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Herpes, Folliculitis or something else?!
Quick about me: I am a 44 y/o male who is a bit promiscuous, but I am generally safe (nothing but HPV in 25+ years of fooling around). Recently did have some unprotected sex with both a male and a female. Everyone said they were clean and everyone appeared clean.
Then I ended up having an itchy spot about where my liver is for several weeks where it would require me to scratch the area maybe 3-5 times a day. Not incessantly itchy, but enough to take notice (by the way, it still itches to this day, but to a lesser degree). My self diagnosis was that maybe I had scabies. I used tree oil, some sulfur-based cream and some benzoyl peroxide cream to no effect.
Midway through this experience (and immediately after a particularly long masturbation session), I had what appeared to be a herpes blister (a little redness marked with a white blister that appeared to be filled with fluid) on my penis head and another on my shaft. They were not in clusters, they did not pop, did not ooze, did not crust and within a week they were gone. I had no other symptoms (no painful urination, no discharge, nothing else). I assumed they were not herpes because of how they didn't behave like herpes.
Then I started to have a similar itch at the base of my scrotum. Thought nothing of it. After a few weeks, nothing. Then, several days after a particularly long masturbation session, this happened...
I had the same blisters on my penis head, shaft, scrotum and at the point where the scrotum meets the leg (left side), near the anus. Some were loners and a few in clusters. Then were I had been itching on my scrotum, it did represent itself like a blister, but grew to a little larger than a pea sized bump. The left side of my pubis was swollen and I was experiencing some discomfort especially from where they bump was... it was just tender. I thought I had a colony of scabies infecting me!
I went to the Urgent Care. God Bless the young Nurse Practitioner that saw me, but I don't think he was very experienced at this sort of thing. I don't know. But he looked only at the bump on my scrotum and determined I was wrong about my scabies diagnosis and said that I had Folliculitis and prescribed me steroid cream... I told him about the blister on my glans, but he said I could have Folliculitis there too. Naturally I went home to do my follow up research on the Internet and it appears to me that the glans has no hair follicles to infect.
I have been using the steroid cream and I believe it has been improving my condition a bit. After four days none of these blisters have popped, oozed or crusted... but they are shrinking with these tiny black dots in the middle. I was curious what these little black dots were and I scraped one only to find it was more of a scab than anything. From that one I opened up, no ooze came out, but now looks like a tiny little chancre. The steroid cream, after about 4 days has reduced to the bump to very little; however, it is still quite tender... and I think the swelling on my left pubis is reduced a bit.
Because it is impossible to get Folliculitis on the glans, I don't think that is the problem (or maybe it was a problem in conjunction with another issue). I think because of the swelling, there is an infection... bacterial or viral. Based on my symptoms, it is hard for me to think that it is bacterial (which, who knew, given the alternative one wishes they could gonorrhea, syphilis or chlamydia instead). The only thing that appears remotely bacterial is that once I opened up a blister, it appears somewhat similar to a chancre that you might see with syphilis. There are no other similar symptoms. So I lean more to it being viral. Everything's appearance at the onset, you might look and say herpes. But then everything starts to heal with no oozing, no crusting and within a week... gone. And, of course, there is the mystery of the black speck on each blister (as mentioned, presumably some sort of scab, or flake). And, with the steroid cream, I read that one would expect them to get worse, but they don't seem to be.
So, what have I got?!
I'd post a photo, but don't see where I can.
Then I ended up having an itchy spot about where my liver is for several weeks where it would require me to scratch the area maybe 3-5 times a day. Not incessantly itchy, but enough to take notice (by the way, it still itches to this day, but to a lesser degree). My self diagnosis was that maybe I had scabies. I used tree oil, some sulfur-based cream and some benzoyl peroxide cream to no effect.
Midway through this experience (and immediately after a particularly long masturbation session), I had what appeared to be a herpes blister (a little redness marked with a white blister that appeared to be filled with fluid) on my penis head and another on my shaft. They were not in clusters, they did not pop, did not ooze, did not crust and within a week they were gone. I had no other symptoms (no painful urination, no discharge, nothing else). I assumed they were not herpes because of how they didn't behave like herpes.
Then I started to have a similar itch at the base of my scrotum. Thought nothing of it. After a few weeks, nothing. Then, several days after a particularly long masturbation session, this happened...
I had the same blisters on my penis head, shaft, scrotum and at the point where the scrotum meets the leg (left side), near the anus. Some were loners and a few in clusters. Then were I had been itching on my scrotum, it did represent itself like a blister, but grew to a little larger than a pea sized bump. The left side of my pubis was swollen and I was experiencing some discomfort especially from where they bump was... it was just tender. I thought I had a colony of scabies infecting me!
I went to the Urgent Care. God Bless the young Nurse Practitioner that saw me, but I don't think he was very experienced at this sort of thing. I don't know. But he looked only at the bump on my scrotum and determined I was wrong about my scabies diagnosis and said that I had Folliculitis and prescribed me steroid cream... I told him about the blister on my glans, but he said I could have Folliculitis there too. Naturally I went home to do my follow up research on the Internet and it appears to me that the glans has no hair follicles to infect.
I have been using the steroid cream and I believe it has been improving my condition a bit. After four days none of these blisters have popped, oozed or crusted... but they are shrinking with these tiny black dots in the middle. I was curious what these little black dots were and I scraped one only to find it was more of a scab than anything. From that one I opened up, no ooze came out, but now looks like a tiny little chancre. The steroid cream, after about 4 days has reduced to the bump to very little; however, it is still quite tender... and I think the swelling on my left pubis is reduced a bit.
Because it is impossible to get Folliculitis on the glans, I don't think that is the problem (or maybe it was a problem in conjunction with another issue). I think because of the swelling, there is an infection... bacterial or viral. Based on my symptoms, it is hard for me to think that it is bacterial (which, who knew, given the alternative one wishes they could gonorrhea, syphilis or chlamydia instead). The only thing that appears remotely bacterial is that once I opened up a blister, it appears somewhat similar to a chancre that you might see with syphilis. There are no other similar symptoms. So I lean more to it being viral. Everything's appearance at the onset, you might look and say herpes. But then everything starts to heal with no oozing, no crusting and within a week... gone. And, of course, there is the mystery of the black speck on each blister (as mentioned, presumably some sort of scab, or flake). And, with the steroid cream, I read that one would expect them to get worse, but they don't seem to be.
So, what have I got?!
I'd post a photo, but don't see where I can.
Another follow up. It's been more than three weeks and I have exhausted the steroid cream... which seemed to be good timing since everything was clearing. Contrary to what I wrote before, I am not sure I am out of the woods with any scarring yet. Now, suddenly, I have another vesicle with what appears to be a white puss inside it. It is larger than the previous. I have also experience some twinges down my left leg again and the possibility of tingling or a mild sharp pain on my penis... not sure of all that.
I am thinking now I just have herpes... even though these vesicles do not pop, puss or crust.
Still hoping to hear someone's advice.
I am thinking now I just have herpes... even though these vesicles do not pop, puss or crust.
Still hoping to hear someone's advice.
I should also note that I noticed all the issues are on the left side only... the pain in my groin/leg, the swelling in my pubis and vesicles are on the left side only. My follow up report is that it is 10 days later I not one of the vesicles popped, pussed or crusted over like I would expect from HSV. Instead, every single one started with a tiny dark dot in the middle and grew larger and larger until the encompassed the entire vesicle. I believe these to be scabs. Some still are present, but many have come off. It doesn't appear to be leaving a scar so far. The steroid cream, I believe, was helpful.
My theory now is that is presents itself like herpes 1 or 2, but doesn't behave like herpes 1 or 2, so I am thinking, with the itching on my stomach that is still present (it is on the opposite side and preceded this issue by about 1-2 months), maybe I have shingles (which I realizes is herpes zoster)? I say this because some of the more mild case photos show the blisters and black dots in the center and small scabs. I just haven't seen any photos of the herpes 1 or 2 virus, in its later stages, that is similar.
Still, I am dumbfounded. Any help??
My theory now is that is presents itself like herpes 1 or 2, but doesn't behave like herpes 1 or 2, so I am thinking, with the itching on my stomach that is still present (it is on the opposite side and preceded this issue by about 1-2 months), maybe I have shingles (which I realizes is herpes zoster)? I say this because some of the more mild case photos show the blisters and black dots in the center and small scabs. I just haven't seen any photos of the herpes 1 or 2 virus, in its later stages, that is similar.
Still, I am dumbfounded. Any help??
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
