Balanitis Recovery Stories?

This is a gay American site, by and large. You might as well ask us a football question, or how to repair rack-and-pinion steering.

So many words I don't understand. Coming at me all at once.

Doctor will be along shortly sir

R2

It's okay, I also knew nothing about this prior to having it.

For chrissakes go to a specialist.

Well, your disclaimer in parentheses belies your true meaning of starting the thread.

Poor hygiene poor op

...um, yes?

WTF is your damage? I like having a foreskin, I have balanitis and I want to talk to others who have overcome it to get a sense of what strategies to employ.

THAT is my "true meaning", you dolt. Or does my writing it out plainly make it too hard for you to grasp?

Sure

Sorry that was to r7

R7, I always keep myself clean....not sure how this happened really. I think I left some lube on my head overnight and that started it...not sure...

R5, I would....but who? What kind of specialist? Urologists are apparently only interested in performing circumcisions, or so I was told by the one I saw, so is a dermatologist really going to be a foreskin specialist? That's my next step.. ..

Ugh...I mean "that was to r6"

I’m sorry to inform you of this, OP, but your penis will soon fall off, leaving only a bloody hole in its place.

By all means see a dermatologist! In Switzerland they are often Venereologists as well. Don't know about your country.

Ask your stupid parents what to do, they're responsible.

yeast infection sounds similar to this. Yeast is simply an overgrowth of bacteria, or something like that? E.g. scalps can get yeast, my dogs ears get horribly itchy and irritated from yeast infection, foot problems -- and guess what? SAME STUFF cures it all. Vaginal yeast cream is so cheap or the prescription vaginal cream, and if you look at the active ingredient -- hilariously enough it is often the SAME one used on other areas. I think it is clobetasol? Anyway my mom had an itchy scalp (estrogen wanes, yeast suddenly grows in menopause or other hormonal changes) and yeast infections and that's what she was prescribed. I was curious -- would this work on my dog's ears? Well, my vet was mad I used it, but admitted when pressed that it was the SAME INGREDIENT (but higher percentage) that she prescribed. I assume what you are talking about is a painful yeast infection, which happens also to overweight people in fat folds. It can happen in any warm, moist area. I AM NOT A DOCTOR, just like to read. Saying this all from memory. But I recall going on a hunt for answers that it was funny that doctors prescribed insanely expensive creams yet the ingredients seemed to be generally the same, which makes sense since yeast is yeast is yeast (overgrowth, that is.) I read too much so sue me. I can win Jeopardy at least.

sorry to be so wordy. But one more thing -- yes to distilled vinegar on a cool damp cloth. Good for bacteria on skin after a peel (I never get acne so I knew it was some bacteria on exposed skin) and it worked really well. I do not remember it hurting on my face, but I'm tough. Also eat yogurt but the kind with probiotics, look at the ingredients on the label. You want all those healthy kinds of bacteria. Tons and tons of vegetables, healthy stuff, you don't have to starve. Well I wouldn't, it's miserable.

OP: If you have a yeast infection, try Rite-Aid's Clotrimazole. I am also intact, love my foreskin and wouldn't think of cutting it off. My foreskin has always worked just fine with no problems. But there were a couple of times when I had a yeast infection, and my dermatologist recommended Clotrimazole cream. It's the same cream a woman would use for a yeast infection in her vaginal area. It works great. Don't bother with the women's product Monostat for a yeast infection or Lotromin for athlete's foot both of which work but may not be strong enough. Clotrimazole is the product to get, and you're not even aware it's on your skin. Apply it all over your glans and the inside of your foreskin a couple of times a day and wear it to bed. Within a week or maybe less, you'll be good as new.

How old are you OP?

R17 thanks for your help.

Right now I'm using ketoconazole 2% cream. It's been a about 10 days that I've been using it twice daily...still in pain...foreskin still swollen.

Going to get blood work done to see if it's an STD rekated issue.

You're lucky your foreskin was never tight. I knew mine needed loosening up before this happened...now it's worse (though it can be retracted) and I'm freaking out a bit that it'll never be loose.

So...here I am weeks later, still dealing with balanitis. Thought the two creams I was prescribed would end it, but after stopping the creams....my glands still get that "dry" look and the fireskin is still puffy.

This SUCKS.

are you a whore,Op because your sound like one

Stop drinking beer and wine. Yeast city!!!

Been waiting for a reason to use this pic - hope it's helpful!

[quote] dry glands

Oh dear.

R4 I followed that link to the NHS site. I find it odd that they use “peeing” instead of saying “urinating,” which sounds more clinical.

Spot on R6. Exactly what I thought too.

I had gotten it when a stupid doctor prescribed antibiotics for me but no antifungal to balance out my internal biology. What I did that worked for me as a home remedy was hot salt water in a disposable container. Not so hot that it would burn your skin but hot enough to make you uncomfortable. Had to ease my dick in that. Leave it in there until the water gets cool. Repeat if you can. It should be resolved and opened up. Also get an antifungal pill prescription. Your internal flora/ fauna might be out of balance.

I know you’ve done a lot of reading OP, but aren’t you referring to glans not glands?

Anyway, my former roommate used to get yeast infections regularly - some body chemistry thing. She swore by sauerkraut. Something about the fermentation.

Trader Joe’s has an awesome sauerkraut & dill pickle relish (Persian cucumbers), and it’s mostly sauerkraut. You can put it on hot dogs, of course, but I like it in salads, scrambled eggs, etc.

Why avoid the need and opportunity to finally get circumcised? Just do it.

See R24

I'n not uncut, OP, but I've had similar issues because of autoimmune issues.

I wash my dickhead with something called Fungicure body wash, if that's not available I use tea tree body wash. You have to leave it on for a few minutes and then be sure to completely rinse.

What helps a lot is if you have one of those handheld shower things. Then you could retract your foreskin with one hand and hold the showerhead in the other for a more thorough rinse.

(attached is for illustration, many options cheaper than this)

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll run them by my Doctor because I think i need to try a new approach. I've been using a Taro-Mupirocin cream and antifungal cream combo, but as I said, when I stop it gets dry. Been eating Activia in the hopes of fixing whatever flora issues may be affecting me.

Sorry to have misspelled glans. This isnt something I've ever written about before.

Very apt pic, r23 :)

Has anyone's foreskin ever become thicker? Mine is no longer red and inflamed, but is definitely thicker now...

OP, just wondering what happened? Did you end up going to another doctor? Or did you find the right combinations of meds or creams that finally worked?

Coconut oil. It is a natural anti-fungal anti-bacterial. Use it religiously after a shower. All over the glans, the skin and then the whole shaft. I also use it on my asshole. My hole is pristine!

You need to go to a sexual health clinic OP.

Have is swabbed and cultured and find out which yeast is growing (they usually also ascertain the most effective treatment). You can take oral low-dose anti-fungal tablets fairly long term (12 months+) without any adverse side-effects.

[quote](Please no anti-foreskin remarks)

Oh honey, you posted to the wrong forum then.

Yes, I overcame this, OP.

I had a circumcision.

I have not.

OP here. Thanks for the concern r33. Still intact.

I caved and used a steroid cream for a week which seemed to loosen it up well. Saw a dermatologist who was relaxed and listened. She (yup, a gal) cautioned me not to use it beyond one week.

I found the tightness returning a few weeks later, after solo sex. Tried again for a few days, then stopped. That was two months ago.

I'm going to go back for another chat because she said there was another cream though it was more expensive.

I don't have dryness as much but redness does occur.

I'm bummed this hasn't been resolved but it's better than it was. Slow and steady.

It is SO HARD to find a male doctor with a gentle manner who I know beforehand is pro foreskin. I have HATED going in blind, and finding out they just want to chop chop chop.

Where is the Foreskin Doctor?

Dry glands, this is a problem?

That is just the reason you got a yeast infection. Please slap the shit out of your stupid parents. But its !clean! they say, I wash it, they it ALL THE FUCKING TIME, EVERY FUCKING TIME. No honey it's not, you have cottage cheese that has soured.

My dermatologist recommended Clotrimazole cream. It's the same cream a woman would use for a yeast infection in her vaginal area. It works great. Don't bother with the women's product Monostat for a yeast infection or Lotromin for athlete's foot both of might work but aren't strong enough. Clotrimazole is the product to get, and you're not even aware it's on your skin. Apply it all over your glans and the inside of your foreskin a couple of times a day and wear it to bed. Within a week or maybe less, you'll be good as new.

Buy it at Rite-Aid:

The oral medication that women take for yeast infections can be quite effective and work quickly.

Not balanitis, but tangential enough for me to share this story.

Years ago I began to have moderate to severe pain when urinating or cumming. Turns out it was something called a urethral stricture, which is where scar tissue builds up in a section of your urethra, making it painful when fluid passes through. I had a urethroplasty in 2016 (where they replace the scar tissue in your urethra with a graft from the inside of your cheek). Unfortunately it didn't take and the scar tissue started to build up again pretty quickly, so I had a second urethroplasty in 2018, with mixed results. In the last few weeks the pain is really starting to ramp up again and it worries me that I am going to need to repeat the procedure a third time, which is bad in itself as there is diminishing effectiveness each time.

Its a real bummer as I have not had much of a sex drive during all this (not so fun when cumming is painful) and I'm 30 now so my prime sexual years were largely stolen from me because of this rare frustrating issue.

[quote]I'm going to go back for another chat because she said there was another cream though it was more expensive.

Try Wesson.

I am telling you Coconut Oil. Right after you shower, lube it up all over. Once a day. You will thank me.

Petroleum derivative products are pretty much anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so coal tar soap and Vaseline might help?

If it's doesn't resolve quickly it needs to be swabbed and cultured.

Dermatologist, OP and diet.

R42. I feel for you. I have also felt robbed of my sex life, but I haven't been through what you have. Talk about traumatic.

*hugs*

I do use coconut oil as lube but it isn't some magical miracle cure all.

Lotrimin AF in the foot care isle. Rub that on it. I’m using it on my taint.

r47 as lube. I am talking about as a treatment. Morning, after shower, afternoon before bed. If it is fungal or bacterial you need to foster an environment where it cannot grow, Keep it dry which is impossible so coconut oil is your best non medical option. It keeps the area lubricated, fungal and bacterial free and you comfortable.