Balanitis

[reaper345]

Firstly I’d like to say hi. Ok so I’m a 19 year old guy I am sexually active been with one a few different partners, used a condom with all but one.
This is how it started, I first got these sort of red patches under the foreskin and I searched online as you do (I was embarrassed to go to the doctors) and everywhere I looked said that it was a yeast infection. so I thought ok ill wait a couple of days to see if it gets any worse, sure enough the red patches started to spread on the actual head of the penis and it started to get itchy. This all confirmed the yeast infection idea so I thought ok ill bite the bullet ill buy Canisten DUO cream and tablet. it worked, all the symptoms went then a couple of days after finishing the course the red patched came back, then I presumed I done the course properly so I bought another course and used the cream religiously. The symptoms went and then they come back soon as I finished using the cream again. By this point it was like ok I’m going to have to go to a sexual health clinic (GUM). I did and they took a swab of here and there and so forth and I said that I think it is thrush. They couldn’t find any STI's or the Candida yeast from the swabs. So they diagnosed it as balanitis. They gave me a cream to use. It’s called Daktacort 30g (contains miconazole nitrate 2% w/w, hydrocortisone 1% w/w.) I have been using it for nearly 2 weeks now, during the first week it took the redness away, then about 10 days into it I thought it would be fine, they said use it for a week and see if it goes, I did and it went then I thought I’d use it 3 more days for luck. Then within two days the redness came back with a vengeance so I thought ok id use the remainder of the cream, still using it now and its about 3 weeks of me using the cream (give or take). Now the redness is coming back even though I’m using the damn cream and it looks as though a bit of the head is peeling.

Do you think this is balanitis? Yeast infection? Or Allergy to some mystery allergen?

I don’t mean to come across angry or anything I’m just a little frustrated with it and I am desperate to sort it out.

Kind regards
Reaper

[itllbealrightonthenight]

I've had the redness on and off for 8 years now. It comes and goes, I went to a S TD clinic thinking the worst but the swab test didn't show any STD's. I have tried everything including rubbing alchol to zovirax (herpes treatment) in cream form. It's kind of depressing me now, the outbreak is evident should I pull my foreskin back. I have a long time (5years) parner who is very understanding but I feel guilty not being able to have sex with her as regulary as she'd like. It is off-putting for me. I have my trusty tube of DAKTACORT with me though I guess it'll take a week or so to clear-up the rash. I do beleive (looking at many images) I have balanitis although it has never been confirmed, a funal infection was the usual answer. One thing though, I have drank a large amount of beer lately and eaten a lot of bread, I'm saying YEASThas something to do with it. Best wishes...

[reaper345]

Thank you for getting back to me, I have been washing daily and i will continue to use the cream until I am prescribed otherwise. I think I will have to bite the bullet and go back to the clinic and see if they can give the appropriate prescription for me. I will keep you posted on what they prescribe and what the results are.

Thanks again

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it sounds like balanitis only. Oral course of antibiotics is needed. In addition, please don’t use any cosmetics on the penis, instead use some topical antimicrobials like Bacitracin or Lotrimin. Also keep on using the steroid+antifungal cream that you have been prescribed.corticosteroids and topical immunosuppressants can be used but they are available under prescription. Also retract the foreskin daily and soak in warm water to clean penis and foreskin. In case the symptoms persist then please consult a urologist/dermatologist for evaluation and antimicrobials and steroids prescription.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing . Kind regards.

[reaper345]

oh and I'll just add that the cream is a Steroid and anti-fungal combination