need help for my husband

Sometime last year my husband began experiencing pain in the penis, groin, and lower back areas.  He went to a urologist who diagnosed that he had prostitis.  However, his urine analysis was CLEAN.  He gave him antibiotics anyways and after about 2 months of taking them, and a couple of doctors visits later, he seemed to feel better.  This past June or July 2008, he began experiencing the same pain.  He went back to the doctor who again said it might be prostitis, and gave him antibiotics again.  He took another urine analysis and it was CLEAN.  This time however, the pain did not subside even after antibiotics. He went to the doctor several times in a few months, and they thought maybe it was a kidney stone instead.  A cat scan was taken and everything was normal.  The second urine analysis, and cat scan were normal.  The doctor could not figure out what was wrong, so my husband went for a second opinion a few months later.  This entire time, the pain my husband is experiencing has not subsided. It is still very painful on his penis (closer to the top), groin area, lower back... The new doctor took a urine analysis which again was clean.  He also looked at the cat scan the original doctor took or the upper kidneys and agreed it was normal.  The new doctor took another cat scan just a week ago of the lower kidneys and again the results have come back as normal.  There are no signs of kidney stones.  Also, to rule out prostitis once and for all the new doctor also took a blood test which is also normal.  Prostitis has been ruled out 100% as per the doctor.  The only thing they said was the testosterone levels in my husband's blood was low but that was it.  Just to make sure that is the case, a second blood test was taken last week and we are waiting for the results. My husband is experiencing non-stop pain in his penis, groin area, and pain in his lower back to the left of his body.  What do you suggest he do at this point?  He is not getting any help... he is 40

[Stephen Liroff, MD]

I would suggest an evaluation of his back. A “pinched nerve” or a problem with the sacroiliac joint on his left side may be the true cause of his pain.  Something affecting the nerves that go to this area besides a spinal nerve compression needs to be considered.   The CT scan for stones is performed without intravenous contrast. In order to see the internal soft tissues structures in his pelvis he may benefit from such a study with contrast.
Questions about the things (activities, positions) that  he can do to make the pain better or worse will help in the diagnosis.
I would start with an orthopedic specialist or rheumatologist.
S.A.Liroff, M.D.

[hopingforananswer]

Although my husband's condition is not completely resolved, we did have some success at our urologist #4 in January!  The first thing the new doctor did was inspect his groin area including his penis and testicles.  He pressed a certain area in the back part of this testicles, closest to the base of his penis, and my husband just about passed out from the pain.  Basically the doctor said the testicle pain which he was experiencing was from due to a condition called Epididymitis. It was such an easy "touch-test" on his testicles, that I can not believe the 3 other urologists that he visited, who also did exams, never bothered touching this one area to see if there is pain!   He has been on a new set of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication to help w/ the pain and some pain medicine at night.  He is taking about 3 different types of pills a day for this problem which the doctor said it takes 4-6 weeks if not 2-3 months to resolve.  We had our second appointment last week after the 6th week of diagnosis and he is much better than before thank God!  There are days he feels better and days he doesn't but he is not experiencing as much excrutiating pain as before.  The situation is not completely resolved for sure b/c he still has pain at the tip of his penis only and the only suggestion the doctor gave for that is that he might have injured that area somehow.  We will be going back to the doctor in a month and they will be doing a spot test in that area to see if it is below the surface and treat the pain specifically in that region.  I don't know why Epididymitis is not something that urologists look for and I have seen no mention of the condition on this forum...I hope my information helps.