I hope anyone can help me. I'm 46 and I'm suffering on a stubborn balanitis for more than 5 months. It is so strong that I even can't wear underwear. So, I haven't left my house since July and I can't work, so I don't have an income right now. 4 doctors didn't help me. They didn't write me ill, because I "can move my fingers". I need to get cured as fast as possible. Could anyone give me some tips, please?
I had an injury at my glans that got infected. I went to a dermatologist, who prescribed me Elidel cream. I used it for 5 weeks and the problem was gone. But there occurred another one:
My corona glans got swollen and it hurt. This was another position as my initial injury, but the Elidel always got a bit liquid and collected around my corona glans which occured thr balanitis. I guess that Elidel damaged the skin barrier at my corona glans. Maybe in combination with the rest urin after going to toilet. There come always some additional drops of urin up to 3 minutes after the toilet. Not much, but I guess that's a problem when having a damaged skin barrier.
The doctor didn't test me on any bacteria or fungus, he just prescribed different sort of ointments with cortisone, but that made it worse: Advantan for some days, then Travocort. I got extreme pain that I almost fainted several times.
As the skin looked anyway fine, the doctor sent me to a dermatology clinic. They tested me on fungus and bacteria. Fungus was negative, but they found bacteria: winkia neuii, staphylococcus haemolyticus, and staphylococcus epidermidis.
They also said my skin would look good. But it didn't feel like that!
Instead of giving me an antibiotic, they prescribed me octenisept. That is a disinfectant. It worked, the pain got less with that, but it destroyed my skin at the corona glans. Besides that they gave me Protopic. That is pretty the same like Elidel, but not as liquid.
After the first week of octenisept there formed a blister around the entire glans, so I went to the doctor again. He meant that would be normal. It just takes a bit. The second and last week with octenisept made the skin worse.
From there on, I thought the damaged skin just needs to regenerate, as the bacteria were dead. That was in September. They told me to use Bepanthen and/or Deumavan.
A week later or so it started to hurt and to get itchy again, so I went again to the doctor. He said that would be normal. I just should go on with Elidel or Protopic. I can decide myself if I use it daily or just if it is necessary. As it comes and goes I decided for the latter. And so I used it all 2-5 days since September.
There was always a little progress, but in December I got to a plateau. The blister is still there and all few days it fills up with water-like liquid while it is itchy.
I always brought it down with Protopic, then it felt better for some days. But then it started again.
At Christmas it got worse again. As all doctors are in Christmas holidays till 7th of January, I decided some days ago to try native bio coconut oil instead of Protopic. Interesting is that this helped more than Protopic. Protopic seems just to act against the symptoms. But the coconut oil seems to be a bit more sustainable.
I'm using it the 5th day now, 3 times a day. During the day I let the foredkin retracted, to get rid of rest utine (I read in any forum that this helped some guys). Just during the nights I pull it over the glans to protect it against my bedclothes. I started doing this already some days before I started with coconut oil. And some days later it giot itchy again (before I started with coconut!).
The logic tells me now that there are either still bacteria in the game or fungus. Coconut oil is against both, but from what I read I know it helps to relief, but it doesn't cure. So, I'm pretty sure, I need any medication from the doctor.
I just fear that he will again just say that everything is okay and I should go on with Protopic.
Now I thought, maybe anyone out there has experienced something like that at himself and could give me some tips? Any ointment or cream that helped, which I could ask my doctor?
I'm feeling really bad. As I'm naked all the time, I can't leave the house (just when visiting the doctors) and can't receive visitors. I even didn't celebrate Christmas this year with my family. I'm completely down and hope anyone could help with some tips?
Thanks a lot!
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sufferer78
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I read about that already that diabetes could cause balanitis. But I never tested as I didn't think it would be likely to have diabetes as I eat very healthy and I did sports 4-6 times a week. That was before balanitis kicked in. Now I can't move much anymore.
Every time I go to the doctors I get a setback due to the underwear rubbing. This is why I think really twice if going out could be an advantage. I just went to dermatologists, not normal doctors as you have to wait for 4 months for an appointment at an urologist in my area.
I tried already reducing carbonhydrates and even eating sugar for some days (what i usually don't do) to find out if there is any difference. But I can't see any difference. Also coffee and no coffee doesn't make any difference to me. Even considering histamin in my meals didn't make a difference.
But if I will have to visit my normal doctor next time, I will make a test.
Winkia Neuii is a gram positive rod shaped bacteria that can be treated with Penicillin G, ampicillin/amoxicillin, antipseudomonal PCNs, most cephalosporins, macrolides, tetracycline, imipenem, clindamycin.
staphylococcus haemolyticus: medicallabnotes.com/staphyl... This can be difficult to treat because of antibiotic resistance
I would suggest that fresh cultures are taken and for any bacteria to be treated with appropriate antibiotics - possibly oral or IV. You may need a combination of antibiotics
If my initial research was not wrong, all 3 bacteria should be gram-positive ones?
Since my latest appointment at the doctors, I thought already about "Fucidine creme" with fucidine acid. That destroys the proteins of the bacteria and should also work with staphylococcus haemolyticus. Do you think that could work?
Are all staphylococcus haemolyticus resistent bacteria? I thought that would just be for those inside hospitals. You know, by cleaning the surgery devices they get resistent and you risk to get them when having a surgery. I never had a surgery and I don't take antibiotics all too often. I guess, 2-3 times in the past 15 years. Does that mean the chance is very low that my haemolyticus are resistent ones?
Your tip with the culture sounds great! That would definitely be the best way. I'm just not sure if I will get my doctor to do that. I will ask him, for sure. And as a plan B something like Fucidine?
The risk with Fucidine is just: the mentioned bacteria got detected in September. Meanwhile they could be gone and others could be here or fungus. Or do you think it is unlikely that the pathogens change?
One thing maybe: The skin of the blister shines a bit white. Difficult to say if bacteria or fungus, right? Could be both?
Not all Staph bacteria are resistant. Lab testing would be needed to determine that for a particular infection. Such testing should be then able to advise on the best way of treating the infection. Staph infections are all around us. We hear about hospital acquired infections as they are more newsworthy that does not mean that they cannot be acquired in the community.
The problem with a bacteria for which there are warnings of resistance is that throwing antibiotics at it that may not work only increases the problems of antibiotic resistance generally.
Best to have the skin affected retested and the lab asked to advise on a suitable and effective antibiotics. A fungicide will be needed alongside an antibiotic if both types of infection are present.
I would suggest a dermatologist rather than a urologist.
Hi Norwich1, thank you so much, these are some good points! I was at my dermatologist today, but he told me that would not be a blister. The problem is: the blister is empty most of the time, it just refills with water-like liquid all few days when it gets more itchy. Since I let the foreskin retracted during the day it doesn't do that anymore unless I'm using Deumavan or olive oil. Coconut oil without anything else feels best at the moment.
I showed photos and videos to the doctor, but it is not well to see. He is not convinced that there is/was really liquid inside the blister. It is indeed almost not recognizeable on the photos and videos. But it really looked like that. I mean, theoretically it could be that it was just swollen in a way that the skin got that shiny, so that it looked like filled with water-like liquid. What do you think?
And he also doesn't think that there are still pathogens in the game. He meant, if there would be pathogens, the symptoms would be more constant. But when I remember back to the beginning, the symptoms also fluctuated and ultimately the mentioned bacteria were diagnosed.
He sent me to a dermatology clinic now, where I've been already in August/September. They'll examine my glans again and hopefully, they will be able to clarify that blister. I will also ask them for the culture you suggested. Thank you again, therefore!
The appointment is in 2 weeks from now. In the meantime, I will go on with coconut oil and keep the foreskin retracted during the day, as that works.
Do you have any idea what such a big blister around the corona glans could be? I can't find anything like that documented on the internet. It appeared first some days after using Octenisept in September. After that, it went on/off all the time. I found no bacteria or fungus that would do something like that. Maybe just an irritation and it's still not cured as the skin can't grow together as there is always liquid rising it all few days? But the fact is that the coconut oil erases the symptoms.
Coconut oil can be soothing, but if it's working better than prescription treatments, it suggests the need for more targeted therapy (antibiotics/antifungals).
You probably should request a referral to an urologist for a second opinion even if it has a long wait or try another doctor if you don't feel your current one listens to you or the recommendation feels off. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut instinct...
Yes, these were also my thoughts: if coconut oil helps, which is against bacteria and fungus, it is very likely that I'm infected with bacteria or fungus.
I forgot to tell that before: the skin of the blister shines a bit white. I guess it's impossible to tell if that is bacteria or fungus?
I also thought already about an urulogist. The only problem: in my area it takes 4 months to get an appointment. This is why I initially went to a hospital and they sent me over to a dermatologist.
My thoughts to an urologist: if my research wasn't wrong, the mentioned bacteria are untypical for balanitis. But I found case studies for prostatitis. Due to a prostatitis bacteria would always be in the urine and spread over my glans after the toilet.
I know, a wild theory, especially as I don't have pain in the prostate. I just need quite a long time to get the last drops of urine out. I even have to sit down and press my fingers at the urethra of my shaft to get everything out. But is that the symptoms of prostatitis? I don't know.
Maybe I should really ask my dermatologist next time that he sends me to an urologist. Maybe he can arrange anything that I don't have to wait 4 months.
Sorry for asking, did the Travocort did some changes in your skin ? I've got this from stu..pid doctor to use when I already beat the yeast infection, thanks to God I didin't used this for 14 days 2 times a day as he recomenneded me and just stick to Clotrimazole 1% but 1 day I used this 2 times the same day and 2 days after becouse the day after I didin't knew but I wen to docort 2 days after I masturbate dry my skin become very red for like I think 4 days I been sick this time normal sick and I didin't knew why this happened after time when I used saliva it's gets better now I didin't dont it in 3 days so I don't know but I found out this information also I got some small skin peeling I had the same on my hands and now on my feets where I used the cream I think for like 2 weeks or longer, I started putting la rochede posay lipikar baume AP+m and this bassicly finish the problem with hands skin peeling In 2 days I will try to make the same on my dick I hope it will work but my skin also got more dry, it was dry from antifungals overwashing but now more and the skin quality changed I hope la roche de posay lipikar baume ap+m and night can go back to time before using this cream with skin feeling and skin quality and the redness I hope will go down by itself
Hi Alex, it is already some months ago, but I had a look into my med diary:
I used Travocort just for 5 days, then I stopped using it, because it made things worse: the skin got more itchy, the touching-sensitivity got worse, and the corona glans got more swollen. After some days of using it, the pain got so much that I almost fainted several times.
And interesting that you said you got sick: in my diary I found that 3 days after starting with Travocort I got quite a high pulse during the night and I also felt systemic sick. I though that would be random. You know, any other infection or so. These 5 days when I used Travocort were exactly those when I felt worst, when also the pain was the highest. Things got better when I stopped using it.
But what we should consider is that I had a bacteria infection at that point, not a fungus infection. Travocort is a cortison ointment that is against fungus. My dermatologist didn't test me against pathogens, he just tried different ointments.
I guess, if he had tested from the very beginning and prescripted the right ointment, it had never become that stubborn. The common statement about the duration of balanitis is some days up to 4 weeks.
I didn't write down anything about dryness according to Travocort. But my skin got extremely dry after using Octenisept for 2 weeks to kill the bacteria. The doctor said I should use Bepanthen and/or Deumavan to get it moistured again. Bepanthen was a big game-changer for ~2 weeks. Then it got too moistured by it and I had to exchange it with the Deumavan. Bepanthen is good because it contains vitamin B5, which helps to regenerate skin.
What I found out in general is that moisture is important to consider: is it too dry, it gets worse, but is it too wet, is also gets worse. I always tried to find the golden middle and interesting is that that continously changed: In the beginning, I needed more ointments to moisture, but then less and less.
I've got a normal sickness after walking a lot in cold weather and from my sister. it was not from the cream. I didin't had any pain or irration after using the cream
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