Folliculitis?

[bandd09]

Off and on over the past couple months I have had "jock itch" which I treated with an OTC cream and it went away.  Last week this came back and Monday I exercised in the morning and in the afternoon a bunch (25 or so) small, pin head sized red pimple like bumps appeared in my pubic area.  Of course this freaked me out a bit as I had protected sex with a new partner in February and I was fearing I had caught something nasty.  I went to my GP and she said it looked like Folliculitis and game me an antibacterial cream and said if it wasn't gone in a week to come back and they would dig deeper into it.  Since the visit the itching and burning from the jock itch has gotten quite a bit worse, it is mainly on my testicles and my inner thighs below my penis, while the folliculitis is above.  Question is, could the fungal infection be causing the folliculitis and should I not be using the antibiotic?  Should I continue to use both the antifungal and antibiotic at the same time (I have read this is not a great idea)?  Do I need to go back to the GP or see a Dermatologist or just continue treatment as suggested for the week then decide?  

Thanks,

[walsha76]

I have seen a urologist for what I think is an infection on my foreskin and he has prescribed me betamethasone dipropionate cream for the past two months. When I use the cream my foreskin seems to be normal and when I think I don't need to use it anymore my symptoms come back ( reddish dots which are annoying and sensitive to the touch and the glan penis seems to be irritated quite often). I have been tested for STDs and they came back negative.  This problem is affecting me emotionally when it comes to having sex.....I need help.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I doubt that the antifungal cream has caused folliculitis, but I also doubt that you have jock itch (fungus), because the antifungal cream would have eliminated that a long time ago.  I suspect that you have eczema in your groin, and that your current itch is cause by that plus anxiety that you have an STD.  Folliculitis usually goes away by itself.  I therefore suggest that you do nothing.  Wait two weeks, and if there's still a rash there then, you should see a dermatologist.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff