Yet another question for the docs

[stomachmonkey]

Been pretty uncomfortable for the last month.

I have fairly chronic discomfort in the L5-S1 region.

Last month had a flair up that after a couple of days started moving to the right and eventually ended up working it's way around to the front.

Figured kidney stone.

Ended up with discomfort starting from the around top of my pelvis running down and ending in right testicle.

About 10-12 years ago I had a Varicocele diagnosis which I assumed was causing my current discomfort.

Occasionally I get a couple of days flair up and it goes away.

This time it was not so off to the urologist who was thinking more Epididymitis. Put me on a course of Cipro and after a week there has been no improvement.

He scheduled me for an ultra sound on Monday.

Today my back is really bothering me and I feel a bit of discomfort on the left side of my body, pretty much a mirror of what's going on on the right but not nearly as bad.

So I'm sitting here wondering if what I'm experiencing is really related to my lower back issues and not what we are currently treating for.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So I'm sitting here wondering if what I'm experiencing is really related to my lower back issues and not what we are currently treating for.

Very posssible. People treat what they know. Your urologist knows about GU problems (he's a member of the Stream Team, after all), so he looks for issues like varicoceles and kidney stones. An orthopod/neurosurgeon/physiatrist is going to think more along the lines of spinal cord compression and look at your back. And a general surgeon is going to think about inguinal hernias.

So if you feel symptoms radiating from the L-spine to the groin and the urologist's work-up doesn't reveal much, then go see a spine guy next.

[livi]

I agree. Could very well be primarily back related.

[pavulon]

If you suspect your back, make a date with an MRI scanner. That being said, had a co-worker with back pain recently find he has a congenitally fused L5-S1...on plain old x-ray "film".

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Been pretty uncomfortable for the last month.

I have fairly chronic discomfort in the L5-S1 region.

Last month had a flair up that after a couple of days started moving to the right and eventually ended up working it's way around to the front.

Figured kidney stone.

Ended up with discomfort starting from the around top of my pelvis running down and ending in right testicle.

Occasionally I get a couple of days flair up and it goes away.

This sounds exactly like my kidney stone attacks (100+ in 30/yrs). My first first urologist was a total hack that almost killed me, some stones are hard to see proper.
My guy now is the head of the department. You might want a 2nd opinion.
If it is stones you should also see a good nephrologist.