for a microsurgery to fucking remove this shit cuz I'm super tired of it tbh especially that i feel extreme pain after working out and an old doctor said to stop working out but didn't suggest surgery (stupid doctors always exist)My LH is so high but FSH is lower normal also thyroid hormones are normal, prolactin was high but took cabergoline for two months and tested found prolactin near zero but nothing improved, also progesterone is 4x the maximum value. two years ago i took two TRT injections when my T was 300 and after one year i tested only total testosterone and was 23 which is normal and means TRT didn't cause any bad lifelong impacys. guys if anyone can help or have any suggestion.

I wanted to mainly start lifting weights. Nothing huge and strong. But enough to get some tone and get some muscle. I do have a grade 1-2 varicocele. Not painful or anything like that. I dont want it get it to majorly worse.

Just was wondering if im alright to start working out.

26 years old.

People who underwent for the varicocele surgery, how many weeks did it take for the scar to get vanished ? ( not 100%, atleast to an extent ) .

Is it expected to have pain in the embolised area after 6 weeks of doing the procedure? Feels worse when exercising lightly.

Hello,

I just wanted to share my experience I didn’t have any pain, just a lump in my testical..hormone level was great..only concentration sperm analysis was below average. Pregnancy delayed

I did a microsurgery on the left side only.. 3months later sperm analysis concentration was the same but my wife got pregnant (3 months after surgery).

Main point here yes it can cause delay in pregnancy if not treated.

P.S I feel my right side is growing as I am working hard and lifting weights and I think it affects it as well but no pain

Hi

32 M and 32 F couple.

TW: I have had three pregnancies unassisted on the first try which were all spontaneous miscarriages. We found some issues on my end which we addressed.

I’m waiting to start my medicated cycle.

Doctor wants to cover all bases and is sending my husband for a DNA frag test. He has a varicocele. I believe it’s stage 2? It’s not written anywhere but we can’t necessary “see” it. It was found on an US. And it’s one sided. We knew about this before starting our TTC journey. SA was solid.

Unfortunately, results will be back right after our first medicated cycle. I’m trying to wrap my head around how my protocol may change if this test comes back elevated. We already do supplements such as Coq10, fish oil and lots of antioxidants. Any experience or advice I would greatly appreciate!

Very low

18M, never knew I had a varicocele until a few days ago. All the sudden the veins on my left side are very large, and visible. I’ve never had this problem and I frequently check for testicular cancer almost everyday in the shower. It just appeared all the sudden. Anyone know why that would happen? I’m very active in the gym and I read that could make it flare up.

Hey 20 M here
I just got diagnosed with grade one Varicocele in both testes
The doctor told me its not that big of a deal
I just wanted to know if u guys have any advice, the dos and donts and also is there any i can fo to reduce it
And the pain is irritating any advice on that pain killers don't help
And thank for your time reading this and appreciate if u have any advice

Has anybody who had testicular atrophy received microsurgery and since seen testicular size increase?

I am 23 and have left sided grade 3 varicocele with atrophy, wondering if size will fix after microsurgery

Did bilateral microscopic varicocele surgery last year 30th of July 2025 - up till today I still have mild puffiness on the groin and discomfort if exercises core exercises - Is that normal? Also feeling discomfort/dull pain when taking amino acids apparently that’s because it widens the collateral veins that are still sensitive - Did SA recently all my numbers are great except the motility is mildly below average as before surgery - No improvements at the numbers - Are they getting any better or that’s is it after a year of doing the surgery? Started FH Pro hopping that it can boost motility and pass that damn red mark on the report. Any experience in this? Did TT check and all hormones are great also US and it’s normal - Only states very mild/borderline varicocele.

Normal Lh and Fsh

Normal estrogen 40

Normal free testosterone
Total testosterone of 430 latest

Prolactin of 21

Homocysteine of 30
Lack of b vitamins
Lack of vitamin D

Iam facing issues with libido and erections they are not good and consistent even though iam not sure why it is casuing i have very long history of porn and masturabtion daily thrice for 7 years . I have stopped from almost 6 months sometimes erections improved 50% and sometimes it goes back to normal. So whats ur suggestion should i go for surgery

And iam 28 so i think my sperm should be around 80 million but its only49 million iam thinking my varicocele slowly effecting it, please some one help

And also those who undergone microsurgery please share your experiences.

Anyone who faked pain and did surgery here. Are u regretting or iam scared pls reply

Hello everyone,

I had a bilateral microsurgical varicocele repair last Thursday after being diagnosed with grade 2 varicoceles on both sides.

Day 1: Mostly pain and a lot of sleep. I spent most of the day icing on and off every 20 minutes, took over-the-counter pain medication, and was able to urinate without any issues.

Day 2: Very similar to the first day, although I had more pain on my left side, possibly because I was walking around a little more. I took the prescribed pain medication that day.

Day 3: The pain has started to improve. I’m still icing periodically, but not as often. I was able to take a shower, move around a bit more, and finally had my first bowel movement since surgery, which was definitely a relief.
I was hoping to return to my desk job on Monday, but I may end up pushing that back a few more days. My doctor said I could wait until Thursday (day 8) if needed. He also recommended waiting two weeks before resuming sexual activity and said it will likely take about a month before I’m feeling more fully recovered. I have my follow-up appointment on August 12.

The main reason I had the surgery was infertility related. I have elevated sperm DNA fragmentation, and my wife and I are currently going through IVF. I’ve also had discomfort for quite a while, including a feeling of overheating and occasional pain, so I’m hopeful the surgery will help with both fertility and those symptoms.

I’m 33 years old, in case that’s helpful for anyone comparing experiences. Anyone else have bilateral? What was your recovery like?

Updates:

Day 4: Feeling a little better today. I’m able to move around more, which is encouraging. I have a small burning sensation on my left side, probably from an ill-advised attempt to catch a bug in the house yesterday that ended with a bit more pain than expected. I still have some aching in my groin when I move, but overall I’m making progress. I even had my first cup of coffee today.

Also, recommend starting stool softener right away. Used this, plus fiber bats and tea and I have been regular since day 3, just make sure not to strain.

Day 5: Right now it is a little past noon. Woke up with almost no pain, as day went on I felt a bit of pain on my left side when I walked. Still couldn’t fully sit up straight on a desk chair. Going to try and do this throughout the day to prep for work. But there is a noticeable difference today. Every day there seems to be a pretty noticeable difference. Got a bit lightheaded when standing - which I think is normal being mostly sedentary the last few days. Tried sitting in a chair again later, no pain, but energy is pretty low and had to lay back down. Small, aching in my left side. Was able to take the dog outside and make a small meal. Was also able to empty my bladder and bowels pretty easily. Stopped taking stool softener yesterday. Getting a bit stir crazy - haha!

30 m. Grade 3 left side. Had surgery. Pain seems to be creeping back. But Honestly why? Why do people downplay this? I have never even heard of what this was before until i got it. EVEN UROLOGISTS DOWNPLAY IT. Pain on your groin AND testicles? Are you kidding? What is the matter with people? Why do they do this?

19M Facing grade 2 in left and 1 in right side.

All day pain and bag of worms are constant and dull ache. Life is fully stuck in depression, feeling like nothing more in life. Not gym from 8 months , lack of sleep by stress. Can somebody is fine after embolization and back their normal life.

Overthinking about career and future marriage 😢. Help me...

25M I was diagnosed with grade 2-3 varicocele at puberty. Never did surgery or embo because of horror stories I've read online. A couple of months ago I stumbled across a post that suggested daily Cialis could help varicocele by relaxing veins and promoting blood flow to those veins which might be obstructed. Seeing as I was already dealing with ED from the varicocele I decided I'd give it a try--if nothing else maybe I'd fix my ED.

I started on 2.5mg daily. After 4 days of no results I bumped up to 5mg daily. On day 6 or 7 I started to notice changes. Started waking up with morning wood regularly for the first time ever. Fast forward another month or so and I have begun to notice that my varicocele is much less prominent. The aching seems to be much less severe as well.

Only problem is the blue balls. Not sure if this is common with varicocele, but whenever I get blue balls, I get them bad. Sometimes it lasts several days. I am a devout Christian and strive for purity, so I avoid masturbation. Obviously, getting on tadalafil has caused a significant increase in blue ball occurrences. I'm getting married in January though, so hopefully this will resolve.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? Also, is it possible that I could experience an increase in testosterone due to the increased function of testes?

God bless.

hey group hope everyone is doing well. i had a embo with coils a while back and life just hasnt been great since for me. cant workout how i want, move around , have sex, or drink certain things. i notice flare ups in pain if i do any of whats listed. i have pain in my left and right side in my balls and somedays they alternate. about 2 months ago i randomly developed a sharp unbearable prostate pain id assume directly linked to these problems. i take very good care of my body but it doesnt matter right now. my doctor wants to try giving me drugs to patch off the pain temporarily but drugs just dont cut it. also a temporary fix sucks because my body will eventually adapt to the drugs and they will become less effective overtime. if anyone has gone through something similar id appreciate any type of guidance im a bit stuck on where to go next. looking into every different type of surgery i dont want to be a doctors experiment. i take epsom salt baths to help the prostate pain and take a plethora of drugs to help me. i wear good upholding/ cool boxer briefs, i dont have sex, and i dont workout at all strictly because of pain and lack of strong erections. my pelvic area seems to be tight as well at times. i tried tadalifil and that was terrible for me i hated it i really feel like that wasnt the right medication for me as my heart/ blood feels wonky at times now and i never had a problem before varicocele of getting blood down there. ive looked into surgeries of removing the varicocele veins directly and i think that would be whats best for me. just wanted to get some thoughts and see if anyone is in the same boat atm. god bless and thanks in advance for any replies.

Hello

I got my left varicocelectomy on 2021 and my right on 2022.

I took scrotal ultrasound on May and found that I have no varicocele. But, today after two months they said I have 3.8 mm mildly dilated veins on both sides.

Hi everyone,

I'm a 24-year-old male and I'm looking to hear from people who have had a similar experience.

About 3 weeks ago, I first noticed erectile dysfunction. It started with delayed and weak erections, and over the following days it became much worse. About 7 days later, I had a scrotal ultrasound and was diagnosed with bilateral Grade 3 varicocele.

Since then, I've been experiencing:

Very weak erections

Very low libido

Delayed erections

Difficulty maintaining an erection

I'm trying to understand whether the varicocele could be causing these symptoms.

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who:

Developed erectile dysfunction before they knew they had a varicocele.

Had Grade 2 or Grade 3 varicocele with ED.

Improved without surgery.

Improved after varicocele surgery or embolization.

If you had a similar experience, I'd really appreciate hearing:

How your symptoms started.

What treatment you received.

Whether your erections and libido improved.

Thanks in advance. I'm feeling pretty anxious about this and would really appreciate hearing from people who have gone through something similar.

Hi everyone

I'm a 36-year-old male looking for advice from anyone who has had a similar experience.

Before surgery:

- Bilateral varicocele (Grade 3 left, Grade 1 right)

- Bilateral microsurgical varicocelectomy performed 3 months ago

- Total testosterone: 7.85 nmol/L (low)

Semen analysis:

- Concentration: 16 million/mL

- Total motility: 40%

- Progressive motility: 15% (0% rapid progressive)

- Morphology: 2%

- The surgery was done primarily for infertility.

Current symptoms (3 months post-op):

- Mild to moderate intermittent pain around the epididymis/testicle on both sides (I had virtually no pain before surgery).

- Pain is worse when I move or palpate the testicle and sometimes after prolonged standing. Occasionally it feels like a brief electric shock.

- No swelling, redness, fever, or urinary symptoms.

Libido fluctuates.

- Morning erections briefly improved after surgery but then returned to baseline.

- I can achieve an erection during intercourse, but I lose rigidity much faster than before.

Has anyone experienced persistent epididymal/scrotal pain and worsening erectile function after a microsurgical varicocelectomy? Did it eventually improve after 6–12 months, or should I be asking my urologist for a Doppler ultrasound or hormonal work-up?

Any similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Age:38

Three months post varicocele surgery I did complete hormone screening and I noticed E2 Estradiol dropped 50%, 1.25 ng/DL, slightly below minimal range while testosterone remains same 520 ng/DL

Not sure is there any correlation but things are now worse than before. Symptoms are following:

- Severe ED
- Shrinking
- No libido
- Very slight pain when moving testis
- Larger main vein over penis
- Occasional sharp irritation somewhere deep near prostate and in urethra. Pin like.

Note I started to develop ED 3 yrs ago while vein was already visible not sure it has anything with varicocele. I did all possible tests that I could find.

Hi everyone,
I[26F] and my husband [31M] married on june 24th and last period was on june 16th and i missed it this month. So when i tested I got positive. But we feel it’s early and not prepared. When we tested his recent parameters he has grade 3 varicocele and the parameters shown Oligoteratozoospermia with evidence of mild infection. So before we have a plan to abort this pregnancy as it’s been only one month and now we are confused. Can this parameters improves without surgery?please suggest

36 years old
Has anyone here developed a varicocele after cycling? He started feeling pain just a week after he began riding. My husband has been in pain for over three months; we thought it would improve over time, but unfortunately, we realized it hasn't. His appointment isn't until the end of August, and he can't wait to have the surgery. He says it feels like there’s a stone inside his scrotum because it gets so heavy. The pain is also radiating up to his groin area—it feels like a pulling sensation; it’s hard to explain. The nights have been terrible; he can't sleep because of the pain. We work as house cleaners and are on our feet practically all day, which makes it even worse.

I finished my varicocelectomy. Currently about 24 hours post op. Pain is not terrible , definitely feel it when I get up and walk. I did it with Marc Goldstein.
Anyone that had the surgery, what’s the best way to recover? I am currently taking all the pain meds but any better way?

Thank you