Have been worried for a long time

Please Help!  I have delt with doubt for three years.  I have went through numourous test.  I still have a burn and a itchy spot on my penis.  I went a year before getting tested to avoid telling my spouse.  I have overcome that burden an cant get the appropriate medicine.  My doctor first prescribed me with Doxycycline and it made no difference.  I had back surgery in December and the IV antibiotics seemed to be clearing the itchy spot and the slight burn up.  I told my Doc this and he said that antibiotics was not the answer.  How can I get my Doctor to believe me?  Does injected pennicillian have the same effect as IV medication.  I have only been given oral antibitics by my uroligist and family Doc.  Please help so me and my family can move on.  

My Symptoms:  Small vien just under crown of penis seems harden at times(only when erect)(appeared three days after intercourse).  Itchy spot on back side of penis, and I dont know if its related but, small faint rash on cheek of my face. My knee has swollen in past few months. Please help, I am getting very worried!  My age is 35, had unprotected sex three years ago.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Clearly you have no STD, and that's all that I deal with.  However, the combination of possible arthritis (knee swelling) and an 'itchy spot' on your penis suggests a possibility of reactive arthritis, formerly called Reiter's syndrome.  RA sometimes is an immunologic reaction to a chlamydial infection or to any of several non-STD problems, especially intestinal infections.

I doubt RA explains your problems, but you might raise the idea with your doc just to be safe, or ask for referral to an arthritis specialist.  However, if that's what it is, it probably never will seriously harm your health, and it is not communicable.  Given the treatments you have had, you can be 100% certain you don't have any STD or other infection that will ever seriously harm your health (except perhaps your mental health) or that of your wife or other sex partner(s).

Otherwise I can't help.  I don't deal with health problems other than STD on this forum.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[boyblue]

I was reading your post and understand what you are going through.. I was the reciver of unprotected oral sex about a year ago and have been having major symptoms that the dr's are telling me are not there....they iagnosed me with prostatitis however I have severe itching/ pinching and redness around the tip of me penis that they can not explain- they give me antibiotics and it does not go away..I swear I have an infection they are not picking up on, it has me worried every minute of every day and has consumed my every though and totally affected my life..all I can say is to be persistant with the Dr's- we know our own bodies and can tell when something is not right..good luck

[Forum-M.D.-]

There is no evidence that the symptoms either of you describe are ever due to STD.  The lack of response to antibiotics is proof there is no infection.  That doesn't mean you don't "know your bodies" or that "something is not right".  But that "something" simply is not an STD.  The most common explanation probably is genitally focused anxiety, but that might just be a "wastebasket diagnosis"--something we docs come up with when we have no better explanation.  But the main thing that is absolutely clear is that no such men ever have a serious health outcome (no cancer, no infertility, nothing) and clearly they have nothing they transmit to their partners.

HHH, MD

[cad32672]

I thought that I had said in my original question that "oral antibiotics" had no effect on the symptoms.  However when I went in the hospital for surgery, I awoke from surgery feeling much better and the burn had eased and the itchy spot felt as if it were healing.  The surgery was for back problems, and I was not on pain killers for more than the surgery.  My knee felt stronger as well.  At first I passed the knee off as due to rupture disk in my back.  I explained this to my Doc and that is when he said antibiotics are not the answer.  Would a injection of Pennicillian be the same as IV antibiotics?  Is there a difference in the two medications?  What type of dialog should I have with my Doc to explain that I felt relief and would like to try injections or IV antibiotics?