Your Thoughts Please

[scaredcmd]

Dr Rockoff, let me begin by thanking you again for your great service to this site. I am writing about a current problem I am experiencing and my fear of Genital Herpes. I had a partner I had been dating up until April of this yr, and we had engaged in unprotected sex on several ocassions. She has told me she is free of any diseases, however later on I discovered that she was rather promiscuous with partners near or over 20. I myself have had 5 sexual partners, and have not had sex since September.  I have not had unprotected sex since April of this year with that woman noted above.

I have always been concerned with my health and specifically STD’s since making soem poor sexual decisions in my past. I have routinely had myself checked for common STDs with all negative results, as recent as 2 months ago. About 2 to 3 weeks ago I had  a Health Dept Doc look over my genital region for any symptoms of skin promblems. However for some reason clinics never test for Herpes so that is uncertain.

I have had this problem occur about 3 times this year. Each time it lasts no more than 2-4 days usually like 2 or 3 days. This specific incident was noticed Friday morning when I woke up. Prior to bedtime Thursday night I masturbated without lubrication. Friday morning I woke up to a small area about mid shaft on the underside of my penis in the rough area of skin folds that was red and inflamed looking. The entire area was less than 3-4 mm with no obvious bumps other than the rough skin folds. Time progressed and the redness started fading and almost faded into 2 spots of redness that were smaller 1-2mm but right next to each other. Day 2 I woke up and noticed the redness is gone for the most part but there is a dry looking patch of skin on top the area. I picked at this skin and it came off almost like a scab, might have been a very thin scab. Examining after I picked the scab off in a bright light I noticed that the skin is removed from the area creating what I hate to call a VERY shallow ulcer (top layer of skin missing in one area, that can be seen in VERY bright light and felt carefully with a finger sliding over it. (this is where I am now). The skin now looks shiny and pink and slightly like a scar would.

The previous 2 times this has happened this yr were similar in nature. All after masturbation without lubricant, although I tend to masturbate frequently since I am scared of sex. The other two times healed in about the same time, one incident I randomly located a scab in the same general area mid shaft underside on the left and picked it off, the entire area then healed in 3 days or less. The othertime was more of the same situation this time, looked like irritation skin flaked off like dry skin looked sore/irritated then healed in about 2-3 days. One incident occurred in approximately May, one in Aug or Sept (I previously posted asking about that one) and now.

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[Alan Rockoff, MD]

No need to continue.  Your description sounds like irritation, not herpes.  It seems to me that, though perhaps for understandable reasons, you are thinking about your penis far too much and looking at it too carefully.

First, get a reliable herpes 2 antibody test.  (Ask your doctor to order one.)

Then when you find out it's negative, get the counseling you so clearly need to get over what you yourself describe as fear of sex.  

Continued self-observation and internet research is going to do you absolutely no good.  Time to clarify the facts and get the help you need to move on.

Good luck.

Dr. Rockoff

[scaredcmd]

My fears come in now that it looks like a very shallow ulcer or loss of skin and that this is the third incident in the same general area although not specific spot that I can tell. From as far as I can remember I never remembered having any type of primary herpes outbreak, I never remember having any prodome for this case or the others. I have always had a general pubic area itch here and there. This lesion does not hurt, does not burn, or itch. Has no sensation at all other than when I scraped it with my nail and removed the dry skin/ scab. If I had not looked down that morning I would not have known it was there until it became rough feeling today.

I guess my questions are:

Whats your overall guess from afar?

Does this sound at all likely to be a herpes infection?
—with the short time line
—with the lack of pain, itch, burning, blisters etc
—with a general cycle of 2-3 days
—lack of prodome
—and not remembering an initial outbreak

Should I seek medical care immediately to have whats left looked at, which the only available would probably be an emergency room?

Is irritation common to occur in the same spot from similar masturbation and does this sound at al like a case of dematitis or some form of skin irritation of the penis?

Should I ask a doctor for a Herpes Blood Test?


Again thank you so much Dr.

[Englishman]

The 3 day cycle rules out herpes completely. Any scab that you pick leaves behind an indented sore area that looks like an ulcer.

[scaredcmd]

You seem to lurk this site a good bit as do I. Dunno your personal experience or expertise but anychance we could talk outside of forum?

[scaredcmd]

Doc, just an update before you get a chance to read the other heres a general timeline of events until now.


Thursday PM before bed Masturbation

Friday 11AM notice redness in rough skin area on underside shaft of penis

Friday evening redness continues no signs of blisters area looks like it may be slightly raised or flat unsure due to rough skin

Saturday Morning Redness still present but less noticable. Almost looks like it has faded into two small spots next to one another (could be the skin folds)

Saturday Evening Slight redness continues but fading more.

Sunday Morning redness faded significantly skin patch now visible that appears to be shiny and rough/dry. Picked at the area and the skin started to peel. I peeled at it and an oval shape piece of skin is removed, looked like a VERY thin scab or dry skin. After removed skin was pink and shiny (felt dry to the touch)

Sunday evening skin appears about the same shine spot in skin folds, if stretched out and looked at closely under bright light you can see an oval patch where the skin appears to be missing (no better words a VERY shallow ulcer not even able to quantify the size of the skin thickness missing). No oozing discharge pain etc just looked like skin was missing. without stretching the skin the area just looks like shiny skin almost like scar tissue.

Monday Morning into evening (Current) the skin appears about the same even less noticeable, no real redness anymore just the shiny looking skin and if stretched the missing skin.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Too much information, my friend.

I assume your identity, "scaredcmd," stands for "scared to see an MD."  Time to get past that.

Enough.

Dr. Rockoff

[scaredcmd]

Doctor, thank you so much, you put the first smile on my face I have had since this started. I am glad to hear an actual dematologist say its probably not herpes and sounds like irritation, I just was not sure if irritation could happen in the same spot as a coincidence three times.

4 days is too short for a herpes outbreak correct?

and good try on the name, its actually scared C for city name and MD for Maryland, I in fact go to see the doc at the health dept far too often. lol

thank you again for your service i understand you must be a very busy man and give you kudos for helping all of us.

[Englishman]

Going to the doc far too often and your long, detailed and anxiety-ridden descriptions suggests hypochondria. I suggest seeing a mental heath expert. We could talk outside the forum, but I am not a doctor or psychologist.

I'm just someone who thought they had genital warts, convinced myself they were warts (from self-diagnosis on the internet), obsessed over this for a few weeks and made myself ill, saw an STD doctor who instantly diagnosed molluscum and now it has cleared up pretty much by itself.

I know what anxiety can do to the brain and body, it is not pleasant. If you can not get over it, I suggest seeing a counselor. Best of luck.

[BoogleBear]

Well DR. Rockoff. I think it's time I get off of it too.

I'm just hitting twenty five, but I can assure you I masturbated 16 times a week on average from 22 through 24 years of age. The most heavy masturbation years of my life. Three months before my 25th birthday I got the red abbrasions on the shaft of the penis. My father always told me, "You can jerk as much as you want and you can never get a callous." He was right, although he failed to warn me that you can irritate the skin. (lotion was utilized)

The red abrasion will go. I had it before I met my girlfriend. It cleared up three weeks before I met her because I didn't masturbate constantly. I masturbated once every seven days prior to meeting her, using a very calm stroke. When I met her, it was clear. I didn't have the red abrasion because I used the condom. Since I got back home, I have been masturbating normally, my penis is beginning to have red abrasions; but, accumilated effects of masturbating is probably going to make it worse. If I don't take it easy, it will be as I masturbated on average 16 times per week.

It is not poetic and far from a doctor's point of view. It is just an experience.

Relief:  Vagina via protected penis after the third day.

Disclaimer:  No masturbating on fourth day. Abrasion will be back on fifth day.

The summary:  The abrasion goes away when you don't masturbate for three days. When you use a condom and have real sex, you don't choke it or hurt it as much as a vagina. A vagina never really counted as masturbation. If you masturbate after the third day, the abrasion can come back. Depends how smooth you can masturbate.

In Closing:  I turn twenty-five in two months. Still young, but I'm a masturbation master. But I was looking up the same symptoms.

Dr. Rockoff said, "Don't worry." ... or .... "keep consolidating your doctor until: your wallets empty; or, your satsified." A cool "MD" we have here... thank you, Dr. Rockoff.

Final Thought: We know how to get our selves off in 5 minutes or less. Which takes aggression sometimes. Especially drunk.  

-BoogleBear