Anal symptoms

[Mikey170]

Hello doctor,

I am a 26 yo male and about 8 months ago I both gave and received oral sex to/from a woman. While this was going on she fingered my anus. For the past 6 or 7 months I have been having anal symptoms. The anus/rectum has a constant burning sensation and a slight pain to the left of the rectum also. I frequently have loose,moist stools but theres never any sign of blood or mucous. I have been given numerous anti-fungal/hemmorhoid creams to try and alleviate the symptoms but to no avail. On one of my visits I also got my doctor to check my groin lymph nodes as I felt one on the left side bigger than all the rest. She said it was normal as it wasn't tender, but it has never gone down in size. It actually feels like a pulled muscle but she didnt say it wasn't a lymph node problem.
I have had tests done for syphilis, heb b, gonorrhea and clamydia and even a rapid hiv test at 11 weeks, all neg. I have even had CBC, glucose and thyroid test done, also negative.

In your personal opinion, do you think that my risk for an infection was high?

Thanks doc in advance for your insight.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can't catch any STD by fingering of your anus or any other part of your body.  If the first symptoms were pain, irritation, or itching that started within a day of the event, your problem(s) might have started with minor physical injury.  However, it might be that it had nothing to do with the fingering event.

Whatever symptoms have been going on beyond the first week have to be due to something else, such as an anal fissure or even an abscess. Conceivably minor trauma set the stage for a yeast infection or some other problem like that.  But these do not cause loose stools.  Some of your symptoms sound to me like irritable bowel syndrome.  Almost everybody has lymph nodes that can be felt in the groin, and it's no big deal if they are slighly assymetrical from one side to the other

Bottom line (no pun intended): This isn't an STD problem. Continue to work with your primary care provider.  If not yet seen by a proctologist (rectum specialist), that might be something to discuss with your doctor.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No STD causes such symptoms.

[Mikey170]

Thanks Doc for your speedy reply,
Your evaluation makes a lot of sense. Just one more question. A long with those symptoms, I forgot to mention that I also get this rather intense burning along the skin on my lower abdomen, this is present nearly all the time. Do you think its related to anxiety and IBS or maybe a sign of localized infection? My appetite is not as good as normal either.

Thanks again