Recent circumcision

[AnonPosterLol]

Help, I recently got circumcised (5 days ago) M18I know this is a long term thing but I was just wondering if anyone could help with a few things

1) Every night I bleed from some part or the other of the penis (was from the bottom yesterday night) - How much longer will the bleeding last? How long did it last for you guys? For reference, it bleeds for 7-10 drops then just abruptly stops bleeding all of a sudden.

2) I am putting Neosporin on everytime I change my gauze, but it feels uncomfortable to even walk or climb up the stairs, I have to sleep facing up instead of the side like I usually can, even sitting down in a chair is uncomfortable as I can feel my stitches strain. By when can I typically just do regular stuff like walking, sitting and sleeping without giving the circumcision an extra thought?

3) How long are my stitches supposed to last? The doctor said it's dissolvable and it's between 2-4 weeks, is that a timeframe everyone else has got? Also there are these tiny black looking things between each stitch area, do those just dissolve? I don't want my skin to grow over that and make me permanently uncomfortable.

4) people say you should lift your penis up for a few minutes every day to reduce swelling and blood flow but I think I'm unable to do that, first my shaft is too small to normally grip like I used to before because of the swelling it's almost like there are two lumps on my shaft, top and bottom ( it's sensitive skin, doesn't hurt if I touch it) is it normal for me to not be able to lift it up?

5) Also by when can I stop using the gauze? It constantly rubs against my head and even walking causes slight itching and irritation, maybe I'm just not putting the gauze on properly.

Aside from Neosporin, is there anything else I should use? My doctor didn't prescribe anything else.

Any tips, advice, experiences are more than welcome. I'm super nervous about this and could use all the reassurance I can get.

[Norwich1 Moderator]

why did you have your circumcision?

[AnonPosterLol in reply to Norwich1]

Had phimosis, asked if there were other things I could do to cure it but the doctor said at this point circumcision was the only way

[Arclight1979 in reply to AnonPosterLol]

Yep, I hear you. I had phimosis and adhesions... only way to solve them both was a circ. Steroids may have solved the phimosis, but not adhesions. Separation surgery would have solved the adhesions, but not the phimosis. Had to use the nuclear option.

[Nellsta]

hi it can take a while for the sensitivity to go away I was told to let the gauze come off in the shower so never had to put another one on stitches will normally go within two weeks I put Vaseline on the head of my penis to stop it from rubbing my underwear i also bled little amounts but that stopped within a week hope this helps good recovery

[Russell_088]

It's best to ask your doctor these questions. I was not bleeding at all. Discomfort for me lasted at least 2 months. Swelling several months.

[lgoddard]

I had the bleeding for about 2 weeks post op where the frenulum was removed but once a scab formed it stopped.

My dissolvable stitches started to dissolve at around 4 weeks.

It was very uncomfortable for me to walk, sleep, shower or just do anything at all so the only way I dealt with it was to stop wearing underwear and just let my glands/scar get used to it.

Surfing was the hardest test and took me a while to get back into because of the pain but time is a good healer.

[Arclight1979]

Hey there - how're you doing? I've got some answers to your questions below:

1) A bit of blood is to be expected in the early days, especially in the first few weeks. Keep an eye and if it gets more than what you're experiencing then check in with a medical professional.

2) The discomfort is undoubtedly a combination of the healing tissue and stitches pulling. This can last for at least 4 weeks, and as the stitches lose their tensile strength as they dissolve you'll find yourself able to sit, walk, etc. This will also improve as the sensitivity of your head decreases, which will be better in a few weeks or so.

3) Stitches - if they're dissolvable - tend to lose tensile strength by around 10-14 days, but stitch ends can hang around for anything up to 6 weeks before falling out (that was my experience). And the material stays inside you while it dissolves for 6 months or more (which I was surprised to learn).

4) Keeping your penis upright is a good thing to do, but I found I could achieve the same effect and benefits by lying down for an hour or so to just relax and regain my energy.

Other than that, Vaseline was my best friend for the first 8 weeks while wrapped up with swabs to help me keep mobile. Eventually, from week 9 I stopped using anything and it all feels better down there. Getting used to a new normal.

Keep the questions coming when you have them, chap.

[Arclight1979 in reply to Arclight1979]

I also agree with other commenters who suggest talking to doctors about any of your concerns. I can only offer my own experiences. And we all heal in different ways and at different paces.

[AnonPosterLol in reply to Arclight1979]

Thank you for your detailed response man, it's 10 days post op and I feel better than when I first started the process already, bleeding seems to have stopped and the swelling is gradually going down, just a quick question, my doctor said stitches can take between 2-4 weeks to dissolve but I've read that stitches can cause scarring if kept for too long, if it hasn't dissolved by week 2 should I give a call to the doctor again?

[Arclight1979 in reply to AnonPosterLol]

Heya, no problem at all. Yeah, I'm not surprised you're feeling better at this stage, those stitches will be dissolving having done their job holding you together as your flesh knitted back. Stitches can cause scarring, but that too (I was told) will fade in time. I contacted my doc when my stitch ends were still hanging around at 2 weeks and he said it's all natural and they will fall out. They didn't shift for another couple of weeks, and haven't left me with any noticeable scarring at all. A couple of little blemishes at most. I would always say to check with your doc, though, if you're worried about anything. We're not docs here, all I can share is what I experienced. Hope that helps.