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
Cali74669 Jason1327
Edited
I have had this issue for at least 9 years now. It has gotten progressively worse over the years. Folliculitis is a more recent symptom for me in the last year but it actually makes me feel better to hear that you have that as well as i was thinking that i had a totally unrelated problem with that.
Here are the things I know it is not:
My symptoms started a few days after receiving oral sex from someone i didn't know and a few days later i had mild irritation on the tip of my penis. The irritation does not seem to go into my urethra rather is concentrated on the outside skin around it. The pain has gotten increasingly worse over the years and as you mentioned it comes and goes in severity but some level of irritation has always been there. my meatus is inflamed and the urethral opening is swollen so that my urine stream is frayed. More recent i started having sensitive skin other areas of my body where red bumps form and are painful. It behaves like a virus where i will get "outbreaks" but nothing i do seems to make those lessen other than waiting it out. The outbreaks have gotten more frequent and more sever over time as i get older (in my mod 40's now).
i am beyond desperate and my life has gotten to a point where i live in perpetual fear of this getting me to a point where i do get penile cancer or the infection causes me to get more issues that my body cannot fight.
I have another doctors appointment where i am seeing someone new and i am going to demand to see an internal medicine doctor. I believe this is an internal issue and I have to keep trying as sitting around waiting for it to get worse is agonizing. I implore anyone with this issue to continue to see doctors and not wait till it gets as bad as it has with me. Outbreaks are incredibly painful and i no longer have days with just mild irritation. I check this sub often to see if anyone finds something and it is the only place where i know some people have the same issue that i do. I have spent countless thousands of dollars doing tests that the insurance companies deemed "Unnecessary". I am at a point where I know this is getting worse and I want to be here for my kids. My biggest fear is this issue leaves my wife and kids without a dad. I realize that sounds dramatic but this issue has progressed to a point where the inflammation on my meatus is leaving white plaque marks. Unfortunately, visually it does not look as bad as it feels (although its definitely worse visually than in the past and the doctors do (notice some inflammation and skin irregularities). Its just not visually bad enough that the doctors take me seriously.
i am going to continue to look for answers but hopefully others try as well. Eventually someone will find a doctor who has an idea on how to handle this .
Jason12345 Cali74669
Posted
Some high risk HPV don't demonstrate warts. If you have got biopsy, that is a great opportunity to test HPV, I think the doctor would certainly do that. have you heard about the HPV result from your biopsy. You have to ask the doctor about that. It is very important.If it is negative, you don't need to worry about your health so much.
And where did your red bumps mostly appear?
Cali74669 Jason12345
Posted
Red bumps are in sensitive areas of my body but mainly on my chest. I have not had a biopsy in over a year so potentially I need to do that again. basically something changed with regard to this problem in the last 4 months. Even my wife finally notices something is obviously wrong with me. It is almost as if my body is struggling to fight things off.
I appreciate this thread and appreciate you moderating it. I am absolutely certain that this is not in my head. Thanks for keeping this going.
Jason12345 Cali74669
Posted
You don't need to do biopsy frequently. If your last biopsy is from your glans redness skin, and it has tested HPV and showed no any strain of HPV. You can be relaxed and try to ignore the discomfort in the next days. If you can contact the doctor who did the biopsy to you, try to confirm whether HPV has been done. I also think the red bumps are related with your emotional state. Hope you get through it.
Jason12345 Cali74669
Posted
I have similar symptoms, these three years the sensitive glans is the most obvious symptom. Sitting long will make it worse and glans more redness. Standing can relieve the symptom. last year red bumps started to appear on my head, especially on the temple, on and off, like folliculitis .Just like you, I think this is real and not in my head. I also hope there is solution in this thread. I hope others have similar symptoms can update their situation, especially some biopsy been done. I will appreciate it.
mister75685 Cali74669
Posted
I am in similar situation for you. Given you've tested negative for everything known to man (literally), and the only thing that you feel confident that makes it worse is stress--do you think this could be psychosomatic? I have also seen countless docs, topical treatments, antibiotics, anti fungals, etc etc (tried EVERYTHING) and nothing has helped. Your partner also has 0 symptoms. Neither does mine. And I share the exact same profile as you.
Was the event that triggered these issues a moment of infidelity that you have continued to feel depressed/guilty over? Did you use a condom? All my doctors have pointed that there's a phenomonen thats well documented in medical literature of guilt/stress/anxiety that can trigger these types of redness.
Stress can also cause pelvic floor tightening which can also produce redness at tip of glans and change urine flow due to this which cause your spraying urination from time to time. Have you tried pelvic floor therapy?
Jojo1989 mister75685
Posted
i feel it comes from broken blood vessels or even the main artery that goes to the head of the penis
Cali74669 mister75685
Posted
Believe it or not your question is very valid and i am a rational logical person. In the last year, I have sincerely questioned my own sanity. I have been seeing a Psychiatrist for that very reason. Do I think its possible its in my head? No, I am 100 percent certain that there is some physical medical reason for thus pain. visually i can see the difference between a good day and a bad day. On top of that, I took photos over a two month period and showed my wife to be certain that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. While i feel bad for what happened and wish i had never cheated on my wife, I came clean with her years ago and have been forgiven. Whatever this is, its definitely clear and present. What usually happens is the pain and swelling subsides, and i try not yo think about it. It works for say a month or two where the pain and swelling is minor, Then i can feel the pain and swelling building and i start stressing about it again. The stress makes it worse i believe but it is not the initial cause of the issue. Again, I believe it has to be viral. It cannot be bacterial as i have had it too long and it wound have just spread. Similarly I think yeast or fungal in general would have responded to one of the many prescriptions i gave had. When it gets bad, ONLY TIME seems to make it get better. the issue is the pain has been getting worse over time, and the amount of good days are starting to become few and far between.
r53747 Jason1327
Edited
i had this and wanted to share how i got rid of it
i stopped using any soap on my genitals i got extra strength external canesten, i applied 3 times a day to the gland and covered over the rashy area around the opening and gave a good margin past the edge of the rash i applied enough to have a thick white covering i would let the cream dry for at least 10 minutes before putting clothes back on.
i didnt notice an improvement until day 5 and by the end of the week it wasnt visible.
this was the process that worked for me, there may be other causes for your situation, but i wanted to share exactly what i did as i can understand the stress this caused me and may be causing you
i am not a healthcare professional and this is not medical advice, just sharing my experience
r53747
Posted
i would shower with just water several times a day to keep things clean
Jason12345 r53747
Posted
hello, I Just want to know what is your symptoms and how long has those symptoms lasted. Because many cases here last at least one year. THANKS
r53747 Jason12345
Posted
it was about a month ago when i first noticed it 2 weeks until i realized it wasnt just from some rough sex and then treatment. Im still treating in the same fashion even though symptoms have gone as some literature has shown longer treatment times in men i am also going for a second round this week of sti pannel after the first came back all negative, this is more for my peace of mind.
Jason12345 r53747
Edited
thank you for your information. But I think your case may be a little different from others and me.
Cali74669 r53747
Posted
at this point i am willing to try anything that is not going to cause me harm. What is Canesten cream? I see its an anti fungal but whats the medical name
Jojo1989 Jason12345
Posted
does yours get worse after a hott bath ?