Recurring Balanitis / Thrush

[needtoseesense]

Doctor – could you have a read of my previous question?

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/NGU---is-she-in-danger-now/show/1039928?personal_page_id=722100&post_id=post_4823936

I am still having trouble with symptoms.

6-7 wks after the NGU I developed Balanitis / thrush symptoms. A few days later my partner noticed yeast infection symptoms. We both self medicated.
A couple of weeks later we noticed a white discharge after sex – she got checked and diagnosed by lab test with BV and treated accordingly.

We abstained for some time. Over the next 2.5 months we have tried to get our sex life going. Out of approx 4 rounds of sexual activity I have 3 times flared up with severe balanitis /thrush symptoms with strong urge to urinate often. My partner is symptom free. My condition clears up itself quickly or with Canestan – and abstaining from sex.

It seems there are 2 options – Assuming my partner is the cause.


1 – Recurring BV
2 – A silent case of vaginal thrush over a few months.

Can you give me your thoughts on the above as well as answers to specific questions below which deal with concerns over NGU and the future….


1 - ASHA website states:
“The germs that cause NGU in men might cause other infections in women. These might include vaginitis”
Does this support me causing her BV with my NGU and provide the answer to this scenario?

2 – Confused about BV in men – does it cause the condition I describe when there ARE symptoms in men?

3 – CDC states “BV is associated with having a new sex partner or having multiple sex partners”
Could you explain the sex partner link in context – does it refer to me giving my partner BV through an NGU/bacteria or is it that the woman needs an actual new partner/sperm to upset things?

4 – Long term symptom less yeast infection? Could this be triggered by my picking up the NGU?

5 – With a recurring BV case or long term yeast infection are there long term damage concerns for us?


Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have my suggestion almost right.  Use condoms.  If her symptoms recur, you are not the problem.  If they are, then you may be a contributor.  If it then turns out she has a recurrence of bacterial vaginosis, you need to do some problem solving.  We can discuss this is this is the case.

In answer to your questions:
1.  Yes
2.  HArd to say.  As I said above, if this is recurrent BV, the "male factor" is unknown but may be a quality of the male's ejaculate
3.  Yes, azithro typically casues upset stomaches

Take care.  EWH

[needtoseesense]

your comments have indeed been helpful!
to clarify -

Use condoms for a while - then stop using them (presumably protected sex will eradicate this problem) and see if it still persists.
If it does - get evaluation.
If it does not – put these individual infections down to coincidence and seek other causes – what do you mean by that?

This latest episode has followed the below pattern in order -
Both healthy / sex / I flare up / she notices mild symptom of itch and discomfort.
It makes no sense. Is it conceivable I am having a reaction to her and triggering something in us both or vice versa?

Final queries before I drop the issue and take your above advice.

1 - Do you agree that this is not a condition carried forward from another partner in the past?
2 - What on earth do you think we are dealing with ie. std/non std/germ/yeast/bacteria?
3 – Finally as an aside – my partner took the dose of azythro in the clinic and very quickly felt  a little unwell – later on suffering a couple of severe stomach cramps – could that be a reaction to the drug?

Thanks for all your comments – I am grateful.
Good luck.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to the Forum   Your questions really center around BV.  The questions you ask address questions that are still being researched by investigators all over the world.  I will try to address the.

BV is not an STD in that there is not current evidence that it is transmitted from one person to another.  At the same time however, there is an association with sexual activity and sex with some partners seems to cause more BV in women than others.  This is thought to be due to the fact that there are likely non-STD factors which act to change (disrupt) the bacteria normally present in the vagina.  In addition in women, about 1/3 or women with BV tend to experience recurrences.  There is no known relationship between BV in women and NGU in men.  To address your specific questions:

1.  No, the other ASHA web site is referring to other genital tract processes such as trichomonas vaginitis or cervicitis in women.
2.  No, there is no known counterpart to BV in women for men.
3.  See above.  There may be factors in the male which increase risk for BV in women including unknown/undescribed component of their ejaculate.
4.  Long term asymptomatic yeast is very unlikely and not associated with NGU.
5.   No, none that is known ( and it has been studied)

Sorry I don't have more answers.   You situation is not unique, nor is it easily answered.   To sort this out and to figure out if something is being passed back and forth (in either direction), it would be my advice to use condoms for a while. If nothing happens when condoms are used, then further evaluation of each of you may be warranted.  If not, you should credit this all to coincidence and look for other causes.  Hope these comments help.  EWH

[needtoseesense]

sorry - should mention the BV I describe above is the same case as mentioned in my original post  - not a second diagnosis.
I am stressed out with it all. every time I have sex my penis gets inflamed , painful with a raised rash, some discharge, itchy - weird smell, white stuff under the foreskin, hard to pull the skin back - and my partner seems ok!!!
help!