Terrified of testicular cancer

[worryguy9]

Hi all, just want to stay before I start off how glad I am to find this place as I have been going through utter hell with worry over the past month.

It all started early March when I got a sharp pain in my left testicle. Not sure where it came from but I just thought it was from lifting weights. I hoped it would go away, waited a week but with no change went to see my GP. He checked me out, said it was just a groin strain and it would go away in time. I was reassured.

Despite this, the pain continued and I started googling away at my symptoms which put the fear of god into me to say the least. I was sure I had testicular cancer. I started checking my 'balls' obsesivelly - I mean 4 or 5 times a day - there was no change, no lumps, no swelling etc but just this pain.

Fast forward to today and the pain has disapated (sp?) but I still have a mild discomfort in my left testicle and I am still very worried. This has only got worse since I got a sore back last week which hasnt gone away and in one of my google searches found that a sore back is a symptom of testicular cancer that has spread. I am booking another appointment with my GP this week but really don't know what to think. My life has just been crap the past month.

Anyone with any advice or support would be much appreciated:blush:

Cheers

[jdf74241]

Hi,

I'm so sorry for what you are going through. I'm currently battling a similar demon with the belief that I've got kidney cancer and the spreading back pain that you mention is also apparently a symptom of kidney cancer too. This is just hell isn't it.

Anyway I wanted to let you know that my husband had your symptoms exactly and it just vanished. He had it for around six weeks. A sharp stabbing pain in his left testicle. He never got it checked out as he never really obsessed over it (it's alright for some isn't it) and it just vanished. This was over three years ago now and he's just fine and never had it since.

I hope this puts your mind at rest a least a little. :)

Warmest thoughts

Julie

[jellybean43]

Hi
I am really sorry to hear how you are feeling.
Firstly let me say a big welcome here---I have only been on the boards a few weeks and the people are all FANTASTIC.They have helped me soooo much.
I am going through a similar worry---a swelling in my neck which i have had X ray and blood tests for(all ok) which i am convinced is lymphoma!
I too spend my days checking for lumps and bumps(see my posts LOL!!!!).
Anyhow, all I firstly want to say is please please STOP GOOGLING RIGHT NOW!!!I stopped at Xmas and it is the best thing i have done re my health anxiety!!!
It is the worst thing you can honestly do. I can assure you that everything, and i mean everything, you google health wise comes back as cancer.It leaves you feeling sooo scared reading it and i have been told(by some kind person on here) that 80% of it is rubbish!!!So that should put your mind at rest for a start.
You are doing the right thing getting it checked out but i am certain most of your aches and pains will be down to anxiety.Anxiety can bring on sooo many strange symptoms---I should know as i have suffered from it since i was 22 and now the ripe old age of 43.
Take care and try and relax a bit!!!
xxxx

[chalky]

Hi Worryguy9,

Welcome to the Forum.

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

You will get loads of support and advice here.
The correct way to deal with your symptoms is to deal with them through your Doctor.
Googling causes so much pain and trauma for people here.You are not alone in that.Remind yourself that you are dealing with this correctly by putting your faith in your Doctor.
Best wishes,
Chalky

[Emmanuel]

Dear Worryguy,

For a start I would advice, like someone else before, that most search for symptoms are likely to return cancer, which incidently is the least likely condition for your symptoms. Testicular cancer is not painful usually. I had the same symptoms as yours some time ago without any reasons, and after multiple doctor visits and ultrasounds, it all came back negative, this only thing that was established was a varicocele, which is a benign condition. As an answer to my groundless concerns answer my urologist (I quote):
"The testicles of men are very sensitive things, a pain does not mean much, if it comes back take some aspirin".
All in all tesicular pain is practically always benign. If you are still worried then ask your doctor to refer you for an ultrasound investigation which will reassure you.

Emmanuel

[worryguy9]

Thanks guys for your support, it really has calmed me down now. Jellybean, Chalky and Emmanuel - i know what you mean about Google, it's awful for anxiety but part of me just can't seem to help it - I guess I thought if I hunted long enough I would find some reassurance from somewhere. I used to actually trawl forums about testicular cancer trying to find someone with similar experiences to my own to back up my own beliefs - how ridiculous is that!

Just have to wait for the docs I guess but im hoping it will all be fine, thanks again people

[jellybean43]

Hi
Glad you seem a bit more positive---BUT PLEASE DONT GOOGLE!!!I used to think exactly the same thing. If i google i will eventually find someone who says the swelling is nothing and forget it---but of course, as you know, you dont find NICE things and the only illness it said it could be was cancer!!!I made myself shake with fear and my doctor actually told me to throw the computer away.
You will be fine and you are doing the right thing going and getting it checked.
I also used to try and find similar stories as mine on lymphoma sites!!!!!!
So glad i found this site----you will realise soon that your symptoms are all linked to anxiety.xxx

[williamsemciw]

Yeah, googleing any sort of sympom has a 90% chance of returning some kind of Cancer. It's beacuse it can cause a wide range of symptoms, but it dosen't help us worry-worts.

Anyway, I Woulden't worry. Pain down there is pretty common. Unless something is feeling wierd, there's almost no chance it's something that bad.

[Kroko]

Hey

I'm sorry you're having a rough time. I've gone through times I thought I had cancer as well.

As has been mentioned, testicular cancer tends to be painless. Get it checked but I wouldn't worry about it much.

[worryguy9]

Thanks guys, looks like I should get to see a GP tomorrow with a bit of luck so I can figure out what is going on

[chris q]

hi there mate do you still have this prob

[worryguy9]

Hey Chris, I read your other post and know what your going through believe me. I thought about testicular cancer non stop for about three months and put the fear of god into me - it was horrible.

Fortunately since that last post my pain has almost disappeared, it is much less intense and infrequent now, my doc said it would just be something I would have to wait out and I have been waiting 7 months now but it is getting better.

For me the big thing that stopped my anxiety outside of the fantastic support on this forum was my ultrasound scan which is the main method for diagnosing testicular cancer - it turned out all clear which really drew a line under all the anxiety.

Have you been to your GP about it? If not I would strongly suggest you go, it takes about 2 minutes for him to do a quick examination and it will put your mind at rest. If you really wanted you could also request an ultrasound which im sure they'd be happy to do if you said you were very anxious about it. Trust me a few minutes of mild embarassment is a fair trade for months of anxiety.

Hope you get it sorted mate, let me know how it goes :)

[chris q]

hi mate thanks for the reply to start with i have had it check by 4 diffent docs and thay all say its fine but i am checking about 20 times a day i just wish i can say its been checkt im fine but i cant its been about 2 months now and its driving me mad i am glad you are doing well thou i now this sounds silly but i think about it all day if you can offer any help it will be very welcome many thanks chris

[chris q]

geting better with all your help and knowing its not just me so thanks just wonderd if many guys suffer with this thanks chris

[worryguy9]

Hey Chris, good to know your starting to get a handle on this now. I know it's absolutely horrible but take it from me there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Is the pain still persisting? If so I can't understand why your docs wont give you an ultrasound, where I am they give you one for most testicular complaints as a matter of course.

If you are still worrying you should really go and explain to them your anxiety they should be happy to offer it to you. Ultrasounds are around 99 to 100% accurate and take about 10 min max and it will bring and end to all this worrying and checking all the time.

[chris q]

not such a good day today i have had a really bad pain down there in both of them for a wile its in my right and then in my left and the right one seems bigger than the left its just i said to my partner on the last check this will be the last time i will worry about this. but am i just waiting to long and leting it spred what shall i do can 4 docters be wrong shall i get it checkt agen help pls

[keepemlaughing]

I agree, quit googling! I freak out when I read about the meds I am on. There is always more negative than positive out there.
Blessings,
Sheryl

[chris q]

thanks

[vti2007]

Hi Chris,

As you know I have this problem ongoing as well. I would go back to your docs and INSIST on an ultrasound just to put your mind at rest. It takes about 5 minutes and is no stress to have done. It will show up if you have any sort of infection as well. I assumed when you said you had been checked that you meant ultrasound as it is the most reliable test. Also remember that Testicular Cancer usually causes no pain. Plenty of other things can - epididymitus, orchitus, varicose veins, hydrocele etc - all of which are pretty harmless and easily cured.

The other thing i have found is that constantly checking flares the problem up. Try to leave them alone!! Googling is even worse.

Have you asked to docs for pain relief. I use Co-Dydramol which is the only painkiller that has touched it. Two in the morning works a treat.

What happens in a lot of these cases is you get a pain cycle going. The more you worry the worse the pain gets and so on. Not your fault it is just an annoying feature of the body! You need to take some pain relief that works to break the pain cycle or it will get worse.

If pain killers dont work then low doses of amiltryptiline or gabapentin are supposed to be pretty good at actually blocking the pain signals. A urologist recommended them to me but I found the Co-Dydramol better.

I would get back to your GP and make some noise. You are gonna drive yourself crazy over this if you don't get some tests/medication. Tell them you are not willing to live with this pain and the effect it is having on you. Ask them to do a urine sample, ask for an ultrasound, your GP can refer you for that, ask for pain relief and don't get fobbed off by the "take some paracetamol" line - tell them nothing you can get your hands on helps - and ask for a referral to a urologist. Also tell them how anxious and down it is making you. You need to be 100% honest with them and demand they take it seriously I am sure I don't need to tell you but ongoing pain down there can have a huge negative effect on any man.

Just as a note my pain can move about as well and 80% of men have one bigger then the other!!

Could anxiety be at the bottom of all this? Are you being treated for anxiety? The root cause of most of my problems was anxiety caused by pain which casued more anxiety etc but I had no idea. You sound as if you are getting very anxious and down about this. Don't let it run out of control, I did 'cos I didn't know what was going on and now with meds (citalopram) I am a lot better. I was also say that although my pain is ongoing it is 90% better than it was 5 months ago. I am sure a lot of that is down to the citalopram helping me not to stress about it and proper pain relief breaking the pain cycle.

Let us know how you go :)

[chris q]

thanks mate you really took some of your time to help make me feel better and i am glad to say it has workt thanks you are a good man al the best chris

[vti2007]

No problem Chris,

Hope you get it sorted. I can really sympathise with you on this one. When it is at its worse its seems like its never gonna end. Just be assured that it will take some time but it will get better. Problems down there are notorious for taking months to completely clear. Something to do with the lack of blood flow or something but with pretty much all men it does just take some time.

Nightmare I know but it will go :)

[chris q]

hello all i must say in the last few day been doing better ant had many pains hope the rest of you are ok all the best chris