Penile Rash/Balanitis Not Responding to Treatment

Same problem here. Redness and pain around glans after I masturbate/shower that's been going on for months. Also patches of foreskin that become red/tender. Then it heals up only to flair up again depending on how I slept or the clothes I'm wearing. Sometimes pain in meatus. I've been tested for STDs and have none. It presented itself after masturbation with an oil based lubricant and my first thought was I got balanitis from the bacteria which can build up after using oil lube. Now I don't know. My one doctor diagnosed it as balanitis and prescribed a strong antibiotic cream. It did nothing.

My non-medical diagnosis is contact dermatitis that gets continually inflamed since the area is so much more sensitive than other parts of the body. Then general practitioners, many of whom seem to brush aside the issue, diagnose it as balanitis or prostatitis and mistreat it with antibiotics. The antibiotics (which can make contact dermatitis worse), combined with the fact that very few of us can go the proper healing time without sex/masturbation or washing keeps the cycle going. A kind of skin atrophy develops after a while making avoiding the area even more crucial and the more it continues.

The last part of that (skin atrophy) is what I find the most intriguing. It seems like my glans/foreskin is more broken down than infected. Almost like years of antibiotics (which seems to be a common trend in this thread) have left it vulnerable/damaged. And also years of healing lotion used during sex/masturbation.

I've abstained from messing with it for three weeks now. No sex/masturbation, and I lightly use Dove soap in the shower which was recommended by my doctor. It looks better, but obviously this type of lifestyle isn't ideal.

After much digging there is a more successful discussion on patient.info relating to this problem. The poster who was fully recovered from months of balanitis did so via stopping the antibiotic regimen prescribed by his doctor as it was continually wearing down the skin on his penis. He instead took a prescribed steroid and refrained from touching the area. Much like the treatment for psoriasis. The only other person in this discussion who had success (or maybe it was the discussion prior to this) has also said that worked.

This makes the most sense. The amount of chemicals—through lube, sex, and hygiene— someone's privates endure, combined with the already delicate nature of the skin down there, makes it prone to psoriasis. Once this flares up it can be difficult to fully heal, particularly when one doesn't refrain from sex/masturbation practices. The solution is often steroids. Doctors are typically squeamish prescribing steroids, so fall back on a "balanitis" diagnosis (one which we all know is meaningless) and prefer to push antibiotics. This does nothing but makes the problem much worse.

I think that may be 75% of the issues on here. Just to clarify, I'm not recommending anyone stop their antibiotic treatment if that's what is prescribed to them. But my own personal experience (along with dozens of other posts I've read in the last two days) has taught me antibiotics have done nothing for nearly every poster on here, including myself. The other treatment that seems to work (as well as the only other treatment which has worked in this discussion) is a lifestyle/diet change. I'll do that latter first, obviously.

Could be HPV related given unresponsive to antibiotics, antifungals, and topicals. HPV can cause balanitis.

Has anyone tried Trimovate cream? I was speaking to a dermatologist who said a lot of men have found it useful for the symptoms described (which could be Zoon's balanitis, which can be very stubborn!). He told me a lot of men who declined the offer of circumcision tried Trimovate and it worked for a lot of them. He also assured me that as long as these conditions and symptoms may go on for, they're not forever, it will get better but because it's in a difficult area ie. not exposed all the time, it can take longer. Hang in there guys!

Hi all,

Original poster here. Just a quick update on my part. Like another individual has mentioned in this thread (and I think I may have mentioned it as well), I've pretty much settled on the diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain syndrome and / or chronic prostatitis (CPPS). The majority of pathological causes have been ruled out for me. The only things I haven't done have been an MRI, penile biopsy, and a long term course of antibiotics.

I have tried to tackle my CPPS in a variety of ways, but things remain extremely difficult for me as I'm still experiencing symptoms. I'm realizing now that it requires a multifaceted approach that involves daily walks, nightly pelvic stretches, supplements if needed, dietary changes, and most important of all, psychological changes.

I've done about a dozen pelvic floor sessions with a physiotherapist. My muscles are fine down there, but she really believes that my nervous system has become so used to experiencing pain that my nerves are always firing on all cylinders. I've really have had to learn how pain works, and how to manage it.

This being said, I'm currently failing at trying to solve this, as it takes a lot of effort to make these lifestyle changes and maintain a positive attitude (which involves not reacting negatively when I have symptoms). As far as supplements go, I was taking quercetin and it seemed to help, but I can't really say definitively.

If you dig in this thread a bit, there's another fellow who has also settled on a diagnosis of CPPS. My issues have always gone beyond skin redness and inflammation - with burning while ejaculating and urinating as well, but these are still classic CPPS symptoms.

November is a new month and it's coming up soon. I'm hoping to really kick things into gear. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I may not cure myself, but if I can have more good days than bad (and I have had good days), then that's progress. It's really hard not to self-derail your own recovery when you're doing these stretches and have a flair up anyway.

At this point, I have ruled out most, if not all infectious causes, had a dermatologist refuse a biopsy and tell me it wasn't HPV, have also ruled out mgen and ureaplasma, have done multiple swabs, tried countless creams and taken two different courses of antibiotics. I've now had this for 3 years and some months, and like I've mentioned, I'm really focusing on the fact that this is indeed chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

I'll be back here in a while to give whoever is still following this thread an update. Best of luck everyone, keep fighting.

Hi all,

I'm extremely grateful to have found this discussion. It seems like we here have more experience and knowledge combined than any of the consulted doctors.

Just to add my own personal experience. I've read through the whole thread and seen many similarities, but if anyone has any info, more minds on it is better than my own.

4 months ago I moved from the US and back to the UK (I had had unprotected sex a few days before I left, but with a partner I'd not had issues with before at all). A few days after I got home I started getting redness on my glans. Assumed thrush, did all the thrush things, nothing works, okay so maybe bacterial? Got multiple swabs and saw staph aureus, 10 days flucloxicillin, no change, docs then say the culture could have just been a normal amount. All STD and disease tests negative. Prescribed many types of steroidal creams, they helped ease redness but never fixed the core issue.

Symptoms:

Developed at first into redness and swelling of the glans and the first connective tissue of the foreskin (I am uncircumcised).

I had sex at some points (with protection) when I thought it was getting better, but it caused big flare up with general discomfort and inflammation. I wouldnt say I have discomfort with peeing or ejaculation, though I have noticed that I seem to feel like I have urine still left in me that then leaks out after urinating.

I feel like when I have an erection theres too much blood, sometimes worse than others, so its just a bit uncomfortable in that state.

I feel like the actual hardness of my penis has slightly changed while flaccid, like it stays slightly harder internally than it used to. - kinda as if it is nervous?

The texture of my glans is moist and slightly sticky/oily, and has a kind of zing sensitivity. This is a distinct change from what used to feel like an even smooth surface. I practice good hygiene and dont use bad chemicals when cleaning, but even after drying it out after a wash I'll find later on it is moist, exuding from the glans skin. - but it doesn't smell bad.

I've had some days where all the skin on the glans decides to shed, possibly result of masturbation/irritation combined. While I've had this rarely in my life, it was never at this level.

I am also just pretty damn depressed and anxious about the whole thing. I am a very socially active young guy (29) - and this has just torpedoed my self image. I've had autoimmune related back issues (ankylosing spond) my whole life, which have been relatively mild, but I wondered if this could be related. Docs don't seem to think so but it's there.

What next:

I am scheduled to see a dermatologist. Not exactly sure where that will lead, I feel like im just going down the same pathway as others here, with the end result being no measurable help apart from random treatments that might help a bit with one person and not another.

I avoided masturbation and sex for a month and applied a moisturizer that my body is fine with, but that didnt make any difference so now i'm in a state of mind that is thinking, well, fml, I guess try sex anyway and see how it goes, if this is going to be a long lasting condition, I can't not be with people. Anyway I had sex last week but took it very easy and it was mostly fine, so that's good, but not the same. I still feel like the organ just feels 'wrong' and as we all know, it ain't okay.

Very glad to know i'm not alone, and I seem to be suffering more mildly than others. Posting to get my thoughts down and if my own experience helps put someones elses in context then its worth it. If anyone has a very similar set of symptoms, please let me know anything that helped out.

All the best,

E

i'm so confused with everything. 18 months this has gone on for and nobody knows. Doctors are useless.

Started from receiving unprotected oral only.

Symptoms are redness on glans, like very small spider vessels, like blood flow changed. I have soreness when pooing, I need to pee more, erections are uncomfortable and feel

different, penis feels ridgid when flaccid. There are so many more, its like there is always something that is irritated. cuts near my bum crack that comes back.

Seen two urologists, just put a finger up my bum and gave me 4 weeks Doxy, 3 derms (professor bunker virtually), Dr Manu Shah and another. These doctors are supposed to be the best in their field. Both suggested Lichen Sclerosis. Seen countless GUM docs. Tried erythrmocyin for two weeks, fluconazole for 1 week and so may creams including dermovate. Did acyclovir for two months (positive for hsv1 by blood), no change.

I have tested positive for ureaplasma but doctors in the UK dont believe in this and one GUM doctor hadnt heard of it. I had to educate her which was baffling.

Had a flexible sigmondoscopy. No real issues.

Had a swab test of skin round bum crack when irritated, awaiting results.

Had a MRI, awaiting results.

I cant think of what else i can. All i keep thinking is herpes related, never knew i had HSV1, but they dont test in the UK and apparently 60-70% of the world have it and most are asymptomatic. Hard to know. Also continuous symptoms dont match up, so maybe triggered an autoimmune disorder?

Happy to reach out and chat as im almost done.