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STDs (Expert Forum)
2 months of uncertainty
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
2 months of uncertainty
by helpmepleasedoc, Aug 07, 2005 12:00AM
I am a 34 y.o. uncircumsized male. Since June 05 have had red/white/flesh colored pin sized small bumps on the head of my penis, concentrated on the tip and inside the urethra. Initially, the tip of my penis was very sensitive to touch (sharp sting when touched), as well as pain in the left glan. Bumps are not painful nor blistering. More visible during erection. No pain urinating, but stings after urinating as urine dribbles out after I think I'm done. Other symptoms: stomach pain (both sides, more recently lower abdomen), loss of appetite, nausea, sore throat with swollen red dots, aching joints, head aches, pain in armpit/groin (lymph nodes?), night sweats, fatigue, eye pain, chapped/dotted lips (small white/yellowish dots), first cold sore ever was at the beginning of this.
I saw a general practitioner: gonorreah, chlamydia tests (swab from urethra and urine sample) were negative. Blood tests (1.5 months after initial symptoms, after taking Cipro) were neg for gon, chlamyd, syphillis, HIV, but were POSITIVE for Ebstein Barr and HSV1 and equivocal for HSV2 (IGM tests). He thinks it's fungal. Used two antifungal creams (ineffective) and two antifungal oral meds (Keto... and Sporanox) which were somewhat effective, but bumps still at the tip & inside urethra. Also took Doxycycline for any residual bacterial infection.
Recently met with infectious disease specialist. He said I have no STD. To ease my mind, he is testing now for HSV2 with HerpesSelect - expecting results shortly. Checking my blood sugar as I am "pre-diabetes" (overweight). He suggested that I pull back my foreskin often to "dry out" and "toughen the skin" on my penis. This seems to be helping a bit after a couple of days.
STD concerns because:
- About 8 yrs ago before I got married, I got a massage from a woman that touched her tongue on my scrotum and I had a single large pimple-like bump on my scrotum shortly after that. Was painful and popped although it was more like a hard pimple. These painful bumps reappear occasionally and more recently they had been moving closer to the base of my penis (still technically the scrotum) 2-3 at a time now, not 1, but they have not popped recently.
- Other symptoms listed above
- Itchy rash around breast bone periodically
- Weakened immune system in recent yrs - got shingles, EB, tongue fungus
- Have had dizzy/near fainting spells in stressful situations or while driving in heavy traffic or long trips
- My wife has similar dizzy/near fainting spells and has heavy menstruation and recently found fibroids & a polyp in her uteris (to be surgically removed).
Could this be syphillis? Recent test for syph was negative but after taking Cipro. Could I have had syph for years and not known it? Could the syph be at a stage that it is very difficult to detect?
Explored unprotected anal sex with wife in past 6 months - baterial infection? Also, I never have had vaginal nor anal sex with anyone other than my wife.
Your thoughts?
I saw a general practitioner: gonorreah, chlamydia tests (swab from urethra and urine sample) were negative. Blood tests (1.5 months after initial symptoms, after taking Cipro) were neg for gon, chlamyd, syphillis, HIV, but were POSITIVE for Ebstein Barr and HSV1 and equivocal for HSV2 (IGM tests). He thinks it's fungal. Used two antifungal creams (ineffective) and two antifungal oral meds (Keto... and Sporanox) which were somewhat effective, but bumps still at the tip & inside urethra. Also took Doxycycline for any residual bacterial infection.
Recently met with infectious disease specialist. He said I have no STD. To ease my mind, he is testing now for HSV2 with HerpesSelect - expecting results shortly. Checking my blood sugar as I am "pre-diabetes" (overweight). He suggested that I pull back my foreskin often to "dry out" and "toughen the skin" on my penis. This seems to be helping a bit after a couple of days.
STD concerns because:
- About 8 yrs ago before I got married, I got a massage from a woman that touched her tongue on my scrotum and I had a single large pimple-like bump on my scrotum shortly after that. Was painful and popped although it was more like a hard pimple. These painful bumps reappear occasionally and more recently they had been moving closer to the base of my penis (still technically the scrotum) 2-3 at a time now, not 1, but they have not popped recently.
- Other symptoms listed above
- Itchy rash around breast bone periodically
- Weakened immune system in recent yrs - got shingles, EB, tongue fungus
- Have had dizzy/near fainting spells in stressful situations or while driving in heavy traffic or long trips
- My wife has similar dizzy/near fainting spells and has heavy menstruation and recently found fibroids & a polyp in her uteris (to be surgically removed).
Could this be syphillis? Recent test for syph was negative but after taking Cipro. Could I have had syph for years and not known it? Could the syph be at a stage that it is very difficult to detect?
Explored unprotected anal sex with wife in past 6 months - baterial infection? Also, I never have had vaginal nor anal sex with anyone other than my wife.
Your thoughts?
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Aug 07, 2005 12:00AM
, Aug 07, 2005 12:00AM
I really can't help. It is clear you don't have any STD. Your symptoms don't suggest STD, the sexual event you describe 8 years ago was very low risk, you have had negative tests for all conceivable STDs, and two physicians--including an infectious diseases expert--have found no STD and reassured you accordingly.
To answer some of your specific questions, both the overt and implied ones:
Most of symptoms you list (urine dribbling, stomach pain, appetite, body aches, headache, fatigue, chapped lips, itchiness, dizzy spells, etc) are not those of any STD. The rash/bumps you describe on your penis do not sound like herpes. Syphilis blood tests are highly reliable, and cipro makes no difference (it is entirely inactive against syphilis).
The lesions you had of the scrotum 8 years ago and now near the base of the penis since sound like pimples or folliculitis, which are especially common in overweight persons and perhaps in pre-diabetics. In advance form, this could be a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa. Problems of this sort are related to moisture and warmth in skin folds where there is little air circulation, hence the association with obesity. Not sexually transmitted; and the very first lesion probably was coincidental with the oral exposure you describe, not caused by it.
I don't know why one of your doctors did a test for EBV, but depending on the type of test done, the large majority of the population is positive; and in any case, EBV is not normally sexually transmitted (saliva exposure/kissing is the norm). The IgM test for HSV probably mean nothing, but HerpeSelect will sort it out for sure. The odds are good you indeed carry HSV-1, as most people do; and it is probable the result will be negative for HSV-2.
You should contintue to follow up with your primary care doctor and/or the ID specialist; sounds to me like they are on top of things and you can rely on their advice. You also should ask them whether your symptoms reflect anxiety or depression, which strikes me as a real possibility. I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism. Whatever else is going on, it isn't any STD.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
To answer some of your specific questions, both the overt and implied ones:
Most of symptoms you list (urine dribbling, stomach pain, appetite, body aches, headache, fatigue, chapped lips, itchiness, dizzy spells, etc) are not those of any STD. The rash/bumps you describe on your penis do not sound like herpes. Syphilis blood tests are highly reliable, and cipro makes no difference (it is entirely inactive against syphilis).
The lesions you had of the scrotum 8 years ago and now near the base of the penis since sound like pimples or folliculitis, which are especially common in overweight persons and perhaps in pre-diabetics. In advance form, this could be a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa. Problems of this sort are related to moisture and warmth in skin folds where there is little air circulation, hence the association with obesity. Not sexually transmitted; and the very first lesion probably was coincidental with the oral exposure you describe, not caused by it.
I don't know why one of your doctors did a test for EBV, but depending on the type of test done, the large majority of the population is positive; and in any case, EBV is not normally sexually transmitted (saliva exposure/kissing is the norm). The IgM test for HSV probably mean nothing, but HerpeSelect will sort it out for sure. The odds are good you indeed carry HSV-1, as most people do; and it is probable the result will be negative for HSV-2.
You should contintue to follow up with your primary care doctor and/or the ID specialist; sounds to me like they are on top of things and you can rely on their advice. You also should ask them whether your symptoms reflect anxiety or depression, which strikes me as a real possibility. I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism. Whatever else is going on, it isn't any STD.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Your help would be appreciated. Thanks
Ben
Guess I will have to look for a private one.
Thanks anyway,
ben
Hi, I saw your post from Aug. 1 about the herpes risk, and something just crossed my mind that might help.
I'm not a doc obviously, but I've had a lot of experience with fellatio and went through several STD scares that always turned out to be false alarms. A couple things that might shed light on the things that were worrying you:
*Depending on the kind of soap a guy uses on his penis, you can have an allergic reaction in your mouth, especially if you were performing fellatio on him for a long time. This happened to me once; I don't know if that might be part of your swollen gums. I know that I've had an irritated throat and mouth from allergies and thought I had something but it wasn't an STD.
*Maybe you got a really bad