Blotchy red rash/irritated skin on penile head (lasted for over 3 moths now)?
Posted , 410 users are following.
Part of the skin on the head of my penis has become slightly red and is causing some pain/irritation.
It first appeared the day after I used a condom so I think I must have had a reaction to the latex or some other substance in the condom.
The tip of the penis became super sensitive and noticeably hurt whenever it touched my underwear.
The skin was and still is noticeably red close to and directly around the meatus. This redness gets worse and bigger after I've come out the shower or masturbated.
An hour or so after ejaculation, I get a slight burn/irritation at the very end of the urethra when I urinate and this can last for a few days before subsiding. This has put me off from masturbating as much now.
This has lasted for about 3 months now with no signs of improvement.
I saw a doctor and was prescribed timodine/hydrocortisone cream and this didn't have much effect and am slightly worried it may just make things worse so have stopped using it for now.
It almost seems as if the redness comes from within the skin rather than on the surface.
I don't think its balanitis as I haven't had that for over 12 years when I was a kid and that was with the usual smegma discharge etc, whereas this is just redness.
I've attached images to show how it looks straight after showering, which is when the redness is at its worst and the contrast between the normal skin colour and the redness can be clearly seen.
16 likes, 1576 replies
m64087 Jason1327
Edited
Thought I'd add some pics from over the last month so you can see progress/evolution of this oddity. Hope they're useful/informative to anyone with similar.
- Blotches, so treated as thrush (oral and topical)
- Ended up with groin rash, steroids did actually clear that up (now using Doublebase Gel, which I recommend as it's great moisturiser to avoid aggravation)
- Topical steroids have alleviated some discomfort and swelling (but I think that's what's caused the peeling (pictured), so I've come off them)
- Now off steroids, the foreskin inflammation is worse and quite uncomfortable. No rightness, just redness and a little dry, constantly "tingling" (hard to describe) and almost feel as though I've dipped my glans in toothpaste or something. Strange sensation.
Have to wait for another five weeks for my dermatology appointment.
Can't decide if it's genital psoriasis causing (Zoon's) balanitis or something else. STD clear (checked twice, full blood/urine/swab). Not diabetic.
bolsomito m64087
Edited
[color=#212121]Friend My problem is the same as yours. mine started, after I treated a gonorrhea with ciprofloxacin, after I finished the treatment with the antibiotic appeared the redness and burning sensation, I already did several tests, of fungi, bacteria, urine, all negative. It's been a year since I've had this problem, no solution![/color]
m64087 bolsomito
Posted
Yep, looks absolutely identical... and uncomfortable!
I've got a dermatology appointment in about a month's time (long wait, I'm getting desperate), but have since been prescribed Bentovane topical steroid. It offers short-term relief after daily application, but I relapse and it then comes back a week later.
I've been using it on and off a week at a time. Steroids can thin the skin, however, so I'm also concerned this is perpetuating the problem!
Stay in touch.
jack88501 m64087
Posted
Your uncircumcised red glans looks identical to mine before I had my circumcision. I had the circumcision and all symptoms disappeared within two days. I did not take any antibiotics, but what I did receive was a pre-surgery iodine swab. Iodine kills bacteria and fungus. I only had the dressing on for two days and after that, no more of the "toothpaste" sensation (good analogy). The glans did not feel uncomfortable against clothing, which it did previously if I retracted my foreskin in the weeks before surgery.
tom76381 m64087
Posted
m64087 tom76381
Posted
Not yet, no. On a steroid and nitrates cream mix, provided by a different GUM clinic.
It helped a lot... for five days. Now the skin of my glans is peeling off and it looks all wrinkly. I feel disgusting.
Going to doc tomorrow to ask about urologist referral, just in case.
Like others on here I suspect it's an auto-immune skin issue or something undiscovered and therefore undiagnosable. It may self resolve or it may be a case of learning to adapt to live with it.
Good luck.
sun14368 bolsomito
Posted
Guest Jason1327
Posted
Guys,
I've had this in the past. Exact same symptoms. I think mine is yeast infection. It reoccurred recently after 3 dose of antibiotics for tooth issue.
And the magic treatment is...
Elidel Cream. Go see a dermatologist and ask for this. You may have insurance issues with it. Need to try other creams first, etc. Its a top tier drug, but it works!
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-22383/elidel-topical/details
Good luck!
toby_18315 Guest
Posted
Hey Lee just out of interest how long did it take to see the effects? I have just started using it after seeing a new dermo who is happy to think outside the box and not prescribe the same as the last. I've been using it about a week and although I haven't seen any major improvements it does feel quite soothing when I apply it, whereas most other creams I've tried seem to irritate the problem. I've just completed a 1 month treatment of diflucan because it really seemed the obvious cause to me as I've got gut problems and have had a terrible diet in the pasts, but again this didn't seem to improve anything. I'm praying this elidel is the one 🤞
chris29427 Jason1327
Posted
tech646 Jason1327
Posted
Hi guys i have had the same issue almost for a year! Like many of you said some days my penis skin looks perfect, some days look very red, sore, swollen and painful. After 4 dermatologists, 2 urologist and many tests done, nothing found and I was told there is nothing wrong with me. Just wanted to share what procedures I and my doctors have done and didn't work. In case you are considering some of the same procedures
stopped putting lotion, shampoo, lube, condom - didn't help
stop rubbing, sexual activity - didn't help
had the urine test, std tests - everything was negative
did the biopsy - all negative (so they eliminated bacterial and fungal infections)
I am cut so I was told it is not balanitis
used 0.025, 0.50, 1, 2mg steroid creams for 5 days each - didn't work
took doxycycline for 2 weeks in case it was an infection - didn't work
done all kind of skin, food allergy tests - no allergy found
I am still looking for a miracle like you..
PW7478 tech646
Posted
tech646 PW7478
Posted
y24222 tech646
Posted
Neg for HSV 1/2?
jake97748 Jason1327
Edited
Enjoy sex and enjoy your lives lads, worrying will do you no good at all. Doctors know about the most rare of rare diseases, do you really think that if this many people had the problem, then there would still be no solution
PW7478 jake97748
Posted
"...but how do we know it didn’t always look like that?" Excellent point, Jake, and pretty much along the lines of how I've been thinking lately. In fact, one evening I did a basic Google images search for "glans penis" just to check out some pics of "normal" peni, and many of them had the same redness that most of us on here are commenting on. So, maybe some of us are perfectly normal, but we just never paid so much attention to it before. I will admit, mine does look kinda weird and blotchy sometimes more than other times, but it hasn't affected my sex life and, fortunately, there's no pain. I am circumcised, by the way. Great post!
garyingary jake97748
Posted
I gotta say...I think that's great advice. I have been doing the exact same thing. I'm simply choosing to be less anxious about this situation given all the doctors I've seen and tests I've taken. I don't have any of these terrible diseases and that's that. I decided its time for me to stop obsessing and get on with my life. I feel much better in short order. A lot of my symptoms have subsided.
bsmystic jake97748
Posted
I've been meaning to come on here and give an update, I posted about a month ago. i had same symptons you all describe, been to the regular doc the urgologist lots of testing creams etc.
I have to agree with Jake above 100% , First off worrying about it makes it worse what ever it is.
I also changed Some dietary habits. No alcohol no caffiene limiting spicy foods , eating things that are good for you. relieve stress meditate, exercise. wearing loose boxers and jeans help how red and irritated it gets.
I honestly feel that it is prostatitus. even tho the urologist basically ruled that, .....
point is I've been treating this holistically as per the internet recommends and i have shown tremendous
improvement. (this is one of the many articles ive read)
https://prostate.net/articles/wise-anderson-protocol-prostatitis
Some times are worse some days are better. But point is stop worrying!!!!!
Another note, also been getting acupencture....... Ive been drinking like a tremendoussssss amount of green tea, hot water with lemon, taking the following supplements
Uvi ursi, Saw palmetto, and quercetin