Genital warts - burning and tingling?

[gottatakecareofthis]

I think I finally need to take care of this and see a doctor, I've been living with these symptoms for 3 years now.   I'm fairly certain I have genitial warts, symptoms showed up 3 years ago, about 1.5 years after I had had sex with anyone other than my wife.  And roughly coincided with the end of a period of significant weight gain.  I first noticed them as a cluster at the side near the base of my penis.  I also had several whitish bumps on my scrotum, none of them appreared wet or had any fluid.  In the following months I started to get warts in the places I sweat (mostly under armpits and a few on the inner part of my elbows as well as one on my jawline, all very small and singular except the ones in my armpits).  I continue to get what I believe are warts on my scrotum and area around my penis (very rarely on the penis itself).  I also have an itching sensation anywhere these warts are.  I also have some urethral pain that I don't feel when urinating, but if I have an erection and apply some bending pressure it doesn't seem to feel like it did before the other symptoms showed up.  Sometimes when the warts are growning they will appear reddish, but not with any fluid and they don't ever go away once the redness subsides.  I have self cryro removed a couple of them with over-the-counter wart products.  The last symptom I have which doesn't seem to be in most of the descriptions of gw is a burning, fairly sharp pain that lasts maybe 1 second then goes away.  This happens several times a day every day.  What I'm wondering is, does this burning/stinging sensation acompany warts sometimes?  I've thought about the possiblity of it being herpes, but it doesn't ever go away (the sensation or the warts).  Also, I read there is a new product, Veregen, now available,  how much does this cost? is it usually covered by insurance?  any reports as to how well it works?

Thanks

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You might or might not have had genital warts to start; the "cluster of bumps: on the side of the penis sounds suspicious.  However, you don't describe any other symptoms that makes me think you have genital warts.  Let's go through the reasons:  Location:  warts can occur on the scrotum, but less commonly than on the penis.  Itching:  not symptoms of warts or HPV (true warts might itch, but primarity because the warts are large and develop irritating cracks in the surface tissues).  Urethral discomfort:  not an HPV symptom.  Duration:  warts almost always clear up within a few months and rarely persist for 3 years.

There is no over-the-counter product for cryotherapy (freezing of warts), so I haven't a clue what treatment you have used, but it wasn't cryo.  Probably Compound W and things like that, which are not intended for use on the genitals.

In summary, whether or not the problem started with genital warts, probably that is not what you have now.  Therefore, I will not advise you on the pros and cons of any particular wart treatment.  Your opening sentence is exactly right.  I will be happy to comment further if and when you return to the forum to report what your provider's diagnosis was, but there will be no follow-up comments or advice until then.

Regards--  HHH, MD