I have been diagnosed with Zoon's Balanitis, or Plasma Cell Balanitis. I have been battling this inflammation for almost 2 years now. My first occurrence of any penile inflammation was a month after I had unprotected sex, when I noticed a foul smelling substance (smegma) underneath my foreskin -- I am uncircumcised. My primary physician told me it was a yeast infection, and that it can't be from sexual transmission since the yeast fungi can't be dormant for that long. He recommended OTC clotrimazole. I followed the treatment, and after a full week, went back to my primary to let him know that it wasn't working. He sent me over to a dermatologist, and I was told that it was a fungal infection and to apply Lamisil, the OTC anti-fungal cream. Within 3 days, the infection/inflammation cleared up and went away, or so I thought...
For 2 months, I was cleared of all symptoms. Then after 3 days of hard drinking and insomnia because of work obligations and jet lag, I noticed the itchy irritation and smegma buildup once again. I was out of the country at the time, but I knew exactly what to do - Lamisil. Only this time, it didn't work. When I came back stateside, my doctor tried everything that he could think of: OTC hydrocortizone cream/ointment, OTC antibiotic cream, oral antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin), anti-fungal cream (Lamisil, Clotrimazole), oral anti-fungal (Diflucan). I went to another dermatologist, and he told me there's nothing he could do, and to apply hydrocortizone until judgment day; he also recommended circumcision. I just tried Tacrolimus after researching extensively online, and that's failed me too. I'm extremely depressed.
The only relief I get is from OTC triple antibiotic from Walgreen, a Neosporin equivalent. The active ingredients are Bacitracin Zinc, Neomycin Sulfate, and Polymyxin B sulfate. If I apply this for about 3 days, once a day, I can stave off the balanitis for about a week, then the symptoms would slowly relapse, beginning with the presence of smegma, then the the redness and itchiness, and the transverse lesions at the base of the penile glans at the crease. I've been doing this antibiotics on and off for about half a year now.
Has anyone any ideas? I'm miserable. This thing has taken over my life. Can someone please help! I would really like to keep my foreskin. Please, if anyone has any experience with overcoming this illness, short of circumcision, do contact me.