Balanitis

[blonde52]

Hi

Any of you gents have this problem?

I've had it for years and can't get rid of it....seen multiple dermatologists and urologists.

Hope someone out there has a solution from experience

Thanks Tom

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi

Any of you gents have this problem?

I've had it for years and can't get rid of it....seen multiple dermatologists and urologists.

Hope someone out there has a solution from experience

Thanks

Is your blood glucose well managed as if not it could be exasperating the condition which can be either bacterial or fungal infection which thrive in a sugary environment.
If topical treatments don't work then oral meds may be needed as they might for thrush infections.
What have you tried?

 

[blonde52]

Thanks for your message. It's strange because 10 years ago my sugars were very high and i did not have it!!! I've been averaging 8%A1c for the last few years...i was told to take Beltran cream and continue with cicalfate for a long time i think it's a skin repair cream .......even in one day the blotches can disappear and reappear!!!! Sometimes a particular blotch can get sore ......not sure if relevant I've been talking long term penicillin which probably does not help with these type of thingd

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks for your message. It's strange because 10 years ago my sugars were very high and i did not have it!!! I've been averaging 8%A1c for the last few years...i was told to take Beltran cream and continue with cicalfate for a long time i think it's a skin repair cream .......even in one day the blotches can disappear and reappear!!!! Sometimes a particular blotch can get sore ......not sure if relevant I've been talking long term penicillin which probably does not help with these type of thingd

If the infection is caused by yeast then I suspect the penicillin is not helping. I only have to take 1 penicillin tablet and I get thrush which is a yeast infection. You could ask your doctor to take some swabs to check what the infection is caused by and then more appropriate antibiotics or antifungal meds could be tried.

 

[42istheanswer]

This may sound a little left-field, but have you tried changing your washing powder/capsules/liquids and whatever soap you use to hypoallergenic ones, or changing the "scent" of the soap you use?

When my kids were babies I used cloth nappies, and my son got balanitis a couple of times. The first time I assumed infection. The second time I tried not using the couple of drops of lavender essential oil that I had been adding to the white vinegar I used in the rinse cycle to help with deodorising. It went away, but he has since had allergic reactions to lavender scented products so I must have accidentally sensitised him to lavender and triggered an allergic reaction.

If you are finding that it's intermittent for you that may suggest an allergic reaction to something rather than an infectious cause, and the things you wash yourself and your clothes with are the obvious candidates.

 

[CatsFive]

Thanks for your message. It's strange because 10 years ago my sugars were very high and i did not have it!!! I've been averaging 8%A1c for the last few years...i was told to take Beltran cream and continue with cicalfate for a long time i think it's a skin repair cream .......even in one day the blotches can disappear and reappear!!!! Sometimes a particular blotch can get sore ......not sure if relevant I've been talking long term penicillin which probably does not help with these type of thingd

That sounds like quite a high A1c. The usual unit in the UK is mmol / mol, I believe 8% comes up as 64. Diabetes is diagnosed at 48.

You don't say what you are doing to control your diabetes, but I'd suggest it could be better controlled and that might help your 'issue'. For fungal infections, topical Clotrimazole ointment usually helps.

But it could also be a reaction to your laundry powder / detergent, or to do with mechanical irritation, of (if you have sex with a partner) a reaction to something they are using. Or other things.

However I'm surprised 'multiple dermatologists & urologists' haven't managed to find out what the actual problem is.