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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment depends on the cause of orchitis.
Treating viral orchitis
Treatment for viral orchitis, the type associated with mumps, is aimed at relieving symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others), and recommend bed rest, elevating your scrotum and applying cold packs.
Treating bacterial orchitis
In addition to steps to relieve discomfort, bacterial orchitis and epididymo-orchitis require antibiotic treatment. If the cause of the infection is an STD, your sexual partner also needs treatment.
Antibiotic drugs most commonly used to treat bacterial orchitis include ceftriaxone (Rocephin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), doxycycline (Vibramycin, Doryx), azithromycin (Zithromax), and trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole combined (Bactrim, Septra). Make sure your doctor is aware of any other medications you're taking or any allergies you have. This information, as well as whether your infection is sexually transmitted and what type of STD you have, will help your doctor select the best treatment.
Be sure to take the entire course of antibiotics recommended by your doctor. Even if your symptoms clear up sooner, take all your antibiotics to ensure that the infection is gone.
- Epididymitis and orchitis. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/search/index.cfm?topic=490&search=orchitis&searchtype=and. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Trojian T. et al. Epididymitis and orchitis: An overview. American Family Physician. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20090401/583.html. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Orchitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch239/ch239e.html. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Mumps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mumps-508.pdf. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
