STD or what?

About a year ago, I started going to some bars and one led to another until I ended up at a particular strip club.  I went there several times and paid for some nude lap dances.  The girls were young and the bars looked relatively clean.  I got to know this one Spanish Girl quite well, and she seemed to enjoy my company as well.  One night she gave me a lap dance to remember as there was a lot of touching between both of us, and when she left my jeans were quite moist where she spent most of her time.  I never exposed any of my genitals, but they could have been contacted with the moisture left by her or later by my fingers.
    About a month to the date, my glans (glands) broke out with many very small red raised bumps and a particually red area adjacent to the ureter opening.  It was painful in a burning stinging sort of way, but I never did see any drainage, lesions or pus.  I took several pictures for the PCP and at high magnification several of the bumps looked similar to a blister.  The PCP gave me a week of Cipro but no reduction in condition.
    The rash or small bumps has never gotten any worse or never any less just continues to burn especially after touching.  I went to a dermatologist who said it looked like a normal glans (glands) (I know for sure it is not as it burns and wasn't there a year ago)!  He gave me numerous creams to try but nothing changed the glans (glands).  I was also tested for HIV, Clamidia and a few other STDs and they were all negative.
    It has been a year and no one has been able to diagnose the glans (glands) problem.  The end of the shaft now also tingles at times and burns some as does the testicles and anus particually when warm or I am perspiring.  I also have similar or same skin reactions on the back of my thighs, calves, arms, face, hands, and back of shoulders.  It seems to be progressing and every month more of my skin is involved.  It initially was only when I was hot and perspiring, but now it stings and burns most all of the time.  The raised glans (glands) bumps are still very small, and very difficult to see; however can be felt and seen by me - they are real.
    I also haven't felt well for the past few months as I have had chronic sore throat, respiratory problems, joint aches, much fatigue, a mild temperature off and on.  This may or may not be related.  I have had two runs of Zithromax, and one of Bactrim with no change in symptoms.
    Of course this symptom complex and the above encounter may or may not be related, but it all started almost a month later, to the day, so a strong coincidence and reson for concern!
    What shall I do now as it has been a year now, and the problem is not going away, but in fact seems to be getting worse?
Going to physicians is a waste of money at this time!  

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I'm not going to be able to help much.  Both from the symptoms you describe and the treatments you have had, it is clear you don't have an STD of any kind.  In any case, you could not have acquired an STD from the exposure you describe; it is probable that nobody ever caught an STD by moisure contact through clothing.  The timing of onset with that exposure undoubtedly is, in fact, merely a coincidence.

And I can't begin to guess about the causes of the skin symptoms you describe for your penis or elsewhere.  My guess is that nothing harmful is going on, and probably nothing abnormal, since a dermatologist couldn't see anything wrong.  You might consider seeing a mental health professional to help decide whether your symptoms are merely anxiety magnifying normal body sensations and skin appearance.  I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[Bobo_]

Hi dude:)
I have some postings here too in regarding to some of the similar symptoms I have .
The only difference is I had sex with a sex worker.
Anyhow .
Its hard for me to say this cause I would like to be able to take my own advice as well , but we both may have strong
Anxiety and some sort of regrets that we have difficulty coping with. Other than that good luck and keep us informed of how you're holding up :)

[ArtAA]

First all thanks for your inputs, and I won't keep this dialogue open as I know others have more serious problems.
    I realize that guilt and therefore anxiety are definite factors, but the glans (glands) breakout is the source of the anxiety.  I originally thought that it could be a medicine reaction so I stopped or rotated my medicines, and the glans (glands) did not change.  Since the skin manifestation has progressed, I have to presume that the cause is still present.  Exempting the guilt, that leaves me with an infection like viral, neurological manifestaion, emdocrine, or some other medical causation.
    I can't continue as I have for the past year!
    Psychologists have been little help to me as they want to medicate and many times the treatment is worse than the problem.  For example, I was given a trial for Elavil many years ago and it resulted in eye inflammation that resulted in retinal separation.  I was told that one had nothing to do with the other, but both times I was on Elavil I ended up with eye inflammation.  I refused the elavil and no more eye problems.  Thus, I became much more cognizant of medications, and one reason I felt medications could be causing this breakout.
    If this isn't an STD (that is always a possibility even if minute), or medical inducement then how do I determine which physician I should visit in order to determine the cause?  Are there references that I can read that cover glans (glands) pain and burning?  What treatment should I pursue for the glans (glands) breakout?
    

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

Man, I really feel for what you're saying and wanted to give you a vote of support.

Can you try a few more therapists and see if you click with anyone? From what you've described, someone jumped to medication too quickly. You may just need the right therapist to break through to you about your deeper difficulties.

Just to give you an example from my extreme-scenario: I had 15 HIV tests in 13 years, and I was sexually active with dozens of women and hundreds of men during that time. Even with that record, I never got a single STD, except for one case of crabs, because I never had high-risk sex. Just picture how much guilt and self-loathing I was walking around with.

After an HIV test in 2004 and many conversations with my main female partner, I realized I had to find psychological help. Like you, there was always something going on with my health and everything always pointed to an STD. I never thought of myself as crazy so I never accepted the idea that my rashes, fungal infections, mouth sores, acne outbreaks, flus, diarrhea, headaches, and million other ailments were all coming from my brain and not a disease.

For one year, I tried to get help, but my health plan wouldn't cover any sessions, good doctors weren't accepting new patients, and the few people I saw just didn't help me. Finally I found a doctor who broke through. He referred me to a good psychiatrist and I got on the right medication for my problem.

I'm proud to say I've been "clean" for 4 months; that is to say, I have sex with one woman and no other people. I don't have any more ailments, not because sex was giving me ailments, but because my guilt and lack of control was. Sticking to this forum has actually helped me a lot with it. I owe a lot to that one shrink.

I know it's hard, but just keep trying.

Bye,
J

[ArtAA]

Dr HHH:

    Thank you for your quick response, and I have been thinking about what you said and the other two comments.  I do want to clarify that the moisture I mentioned in my first remarks was most likely not only perspiration from the girl!  Jeans are a cotton fabric and obviously extremely pourous thus this vaginal fluid mixture could very easily have contacted my genital skin and surrounding area and ureter or any other opening including hands.  With that in mind, is it possible that I could have contarcted something from this foreign country dancer?
    What are the medications used for STDs?  Can STDs affect skin other than in the genital area?  Do any skin manifestations remain constant with STDs or do they change frequently?  My last question is, could I have gotten this from my X-spose as we had sex (spouse then)in the same time vacinity of the outbreak or possibly from a past sexual encounter who may not have had any symptoms?

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

I don't know if the doc is going to respond again, but I think you have to let go of the Spanish dancer episode already. Even if she was gushing vaginal secretions, I'm pretty sure you can't possibly get anything. Check out the other threads and you'll see. The ex-wife thing seems like a long shot too. Maybe 1 or 2 doctors could be off, but if physician after physician tells you that your symptoms are anxiety-related, then eventually you have to surrender to their diagnosis.

J

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You have to face facts.  If nobody can see anything wrong with your glans (glands), there is nothing wrong, physiologically.  There is no point in continuing to seek answers.  You are probably going to just have to live with the discomfort. Trust me:  your penis isn't going to fall off, you don't have (and won't get) cancer, you have nothing you can give to a partner.

All human beings have unexplained aches and pains of one part of the body or another, at one time or another.  All around you there are people living with back pain, headaches, or whatever--that can't be explained.  Most just get on with life and learn to live with it.  Your pain happens to be genital, so what?  Tough.  Move on.  If you can't do that, fllow through with a mental health provider.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you have no other options.  Good luck--

HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You have to face facts.  If nobody can see anything wrong with your glans (glands), there is nothing wrong, physiologically.  There is no point in continuing to seek answers.  You are probably going to just have to live with the discomfort. Trust me:  your penis isn't going to fall off, you don't have (and won't get) cancer, you have nothing you can give to a partner.

All human beings have unexplained aches and pains of one part of the body or another, at one time or another.  All around you there are people living with back pain, headaches, or whatever--that can't be explained.  Most just get on with life and learn to live with it.  Your pain happens to be genital, so what?  Tough.  Move on.  If you can't do that, fllow through with a mental health provider.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you have no other options.  Good luck--

HHH, MD