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
jj2013B Jason1327
Posted
I won't get excited until it clears and I have sex. Every time I have sex it makes the "cleared" (by steroid) skin so inflamed.
On other hand, the general daily itch is gone. I don't feel anything down there (painful I mean). But I haven't had sex in months . . .
liamsil Jason1327
Posted
Currently I’m unaware of what is causing my issue, but to begin with, I wish to resolve the swelling of my foreskin. I have been using hydrocortisone ointment for approximately 4 weeks now and I’ve not experienced any improvements. I’ve noticed people expressing that their swelling comes and goes whereas mine is consistent and far too uncomfortable for me to penetrate during sex, I haven’t had sex for one year now and I was hoping that someone had found no results from hydrocortisone but perhaps another product?
Furthermore, how do people cope with mental health? I often find myself on the verge of depression and/or sexual frustration, I’m in a relationship but I feel so bad for my partner because I can’t fill her needs, she says it’s not a problem and she doesn’t mind the wait which I find reassuring, but the emotions are still difficult to control.
I have a ultrasound scan in a number of weeks, I don’t have much hope of it revealing anything due to people’s previous responses, after that I will be asking for a biopsy
jj2013B Jason1327
Posted
Before a biopsy, I would have every STD test done (including the new mycoplasma genitalium test). Also have the doc swab for any bacteria (non STD).
Hydrocortisone is way too weak for anything of this magnitude. Look up the potency chart for steroids.
But before getting stronger steroid cream, it helps to know what you have. A discharge sounds like an infection.
jj2013B Jason1327
Posted
Before a biopsy, I would have every STD test done (including the new mycoplasma genitalium test). Also have the doc swab for any bacteria (non STD).
Hydrocortisone is way too weak for anything of this magnitude. Look up the potency chart for steroids.
But before getting stronger steroid cream, it helps to know what you have. A discharge sounds like an infection.
toby_18315 Jason1327
Posted
Just an update I've finally managed to get my local hospital to agree to a biopsy in the coming weeks. Most likely to get rid of that annoying guy who won't give up than because they are medically concerned! Either way it will be a scary but welcome relief to have some definitive answers. I have lived with this issue for 6 years now and haven't had a girlfriend for 3 because of it. From my previous posts you may have read I have suffered with Crohn's disease and lately severe depression and although I have seen some mild improvements with lifestyle adjustments/diet etc, it is always there. If I can't see it I can feel it. A sensation like something is crawling under the skin on the head of my penis. Very strange. Obviously I've had all the usual tests numerous times and normally doctors take a quick glance and palm it off as mild irritation at worst. Anyway typically it has been looking slightly better lately and I put that down to using Pine Tar Soap. Its something new I've began to use and seems to have had a positive effect so far. Well worth a try and very cheap off ebay. Will update when I have the dreaded biopsy!
CanadianMale81 toby_18315
Posted
Toby,
Have you had a chance to look at this whole thread?? specifically my string of posts... anyway, long story short, my issue was most likely a Lyme bacterial infection, I just mention this because one of the hallmark symptoms of Lyme disease is phantom tingling, crawling sensations... it's related to the bacteria affecting the nervous system.... anyway, just thought I'd mention it, not saying that's your issue but it might be another path to follow.
jj2013B CanadianMale81
Posted
How do they diagnose that?
CanadianMale81 jj2013B
Posted
lol..... with great, great, great, great difficulty..... it's very complicated and expensive unfortunately due to poor testing methods and difficulty in detecting the bacteria...
I think for now it's difficult to say, you would have to have a few other symptoms too...
Have you posted here before? maybe I missed it....what are your symptoms?
toby_18315 CanadianMale81
Posted
Hi mate thanks for the message, yes I have been following this thread since the beginning but for some reason I never felt your diagnosis of Lymes fitted my symptoms. It was hard enough to get a biopsy agreed so I will follow this through first but I will definitely have another look into the Lymes Disease. Cheers
toby_18315
Posted
Sorry mate, quick question without going back through the thread. Has your issue been confirmed as Lymes and was there any other affected areas of skin. Would be strange to only affect the penis skin as in my case although I've just been through the symptoms of Lymes and can relate to many of them, I do wonder if I could find similarities with almost any disease after so long!
toby_18315
Posted
Hi mate just re-read all your threads. Ive never had anything come out of the skin, the sensation i describe is like the skin is crawling and i can see lots of capillary blood vessels under the surface that never used to be there but in 6 years there has never been anything like you have described previously.
jj2013B toby_18315
Posted
Look up formication
CanadianMale81 jj2013B
Posted
Formication is probably not it...that's caused by withdrawal from heavy use of alcohol.... If you have redness and other symptoms of the skin like he has, then it points to something else...
CanadianMale81 toby_18315
Posted
You don't need to have things coming out of the skin to have a Lyme infection... that's just a rare phenomenon of lyme called borrelia dermatosis (or the more famous name, morgellons) which seems like I got, lucky me.... you can have a Lyme, Bb (borrelia burgdorferi ) infection and not have borrelia dermatosis, but everyone with borrelia dermatosis has a Lyme infection.
I havn't followed your story, so difficult for me to help. But usually with a Lyme infection you will have a host of other symptoms so not sure if you do. I just threw it out as a suggestion because of the crawling sensations..... but that symptoms can be caused by other things too, often times it has to do with the nervous system.... so nothing physical, just signals getting crossed..
jack74665 toby_18315
Posted
so i am new to this "support" group as you may call it, have similar symptoms where the gland gets red and irritation during urrination. i was wondering if you have oral or vaginal sex, if this could transfer over to your female partner.