Cycling UK Forum

I've just been tentatively diagnosed - after years of occasional but excruciating pain in and around my testicles - with "Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome." As always seems to be the case with something called a "syndrome", there's a mix of possible factors and ways of managing it. But the first thing the urologist said, extremely flippantly, was "oh, you'll have to stop cycling." And obviously that's not going to happen.

(For clarity: when the syndrome strikes, I *definitely* can't cycle - can barely walk - but the rest of the time it doesn't feel as though my cycling has any impact. I feel the urologist is generalising wildly to assume a link?)

So - does anyone have experience of PVPS? Any tips for setting up saddles/riding positions to avoid aggravating any existing issues? Any exercise plans to improve general strength in that area? And any recommendations for doctors, coaches, bike-fitters with any relevant expertise?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for any wincing.

Welcome.

What's the time course... how long since the vasectomy, how often does it recur, how long does the pain last, and when did you have that conversation with the urologist?

Thanks

Jonathan

I'd recommend lots of experiments.

Are you familiar with how to adjust the position of the saddle and bars on your current bike(s)?

I'm not convinced that particular types of saddle have predictable effects. But it's certainly the case that many cyclists reduce or end pain by changing saddles.

So I'd include trying different types. The cost of that could be reduced by borrowing saddles from friends and by buying preloved. The For Sale section of this forum often has saddles in good nick.

I suspect that a short test on a fitting bike or riding round the block won't answer the question: how long do you think that you'd need to try a different saddle to decide if it had made a difference?

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑25 Feb 2023, 10:01am Welcome.

What's the time course... how long since the vasectomy, how often does it recur, how long does the pain last, and when did you have that conversation with the urologist?

Thanks

Jonathan

Vasectomy was ten years ago. First instance of pain was eight years ago; since then has been irregular (maybe every 18 months, once a year, although three times in the last year). Lasts anything from a few days to a couple of weeks. Has previously been diagnosed as epididymitis, with antibiotics prescribed alongside painkillers. Theory now is that if antibiotics ever seemed to work that would have been a coincidence.
Conversation with the urologist - the first such consultation over this whole period – was last week. Waiting on an ultrasound scan.

Re saddles etc: there's no obvious correlation to me between my cycling and the instances of pain. My current saddle set-up has always been comfortable. So it's not clear to me how I would change it to prevent any potential correlation that the urologist is suggesting. I guess I'm wondering more if there are broadly speaking steps people with PVPS take to avoid aggravating/triggering the problem?

Thanks,
Jon

Thanks for those details.

The Mayo Clinic have a page of information for patients, and I consider them to be reliable:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... c-20527047

and there's a Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-vase ... n_syndrome

Two suggestions:

1 Find a doctor whom you can trust and with whom you can discuss this. I'd have another conversation with that urologist despite the initial exchange.

2 Find an appropriate patient support group. I haven't found anything previous in this forum and I don't know of one. You could ask:

The British Association of Urological Surgeons:
https://www.baus.org.uk/about/contact.aspx

The Patients Association:
https://www.patients-association.org.uk/helpline

Jonathan

Thanks for this, Jonathan. Much appreciated. If I find any specific patient groups or specific advice I'll come back and post it here, in case it's of use to others.