Itching in crotch

[killroth]

Dear Doctor
I've been having this itching sensation in my crotch area for about 3 years now its not usually on the penis shaft but on the scrotum and crotch. After i got this it seemed to have spread to my ex and give her some kind of inflamation and then she had white discharge. I've been to the doctors twice and they say that its just exzyma but since i've been with my new partner whos totally healthy i've noticed she seemed to be inflammed in her vaginal region. and after i've had sex now like right after it was more itchy and developed some small bumps. I've been reading up all these webpages and i still get worried please help me doctor. I've tried different strengths of cortizone and they dont seem to help much though they sooth it for a while it always comes back. what tests shoudl i have done...the doctors here in sweden seem to just wanna send me away kinda annoying.

i've noticed that when wearing synthetic underwear the tendency to be itchy increases
and i usually dont have pain when urinating but after this last time having intercourse its hurt a lil bit. I've read that a fungal infection can spread to there but not sure what this is. Its never had any huge open soars just itching. it smells kinda musty at times also.

Also my current partners vagina has been irritated and swollen up a lil bit would this also be a sign of a fungal infection. and will this go away with a proper treatment. thank you for the help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I have little further to offer.  If it had been impetigo, penicillin might had taken care of it (sometimes impetigo is caused by bacteria which penicillin doesn't work on) but at this point my advice is to try to work through this with a dermatologist as you have already begun to do.  Sometimes there is some trial and error involved in dealing with these difficult problems.  Going from health care provider to health care provider tends to just lead to redundancy and delay final resolution.  Please keep us posted on your progress.  EWH

[killroth]

Thanks for your patience with this its really bugging me i was hoping this penecillin would cure it but it didnt and its really driving me crazy cause i want a normal life and i dont wanna harm anyone else.  

[killroth]

Well i took the cure of penecillin for 10 days it didnt itch much during the treatment but now when i stopped taking it it started itching again...im still thinking this can be some kinda fungus or bug but he didnt think it was... it itches and burns but i dont scratch it and the skin is smooth its like its itching underneath...

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There is a bacterial infection called impetigo which is spread from person to person by touching (it is not an STD in the conventional sense).  This is pretty easily recognized and does itch when it it present.  Often it is accompanied by a sort of yeloow "crust" and weeping in the involved areas.  Do you or your girlfriend have anything like that?  If not perhaps he is thinking of some other bacterial infection.  EWH

[killroth]

He said it could be a bacterial infection and didnt really look like fungus or ecsema. I'm taking penicillin for 10 days and will see if it goes away. Ill reply back in 10 days if it worked...Can a  bacterial infection spread to someone during sex?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As described, this really does not sound like a fungus.  My guess is that you did not transmitted it to your partner but that you are in a "true-true - unrelated" situation.  Please let me know what the dermatologist says.  EWH

[killroth]

It itches even i dont touch it and im pretty good about not scratching it...i just dont understand how it could spread to my partner i mean thats not typical of eczema as far as i know right? and the skin isnt broken out or anything its perfectly smooth its like its itching underneath the skin. and then i got these bumps out of nowhere. I'm going to see the doctor here tomorrow again is there any kinda fungus infections i should definetly test for or shoudl i have him refer me to a dermatologist i wanna get to the bottom of this...and i mean i have had slight discomfort when i pee the past couple days. i dunno. what should i have tested? thanks doctor.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

For starters, what this is not is an STD.  Itching in the crotch and of the scrotum is quite common.  It can arise from a number of different sources including (and commonly) eczematous dermatitis, local irritation due to synthetic fibers or, occasionally fungal infections.  You have been seen by two trained health care providers who have had the opportunity to examine you, something that I have not been able to do.  I think you need to work with your doctors to sort this out and manage it.  If indeed it is eczema, it needs to be managed rather than cured.  To do this, use the lowest strength of hydrocortisone possible and chronic use can actually make itching worse over time, not better (BTW- the fact that it gets better with hydrocortisone suggests that it is not a fungus since fungal skin infections often get worse with hydrocortisone).

As for your partner, she needs to get her own diagnosis, If she has a fungal infection, perhaps a brief course of treatment would benefit you but to be honest, I doubt it.

Finally, as I said above, sometimes scratching leads to increased itching rather than comfort, setting up a self-perpetuating viscous cycle.  It is important not to scratch the area if at all possible. Hope this helps.  EWH