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Balanitis, Yeast Infection, Herpes??
I'm a 24 year old, single, gay male. To begin the LONG story....I have been experiencing curious symptoms down below for several weeks now and have been to the Ryan Clinic for Cheslea/Clinton twice, with different responses. I'm paralyzed with fear and am consumed with finding answers.
On February 24th, I took part in oral sex and genital rubbing with a childhood friend of mine who I hadn't seen in years. I hadn't had a partner before that in over a month.
Almost two weeks later, I experienced itching that was so severe, it woke me up at night. I got nervous because I noticed a small bump/pimple on my penis and another sort of pinkish area and started to research itching in relation to that. I was, like everyone, it seems, most worried about herpes. Then I inspected my happy trail and found a CRAB. I freaked out and found several more, ran to Duane Reade and got RID. I treated the area and shaved myself very closely. I also trimmed my leg hair, and swabbed my entire genital area with tea tree oil.
I went to the clinic the next day and had a male doctor inspect my genitals. He said it was surely crabs and would prescribe a stronger medication to make sure I got them all. He said I should discontinue the tea tree oil too and then he took blood tests to see if I had another STD. He didn't seem to concerned about the red marks and said that they were like little insect bites.
I used the Elimite he gave me, and I found more of the buggers, but I still itched (could have been anxiety and my imagination). I then read that crabs can affect all hairy areas so I repeated the RID treatement on the lower half of my body. I did RID the second time, because the sores on my penis seemed to be very agitated by the elimite and swelled up and became red. There also appeared to be more of them - (one right above, another right below my urethra opening... and two on the left side of my penis head.)
A week and a few days later, the area showed no sign of healing, so I went in and got a walk-in appointment. The sores had kind of crusted over and were scabbing. They were never filled with puss, and they never ruptured. They also never really hurt or looked like the herpes pictures I found online... still I thought it could just be a milder case.
It's not the policy of this clinic to give results over the phone, so the first time I went in, I had to make an appointment to come back a MONTH later to get the results. I was so nervous, I requested my results right away and told the female doctor the whole story. She said I was tested negative for Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, HIV, etc. But the doc I saw the first time DIDN'T test me for HERPES. I was so mad and demanded another blood test. She looked at the scabbed over sores and said that it looked like scabies burrows that were healing. The first doc said it wasn't scabies because I would have had red marks in other places like my elbows or wrists or anus. Still, it scared me so I went home and did the overnight head to toe Elimite treatment, since before I just treated my genital area.
My test for herpes came back negative, but the symptoms below haven't improved (though they haven't really worsened) AT ALL even with bacitracin ointment she gave me. I went online and read that tests for herpes in the blood are sometimes faulty because it can take 3 weeks to 3 months for antibodies to appear in the blood. It was three weeks or so after I began experiencing symptoms that the blood test for HERPES was taken. Is this herpes?? I read primary herpes infections can last up to four weeks. Approached that boy I was with, and he said he was tested in late January on his birthday for everything under the sun, but then, he denied that he had crabs so he's no angel either.
I also looked online at other descriptions and it seems like it could also be a yeast infection, even though there is no discharge. I have been craving chocolate and sweets a lot... and I never really had a sweet tooth before. The dry pinkish marks most resemble pictures I have seen of BALANITIS (attaching a picture I found online that's similar to the sores when they aren't scabbed over), although I am circumcised so maybe this is unlikely. Still, I am a dancer, so I am often in tight sweaty clothes for long periods of time.
What are the odds of the blood test being wrong for herpes, and what is the likelihood of this being a yeast related infection that was heightened by a response to the elimite? Please help. I almost feel that the people at the clinic are aloof and I feel very alone in my quest for answers.
THANK YOU!
On February 24th, I took part in oral sex and genital rubbing with a childhood friend of mine who I hadn't seen in years. I hadn't had a partner before that in over a month.
Almost two weeks later, I experienced itching that was so severe, it woke me up at night. I got nervous because I noticed a small bump/pimple on my penis and another sort of pinkish area and started to research itching in relation to that. I was, like everyone, it seems, most worried about herpes. Then I inspected my happy trail and found a CRAB. I freaked out and found several more, ran to Duane Reade and got RID. I treated the area and shaved myself very closely. I also trimmed my leg hair, and swabbed my entire genital area with tea tree oil.
I went to the clinic the next day and had a male doctor inspect my genitals. He said it was surely crabs and would prescribe a stronger medication to make sure I got them all. He said I should discontinue the tea tree oil too and then he took blood tests to see if I had another STD. He didn't seem to concerned about the red marks and said that they were like little insect bites.
I used the Elimite he gave me, and I found more of the buggers, but I still itched (could have been anxiety and my imagination). I then read that crabs can affect all hairy areas so I repeated the RID treatement on the lower half of my body. I did RID the second time, because the sores on my penis seemed to be very agitated by the elimite and swelled up and became red. There also appeared to be more of them - (one right above, another right below my urethra opening... and two on the left side of my penis head.)
A week and a few days later, the area showed no sign of healing, so I went in and got a walk-in appointment. The sores had kind of crusted over and were scabbing. They were never filled with puss, and they never ruptured. They also never really hurt or looked like the herpes pictures I found online... still I thought it could just be a milder case.
It's not the policy of this clinic to give results over the phone, so the first time I went in, I had to make an appointment to come back a MONTH later to get the results. I was so nervous, I requested my results right away and told the female doctor the whole story. She said I was tested negative for Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, HIV, etc. But the doc I saw the first time DIDN'T test me for HERPES. I was so mad and demanded another blood test. She looked at the scabbed over sores and said that it looked like scabies burrows that were healing. The first doc said it wasn't scabies because I would have had red marks in other places like my elbows or wrists or anus. Still, it scared me so I went home and did the overnight head to toe Elimite treatment, since before I just treated my genital area.
My test for herpes came back negative, but the symptoms below haven't improved (though they haven't really worsened) AT ALL even with bacitracin ointment she gave me. I went online and read that tests for herpes in the blood are sometimes faulty because it can take 3 weeks to 3 months for antibodies to appear in the blood. It was three weeks or so after I began experiencing symptoms that the blood test for HERPES was taken. Is this herpes?? I read primary herpes infections can last up to four weeks. Approached that boy I was with, and he said he was tested in late January on his birthday for everything under the sun, but then, he denied that he had crabs so he's no angel either.
I also looked online at other descriptions and it seems like it could also be a yeast infection, even though there is no discharge. I have been craving chocolate and sweets a lot... and I never really had a sweet tooth before. The dry pinkish marks most resemble pictures I have seen of BALANITIS (attaching a picture I found online that's similar to the sores when they aren't scabbed over), although I am circumcised so maybe this is unlikely. Still, I am a dancer, so I am often in tight sweaty clothes for long periods of time.
What are the odds of the blood test being wrong for herpes, and what is the likelihood of this being a yeast related infection that was heightened by a response to the elimite? Please help. I almost feel that the people at the clinic are aloof and I feel very alone in my quest for answers.
THANK YOU!
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'd say you got scabies from one of the apartments you were in, rather than from your partner you were so concerned with.
I've heard about that test, and have no idea of its reliability, but good luck, and I hope you feel better.
AJ
I've heard about that test, and have no idea of its reliability, but good luck, and I hope you feel better.
AJ
Thanks auntiejessi,
Because of the nature of what I do as an actor/dancer, I move around a lot and I sublet as well. I was subletting in another apartment when all of this went down, and I cannot guarantee how clean the comforter or mattress were when I moved in, although I changed the sheets frequently and washed everything once crabs were discovered. I am now in a new apartment as of last week.
My doubts about the doctors at the clinic came from the fact that their respective diagnosis contradicted each other regarding scabies.
NEW INFORMATION: I read more on penile yeast infections online, and i took the much publicized spit test first thing this morning. (Found here, but also on countless other sites: http://www.stopyeast.net/saliva.html) The reaction of my spit in the glass was out of a sci-fi movie... it did that exactly what the site said it might if i had high levels of yeast in my body. It webbed out in jellyfishlike strings and clumped together in cloudy particles that fell slowly to the bottom. This happened within the first three minutes and i sat mesmerized for 15 minutes. So this may offer some explanation/confirmation that it is yeast related Balanitis? At this point, it feels like i find something new and scary every moment. Just wanted to add this to my pile of symptoms and any additional advice on how to handle this would be appreciated.
Because of the nature of what I do as an actor/dancer, I move around a lot and I sublet as well. I was subletting in another apartment when all of this went down, and I cannot guarantee how clean the comforter or mattress were when I moved in, although I changed the sheets frequently and washed everything once crabs were discovered. I am now in a new apartment as of last week.
My doubts about the doctors at the clinic came from the fact that their respective diagnosis contradicted each other regarding scabies.
NEW INFORMATION: I read more on penile yeast infections online, and i took the much publicized spit test first thing this morning. (Found here, but also on countless other sites: http://www.stopyeast.net/saliva.html) The reaction of my spit in the glass was out of a sci-fi movie... it did that exactly what the site said it might if i had high levels of yeast in my body. It webbed out in jellyfishlike strings and clumped together in cloudy particles that fell slowly to the bottom. This happened within the first three minutes and i sat mesmerized for 15 minutes. So this may offer some explanation/confirmation that it is yeast related Balanitis? At this point, it feels like i find something new and scary every moment. Just wanted to add this to my pile of symptoms and any additional advice on how to handle this would be appreciated.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there -
My first question is - have you changed your bedding? Your linens might be infested, and possibly your mattress. Ask a pharmacist or your doc what you can use to treat your mattress.
I don't mean to sound insulting, I really don't. Years ago, working at a clinic, we had a guy who kept coming back in for treatment, and was really frustrated, and it turned out he hadn't changed his sheets, so now this is the first question I ask.
My other thought is that maybe you have used too much of the medication, and its irritated your skin.
This doesn't sound at all like herpes, because herpes symptoms wouldn't linger like this. It can take up to 3 or 4 months to develop antobides, so if you do have herpes along with crabs, then you might not know that yet. If this is herpes, I can only imagine that all these treatments are making your symptoms worse.
Your docs should be well acquainted with what crabs/scabies looks like, so I wouldn't doubt them.
Sorry if this isn't as much help as you wanted.
AJ
My first question is - have you changed your bedding? Your linens might be infested, and possibly your mattress. Ask a pharmacist or your doc what you can use to treat your mattress.
I don't mean to sound insulting, I really don't. Years ago, working at a clinic, we had a guy who kept coming back in for treatment, and was really frustrated, and it turned out he hadn't changed his sheets, so now this is the first question I ask.
My other thought is that maybe you have used too much of the medication, and its irritated your skin.
This doesn't sound at all like herpes, because herpes symptoms wouldn't linger like this. It can take up to 3 or 4 months to develop antobides, so if you do have herpes along with crabs, then you might not know that yet. If this is herpes, I can only imagine that all these treatments are making your symptoms worse.
Your docs should be well acquainted with what crabs/scabies looks like, so I wouldn't doubt them.
Sorry if this isn't as much help as you wanted.
AJ
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs Community
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.
