Complaints of epididymis
February 15, 2015 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. David Meyer
Dear Sir or Madam,
In mid-January, I was diagnosed with a bacterial epididymitis. After taking an antibiotic, Ciprofloxacin, the issue was resolved. Several days after stopping the medication, I began experiencing severe muscle and tendon pain, and I still have mild pain and slight swelling in my right Achilles tendon.
Yesterday afternoon, the symptoms of epididymitis recurred. I am experiencing pain in the affected area as well as a pulling sensation in my thigh. To determine if there is a bacterial infection, I purchased the Combur HC test from Roche at the pharmacy. However, it only showed a slightly elevated protein level; there were no abnormalities in leukocytes, nitrites, and glucose.
I have been experiencing heel pain for several years and also have (unusual for my age) eye problems. Could this possibly be related to rheumatism or a thyroid condition? The last infection was bacterial in nature, which was confirmed, and the antibiotic helped.
Is it normal for such pain to recur? Could it be that I do not have a new infection (as suggested by the Combur test)? The area is slightly swollen, but not as severe as last time (although this time I have been using a pain-relieving anti-inflammatory from the beginning).
Thank you for your response.
Dear inquirer,
You are mixing together some medical conditions and symptoms here. Let's first bring some order to this. You mentioned having epididymitis. If this has been properly diagnosed by a urologist and the antibiotic is taken correctly, healing can be expected without recurrence.
The test you purchased would indicate a urinary tract infection, which in severe cases could progress to epididymitis. This is rare in men, especially since you have already received antibiotics.
You should not rely solely on the urine test strip as a diagnostic tool.
Regarding your heel pain, which has been present for several years, you may want to consider a visit to an orthopedic specialist as this could be related to degeneration. I find it very unlikely that there is a connection between your heel and urological symptoms.
Rheumatism is a broad medical condition that can cause a variety of symptoms. If you have pain in other joints as well, further investigation may be advisable.
As for your eyes, it is difficult to determine what issues you may be experiencing without more information. Have you had an eye infection? This can occasionally occur (conjunctivitis) and is not related to your testicular symptoms.
I recommend organizing your symptoms separately. If you are experiencing acute pain, visit the doctor with this specific concern and mention any pain in the testicles radiating to the thighs. Only if the pain is persistent and unresponsive to treatment should you consider seeing a different doctor and exploring more complex conditions like rheumatism.
The simplest explanation is usually the correct one :)
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Dr. Meyer
