Blotchy red rash/irritated skin on penile head (lasted for over 3 moths now)?

Hi all - I've had very similar symptoms as most people on here. No pain but certainly the look of my glans changed dramatically after unprotected sex with long term partner, likeness very much to OP's images. At first I put down the redness to balanitis, but it didn't get any better a week later. So clearly I started googling. And as I've retold the story to every medical professional I've seen - they all shake their head the moment I say that! I now realise it was also a mistake, I started looking at my penis under a proverbial microscope every hour of the day. Every change I'd notice anxiety would increase. As anxiety increased, every symptom I read about in self misdiagnosed conditions I started feeling or seeing. So I went to the GP doctor and was prescribed a fluconazole tablet for thrush. I took it and waited a week and nothing happened. Worryingly I was now thinking I had something much worse and doctor misdiagnosed me. So I spent another 3 weeks worrying to death about what it could be. Reading all kinds of forums including this. I then went to a clinic to get tested for STDs (came back negative), they inspected me and also said it was thrush and the flucanazole tablet is not always effective. So they suggested I use an over the counter cream called Clotrimazole 1% cream (anti fungal). The doctor mentioned that it's best to start on this before moving to anything aggressive that's steroid based. I have used it for a few days now and have noticed an improvement. I know it's now how I remember it but it seems to be having a positive effect as opposed to some of the effects of medication / creams mentioned on this thread so far. Anyway, it's worth a try for anyone that has not tried yet.

And you have to remember that if the glans has been through trauma - and thrush or any infection is trauma - when erect, it will be absolutely engorged in blood so all that will be visible / inflamed. 

I realise this post might not be helpful to everyone but if you're like me and over worry, as long as your std/blood tests come back clean, you can start to release some of the worry and that's the first step to getting your old pecker back. I'm not sure I will 100% but will keep you updated. 

Thanks. 

Hello all. My husband has had very similar symptoms to the ones you report here. We are Brazilian and live in Sao Paulo and he has had the same symptoms for about 2 years now. I don't need to tell you how awfully frustrating that has been for us, we have been married 12 years, there was never cheating between us and it has taken a terrible toll in our life. We were a very happy couple who still had a great sex life, but all these problems, and the fact that they have been going on for so long, created a divide, an abyss between us and now we are under terrible stress and thinking of separating. Intimacy is very important for a couple. Initially he went to our GP who treated both of us for candida, or a yeast infection.  That did not work and we just decided to let it go and see if it healed by itself. Then, after a few months, he went to see an urologist, who told him he actually needed to have surgery to remove his foreskin, because it was his opinion that the redness and irritation came from a tight foreskin around the glans. I was totally against that, wanted a second opinion, and he went to see the first dermatologist who told him it was probably contact dermatitis. We changed our soap, our detergent, he changed his underwear from briefs to boxers, applied every moisturizer and skin-healing cream known to man, to no avail. By then, nearly a year had gone by, and the couple who had sex at least three times a week, now had sex maybe once a month. As this year started I was already very upset and told him we needed to find a solution for this or we would end-up breaking up. He is not very open to these conversations and gets extremely defensive whenever I try to suggest anything. About April this year, he went to another dermatologist who told him he believed it was a yeast infection. We treated it as such, with fluconazole for 3 weeks and anti-fungal ointments, several different ones. Nothing. We went on a zero starch, zero sugar diet. Nothing.  It seemed to improve for a week or two, and then it came back worse than ever. This year, in total, we had sex maybe 6 or 7 times, and every time it ends up in a fight because I don't want to do it if it is going to hurt him, and I know it does. I don't want to have sex because "we are supposed to". Today, after 3 months without sex, he went back to the dermatologist who told him he didn't believe it was a yeast infection after all, and tried to blame it on the fact that we are older (my husband is 50, and I am 46), and tried to tell my husband it was perhaps because I am drier, since I am of menopausal age. My husband argued we had had no sex for 3 months, and that I still have my periods as I always did, and nothing has changed in the lubrication department. The dermatologist then went on to tell him he was at a loss, requested a number of labs and sent him home with the diagnosis of "penile rosacea?" like that, with a question mark, which were the keywords that lead me to this thread. We are VERY FRUSTRATED. He is very uncomfortable. We need some help with this desperately! It started with some red spots on the head of the penis and what looked like a rash on the foreskin where it met the glans. The penis tip also changed colors, it used to be a light pink, now is sort of whitish/greyish color, unhealthy looking, with the red patch. There is also a different type of skin on this red patch, looks rougher, but actually is thinner and lacerates easily. It seems to be the worst when there is an erection, voluntary or not. Sometimes he will wake up with a very bad rash because of involuntary erections while he sleeps. He complains a lot about a stinging, burning sensation, as if it was scraped or abraded, somehow.  He has no pain in urination or ejaculation, it is just on the glans and foreskin. I must confess I am very sad and this is taking an awful toll on both our lives. We are both depressed and have both gained a significant amount of weight. I guess no sex makes for more eating. If anyone has found a treatment for that, please do share. We are willing to try anything. Thanks.

Hi everyone,

Apologies for the lack of updates. Reason being, my situation is still basically the same.

I've been taking 50mg of doxy as apparently it has anti-inflammatory properties at this dosage in the hope it may reduce the redness. No noticeable improvement yet, but I haven't been on it long enough to really make an informed judgement.

I haven't been applying any creams/topical ointments mainly due to my laziness and partly because I know they probably won't do anything. I will start routinely using a moisturizer though as I can't see the harm in trying. 

I seem to have good days where it almost looks normal and bad days where it just seems to flare up.

I appreciate all your replies and will continue to read them with interest.

I of course will post again if I have anything significant to report.

Jason this look like my problem, but I have and red scrotum if I wash,, I have 1 month with this problem, and you have problem with scrotum skin?

For the past one month, I am having red foreskin and red spots on glans.

There is a white discharge under the foreskin even if I don't clean it for a single day. After washing the glans become shiny n develop wrinkles later. What it possibly be ?

I had sex around 1.5 months back. The symptoms developed after 15 days from the sexual activity. I used condom though. I don't have any issue while urinating but after urination it burns for 5-10 minutes at the tip of penis. I am uncircumcised and 25 year old. I consulted a urologist and applying onabet ointment for past 30 days and taking doxy and itraconazole capsules for 15 days but the condition is not improving. The urologist diagnosed blanitis. But I am having no improvement. 

please suggest.

I'm relieved to have found this thread.  It's been a real challenge to find one that addresses this specific problem I'm having.  Long story short, I've been dealing with nearly identical symptoms as described by a lot of the other gents on this thread for more than a year.  The genesis for me was an unprotected encounter with someone I barely knew after a serious night of drinking.  I immediately experienced serious anxiety over the regret and possibility I may have contracted something (stupid I know.  No lecture needed).  Subsequent rounds of testing (many of them) at prescribed intervals eliminated the possibility of STI's etc.  I even went so far as to contact the other person and she got tested as well.  All clear.  

Nonetheless, my symptoms persisted.  I saw my GP on numerous occasions over six months, a urologist multiple times and dermatologist.  They all in essence told me it was all in my head and anxiety related.  My GP gave me some anti anxiety meds, the urologist gave me a regimen of dioxycycline (spelling?) to assuage my fears and my dermatologist said it looked like I had a minor case of balanitis.  He gave me ketoconazole which I applied as directed.  Didn't help much if any.  So here I sit wondering what to do.  It's little more than a nuisance but its definitely there and definitely something I'd like to solve.    

I have had this problem for years now and have a few thoughts and ideas to share. I've been to all the doctors and they're totally clueless and useless. If we're going to figure this out we need to do it on our own. That means we need to be very aware of what we do, what makes the symptoms better, what makes the symptoms worse, and then share this information with each other. If anyone does find improvements or solutions please share them, so that others may benefit as well.

My symptoms consist of swollen glans (head of the penis), swollen corona (ridge on the base of the glans), painful sensitivity, and red/pink/and sometimes white blotches on the glans.

I considered systemic candida as a possibility, and so I went on a very strict candida diet for about a month. I noticed a significant improvement in the swelling and sensitivity of the glans. I recently began eating bread again because I was craving it and I wanted to test the waters and sure enough the pink blotches and sensitivity returned within a day. As difficult as the candida diet is, I think I am going to give it another go a few more weeks and see if conditions improve again.

Another correlation I think I may have found is, if and when I have constipation and it is difficult to pass hard stool, the symptoms seem to get worse. Has this been the case with anyone else?

If not systemic candida, perhaps it may be something to do with inadequate blood supply as a result of either balanitis and/or trauma. I also have a varicosele, which I am having operated on in a week, in case it is causing or contributing to the swelling and sensitivity of the glans.

I am well aware of the negative effects that stress can have on the body, and so I do my best to keep an open and positive mind, and encourage everyone else to do the same. Do not let this consume your life, but at the same time stay vigilant and share with one another. This is the only place I have found others suffering from the same or similar thing. Together, we can figure this out.