ADHD Meds Causing Testicular Retraction? How do I relax them again?

[Rhodog123]

Hi guys,

I hope someone is able to help me with this…

I am currently taking Atomoxetine – a medication used to treat ADHD in adults. I take 40mg once daily in the morning and it really helps me to concentrate better and function the way I need to etc…

One of the main issues I have is the effect it has on my penis and testicles. For some reason when taking these meds my testicles retract right up into my body, as does my penis – with the only way to return it to normal being to bathe in a hot bath for 20 minutes at a time, and even then things still don’t fully calm down and just retract again after a while…

Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but me and my partner are trying to start a family, and I’ve been worried lately that the meds are causing my low sperm count, and also caused them to reduce in size over the last several months.

As you can imagine this is very frustrating. I cannot stop taking the medication because it helps me function properly, and without it I simply cannot cope. I have also tried alternative medications to see if they work as well as Atomoxetine, but unfortunately they don’t because I have adverse effects or side effects to them.

As I understand it – it is the job of the Cremaster muscle to control the way the penis and testicles retract, and so obviously this means either the meds are messing with my Hypothalamus in my brain and causing my brain to think my testicles are cold, or they are aggravating my Cremaster muscle and making it constantly contract – lifting the testicles up.

The retraction lasts all through the day, and only really relaxes towards the evening, and so I hope that during the night my testicle should be relatively “normal” again, however I really need to find a “sperm friendly” way of relaxing the Cremaster muscle to see if this is what is causing the constant retraction….

Are there any known medications or methods to use that will relax the Cremaster muscle safely? I don’t really want to keep having to take long hot baths which obviously are more likely to kill sperm faster and cause more fertility issues?

I’ve so far seen three Urologists, had three testicular ultrasounds, had testosterone levels checked, had my prostate checked, had blood and urine tests as well as a hormone panel which I had done just today so hopefully that will show if anything is going haywire with my hormones etc…

I’m so confused and annoyed – I really want to get to the bottom of this! Any ideas?

In case it helps, I’m 22 years of age, standing 5.3 feet tall and weighing approximately 12.5 stones which is around 175 pounds (79 Kilos)

Thanks!

[clement4now]

Hi,


Good question; I'm wondering if this is one of the pesky side effects of ADHD medications also.  My teenage son has been taking Concerta (ADHD med.) for years now, and is dealing with a similar issue regarding testicular retraction. My son's doctor said if there is no pain involved and the testicles are able to descend daily, not to worry.  My concern is will this have a lasting effect on his development overall (?) ~ his doctor couldn't answer that...  
I'm curious what the outcome of your tests will be; if you are willing, maybe you could share some information with us once you get the results back.

I wish you well, Good Luck!