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Herpes or yeast?
Hello Doctors,
I am a 24 year old male, uncircumcised. I always use condoms with penetrative sex, but I don't use condoms with frottage (which I do often, but my understanding is that this is more a theoretical risk and not high risk for STDs), and I don't use condoms for oral sex. About five days ago I had oral surgery for wisdom teeth removal and my doctor put me on Amoxicillin for a week.
It's been five days since I've taken the drugs and still have two days left. Today I noticed small sores and red spots underneath my foreskin, just below the head of my penis. It itches and is somewhat painful. My last sexual exposure was frottage with a girl, no penetration, more than four weeks ago (31 days).
I had an episode four years ago when I had many sores on my penis and my doctor was convinced I had herpes. The story went like this: I had protected vaginal sex and I believe 2-3 days later developed a rash on my penis head. My doctor thought nothing of it because I had used protection on the area where the rash began. He gave me a fungus cream, which I used, and the rash went away. Following that however, I developed genital sores. We did a culture swap within 48 hours of the time the sores appeared and the test came back negative. Never had a problem since and my doctor said it was likely due to allergies from the cream. He said not to worry and move on.
Now here's my question: is what I have now herpes? Could it be that this is my second outbreak from after that event four years ago? Or is this a problem with the Amoxicillin I'm taking that has now given me a yeast infection? I've only taken the drugs for five days and will complete the therapy; is five days of taking Amoxicillin enough to cause a yeast infection in a male?
Thank you for your advice.
I am a 24 year old male, uncircumcised. I always use condoms with penetrative sex, but I don't use condoms with frottage (which I do often, but my understanding is that this is more a theoretical risk and not high risk for STDs), and I don't use condoms for oral sex. About five days ago I had oral surgery for wisdom teeth removal and my doctor put me on Amoxicillin for a week.
It's been five days since I've taken the drugs and still have two days left. Today I noticed small sores and red spots underneath my foreskin, just below the head of my penis. It itches and is somewhat painful. My last sexual exposure was frottage with a girl, no penetration, more than four weeks ago (31 days).
I had an episode four years ago when I had many sores on my penis and my doctor was convinced I had herpes. The story went like this: I had protected vaginal sex and I believe 2-3 days later developed a rash on my penis head. My doctor thought nothing of it because I had used protection on the area where the rash began. He gave me a fungus cream, which I used, and the rash went away. Following that however, I developed genital sores. We did a culture swap within 48 hours of the time the sores appeared and the test came back negative. Never had a problem since and my doctor said it was likely due to allergies from the cream. He said not to worry and move on.
Now here's my question: is what I have now herpes? Could it be that this is my second outbreak from after that event four years ago? Or is this a problem with the Amoxicillin I'm taking that has now given me a yeast infection? I've only taken the drugs for five days and will complete the therapy; is five days of taking Amoxicillin enough to cause a yeast infection in a male?
Thank you for your advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
A little quick for herpes, which normally would ulcerate and take a minimum of 7-10 days to heal. But that's still no guarantee. Speaking personally as much as professionally, if I had the symptoms you describe, I would get tested for HSV. I predict a negative result (at least for HSV-2), but why take the chance?
Thank you Dr. Handsfield for a quick reply.
As an update: the redness has already started to go away/heal. It started this morning, and now, in the afternoon, it's has already started healing.
Does that mean anything?
As an update: the redness has already started to go away/heal. It started this morning, and now, in the afternoon, it's has already started healing.
Does that mean anything?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help.
On balance, yeast (or some other sort of non-STD inflammation) seems more likely than herpes, at least for your current symptoms. And certainly antibiotic therapy can lead to yeast overgrowth, which can happen quite quickly. However, herpes is always a consideration for penile sores. If that's what you have, a recurrnce of the possible herpes from 4 years ago seems is more likely than a new infection; 31 days is too long for first symptoms of a new infection.
If the penile lesions are still fresh (under 1-2 days in duration) and/or ulcerated and not yet healing, you could see a provider immediately for examination and possible culture or (preferably) PCR test for HSV. If that isn't practical, or if lesions are starting to heal, you should have an HSV blood test. If positive for either HSV-1 or HSV-2, it won't necessarily mean the lesions were herpetic, but would increase the likelihood; but if negative, it would exclude herpes for sure.
In the event this turns out to be herpes, HSV-1 seems more likely than HSV-2. Following symptomatic initial herpes, HSV-2 usually causes symptomatic recurrent outbreaks 3-6 times per year, whereas HSV-1 outbreaks are infrequent -- more compatible with a 4 year gap.
I hope this helps. If you proceed with HSV testing, please return with a follow-up comment to report the result.
Regards-- HHH, MD
On balance, yeast (or some other sort of non-STD inflammation) seems more likely than herpes, at least for your current symptoms. And certainly antibiotic therapy can lead to yeast overgrowth, which can happen quite quickly. However, herpes is always a consideration for penile sores. If that's what you have, a recurrnce of the possible herpes from 4 years ago seems is more likely than a new infection; 31 days is too long for first symptoms of a new infection.
If the penile lesions are still fresh (under 1-2 days in duration) and/or ulcerated and not yet healing, you could see a provider immediately for examination and possible culture or (preferably) PCR test for HSV. If that isn't practical, or if lesions are starting to heal, you should have an HSV blood test. If positive for either HSV-1 or HSV-2, it won't necessarily mean the lesions were herpetic, but would increase the likelihood; but if negative, it would exclude herpes for sure.
In the event this turns out to be herpes, HSV-1 seems more likely than HSV-2. Following symptomatic initial herpes, HSV-2 usually causes symptomatic recurrent outbreaks 3-6 times per year, whereas HSV-1 outbreaks are infrequent -- more compatible with a 4 year gap.
I hope this helps. If you proceed with HSV testing, please return with a follow-up comment to report the result.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
