Lotrisone damaged my testicles

Question

I'll try to be as brief as possible. I went to my General Physician's office in March of 2006 for a rash on my privates (I was 39 at the time). My doctor was not in, but one of his other doctors was there, Abraham Law.  He gave me a cream he never told me contained a potent steroid. The packaging didn't even say it contained this steroid. He told me to use it twice a day for two weeks.

I had a terrible reaction and when I called the office, I got another doctor, Dr. Lawrence Hall.
I told him that Dr. Law had given me some medication and I was having this terrible, fiery redness and burning, that I was in a lot of pain and scared. Instead of telling me to come in immediately, he told me he was not concerned, to keep my appointment on Friday (This was a Tuesday of the second week).  He said I did not have to stop, that it was only a few days til Friday. I asked him around five times if he was sure about this. He said yes.  My gut told me otherwise, but I made the mistake of thinking that he was the doctor and knew what he was talking about.

Things took a drastic turn on Thurdsay. The skin turned deep red and two patches at either side of the base of the penis began peeling off, leaving raw skin underneath. I was disfigured horribly and was terrified beyond words.

I ran to the emergency room. They said I had a reaction to the steroid in the cream. They said that the horrible redness would go away, that I'd be fine.

I went to see "Doctor" Law, the one who gave me the cream, and he totally misunderstood what was going on.  He said it looked like a yeast infection.  He obviously did not know the difference between serious burns and Yeast infections. That's when I realized he was completely incompetent and that I had put my family jewels in the hands of these two morons.

I later found out that the use of Lotrisone on the genitals is strictly discouraged due to the risk of skin atrophy, which is exactly what has happened to me.

To make a long story short, it's been over two years and I'm not the same. Summer is particularly bad. The skin is horribly thin and sensitive. My testicles don't hang right at all and get incredibly red at the slightest provocation.  I used to be normal and now I'm disfigured.  I wish I had never stepped into that office.

To this day I keep getting conflicting stories about Lotrisone use on the genitals.  Some swear it's dangerous and others say it's not.  I think this just adds to the problem.

This discussion is related to damaged penis?.

Finn2014 · Answer

It's been almost 3 years since your last post. Any improvement? Any tips? Thanks and God bless.

buckeye2010 · Answer

Hey dude what type of steriod cream did you use and for how long?

caliman86 · Answer

This same thing happened to me. And to the person who posted about aloe, it wont do a damn thing to help. I've tried so many things to help this but nothing does. I've been to doctors for the skin atrophy, redness, and burning sensation and they just say go home and put some Vaseline on it.

There is plenty of research contraindicating the use of a steroid/antifungal medication for treatment of fungal infections but the vast majority of doctors ignore this and prescribe it anyway. When you come back to them with the adverse effects they tell you its no big deal. Doctors have NO idea what they are doing to people with these steroids. I have been awed by the sheer ignorance and pathetic responses doctors are giving people who suffer from the side effects of steroids. 

Doctors seriously need to wake up and look at the research on prescribing steroids, especially in the area of the groin. I wish I could sue the hell out of the idiot who prescribed it to me and said there was not any concern I should have about potential side effects. Honestly, doctors who prescribe lotrisone for guys to apply to their testicles, penis, groin, whatever, should have their license revoked for malpractice. If you're a doctor and you don't know what these steroids can do to people, you need to start paying attention! I went to a doctor for help with a minor infection and basically  paid him to give me a medication to ruin my genitals.

mrufoman · Answer

wow, thats horrible. This may not make sense, and I dont want to put a band aid on a gaping chest wound. but have you tried Aloe Vera? not a cream but the actual sap/gel from the plant? it is a great skin healer and has been used for centuries on cuts, burns and other skin maladies. My thought is, if it can heal burned skin, maybe skin damaged by steroids will respond. I am trying it myself, on a paytch of thinned skin on my penis, from...you guessed it steroid use (1% hydrocortisone x 8-9 days) as we speak. good luck~

Caltiki · Answer

Well, just an update for anyone even thinking of using Lotrisone (Clotrimazole/Betamethasone Dipropionate) on their privates.

In March of 2006 I had been put on Lotrisone for two weeks for a rash on my testicles. I was 39 years old. I remember an extremely faint tingling beginning on day 1.  A few days into using the cream I notice my testicles were getting redder and started burning.  It was pretty gradual at first so didn't really notice this was a bad thing til like day 7.  I spoke to one of the doctors that day and he said he was not concerned.  NOT CONCERNED? Well I believed him and I paid dearly for listening to him.

It is now April 2011 and I am 44 years old.  I am no better.  I'm in Hell actually and am so disfigured and depressed all I keep thinking about is how to end my life and how I would like the ba*tard doctors who did this to me to pay for what they have done to me.

However, since I live in California no lawyer would take my case because there's a limit to how much you can sue a doctor for (I believe it's $250,000) and you'd be lucky to even see a fraction of that (That's what I've been told by a lawyer, after my case was rejected by like six of them). The lawyer who explained all this to me and how things worked in California had a case where a hospital killed a woman's baby and all she was awarded was $80,000. He said my case was horrible but not gruesome enough for a jury.  So be very careful when visiting any doctor and read all side effects of any drug thoroughly before taking anything or using any cream and always keep the above in mind.  You cannot get justice in California.  A doctor could pretty much do this deliberately to you if he wanted to and get away with it.

I would end it all today, but my family is the only thing keeping me alive, really.  I'd be terrified of what it would do to them.  So I'm pretty much condemned to living in this Hell til I die of some natural cause or my heart just gives out from all the stress I'm under.

This has affected every aspect of my life, my self esteem, my work, my sex life, everything. It's pretty much impossible for me to focus and I can't think of anything else, especially when my testicles hurt and I look in the mirror and see the damage at its worst.  (The severity is most visible and horrible when it is warmer and morer humid).  There is no joy in my life.  I just look forward to the end and it can't come soon enough.

Again, a word to the wise.  Be very careful with Lotrisone or any other potent steroid on thin areas like eyelids and testicles.  I read that some doctors strictly prohibit it in those areas because it can cause steroid atrophy. Don't believe any doctor that tells you that they do not cause atrophy or that the atrophy is reversible.  It is NOT reversible.

Steroids have been arorund for over 50 years. You think the medical community would have their act together by now.  Over 50 years and only a small number of them have a clue. That is not accetable.  There should be no reason for me to be suffering the way I am today.  None, but now it's too late.

Just my two cents.