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Herpes, Fungus, Balanitis, Yeast, UTI...what is wrong with me?!?!?
I've been reading other's stories trying to figure this out but I can't, so here it goes...sorry, it's a long one:
I'm a 30 year old man and I've been in a relationship with my girlfriend for 3 years now. We were both tested and were negative for STDs when we started dating and have had unprotected sex since then. Where the story starts, we had unprotected sex on 3/21/13. Then 3 days later, I VERY STUPIDLY hooked up with a girl I met online during the afternoon on 3/24/13. She gave me brief unprotected oral sex (she didn't have any signs of lesions or sores on her mouth). That night I started to feel a weird tingling/uncomfortable feeling in my penis and there were a few small little red spots on the penis head (I'm uncircumcised and I have been getting this as well as some painful redness/irritation under my foreskin after sex or masturbation for a few years now). This continued through the week. There was never any discharge and no red spots on my penis ever turned into blisters or oozed any pus or anything. They would subside in a day or so. I emailed the girl I had oral sex with to see if she had any STDs. She said no. Later in the week I asked her again since the pain was still there and she said no again. Not surprisingly, she was offended that I kept asking so she told me I was crazy and not to contact her again.
6 days after the oral sex, I went to see my PCP and discussed the situation. She examined the red spots and didn't see anything to indicate an STD. She still did a urine sample and that came out negative for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and any UTI or bacterial infections. She also gave me the antibiotics to get rid of Chlamydia/Gonorrhea. The discomfort and pain continued for another 2-3 weeks, off and on throughout the day. The pain felt like it was inside my urethra. Sometimes it felt like the pain would move into my lower abdomen or into my legs, but I didn't know if I was making this up in my head or not. Still no discharge. I went back to my PCP for a regular checkup on 4/26/13. By then pretty much all discomfort/pain had subsided, though I would feel it every once in a while. To be safe, my doctor did a full blood test for STD's (including Herpes). I got the test results back a week later and everything was NEGATIVE (though I didn't get any numbers on the tests). Following those results and the lack of symptoms, I felt like I was in the clear! I had been reading A LOT on this website and others and decided it must have been something like balanitis or a fungal infection from being uncircumcised, so I started applying Lotrimin anti-fungal cream on my penis which didn't seem to bother it at all and seemed to keep any redness or soreness away.
My girlfriend and I then had unprotected sex the morning of 5/11/13 (the first time we've had unprotected sex since this incident). I don't know if this was just terrible coincidence or what but the next day I started to feel the discomfort in my penis/urethra again. Then the following night, my girlfriend mentioned to me that she wanted to break up with me (or at least take some time apart). This news hit me like a freight train. Side note: she doesn't know about my STUPID moment of infidelity...the break up is unrelated if that matters at all.
That night I couldn't sleep that well and to make matters worse, the pain in my urethra was at the maximum pain it had ever been. The next day it continued. My penis head also seemed to be red/inflamed, and the pain seemed the worst AFTER urination (no burning during though). The pain continued throughout the week, fluctuating between almost nothing to very discomforting. Again, it seemed to move around. It would go from the urethra, to my lower abdomen area, to my lower back, to my thighs, sometimes in my testicles, and then back around. I also started to feel jolts of pains in my leg muscles. I even think I was getting some in my arms at times too, but things have been so stressful for me, I don't really know what's real and what's not anymore.
The pain again continued, so on 5/18/13, I went to an Emergency Care MD, since my PCP wasn't available. I explained the whole story and the doctor examined my penis. I had a few painless red spots/bumps again, but she said those are completely normal and don't look like herpes or anything else that I should be worried about. They did a urine test again and again gave me antibiotics for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. A few days later, I got a call from them and the urine sample was again NEGATIVE for everything. She had referred me to a urologist whom I met with on 5/23. Again, I mentioned the whole story. He asked about pain from ejaculation. Sadly I have only masturbated one or two times since this all started. I did notice pain in my perineum when I ejaculated the one time. Before he even examined me, he diagnosed me with Prostatitis and CPPS (he never did an actual prostate exam...he only examined my penis area). He gave me a 10-day dose of Levaquin (levofloxacin). I started to take this that day. Even before I went to see him that day, it seemed like the pain in my urethra was starting to subside. Finally, it seemed like there was light at the end of the tunnel! I had a diagnosis, the pain was subsiding, and I had the treatment to help with this!
However, on 5/25/13, I woke up in the middle of the night from a wet dream. Yeah, I still get these every few weeks. I cleaned myself up and went back to bed. When I woke up a few hours later, I noticed my urethra was a little wet. There wasn't much there but I had a little clear, sticky fluid coming out. I figured this was just left over semen from the wet dream. Then about an hour or so later, I noticed something on my penis head. It was one small raised papule...about 1/2 mm in size. To me, it just seemed like a normal papule on the penis head that was red/inflamed. It was painful to touch. Then I noticed that I had some redness on the right side of my penis shaft under the foreskin, similar to what I sometimes get after sex or masturbation. This was also painful to touch. There were 4-6 raised red spots and when I pulled my foreskin back tightly, I could see little blood vessels emanating from them as well. I thought maybe this was irritation from my wet dream and sleeping for some time with semen on my penis, so I applied some Lotrimin cream. Later that evening, I had checked myself again and things seemed to be a little worse. The redness was larger and now there seemed to be a few more red spots/bumps...all about 1/2 to 1 mm in size. I could feel the pain in my penis now. I kept examining these but they never blistered or became ulcers. There were just tiny raised spots with redness around them on my penis shaft under my foreskin and a few right at the edge where the penis head meets the shaft. I was also feeling jolts in my muscles again.
The next day 5/26/13, I went back to the Emergency Care MD. They had my notes from last time, so I gave them the update from the urologist, the wet dream, and the spots I have found and the lingering pain. The doctor (different from last time) examined me and said it might be herpes or it might be something else. He was very vague. They did a swab of the infected area under my foreskin and I am currently awaiting the results. He wouldn't say for sure that it was herpes but he gave me a 10-day prescription of Valtrex and told me to wait for the results. And even if the results are negative, that it could still be herpes and I should get another blood test in a week or so. Yeah, I now know that herpes takes time to show up in blood tests. The red bumps are almost all gone now (never scabbed) but the pain is still in my penis. As you can tell, I am really FREAKING out now and wonder if anyone has any input on what could possibly be wrong with me? This one stupid mistake has ruined my life.
Please help!
I'm a 30 year old man and I've been in a relationship with my girlfriend for 3 years now. We were both tested and were negative for STDs when we started dating and have had unprotected sex since then. Where the story starts, we had unprotected sex on 3/21/13. Then 3 days later, I VERY STUPIDLY hooked up with a girl I met online during the afternoon on 3/24/13. She gave me brief unprotected oral sex (she didn't have any signs of lesions or sores on her mouth). That night I started to feel a weird tingling/uncomfortable feeling in my penis and there were a few small little red spots on the penis head (I'm uncircumcised and I have been getting this as well as some painful redness/irritation under my foreskin after sex or masturbation for a few years now). This continued through the week. There was never any discharge and no red spots on my penis ever turned into blisters or oozed any pus or anything. They would subside in a day or so. I emailed the girl I had oral sex with to see if she had any STDs. She said no. Later in the week I asked her again since the pain was still there and she said no again. Not surprisingly, she was offended that I kept asking so she told me I was crazy and not to contact her again.
6 days after the oral sex, I went to see my PCP and discussed the situation. She examined the red spots and didn't see anything to indicate an STD. She still did a urine sample and that came out negative for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and any UTI or bacterial infections. She also gave me the antibiotics to get rid of Chlamydia/Gonorrhea. The discomfort and pain continued for another 2-3 weeks, off and on throughout the day. The pain felt like it was inside my urethra. Sometimes it felt like the pain would move into my lower abdomen or into my legs, but I didn't know if I was making this up in my head or not. Still no discharge. I went back to my PCP for a regular checkup on 4/26/13. By then pretty much all discomfort/pain had subsided, though I would feel it every once in a while. To be safe, my doctor did a full blood test for STD's (including Herpes). I got the test results back a week later and everything was NEGATIVE (though I didn't get any numbers on the tests). Following those results and the lack of symptoms, I felt like I was in the clear! I had been reading A LOT on this website and others and decided it must have been something like balanitis or a fungal infection from being uncircumcised, so I started applying Lotrimin anti-fungal cream on my penis which didn't seem to bother it at all and seemed to keep any redness or soreness away.
My girlfriend and I then had unprotected sex the morning of 5/11/13 (the first time we've had unprotected sex since this incident). I don't know if this was just terrible coincidence or what but the next day I started to feel the discomfort in my penis/urethra again. Then the following night, my girlfriend mentioned to me that she wanted to break up with me (or at least take some time apart). This news hit me like a freight train. Side note: she doesn't know about my STUPID moment of infidelity...the break up is unrelated if that matters at all.
That night I couldn't sleep that well and to make matters worse, the pain in my urethra was at the maximum pain it had ever been. The next day it continued. My penis head also seemed to be red/inflamed, and the pain seemed the worst AFTER urination (no burning during though). The pain continued throughout the week, fluctuating between almost nothing to very discomforting. Again, it seemed to move around. It would go from the urethra, to my lower abdomen area, to my lower back, to my thighs, sometimes in my testicles, and then back around. I also started to feel jolts of pains in my leg muscles. I even think I was getting some in my arms at times too, but things have been so stressful for me, I don't really know what's real and what's not anymore.
The pain again continued, so on 5/18/13, I went to an Emergency Care MD, since my PCP wasn't available. I explained the whole story and the doctor examined my penis. I had a few painless red spots/bumps again, but she said those are completely normal and don't look like herpes or anything else that I should be worried about. They did a urine test again and again gave me antibiotics for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. A few days later, I got a call from them and the urine sample was again NEGATIVE for everything. She had referred me to a urologist whom I met with on 5/23. Again, I mentioned the whole story. He asked about pain from ejaculation. Sadly I have only masturbated one or two times since this all started. I did notice pain in my perineum when I ejaculated the one time. Before he even examined me, he diagnosed me with Prostatitis and CPPS (he never did an actual prostate exam...he only examined my penis area). He gave me a 10-day dose of Levaquin (levofloxacin). I started to take this that day. Even before I went to see him that day, it seemed like the pain in my urethra was starting to subside. Finally, it seemed like there was light at the end of the tunnel! I had a diagnosis, the pain was subsiding, and I had the treatment to help with this!
However, on 5/25/13, I woke up in the middle of the night from a wet dream. Yeah, I still get these every few weeks. I cleaned myself up and went back to bed. When I woke up a few hours later, I noticed my urethra was a little wet. There wasn't much there but I had a little clear, sticky fluid coming out. I figured this was just left over semen from the wet dream. Then about an hour or so later, I noticed something on my penis head. It was one small raised papule...about 1/2 mm in size. To me, it just seemed like a normal papule on the penis head that was red/inflamed. It was painful to touch. Then I noticed that I had some redness on the right side of my penis shaft under the foreskin, similar to what I sometimes get after sex or masturbation. This was also painful to touch. There were 4-6 raised red spots and when I pulled my foreskin back tightly, I could see little blood vessels emanating from them as well. I thought maybe this was irritation from my wet dream and sleeping for some time with semen on my penis, so I applied some Lotrimin cream. Later that evening, I had checked myself again and things seemed to be a little worse. The redness was larger and now there seemed to be a few more red spots/bumps...all about 1/2 to 1 mm in size. I could feel the pain in my penis now. I kept examining these but they never blistered or became ulcers. There were just tiny raised spots with redness around them on my penis shaft under my foreskin and a few right at the edge where the penis head meets the shaft. I was also feeling jolts in my muscles again.
The next day 5/26/13, I went back to the Emergency Care MD. They had my notes from last time, so I gave them the update from the urologist, the wet dream, and the spots I have found and the lingering pain. The doctor (different from last time) examined me and said it might be herpes or it might be something else. He was very vague. They did a swab of the infected area under my foreskin and I am currently awaiting the results. He wouldn't say for sure that it was herpes but he gave me a 10-day prescription of Valtrex and told me to wait for the results. And even if the results are negative, that it could still be herpes and I should get another blood test in a week or so. Yeah, I now know that herpes takes time to show up in blood tests. The red bumps are almost all gone now (never scabbed) but the pain is still in my penis. As you can tell, I am really FREAKING out now and wonder if anyone has any input on what could possibly be wrong with me? This one stupid mistake has ruined my life.
Please help!
Hi Grace,
The HIV test result was negative. Phew.
As for the HSV1 being 1.51... Do you think there is a chance it is a false-positive? Ever since that result, the neuralgia has completely gone away and now ever since my negative HIV result, all of the other symptoms have gone away as well, so I'm just wondering if this was ALL in my head, caused by my overwhelming guilt.
I assume that my next step to see once and for all is to get the Western Blot test done. It's been over 3 months since the encounter. Should I wait until the 8-month mark to see? Or would it be OK to take it now?
I am in NYC so I'm just wondering if you know of any place here that does the Western Blot? (My GP does not).
Thanks again for taking the time to ready my posts/answer my questions.
The HIV test result was negative. Phew.
As for the HSV1 being 1.51... Do you think there is a chance it is a false-positive? Ever since that result, the neuralgia has completely gone away and now ever since my negative HIV result, all of the other symptoms have gone away as well, so I'm just wondering if this was ALL in my head, caused by my overwhelming guilt.
I assume that my next step to see once and for all is to get the Western Blot test done. It's been over 3 months since the encounter. Should I wait until the 8-month mark to see? Or would it be OK to take it now?
I am in NYC so I'm just wondering if you know of any place here that does the Western Blot? (My GP does not).
Thanks again for taking the time to ready my posts/answer my questions.
Hi Grace,
Just to give you an update, the number for the IGG test was 1.51 for HSV1 and 0.07 for HSV2. I can DEFINITELY rule out HSV2, but are those resulted for HSV1 considered borderline or is it safe to safe that I am HSV1 positive?
I am also starting to think that now that I am positive for HSV1, that I might have been coinfected with HIV from this encounter as well, which might help account for some of my other symptoms that I have been getting...neuralgia, slight fatigue, a canker-like sore on the inside of my cheek, shortness of breath for the past few weeks, and one or two days of bad diarrhea. And whatever small sores I had on penis, I think might possibly be part of all these other symptoms which are very common for early HIV infection.
I had a blood test done for the HIV and I am now awaiting the results. Clearly I am freaking out about all of this. I have already gotten herpes from this, and now I might have HIV which I might have also passed on to my girlfriend (when we had unprotected sex after my early negative herpes test. She had a bad, dry cough for a few weeks, which is finally going away) which I'm afraid is part of her early HIV infection.
Just to give you an update, the number for the IGG test was 1.51 for HSV1 and 0.07 for HSV2. I can DEFINITELY rule out HSV2, but are those resulted for HSV1 considered borderline or is it safe to safe that I am HSV1 positive?
I am also starting to think that now that I am positive for HSV1, that I might have been coinfected with HIV from this encounter as well, which might help account for some of my other symptoms that I have been getting...neuralgia, slight fatigue, a canker-like sore on the inside of my cheek, shortness of breath for the past few weeks, and one or two days of bad diarrhea. And whatever small sores I had on penis, I think might possibly be part of all these other symptoms which are very common for early HIV infection.
I had a blood test done for the HIV and I am now awaiting the results. Clearly I am freaking out about all of this. I have already gotten herpes from this, and now I might have HIV which I might have also passed on to my girlfriend (when we had unprotected sex after my early negative herpes test. She had a bad, dry cough for a few weeks, which is finally going away) which I'm afraid is part of her early HIV infection.
you can't really assume it's hsv1 genitally.
continue to follow up regularly with your providers. I'd ask for a neurology consult for the neuralgia. a genital herpes infection would not cause tingling above the waist.
continue to follow up regularly with your providers. I'd ask for a neurology consult for the neuralgia. a genital herpes infection would not cause tingling above the waist.
Grace,
I'm at a loss now....
I just got new blood test results back from my doctor. This was 3 months past exposure and I came back POSITIVE for HSV1. It was an IGG type-specific test but I didn't get the numbers yet. I was negative again for HSV2. I'm so confused. The first blood test was negative 1 month after, and the swab for the red bumps I had on my foreskin was negative as well.
However my symptoms are persisting...I have neuralgia throughout the day in weird spots...my arms, legs, feet, hands, stomach, but it's never too bad. I also have pain in my lower back on and off. Sometimes I get a tingly uncomfortable feeling in my penis too but no outbreak or anything. Is it safe to say this is from the HSV1 and that it's genital?
I'm at a loss now....
I just got new blood test results back from my doctor. This was 3 months past exposure and I came back POSITIVE for HSV1. It was an IGG type-specific test but I didn't get the numbers yet. I was negative again for HSV2. I'm so confused. The first blood test was negative 1 month after, and the swab for the red bumps I had on my foreskin was negative as well.
However my symptoms are persisting...I have neuralgia throughout the day in weird spots...my arms, legs, feet, hands, stomach, but it's never too bad. I also have pain in my lower back on and off. Sometimes I get a tingly uncomfortable feeling in my penis too but no outbreak or anything. Is it safe to say this is from the HSV1 and that it's genital?
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
