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Herpes. Syphilis, Chancroid or Other

I have a question concerning the differences between the symptoms of
Genital Herpes
Syphilis
Chancroid
--and other possible sore producing STDs.

I had noticed the other day two days after having had oral sex with someone. That my penis was a little bit irritated on the right side of the foreskin near the frenulum. The color sometimes gets a little bit red, for instance after running or after a warm shower-- this is usually when it feel irritated too. For the most part the coloration is the same as usual. I inspected the penis closer to find a very very small sore. I am little bit freaked out. I don't know what it is 3 days have passed since the day i found it and it does not seem grow. It stayed the same size and there doesn't seem to be any other sore. Sometime I might feel a mild sting. But I noticed that the mild sensation occurred after I began reading about the possible signs of herpes (so i do not know if its psychosomatic). For the most part the little bit of itching that I might get can be thought away. However, I am still quite worried about the little sore. I am uncircumcised and do not always clean right up after masturbation. Could it be some other type of infection?

Another story, some years ago I got a Herpes Zosters on my back and chest after a very stressful event. I got blood tests to make sure that it wasn't anything serious such as HIV or low immune system the test came back fine. However, I do remember how the herpes looked and felt, and this does not seem to be like that at all.

The small sore on my penis looks like a sore not a blister that then turned into a sore as was the case with the zosters. Are there different ways that herpes can look?-- The sore on my penis looks more like the type of small sore that one gets inside the mouth, but not like the cold sore that one gets outside the mouth.

Any thoughts can help, is my symptomology that of herpes? could there be painful sore for Syphilis? Can it be a case of canchroid? or some other infection? Is two days too soon to be any of these diseases if it was contracted orally or skin to skin?

thank you for your time
16 Responses
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101028 tn?1419603004
This is common for antibiotics actually. The kill off the "good" bacteria as well as the "bad" bacteria and can cause your gut to be a little "off" if that makes sense. If you are prone to indigestion/reflux they can aggravate that too.    Plenty of probiotic type yogurts out there on the market now if you like yogurt - eat 1 or 2 a day for a few days to build back up the "good" bacteria.  If you don' t like yogurt you can find culturelle at most drug stores and even walmart carries it now. Take it 2x/day for a week.  

glad you are feeling better and can put this all behind you now :)

grace
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To keep you updated and to thank you all for the information and support:

I contacted the person which I had my encounter with and he got tested. All his results came back negative so my anxiety went down to 30%

I also got retested for gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV. All these came back negative. I took all of my antibiotics, and the pain on my testicles seized my anxiety went down to 5%.

Lastly, I went to the doctor to get a general blood and urine test just to completely put a lid on this ordeal, make sure there isn't any infection.

Pretty much I am back to normal except for some sharp stomach pains which i developed during the course of the antibiotic. It feels like burning, then pins in my mid-abdomen, sometimes pain on the side of my ribs. I am not connecting this to a possible STD symptom, but to the antibiotic and anxiety that I have gone through this past month. Has anybody experienced this with antibiotics? Does anyone think this should be a call for concern?



Once again
thank you,
auntiejessi
gracefromHHP
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
Yes many providers will just throw something at you to see if it works and to cover the bases.  It's not the best way to do it though especially in this age of antibiotic resistant infections.

Getting retested for std's again is a good idea because 4 days post encounter was way too early for most of them. Covering the bases is a good idea.

If your symptoms continue though you need to get more thorough follow up with a different provider than just the college health center.

grace
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
BTW I think seems to be a common procedure: "the not sure if it is but get medicated regardless".

Check this post from the expert forum
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/STD/messages/1191.html
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I appreciate everyone's input.

I got tested before, 4 days after sexual contact--everything came back negative. Then I went to the doctor at my university who prescribed me the medication for chlamydia he told me to take it after I took the test, again. The is now testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. That means I am getting tested a second time for all those things, "just in case"-- which I already came back negative for in the first time. Maybe he beliefs I have something else that's not chlamydia. I have read other posts and websites, where some doctors do prescribe antibiotics "just in case" and particularly when you have some symptoms that resemble Nongonococcal Urethritis, which I see now that I seem to have. After explain to him the nature of my sore and after him inspecting and not seeing anything out of the ordinary he conclude that it wasn't herpes.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
and chlamydia does not cause sores why did the doc not do tests syphilis is a simple blood test and urine sample for gon/chl and you are done with peace of kind in 48-72 hours.  Go test and stop posting here you are wasting your own time and whatever it is apparently not getting better by asking us questions.....a good doctor will diagnose and treat you and you can move on with confidence in your sexual health.  Good luck, I wish you all the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would advise seeing another Dr and get tested. I have never heard of a Dr acting on symptoms alone for an STD and not getting a test. Also chlamydia is not really passed through oral sex.
Helpful - 0
207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sure, but the doctor didn't test?  Why on earth not?

And did you get medication?  If you took meds, then the test will be to show if you still have it, because the meds would cure it and it wouldn't show on a test.

Aj
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey Aj, -- here's an update and a question

I went to the doctor. I explained to him my situation and he told I had chlamydia because of my symptoms. He told that the sore does not sound like herpes that it could have been something else. However, his diagnosis seemed very loose. He went more on the symptoms that actual observation. He told me to get tested which I am going to, again. But I was wandering whether you think that the symptoms I mentioned were from chlamydia. I was not convinced by his diagnosis, particularly because I don't  have any discharge. Is it possible to have all the symptoms except discharge?

thank you
Helpful - 0
207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Herpes usually scabs, and the eye condition has nothing to do with herpes.

Aj
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I will be going in soon.

How about the question I posted do you have any input on them?

Thank you
Helpful - 0
207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there -

If you've had this for a month or longer, its not herpes.  I'm going to guess its something bacterial, but you really really need to make it a priority to get this looked at now.

Aj
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey Aj,

Its been a month I have been unable to go to the Doc. I went out of town making it impossible for me to get an appointment-- I'll be going in soon. I was able to get a blood test and everything came back negative but I know there is a window period. So I'll get restested in the third month.

However, my symptoms have changed I wanted to get some input from you again.

First of all , the sore is gone but it disappeared in the weirdest fashion. One day while I was sleeping I got an erection and when I woke up to see the sore had turned into a bump. It seemed that the erection made the sore stick turn into a soft bump -- would this happen with a herpes sore, or with any sore?. Also this didn't burn or itch, but it caused an uncomfortable sensation in the inside of my penis (not the urethra - I felt more like it was in the corpus cavernosum) I do not know how to describe it really. This sort of pain happened randomly for one week. Also I noticed one day that my glan and all my foreskin became irritated, this happened twice. I also noticed some random testicular discomfort but once again very random times. The ex-sore now-bump stayed as a soft white bump. Then through time the bump disappeared. I noticed however that the whiteness remained for a while after the bump was gone. But now everything is completely gone. I have been expecting the scabbing from the sore but it never happened-- is this normal in herpes? does herpes always have to scab? Also something weird is that I developed blepharitis, an irritation of the eyelid could these things be connected. I think its being stress induced.

I will be seeing the doc and getting tested again. I know I should have gotten it cultured but the bump transformation kind of took a toll in the plans.

As I said any input is appreciated.




Helpful - 0
207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
A large number of people who have herpes don't know they have it - about 90% of those that are infected.

They either get mild symptoms (about 70%) or no symptoms (about 20%).

I'm not sure what you are asking me with the other question - is this the worst its going to get?  I don't know - it varies, and you don't know for sure what it is.  I hope you are planning on getting it looked at.

Aj

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the response.

I am still wandering might there be more little sores coming my way? I am dreading having face another bout of herpes. As I said before I had zosters I know how it feels. I wander whether I might just be one of those individuals that show the mild symptoms. Do you have any information about the time period for the full blown herpes or what the mild symptoms entail or even statistic about how many people actually either go without knowing they have herpes or have mild symptoms?

Helpful - 0
207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there -

Herpes is the most likely of the suggestions you gave, as syphilis wouldn't give you symptoms for around a month, and chancroid is just very rare in most developed countries.

However, its not sounding a lot like herpes, either, but the only way you will know is to get it checked promptly.  

Aj
Helpful - 0
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