How can a healthy male get candida infection??

[Delgado]

Hi, I am a healthy 24-year-old male. My urologist believes I contracted a fungal infection of the penis by receiving unprotected oral from a male partner. I also performed unprotected oral on HIM. I also performed insertive anal with a condom. I made the mistake of performing insertive anal without a condom for about 2 minutes, then we ended the session. An STD test showed negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea and syphilis.

My symptoms began occuring about 2 weeks after the encounter, they have lasted about 1 month now. There are 2 main symptoms. One is a mild burning sensation when urinating in the morning only. The second is an itching sensation around the urethral opening of the penis, that feels like it runs down the shaft on the inside. This itch is not usually noticeable, but it ALWAYS starts up about 5-10 minutes after I ejaculate from masturbating. For the first 2 weeks or so there was a tickling, itchy sensation when urinating during the day. This has gone away, leaving only the burning in the morning urine and itching after ejaculation.

My urologist prescribed 150mg tablets of Diflucan. The first week (last week) I took two of these pills. This seemed to help, the last three days I have had no burning during my morning urine. I still have the itching after ejaculation, but the itching is no longer as intense.

I saw my urologist again today to report my progress, and he prescribed 2 more of the Diflucan pills for this week. This should clear it up entirely, he believes.

My problem is this. Diflucan mainly treats candida infection, but candida infection is almost impossible for a healthy man to get. Sure, I'm uncircumcised, but I have good hygiene and am in good health.

I am wondering if this means my partner had candida infection of the mouth? Everyone has some candida in their mouth but for him to infect me with it must mean he has abnormal amounts of candida in his mouth, right? Which would make him likely to have HIV or AIDS?

I was tested for HIV two weeks after this encounter, result was negative. I plan to be tested again in early September (12 weeks after possible exposure). So unless my oral HIV test was faulty, I am pretty sure I didn't have HIV when I had sex with this guy. Which means my immune system was healthy, which again begs the question how the heck did I get candida from this guy??

[auntiejessi]

Well, you can keep questioning it all, or try it and see what happens.

Aj

[Delgado]

It just seems strange my own saliva would have any effect on the itching.

I've been masturbating for years using my own saliva as lubricant with no problems...

[auntiejessi]

Oh and speaking of..

If you have any sex toys you use regularly, make sure you clean them each time you use them.

Aj

[auntiejessi]

LOL he's right.

Get a good lube, like astroglide, wet, ID, sliquid, etc.  You can find some at your local drugstore, or you can check different sites like drugstore.com, condomania, or any of the online sites that sell sexual toys, etc.

Aj

[Delgado]

So I talked to the urologist today and he said 2 weeks of Diflucan, representing 2 full courses, should be enough to kill the candida -- which is the likeliest fungus I was affected by, he said.

Any residual itching after ejaculation is likely caused by me using saliva as a lubricant. When I said I've always just used saliva, he laughed and said it "has to start somewhere."

He said KY or some other lubricant (even Vasoline) should be used for masturbation.

If any symptoms remain in another 3 weeks, I'll return to see him.

[auntiejessi]

Personally, I'd try another diflucan.  I'm not good at all with waiting and seeing.  Patience isn't one of my virtues lol.

But talk to your doctor and see what he thinks.  He might have some other tips.

Aj

[Delgado]

To clarify, this is referring to itching after ejaculation. Normally it starts 3-5 minutes after ejaculating, intensifies for another 5 minutes, then disappears about 10 minutes after starting.

This morning I felt virtually nothing at all, then maybe after 5-6 minutes, a slight itching sensation inside the urethra, then a little along the shaft, then nothing more after 5 more minutes.

And the burning during morning urination disappeared after 1 week of Diflucan, and has never come back. So I figure, is it worth getting prescribed 1 more Diflucan pill for half a week, or should I wait it out?

Called my uro and waiting for a call back.

[Delgado]

OK, so I tested out whether the itching has persisted this morning, which is a day after being 2 weeks on Diflucan.

The itching is still there, but BARELY noticeable. It has gone down to a shadow of its former self.

I am debating whether to ask my urologist for 1 more Diflucan pill (half a week) or to just let this be.

At this stage of the game, if you let a fungal infection be, will your body fight it off??

[Delgado]

I definitely will. I'll post probably Sunday night or Monday morning on whether the symptoms have persisted.

[auntiejessi]

keep us posted, ok?

[Delgado]

No prostate exam, just a brief physical exam of the genital area.

I get the impression he doesn't believe it goes beyond fungal infection. I'm just hoping the diflucan will have wrapped all this up by next Monday...

[auntiejessi]

LOL that would stink, wouldn't it?

I would assume the urologist did a prostate exam?  If he didn't, that might be your next step.

Aj

[Delgado]

I've been on the Diflucan for a week, this is now week 2.

The first week of Diflucan pretty much got rid of the burning during morning urination. I've had regular morning urination for about 5 days now.

However the itching after ejaculation continues, though not as intense as before. The itch also flares up a bit (rarely) during the day, particularly after the penis has been constricted by lack of movement, or when i'm doing my long commute, when i have no AC and it's really hot outside. Heat definitely seems to cause more random, mild itching feelings that last maybe 30 seconds to a minute.

The urologist believes all the itching should be gone by Sunday if the Diflucan is effective. If symptoms persist he believes it's likely another type of fungus is involved, which will require a follow-up visit and another prescription anti-fungal.

Hope to goodness that's not the case... two types of fungal infections from a single sexual encounter??

[auntiejessi]

Ahhh ok.  I really wouldn't worry about this too much.  

Are you getting relief from the diflucan yet?

Aj

[Delgado]

Almost 2 weeks ago he said he will get tested "very soon," however he has stopped answering my calls lately because I was becoming "too annoying."

No call or message since then, so I have no idea if he did get tested.

I suppose this reinforces his previous statement that he is confident of his negative HIV status. After all, he says he was tested march and OK, and he has only been with one monogamous male partner in the last year.

he was with me after he broke up with this partner.

[auntiejessi]

Well, have you asked your partner to test?  Maybe if he had an updated test that was negative, you could relax.

Aj

[Delgado]

I dunno. I guess it's just a case of irrational anxiety that my partner may have had HIV because he also maybe had oral yeast.

I know, tenuous connection at best, and I know my chance of HIV exposure was fairly low relatively speaking (2 minutes of unprotected insertive anal). But I have another 49 days to wait before I can take an oral HIV test... a long time to get anxious i guess.

[auntiejessi]

Yes, it is.  Why are you so skeptical?  

The diflucan is working, and that's a good thing, right?

AJ

[Delgado]

He took a urine specimen as matter of routine, however I do not know if he is basing his diagnosis on the urine analysis, as he never mentioned the results from it.

You say contracting fungus from oral sex is common... but I've received unprotected oral sex from about 8 different people in my life prior to this encounter, and never had an issue. One of those 8 people I was in a long relationship with and there's lots of unprotected oral, like every other day, yet no problem.

So is it really that common??

[gracefromHHP]

The normal flora in the mouth is not so normal in the urogenital area. We all carry yeasts in the mouth area which typically aren't an issue as long as they are there.   Contracting fungal infections thru oral sex is very common and nothing to be overly concerned about though being annoyed as heck about the symptoms is a totally normal reaction.  

Did the doctor do a urine specimen and actually see fungus in the urine or is this mostly just guessing on his part?  

grace  

[Delgado]

I doubt if he had diabetes, he is 25 and in pretty good shape (slim and not overweight at all).

The STD factor seems to be from the fact that unprotected oral sex was had, with negative STD results for chlam/gonorrhea. The urologist didn't mention the possibility that I got it non-sexually.

He also never mentioned candida by name but it seems that's primarily what Diflucan treats, so I made the connection... i don't suppose any other fungus can cause all this?

i know i should've asked him, but it's always hindsight that you worry and have more questions...

[auntiejessi]

Well, you might not have diabetes, etc., but do you know if this guy does?  

And yeast isn't really considered an std.  You still might have gotten it - it is on your body, and sometimes things can cause it to overgrow - heat, wearing non-breathable clothing, especially underwear, etc.

I'm sure its disconcerting, but its really not anything to freak out about.

Aj

[Delgado]

I just read that it's really rare for men to get penile candida out of the blue.

I mean, I have not been on any antibiotics prior to having the symptoms, I don't have diabetes, etc.

Seeing as how it happened 2 weeks after this encounter, it most probably is because my partner was infected, yet if he had candida surely he would've noticed symptoms? He says he has had no unusual symptoms so far nor in the last year or so.

Anyway it just freaks me out to get something from a person who was very confident they have no STDs or HIV and was tested within 6 months of the encounter, with no other partners besides myself and an ex-boyfriend (monogamous).

[auntiejessi]

Sorry - hit return too soon.

Your partner could have had an oral or anal infection, and that's how you got it.

Or you had an overgrowth yourself.  

You might never know.

Aj