Is this Balanitis? I'm 21, had it most of my whole life, no treatment has worked

Posted , 190 users are following.

Hello, I've seen a doctor many times about a mild condition I have on my penis glans, have been prescribed 3 different creams including Betnovate and a Hydrocortisone, a course of antibiotics and a swab which said I was clear and still the condition remains. I used to have a tight foreskin up until last year which is now sorted from stretching, and I think the condition began during my teenage years when I wasn't able to wash the glans. It often feels dry and can sometmes feel slightly painful when the foreskin retracts, almost like its rubbing and the sensitivity everywhere is quite high still, not sure if this is due to the condition. The urethra opening is always red and inflamed and red areas appear frequently around the glans itself. Any advise on what I should do would be much appreciated, have attached a photo too. Many thanks!

12 likes, 703 replies

703 Replies

Prev Next
  • Edited

    i googled and found this, very interesting read

    Dysfunction in Glans Penis

    Men who present with chronic pelvic pain frequently have symptoms referred along the penis and into the tip of the penis, or glans. Symptoms may include numbness, tingling, aching, pain, or other sensitivity and discomfort. The tip of the penis, or glans, is a sensory structure, which allows for sexual stimulation and appreciation. This same capacity for valuable sensation can create severe discomfort when signals related to the glans are overactive or irritating. One of the most common complaints with this symptom is a level of annoyance and distraction, with level of bother worsening when a person is less active or not as mentally engaged with tasks. Wearing clothing that touches the tip of the penis (such as underwear, jock straps, jeans, or snug pants) may be limited and may worsen symptoms. When uncovering from where the symptoms originate, the culprit is often the dorsal nerve of the penis, which is sensible given that the glans is innervated by this branch of the pudendal nerve. If we consider this possibility (because certainly there are other potential causes) we find that there are many potential sites of pudendal nerve irritation to consider. First, let’s visualize the anatomy of the nerve.

    Following the usually accepted descriptions of the dorsal nerve, we know that it is a terminal branch of the pudendal nerve that primarily is created from the mid-sacral nerves. This can lead us to include the lumbosacral region in our examination and treatment, yet in my clinical experience, there are other sites that more often reproduce pain in the glans. As the dorsal nerve branches off of the pudendal, usually after the location of the sacrotuberous ligament, it passes through and among the urogenital triangle layers of fascia where compression or irritation may generate symptoms.

    As the nerve travels towards the pubic bone, it will pass inferior to the pubic bone, a location where suspensory ligaments of the penis can be found as well as pudendal vessels and fascia. This is also a site of potential compression and irritation, and palpation to this region may provide information about tissue health. Below is a cross-section of the proximal penis, allowing us to see where the pudendal nerve and vessels would travel inferior to the pubic bone.

    As the dorsal nerve extends along either side of the penis, giving smaller branches along its path towards the glans, the nerve may also be experiencing soft tissue irritation along the length of the penis or even locally at the termination in the glans.

    Palpation internally (via rectum) or externally may be a part of the assessment as well as treatment of this condition. Oftentimes, tip of the penis pain can be reproduced with palpation internally and directed towards the anterior levator ani and the connective tissues just inferior to the pubic bone. It may be difficult to know if the muscle is providing referred pain, or if the nerve is being tensioned and reproducing symptoms, however gentle soft tissue work applied to this area is often successful in reducing or resolving symptoms regardless of the tissue involved. In my experience, these symptoms of referred pain at the tip of the penis is often one of the last to resolve, and the use of topical lidocaine may be helpful in managing symptoms while healing takes place. Home program self-care including scar massage if needed, nerve mobilizations, trunk and pelvic mobility and strengthening, and advice for returning to meaningful activities can play a large role in resolution of pain in the glans.

  • Posted

    Good to find this topic. I have had the same problem for over 6 years. My penis does not burn, it just gets dry (flaking) and wrinkled with slight reddish and whitish spots. But I believe he has a bad smell. Does yours smell bad? it looks like foot stink. my ex girlfriend got a burning sensation in her vagina where the doctor said it was a candidiasis. I don't know if having unprotected sex I will pass something on to other girls. Does anyone have any experience in this regard?

    • Posted

      The flaking could possibly be something called sluffing which can happen if you have HSV.

      I'd recommend getting tested for that.

  • Edited

    i think i have the same issue. after many hours of research i'm quite sure that what i'm dealing with is fungal not bacterial. fungi that are commonly found on the skin are becoming drug resistant just like bacteria and can be an even more insidious infection.

    • Edited

      i also believe this is fungal too, someone reported after he had been swimming in the sea often his condition went away... salt is really good for the skin.

      Im going to try weekly flucanozole tablets and take long baths with natural salt water.

  • Posted

    Had my first check up after 2 1/2 weeks of antibiotics. She prescribed me Flomax and a Steroidal Cream. She's also sending out my urine sample for additional testing.

    Overall, I'm feeling about 20-30% better. Still some pain when touching just beneath the penis opening, and the pigmentation issues are still visible.

  • Posted

    Has anyone had any kind of irregular bowel movements around the same time as this penile problem? Sometimes i have experienced incomplete evacuation, and was wondering if they could correlate.

    • Posted

      I can't provide feedback on this as I have had this as a common thing prior to the issue.

    • Posted

      I'm curious if other people on this thread also have had the same issue. The redness and dryness started first for me and then the other issue a few months later.

    • Posted

      i had tingling initially, the redness came after about 4 weeks

  • Edited

    I had a follow up appointment today. long story short, its either unknown or its prostatitis. either only time will fix it or eventually ciproflaxin that I'm on.

    5 months in, slowly but surely getting better.

    • Posted

      careful with the ciprofloxacin. side effects can be serious, as im starting to realise

  • Edited

    Just to let you guys know I have a private appointment with a proffessor at Harley street dermatology clinic today, I will post my findings later this evening

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.