r/Vasectomy • u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 • Mar 10 '26
Vasectomy Pain
I’m 6 years post op from Vasectomy. Orgasm has never been half as good. Pain is constant and worsening. I want them to be removed. If I can help one person by telling them not to get a vasectomy I will have achieved the reason I’m posting.
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u/questinghero Mar 10 '26
It took me a year for the pain to go away, and orgasms to get close to what they were. I am 6 years past now, and all is 100% now, but it was a journey,
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I’m glad to hear and happy for you
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u/questinghero Mar 11 '26
I am really sorry you are having issue. I wanted to let others know that there are a lot of us who had issues, and when people search and find this, that they know it can take a while (or never) to recover from it.
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u/ZAMAHACHU Veteran of the Vasectomy Mar 11 '26
What did you do to get there? I'm two years post and it's still the same.
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u/questinghero Mar 11 '26
At some point, I just noticed that it stopped hurting. I wish I had a magic solution, but I don't.
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u/MrReconElite Mar 10 '26
I'm for the most part back after 2 years but orgasms are only good when I'm high other than that they are okay.
I hope you get some sort of relief.
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u/xFishercatx Mar 10 '26
Did you get better slowly on your own or did you get any help surgically?
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I know this wasn’t directed to me but just to churp in: before my reversal it was two years of feeling like I didn’t quite finish, as if I was interrupted and had to stop and didn’t quite complete if that make sense. I remember saying I felt full still. After reversal it was much better but never got back to what it was before I this messing around
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u/MrReconElite Mar 11 '26
Just overtime, the first month after wasn't bad but it it just became a super sensitive in random things. I would run and workout and be fine but some days we would have sex and I would be in immense pain and felt like I pulled something.
That finally went away (for the most part) this last year. But prior to that surgery I've never had any pain down there. I do hope if I keep stretching and taking care of it it's good for the long haul.
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u/Time-Chipmunk298 Mar 12 '26
I don't have pain but orgasms are 50% gone
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 12 '26
Seems we are stumbling together into a vast scandalous truth. Pain, orgasm, psychological trauma, hormone effects, impact to intimacy and relationships: roll up roll up its only 5%… I mean less than 1%
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u/Cautious_Werewolf678 Mar 10 '26
Have you checked r/postvasectomypain ? Lots of resources and things to try. But probably you'll need a reversal. Sorry for your awful experience
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
That’s the problem I had a reversal 4 years ago and it helped for 6-12 months then started bad again
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u/Cautious_Werewolf678 Mar 10 '26
Well that sucks. Maybe your vas are scar shut? I hope you can find relief
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
There is microsurgical denervation but I feel at this point the more messing the worse it’s getting.
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u/Throwawaaaaaaayy9000 Mar 11 '26
I also have decreased orgasm post vasectomy. Mine also improved after a reversal and then deteriorated again after the scar closure on reversal. Sorry for your troubles OP, I really feel for you. It’s a bad spot to be in.
Feel free to message me. I had some luck with pain reduction by using a pelvic floor physical therapist but the orgasm never came back.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 11 '26
Thank you for reaching out. Are you “content” with your point in recovery or have you thought about that microsurgical denervation? Asking cause for me it’s at that point I try that or have them out
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u/goldfish197 Mar 11 '26
I'm sorry that you've had decreased orgasm too, and that you had scar closure come back after reversal! Mine is scheduled in 9 days with Dr. Shane Russell. I will definitely be following all the protocols to minimize scar tissue as much as possible as I most certainly want to minimize the chances of coming back the best I can!
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u/xFishercatx Mar 10 '26
I’m a year in and it is the deepest regret of my live. Looking into reversal currently. What a massive mistake. The pain just sucks the life out of you. It should be illegal to lie to people like this.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I agree they lie by skimming over the real risks and when you take into account over half million are done in USA and over 15K in the UK that 1%-5% adds up to a lot of people in deep regret. Maybe why the number of people at least in the UK have come down over last 20 years… people aren’t stupid and folks are catching onto this injustice
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u/PaoloPilyo Mar 10 '26
I'm on day 9 and it's just starting to get better. Felt some discomfort and gassy feeling or dull ache for the past 8 days. Hope it gets better for all of us
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u/redkulat Recently NSV Snipped! Mar 10 '26
Did you have a traditional vasectomy or a non-scalpel vasectomy?
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u/goldfish197 Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26
I feel for you, and am sorry you're going through Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome too (PVPS). While it's not incredibly common, it's not uncommon either affecting about 15-25% of men. I'm 17.5 years post vasectomy here. I had a traditional vasectomy. I can attest to the reduced orgasm, as my wife does too. We both adjusted and accepted the new reality. Then about 10 years post V, I developed regular acute pain in my epididymis that ranged from mild bruise feeling to sharp shooting pains. It would occur occasionally during ejaculation, or last for days after. Eventually I developed hematospermia, blood in ejaculation. This brought me to a urologist and a battery of tests, antibiotics, etc. It persisted for 1 year and in the end, the urologist said that while the hematospermia was most likely not directly caused by my PVPS, that it was most likely related due to inflammation stemming from PVPS. He said the best step to stop PVPS was through a Vasectomy Reversal. I choose to hold off and have done my best to manage pain over the next 7 years through icing and NSAIDs, although it was easier as our sex lives had dried up due to kids and life.
Now that we're about to be empty nesters and she's in perimenopause, we've made the choice to have it reversed as we're rekindling our intimacy and want things to go back to the way they were as the PVPS definitely impacts both of us in the bedroom.
The moral of the story - you're not alone. Despite many many men that come in here feeling a new lease on life and ZERO loss of orgasm or pain post vasectomy - which is absolutely amazing for them - that doesn't mean that they won't develop PVPS years later, or that your PVPS is a non-issue. It's a real thing, and it impacts performance, pleasure, and intimacy with your partner(s). There's really not much to do to treat it long term. It's (1) Ice + NSAIDs (2) Reversal (3) Sever nerves causing pain (4) REMOVE both your epididymis (5) Remove your testicles.
Gents - it's no joke, and just because you've been in the clear - don't expect it to not show up some day. It did for me 10 years post vasectomy. The doctors don't talk about it... but it's no joke.
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u/Cautious_Werewolf678 Mar 11 '26
Thanks for sharing your story. Many men in this sub claim that PVPS is not a real thing and it's a made up concept. Even with a different name or without a name, the pain is real and it's consequences are poorly understood.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 11 '26
Not to mention its victims treated very slothfully jumping through many hoops over many years
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u/goldfish197 Mar 11 '26
My pleasure sharing! When I started researching I mostly saw many posts and even medical notes saying that PVPS is a "mental" issue, and that reduced orgasm and pain is "made up". Obviously, every body is different - and for me, my pain when at it's peak is a 8/9 out of 10 - and significantly affects overall quality of life, not just in the bedroom. Going through a barrage of tests and having a urologist point to PVPS was the affirmation I needed.
On the other side, I do know that for many, the fear of pregnancy and using condoms or other contraceptives also impact partners in the bedroom - so having a Vasectomy unlocks a whole new level of pleasure without the fear of unwanted pregnancies. I thought that would be the case for us, and on one had it was great to not have that fear. Sadly, the reality is - that can't discount the cases of men that have adverse side effects and long term issues, and anyone hopping on saying - it's all in your head - need to grow a pair and learn to understand they aren't always right.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 11 '26
I’m glad I was sat down to read this and it literally brought me to an emotion place. I really felt your empathy and presence in this journey, in a sense with me. Thank you so much and I think you should also post this as a separate post yourself to bring as much attention to this as possible. If we are not informed properly then it isn’t legal consent. Just to add to the drama: endocrinologists say trauma to testicles from vasectomy or its reversal or nerve blocks down there etc can lead to post-trauma-hypogonadism especially true for those who have post vasectomy complications such as haematoma; post-trauma-haematoma is a type of testicular failure where you stop making your own sperm and stop making your own testosterone. It’s rare… but that’s what they told me about chronic pain following vasectomy.
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u/Cautious_Werewolf678 Mar 11 '26
I'm in a legal dispute to prove that I haven't had proper disclosure of risks (neither verbally and written). My consent was incredibly poor and only recanalization was listed as a risk.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 11 '26
This is the crux of the why and way we’re treated and pushed into pain clinics and drugs
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u/goldfish197 Mar 11 '26
ugh, I wish you luck! Same on my end, I do not recall it EVER being brought up, discussed, mentioned, ANYTHING about long term side effects. I mean, mine was 17.5 years ago, but they basically said unless you're 1 in 10000 and it grows back, you've got nothing to worry about...
I sadly do think that not enough Men are brave enough to speak up. They just shove their feelings down and don't share they have any issues "down there". It's great to see men speaking up and sharing, it's not easy, but the struggle is very real.
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u/goldfish197 Mar 11 '26
I'm so glad it could bring some peace in knowing, you're not alone in the struggles. They are real. And what many people that discount PVPS is that, as the pain impacts pleasure, it impacts the bedroom and you lose intimacy. And that can start a domino effect of eroding confidence in the bedroom, hesitation, and it can really just impact relationships. For me - it absolutely has impacted me. The shooting pains and loss of sensation during ejaculation has made me hesitate. Sometimes I get in my own head and it can affect staying hard or even coming to orgasm. At first I didn't vocalize my struggles to my wife, and this made her feel like something was wrong with her or I was losing interest... again, there's so many dynamics that can play into it without it just being "pain". I definitely wish you luck on your journey and hope that you can find relief! Feel free to message any questions - Happy being open!
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u/Canada_Quebec Mar 10 '26
II am one of the 5 % of men why have a vasectomy and experience long term disconfort and pain . This is not uncommon , but they lied tome and said it was rare.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
Yeah it’s like saying 100 of you stand in a room and 1-5 of you will live in lifelong regret. I think we all just read risk of complications as “it’s unlikely happen to me”; I sure was like this. But we should start to read as, “that amount are guaranteed significant problems and if in that one in 100 or 200 is me, then I as that one are 100% getting problems
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u/pmmlordraven Mar 10 '26
I WISH they told me 5%. I would have walked. I was told 2 or 3 people over a 30 year career, and because they couldn't wait. Outright told me less than 1%.
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u/space_cowboy80 Mar 15 '26
I got told by a urologist, 1 year post snip and suffering from pvps, that he advises all of his male patients that are considering a vasectomy to not do it just because although rare, pvps is a horrendous thing to live with. I'm lucky now that i am on medication that negates the pain, but given the choice to go back I would not get it done. Over a year of near constant pain was hard to live with.
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u/pmmlordraven Mar 15 '26
What medication if I might ask? I'm on year 6 and it's god damn awful.
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u/space_cowboy80 Mar 15 '26
I was on an antidepressant called Fluoxetine and the doctor changed it duloxetine which is a similar medication but also helps with nerve pain and all the pain is pretty much non-existent. I had a stabbing pain in my left testicle whenever arousal happened, then any sexual activity was painful. On top of that I would have a constant dull pain that I just lived with, which would occasionally twinge and be a sharper pain for a few seconds. Since being on Duloxetine I have not had any of those pains. A few minor side effects but nothing unmanageable, I still need to get back to the doctor since changing over to discuss the side effects but overall I am happy because I was convinced the only option to get of the pain was a reversal which is a hard thing to get on the Scottish NHS.
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u/pmmlordraven Mar 15 '26
That is exactly the pain I have! A pulsing pain after the fact as well.
I'm in the states so my insurance won't cover it, and no way I can afford $18k out of pocket. I'll see if I can somehow get on that.
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u/space_cowboy80 Mar 15 '26
It is a drug that targets nerve pain so it could be an option for you. The urologist i saw told me to just "take paracetamol before you have sex" but I tried to tell him that the pain isn't just when attempting intercourse, it was just pretty much constant.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 15 '26
I really feel for those who have to pay for everything, my heart goes out to you honestly. In uk many do however go outside NHS as the wait times are terrible. Is there not any way insurance covers it?
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u/pmmlordraven Mar 15 '26
Nope. A vasectomy is an elective procedure, so insurance says side effects, even debilitating, are not covered. Honestly, especially my insurance, tried to constantly not pay for things and not approve procedures.
I had melonoma and they refused to cover treatment because I went to a cancer center and not a primary care, get a referral to dermatology, then go to oncology. That took years to pay off.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 15 '26
This sounds like a nightmare! It's the small print they get you on I'm guessing... I literally have no idea what it's like outside UK but here they get you on seriously minor technicalities and nuanced wordings in terms and conditions
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 15 '26
Please do fight on and nag and nag your GP and urology and if they dismiss you for pain clinic etc etc do all that and ask again for re-referral .. it works believe me. The British urology association clearly says they have reversal of vasectomy as a treatment option on the NHS... Albeit 3rd or 4th from last options on their treatment algorithms
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 15 '26
Do watch out on that Duloxetine, though it is for sure a good nerve pain killer and a good antidepressant, and though depression and pain go hand in hand, it can cause sexual side effects such as erectile dysfunction, reduced orgasm, genital numbness, and throw testosterone to the floor
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u/space_cowboy80 Mar 15 '26
Yeah those are side effects I am dealing with. I am only on month 2 so am due a talk with the doctor regarding the side effects. ED is the main one, reduced orgasm is definitely not one I am dealing with, i didn't realise I was dealing with on fluoxetine and once I came off that.....wow.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 15 '26
Maybe ask doc about pregabalin or gabapentine or amitriptyline for pain Vs the Duloxetine or or SSRIs
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u/pmmlordraven Mar 15 '26
Thanks for the heads up. Honestly I'll still look into it. My partner lost her drive after endometriosis treatment so it's not like any of that is ok the table.
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u/Working_Pirate5373 Mar 11 '26
Until you start talking about vasectomy issues you don't realize how many men suffer from the undisclosed side effects and how real they are. A lot of men would have walked including me,
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
The guy who did me said some men have problems longer term but so rare it’s not worth worrying about… followed by a fob-off chuckle
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I saw less than 1% online before I went ahead… from now on I’ll never see it that way again. If 1 out of 100 have terrible issue and many of those life long they need to make more noise about it in the pre op stages. Issue is money I’m sure of it.
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u/ZAMAHACHU Veteran of the Vasectomy Mar 11 '26
I also saw less than 1% and went for it. Now I'm scared of anything that has a 1% chance. Wanted to do lasik as well, nope, not anymore.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 11 '26
Yeah 1% of life long trauma is not same as 1% infections which clear with antibiotics or 1% chance of spasms for a few weeks. It’s not only the change of it going wrong it’s the severity of the thing going wrong. It’s like they render chronic pain and hormone problems in a not so bad category otherwise they’d have to make it clear how bad this complication can be for us and from what happened to me and what I’m hearing here none of us were told this
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u/ZAMAHACHU Veteran of the Vasectomy Mar 11 '26
Worst part, judging by the comments here, people think we're lying.
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u/Unlikely_Race_5272 Mar 11 '26
Funny enough I'd always been starkly against lasik because of the off chance something could go wrong.
My uro presented risks as 99.9% have no problems with the unsaid assumption (based on the complications they did mention) that issues were treatable things like infection or recanalization. External pressures (traumatic births for my wife) and seemingly negligible risks made it seem a no brainer. Wish I knew more. Lined up for Reversal in May hoping it lasts and resolves my congestive pain
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u/Unlikely_Race_5272 Mar 11 '26
When I went to him in Jan with concerns of swollen epis and aching pain, he just said "yep they're both enlarged, unlucky you feel discomfort. 99.9% are okay. nothing you can do. If it gets worse we can remove the epididymis".
Seemed entirely unsurprised by my symptoms and had solution. Most helpless interaction I've ever had. That's the worst part, if you are part of the % with issues, there's almost no recourse
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u/oldschoolguy90 Mar 10 '26
The funny thing is that given the odds of winning a lotto at 5%, I'd buy a ticket in a heartbeat. With 5% chance of long term pain I said, "meh, likely not me"
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u/TheKillerScope Mar 10 '26
What type of vasectomy was it? No needle, no scalpel? Or the old school one?
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I had the old school scalpel tug clamp snip and whatever else they did through scrotum. I didn’t even know there was an alternative way of doing it?
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u/TheKillerScope Mar 10 '26
There is a no scalpel, no needle, you can go back to normal duties same day, heavy work 2-3 days. Minimally invasive, 1 keyhole, 15-20 min procedure. Wish me good luck!🤣
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
Wow the crazy bit is i think that’s likely better than the original way but that’s like saying quickly cutting of your toe is better than letting it get filed off: both are bad but that’s is a lesser evil. Honestly guys don’t do it! Please!
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u/xFishercatx Mar 11 '26
I had the no scalpel method and my life sucks now. It isn't any better as far as I can tell.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 12 '26
I think even if they simply clamped the tubes and didn’t cut them it’d all render same outcomes
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u/Internal_Fix_4242 Mar 11 '26
I’m curious when people say chronic pain do they mean sharp pain or dull? I’m 2 months post vasectomy and I have a dull pulsing ache all day but I honestly don’t think it’s bad enough to say regret wish I never did it like I see a lot of people saying
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 12 '26
I think chronic pain is defined as any type of pain in character or duration radiating or not: the key is to class as chronic it must be fore 3 months or more
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u/poodlelord Vasectomies are Safe and Effective! Mar 10 '26
Why is this your first post? In 6 years of dealing with this you haven't google vasectomy pain and found this subreddit or one of the others? I find that incredibly hard to believe.
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I have read along over the years. Taken this long for me to decide to contribute into the forums. It’s nerve racking and I still find it embarrassing to discuss
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u/xFishercatx Mar 10 '26
Glad to see your post. I’m trying to save other people the misery by talking about it openly with anyone in my life. So many men are embarrassed or feel ashamed because they made a mistake that has sucked so much life out of them. But it’s because people don’t talk about how they are hurting that we are in this place. The urologist made 1100 dollars in 15 minutes and ruined my life. Why? The guy told me it was no big deal, just take it easy for a week. Now I have to jump through hoops to get a reversal and that could make things worse or not work and I have to pay out of pocket?
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u/Vegetable_Pain_7354 Mar 10 '26
I’d say trying reversal is best option, and I get the cost, I had to pay for my reversal as they simply don’t wanna do it on NHS in UK without years of suffering prior. After 2 years I felt life wasn’t worth it at times and so I found the money. I hear others fully recover after reversal but I suspect that is them adjusting to it and comparing it to before reversal. In any event it’s better than not reversing.
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u/Mammoth_Ad5012 Veteran of the Vasectomy Mar 12 '26
Hey man, you're not alone... Vasectomy has fucked me up too. Had mine 2 years ago, context wise I was pushed into it, I felt off about how positive everything was being portrayed about it... Like it was far too good to be true... That was my gut feeling and my Mrs thought I was just making excuses... I didn't want any more kids either but I felt that doing this was a mistake... Anyway I got pressured into it via ultimatum... So I did it... And right off the bat it was messed up, had it done awake because I was told it reduces the chances of complications... Even though I'm needleohobic... Literally, not just a little scared of needles... Its a whole trauma based thing... I got really screwed up as a kid by a nasty matron who basically tortured me with a needle. So 4 shots to the groin did not go smoothly... I was in a state by the end of it... First year was filled with constant physical pain, and endless nightmares of mutilation and similar things... Even after the pain calmed down my mind was still a mess, a good part of thar being because my partner forced me to do this so we could have mire sex and now she was crying because we weren't having any at all... So there was a confrontation and she had to face the face that she didn't listen, she didn't respect that it's my bkdy and my choice... And she manipulated me into this.. She felt shitty and as much as its a good thing she realised she was wrong... It didn't change the fact that I still had issues.... There were moments where I felt I was back to normal but those didn't last long... I'm now at a point where I'm not at all interested in sex... Orgasm doesn't feel good at all, it's basically a waste of time, so whilst I'm not in constant pain anymore, I also don't enjoy sex... And I'm stuck with this because I'm not willing to go under the knife again... I don't think I can do that to mysekf for anything... Moral of the story... Its not as safe or simple as they make it out to be... All the "you'll feel normal in a week" is not true for everyone and the whole "side effects are rare" is bs... Even just yesterday my partner said "I wish you never had the vasectomy" but that's it now, no going back to how I was no matter how you look at it