Balanitis issue

[tom001]

Hello, I am getting worried about my penis.
Here's my entire situation:
I dropped out of school last semester due to depression and financial issues and after dropping out I basically did not take care of myself too well for around two months.  I showered on average once a week or two and was a mess.  During this peroid of not bathing I developed a rash on the head of my penis.  The rash is basically where the foreskin covers the head of my penis, and the rash is not on the entire head but only where the foreskin usually covers it.  The purple 'edge'/end of the head near the shaft, however, was not affected.  The rash had an itch to it when I tried to masturbate.  When I noticed the rash and itch, I started showering daily to keep my penis clean and I kept my foreskin retracted at all times, thinking it would be best to keep the area dry all the time.  The itching eventually went away after a week or so.  I believe there was a small rash on the foreskin that went away about when the itching stopped.  The rash on the head did not go away along with the itching.  The rash has been basically the same ever since it popped up, minus the itching.  It's been there for over a month now, with no change.  Recently I used 1% clotrimazole cream on my penis for 5 or 6 days, thinking it was a yeast infection, but this did not seem to do anything.  I then went out and bought a 3-day Monistat set and have been using the 2% miconazole topical cream that came with the vaginal creams for two days now, and I haven't noticed any change either.  I have been keeping the foreskin retracted all the time.
I would say that the rash has a definite border to it.  Before I started using the antifungal creams, on two or three occasions I noticed that the rash had these sort of small cracks and was white, as if it was drying off/going away, but it did not go away a few days after I noticed this.  It is redder than the unaffected parts of the head.  The rash seems to have almost the same texture as the regular head.  It is red but NOT swollen; looking from the side, the penis has its regular shape.  Also, the rash is not a 'consistent' rash; by this I mean that there are sections among the rash where there are 'slivers' and a spot of regular-looking glans.
I can try to post a picture of it if it is allowed here and if it will help.

What should I do now?  Should I go to a regular doctor, or a urologist or perhaps a dermatologist?  How much should I expect to pay? I don't have insurance or much money and am unemployed.

Thanks,
Tom

[tom001]

Also, one more question:  What is the betamethasone in the lotrisone for?  What does it do?  I know it's a glucocorticoid steroid.

[tom001]

I went to the urologist and she said it was contact dermatitis probably caused by laundry detergent, and she told me to use detergent without dyes/perfumes/etc, and I've washed all my clothes twice after being told this.  It's been 4 days since I did this and the rash is still there.  Should I just wait longer?

The day after the urologist I went to my regular doctor and he said it was some sort of irritation and prescribed me lotrisone (clotrimazole and betamethasone).  I am having doubts about whether or not I should use it.  Any ideas?

[tom001]

I am keeping the appointment and am anxious to go tomorrow.

There is no itching and discomfort but the rash that appeared with the initial itching is still there and is not going away.  That's the problem.  There's obviously something that isn't supposed to be there.

[Curved]

Keep you doctors appointment.

Probabley not cancer, from what I know cancer is black, hard and has a cauliflower shape.

Let the doctor decide if a biopsy is needed.

If the itching is gone and no discomfort then what is the problem?

Curved

[tom001]

Should I have a biopsy done??

Could this be cancer???

Please help, someone.

[tom001]

Thanks for the response.
My foreskin is short and does not cover the entire head and it is pretty loose so it retracts natually by itself often.  However when the rash appeared I'm pretty sure it was not retracted almost all of the time.
I've gone through many long periods where the foreskin was retracted at all times without any troubles so I doubt this is an issue.

I am certain that it is a rash and not just irritation because it's kept its same shape/general appearance since it first appeared and there is a definite border to it.  I have not been having sex or masturbating since this appeared.

I do not want to wait another two weeks because I've had this for almost two months now.  Earlier today I made an appointment with a urologist.
What should I expect the urologist to do?
Are there any doctors here that have any ideas on what this may be and what I should do?

I'm in Illinois/Chicago, would Medicaid help me with the urologist's visit?

Thanks,
Tom

[Curved]

You may cause damage to the penis itself if you keep the foreskin retracted all the time!

[Curved]

Hi.

I was circumcised at age 28.

My Urologist told me that you should never retract the skin except during sex naturally.  Retracting the skin all the time causes blood to pool, and may shrink the skin leading to an unnecessary circumcision.  

By the way, the skin at the tip of the penis is normally a different shade of color (Purple/red) and you may not have a rash as you suggest.  Maybe it's just irritated from your use.

I suggest you immediately put the skin back over the head of the penis.  DO NOT LEAVE IT RETRACTED ALL THE TIME.  THIS IS DANGEROUS!

Do not have sex or masturbate for two weeks.  Leave it completely alone.  You penis may just need time to heal.  You may be unintentionally irritating it.  


If you are not better in two weeks see a Urologist.  But be aware they are very expensive especially for the first visit.  Specialist like Urologist cost $120-150+ back in 1994, maybe more now.  The surgury cost $600.00 in 1994.

Good luck.

[tom001]

I forgot to include my basic information:
18 year old male, no health conditions, uncircumcised, in pretty good shape.