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I have SEVERE penile pain my doctors can't explain. Please Help.
I'm an older man on my own who's been celibate for years and has previously masturbated at least once a day - it's a fun and valuable component of my life. But starting about two months ago and completely out of the blue, the outer skin of my penis becomes EXTREMELY painful to the touch immediately upon stimulation. My doctor has examined me thoroughly, and determined that I have no STDs, no sores, no redness, no rashes -- no visible indications whatsoever. He spent a lot of time investigating possible causes, but in the end, he could find no explanations.
And since he argued that a dermatologist wouldn't have more success, I have no idea what kind of specialist I should turn to next! I'm going to a dermatologist anyway, but I'm here asking for any possible diagnosis AND to ask how I should proceed if that specialist cannot help either.
Please advise me. Thanks!
And since he argued that a dermatologist wouldn't have more success, I have no idea what kind of specialist I should turn to next! I'm going to a dermatologist anyway, but I'm here asking for any possible diagnosis AND to ask how I should proceed if that specialist cannot help either.
Please advise me. Thanks!
That is really good news, Hurting. And don't write yourself off as old at 60. My husband is older than that (we had our first child when he was 62) and he certainly still is functional.
1 Comments
Right on!
THE PAIN IS GONE!! Hallelujah!!
First, the dermatologist was no help at all. But I very nearly cancelled the appointment because I had felt a growing improvement (pun intended) over the last few days.
You see, like all the rest of you kind folks, I had been racking my brain about what might have changed before all this started. But I could think of nothing.
But I take a lot of meds and a few supplements. So four days ago when it was time to refill my weekly pill box, it finally occurred to me that I just might have started two supplements about that time. But that was two months ago, so my memory wasn't quite up to it.
But since I get all my supplements from Amazon, I was able to learn exactly when I ordered them and hence, when I started taking them. The time-frame for these two fit!
They were: Vitamin B1 500mg, and something called MitoTrax, which is supposed to improve mitochondrial energy production. Naturally, I stopped both and I'm certainly not going to be so stupid as to experiment in order to find out which! But my guess is the MitoTrax.
So, since stopping them both four days ago, everything's back to normal! Hooray!!!
And folks, if you think we old guys lose sexual drive and desire by this age, I have great news: That's total BS (At least in my case). So guys, put your minds at rest.
Anyway, getting back to the supplement issue I'm well aware that there's a hell of a lot of putrid, toxic, contaminated crap being sold as supplements. This is not news to me. However, I had let my subscription to ConsumerLab.com expire, and have no re-subscribed, so this shouldn't happen again. For those of you unfamiliar, ConsumerLab.com is THE ONLY credible, scientific, rational source of reliable information on many supplements. Like Consumer Reports, they buy all the supplements themselves so that the makes can't send them ringers. Then they perform chemical tests to look for contaminants, prescription drug doping, and the like and to ensure that the product contains exactly what it says on the label and nothing else.
Obviously they can't possibly buy and test EVERY supplement, so what you do is check their product list for the good and safe ones and don't buy anything else. Sorry for the plug -- I don't have any connection to them or work for them or anything like that, it's just that I feel stupid for not re-subscribing and checking with them first.
In closing, I would like to express my DEEPEST, most SINCERE GRATITUDE to all of you wonderful people for responding and helping me out! You are all the best!
First, the dermatologist was no help at all. But I very nearly cancelled the appointment because I had felt a growing improvement (pun intended) over the last few days.
You see, like all the rest of you kind folks, I had been racking my brain about what might have changed before all this started. But I could think of nothing.
But I take a lot of meds and a few supplements. So four days ago when it was time to refill my weekly pill box, it finally occurred to me that I just might have started two supplements about that time. But that was two months ago, so my memory wasn't quite up to it.
But since I get all my supplements from Amazon, I was able to learn exactly when I ordered them and hence, when I started taking them. The time-frame for these two fit!
They were: Vitamin B1 500mg, and something called MitoTrax, which is supposed to improve mitochondrial energy production. Naturally, I stopped both and I'm certainly not going to be so stupid as to experiment in order to find out which! But my guess is the MitoTrax.
So, since stopping them both four days ago, everything's back to normal! Hooray!!!
And folks, if you think we old guys lose sexual drive and desire by this age, I have great news: That's total BS (At least in my case). So guys, put your minds at rest.
Anyway, getting back to the supplement issue I'm well aware that there's a hell of a lot of putrid, toxic, contaminated crap being sold as supplements. This is not news to me. However, I had let my subscription to ConsumerLab.com expire, and have no re-subscribed, so this shouldn't happen again. For those of you unfamiliar, ConsumerLab.com is THE ONLY credible, scientific, rational source of reliable information on many supplements. Like Consumer Reports, they buy all the supplements themselves so that the makes can't send them ringers. Then they perform chemical tests to look for contaminants, prescription drug doping, and the like and to ensure that the product contains exactly what it says on the label and nothing else.
Obviously they can't possibly buy and test EVERY supplement, so what you do is check their product list for the good and safe ones and don't buy anything else. Sorry for the plug -- I don't have any connection to them or work for them or anything like that, it's just that I feel stupid for not re-subscribing and checking with them first.
In closing, I would like to express my DEEPEST, most SINCERE GRATITUDE to all of you wonderful people for responding and helping me out! You are all the best!
2 Comments
Sorry for the typos -- I should have double-checked before posting...
Wow, that's great to hear, Hurting! And you're welcome - we all try to help the best we can, some advice my be helpful & some not, but it's great to hear a lot of differing opinions - sometimes a suggestion here may help. Often some of us give advice & then never hear whether there was any resolution. Glad to hear this issue resolved itself...
Regarding the mystery illness with the high white-cell count, my guess would be that the current issue has nothing to do with it. That was a systematic infection, this is a sensitivity limited to a very specific place. If the severe infection you had years ago was a genital infection like an STD, it might be more of a suspect now, but it's hard to believe that something like, say, legionella would have caused some latent damage that only affects the penis.
5 Comments
More good advice, Annie - I agree with this...
Thanks. BonzoDog. I also just took the time to look up carrageenan, which Hurting mentioned was in his lube. That stuff is no walk in the park. This is from another website:
"The National Organics Standards Board voted in November 2016 to remove carrageenan from the list of substances allowed in organic food. However, the United States Department of Agriculture has the final say and is scheduled to publish its final rule on this in November 2018, according to Food Safety News.
"At first glance, it may seem like carrageenan is safe. It’s derived from red seaweed and found in many 'health' foods. The bottom line is this: carrageenan is no health food by any stretch of the imagination, and it has been shown to cause side effects.
"Derived from red algae or seaweeds since the 1930s, carrageenan is processed through an alkaline procedure to produce what many consider to be a 'natural' food ingredient. Interestingly, if you prepare the same seaweed in an acidic solution, you get what is referred to as 'degraded carrageenan' or poligeenan.
"Widely know for its inflammatory properties, degraded carrageenan is commonly used in drug trials to literally induce inflammation and other diseases in lab animals. This has raised some serious eyebrows because the difference between a disease-producing carrageenan and its 'natural' food counterpart is literally just a few pH points."
Long and short of it, Hurting, try a different lube. Carrageenans are implicated not only in inflammation but also a long list of unpleasant things ending with colon cancer.
"The National Organics Standards Board voted in November 2016 to remove carrageenan from the list of substances allowed in organic food. However, the United States Department of Agriculture has the final say and is scheduled to publish its final rule on this in November 2018, according to Food Safety News.
"At first glance, it may seem like carrageenan is safe. It’s derived from red seaweed and found in many 'health' foods. The bottom line is this: carrageenan is no health food by any stretch of the imagination, and it has been shown to cause side effects.
"Derived from red algae or seaweeds since the 1930s, carrageenan is processed through an alkaline procedure to produce what many consider to be a 'natural' food ingredient. Interestingly, if you prepare the same seaweed in an acidic solution, you get what is referred to as 'degraded carrageenan' or poligeenan.
"Widely know for its inflammatory properties, degraded carrageenan is commonly used in drug trials to literally induce inflammation and other diseases in lab animals. This has raised some serious eyebrows because the difference between a disease-producing carrageenan and its 'natural' food counterpart is literally just a few pH points."
Long and short of it, Hurting, try a different lube. Carrageenans are implicated not only in inflammation but also a long list of unpleasant things ending with colon cancer.
I'd hazard a guess that the company making lube doesn't make its own carrageenans but buys them from a source that is in the business of making them. If that source got sloppy in its standards and accidentally began to create degraded carrageenans instead of the kind made in alkaline conditions, or if some accountant in the buying department at the lube company ordered degraded carrageenans instead of the alkaline-produced kind because they were cheaper without realizing there was any difference, the company making the lube would have no real way to know it was even happening. They probably don't have any way to test for it once it's in the lube. If you figure out it is the lube, write them about what happened to you. It's might cause them to look into their supplier's manufacturing practices or their own buying practices.
I have GREAT news that I'll post next, but just for the record, I haven't even TRIED to use my lube because the pain is so severe that I haven't even TRIED to masturbate, with lube or not! So the lube is definitely NOT to blame.
Also, I only turned to this lube because EVERY other lube I've tried over the last 40+ years -- and I've tried at least 35 or more -- becomes intolerably dry or gummy FAR too quickly. Most of them, in my experience, should be marketed as GLUE!
This is the ONLY lube that doesn't do that! So I'm not going to change,
HOWEVER, the pain is now GONE! Everything's back to normal, and I've used that lube about 6 times with glorious success in the last two days! Hooray!
Also, I only turned to this lube because EVERY other lube I've tried over the last 40+ years -- and I've tried at least 35 or more -- becomes intolerably dry or gummy FAR too quickly. Most of them, in my experience, should be marketed as GLUE!
This is the ONLY lube that doesn't do that! So I'm not going to change,
HOWEVER, the pain is now GONE! Everything's back to normal, and I've used that lube about 6 times with glorious success in the last two days! Hooray!
Hi, AnnieBrooke, and I'm deeply in your debt for your time and your knowledgeable help!
I, too, read that stuff about carrageenan from the Organic people. but since I have zero respect for the entire "Organic" movement, I completely disregarded it. I probably shouldn't have said that, since it's probably going to launch a flame war, but my years of careful research into these issues has convinced me that GMO foods are vastly safer than organically grown foods in every respect. Even ordinary traditionally-grown grocery store foods are far safer than organics.
In my view. YMMV, of course.
I, too, read that stuff about carrageenan from the Organic people. but since I have zero respect for the entire "Organic" movement, I completely disregarded it. I probably shouldn't have said that, since it's probably going to launch a flame war, but my years of careful research into these issues has convinced me that GMO foods are vastly safer than organically grown foods in every respect. Even ordinary traditionally-grown grocery store foods are far safer than organics.
In my view. YMMV, of course.
Good advice from AnnieBrooke & GuitarRox. I think as Annie suggested, it's possible that you developed an allergy to the lube over time. Also, do check the ingredient listing carefully - not sure if you knew exactly what USED to be in it, but sometimes mfr's do change their formulas - ironically because some components could be more likely to cause allergies. They could've changed one that didn't bother you for one they thought was 'safer', but now the new one causes problems for you.
A couple other things that come to mind - 1) The 'satiny boxers' you wear - I have found I'm slightly sensitive to certain synthetic fabrics that, even though they feel soft & silky & comfortable at first, begin to irritate me after awhile. 2) What type of grip pressure do you use when masturbating? A lot of guys get into the habit of using a very tight grip & masturbating quite vigorously. That can cause problems when having sex w/ a partner because you've become accustomed to a lot of pressure & intercourse usually doesn't generate the same feeling. But also, I'm thinking a very tight grip (even with lube) could cause the skin to become too sensitive. I agree that seeing a Dermatologist might help, but I would also suggest seeing a Urologist. They deal with all kinds of issues regarding the male sexual apparatus & functioning. It's possible a Uro might be familiar with something like this.
This is definitely one of the tougher problems to pin down, but my suggestion would be, don't give up, keep trying till you get an answer. In the meantime, I would also suggest switching to natural fibers for underwear - cotton, etc. - and also try switching lubes to see if that helps. You might want to switch these, then avoid any stimulation (allow for some healing) for 10-14 days, then see if that makes any difference. Good Luck - I'm sure many of us sympathize with your difficulties & hope you find a solution.
A couple other things that come to mind - 1) The 'satiny boxers' you wear - I have found I'm slightly sensitive to certain synthetic fabrics that, even though they feel soft & silky & comfortable at first, begin to irritate me after awhile. 2) What type of grip pressure do you use when masturbating? A lot of guys get into the habit of using a very tight grip & masturbating quite vigorously. That can cause problems when having sex w/ a partner because you've become accustomed to a lot of pressure & intercourse usually doesn't generate the same feeling. But also, I'm thinking a very tight grip (even with lube) could cause the skin to become too sensitive. I agree that seeing a Dermatologist might help, but I would also suggest seeing a Urologist. They deal with all kinds of issues regarding the male sexual apparatus & functioning. It's possible a Uro might be familiar with something like this.
This is definitely one of the tougher problems to pin down, but my suggestion would be, don't give up, keep trying till you get an answer. In the meantime, I would also suggest switching to natural fibers for underwear - cotton, etc. - and also try switching lubes to see if that helps. You might want to switch these, then avoid any stimulation (allow for some healing) for 10-14 days, then see if that makes any difference. Good Luck - I'm sure many of us sympathize with your difficulties & hope you find a solution.
1 Comments
Wow, thanks enormously, BonzoDog! I'm aware of the masturbation (and porn as well) damaging the satisfaction of actual sex with a partner to various extents, but alas, actual sex doesn't appear to be an option (not that I've given up trying, but it's apparently not in the cards).
Anyway, I should have noted right from the start that one of the first things I tried was to leave it the hell alone for ten days before trying to touch it. But that didn't make any difference (except my sleep was frequently interrupted by unwanted erections during the night that I couldn't do anything about).
Fortunately, I'm now back to normal. Thank you so very much for your kind words and support!
Anyway, I should have noted right from the start that one of the first things I tried was to leave it the hell alone for ten days before trying to touch it. But that didn't make any difference (except my sleep was frequently interrupted by unwanted erections during the night that I couldn't do anything about).
Fortunately, I'm now back to normal. Thank you so very much for your kind words and support!
We need to know if the pain is internal or external to really be able to help. Your post doesn't really describe it enough to say what type of specialty.
Sounds a little bit like some kind of nerve pain. That's the specialist I'd go to next if the derm doesn't help you.
Nothing that is new that you could be allergic to? No new body cream, laundry detergent, etc.?
Nothing that is new that you could be allergic to? No new body cream, laundry detergent, etc.?
4 Comments
No, nothing new or different at all, which is why this is so incredibly bizarre! I'm using the same laundry detergent and fabric softener, the same shower soap and shampoo, and I'm wearing one of the same identical loose, satin-like boxers.
I'm also using the same lubricant -- based on carrageenans -- as I have for years. It's not only the same brand and the same product, the pain only started when I was half-way through the bottle! In other words, it wasn't even a fresh bottle when this began!
There were no other changes, either. I haven't recently been exposed to any pet or other animal, nor am I eating or drinking anything new or different, no new furniture or carpeting, nor has there been ANY other environmental change that I could detect.
Hell, no one's even been in my apartment for the last 3 months! And this only started more recently than that. But I have a thoroughgoing scientific mind, so I don't even consider more arcane possible explanations.
The only possibilities I can come up with are:
(1) Something age-related that is exceptionally rare? I've just turned 60.
(2) Something changed in my skin surface microbiome?
(3) Some past bacterial or viral infection from long ago that my immune system can no longer suppress?
Item 3 is a real possibility because when I was in my early 20's and I traveled to a CSICOP convention in Boulder, after the first day I came down with something that made me immeasurably sicker than I have ever REMOTELY been! I couldn't afford to keep staying at the expensive hotel I'd booked in Denver, nor could I afford a new plane ticket home on a later date, so I felt I absolutely had to fly home to San Diego as scheduled the next day. But I was vomiting explosively every 5-10 minutes -- I had to pull over to the curb on the way to the airport perhaps 40-50 times to puke!
Anyway, I was so ill that my physician made a house call -- I couldn't even make it to the toilet to throw up, so you can imagine what my fancy townhouse looked and smelled like! Anyway, none of the blood tests he ordered showed anything medically known other than extremely high white blood cell count and the other usual indications of a severe infection. What the hell was it? No one ever determined what it was, but I was back to normal after 10 days or so.
Just like I don't know what's causing this severe penile pain now.
I'm also using the same lubricant -- based on carrageenans -- as I have for years. It's not only the same brand and the same product, the pain only started when I was half-way through the bottle! In other words, it wasn't even a fresh bottle when this began!
There were no other changes, either. I haven't recently been exposed to any pet or other animal, nor am I eating or drinking anything new or different, no new furniture or carpeting, nor has there been ANY other environmental change that I could detect.
Hell, no one's even been in my apartment for the last 3 months! And this only started more recently than that. But I have a thoroughgoing scientific mind, so I don't even consider more arcane possible explanations.
The only possibilities I can come up with are:
(1) Something age-related that is exceptionally rare? I've just turned 60.
(2) Something changed in my skin surface microbiome?
(3) Some past bacterial or viral infection from long ago that my immune system can no longer suppress?
Item 3 is a real possibility because when I was in my early 20's and I traveled to a CSICOP convention in Boulder, after the first day I came down with something that made me immeasurably sicker than I have ever REMOTELY been! I couldn't afford to keep staying at the expensive hotel I'd booked in Denver, nor could I afford a new plane ticket home on a later date, so I felt I absolutely had to fly home to San Diego as scheduled the next day. But I was vomiting explosively every 5-10 minutes -- I had to pull over to the curb on the way to the airport perhaps 40-50 times to puke!
Anyway, I was so ill that my physician made a house call -- I couldn't even make it to the toilet to throw up, so you can imagine what my fancy townhouse looked and smelled like! Anyway, none of the blood tests he ordered showed anything medically known other than extremely high white blood cell count and the other usual indications of a severe infection. What the hell was it? No one ever determined what it was, but I was back to normal after 10 days or so.
Just like I don't know what's causing this severe penile pain now.
I wouldn't automatically rule out the possibility of a reaction to your lube, even if you have used it for years, and even if it is the same formula. You might test this idea by trying (if you are brave enough to attempt masturbation again before getting a different answer from a doctor) something really benign, like olive oil or Vaseline, instead. A friend's mother suddenly had to stop trying to look like Candace Bergen in her past-65 years because she developed such a severe allergy to her hair dye that she had used for years and years, that not only could she not use it, she couldn't use any hair dye after that. So it's possible. Like, the body just finally says "Not that product."
And, it should go without saying, the body might be saying "Not that product" about something else too, like your fabric softener, but it seems like it would be hurting you all over if so. If you do try the process of elimination to try to see if there is something in your environment that is making you sensitive, be sure to only change one factor at a time.
Another thing I have seen suggested, to test the theory that it is an allergy, is to take an OTC allergy pill like Benadryl or Zyrtek before trying to do the deed, and see if there is a positive effect. Again, don't do that on the same day you try a different lube, because if you then don't have pain, which thing was it? :)
Penis pain is the worst. Your doctor isn't recommending a specialist to see and just saying 'oh well'? That's not good medicine! So, is this on the surface level of the penis or inside of the penis where you are having the pain? Is it constant or when you touch it or when you urinate? Describe it a little more and we'll see if we can come up with some ideas for you.
1 Comments
Hi, and thanks for your response!
The pain I'm experiencing is entirely on the surface. If I wait about 4-5 days after trying to masturbate, the pain only happens when I stimulate it for masturbation. There is no pain otherwise.
However, starting immediately after attempting to masturbate (which hurts FAR too much to finish, with a pain level of at least 8 out of 10), there is residual level 6-7 pain over most of the surface simply as a result of wearing my loose, satiny boxers. This residual pain lasts a minimum of two more days, but sometimes up to 4-5 days.
The pain is mostly all over the outside skin, but in some small areas the pain is often more intense. But I don't think that pain is unusual and I don't think it's directly related to the overall, general pain. Instead, the small areas that are more painful are probably just those locations where the friction from my hand while trying to masturbate is strongest, which has happened pretty much all along if I don't use enough lubricant.
My dermatologist appointment is tomorrow, so I'll return and post what she/he says.
The pain I'm experiencing is entirely on the surface. If I wait about 4-5 days after trying to masturbate, the pain only happens when I stimulate it for masturbation. There is no pain otherwise.
However, starting immediately after attempting to masturbate (which hurts FAR too much to finish, with a pain level of at least 8 out of 10), there is residual level 6-7 pain over most of the surface simply as a result of wearing my loose, satiny boxers. This residual pain lasts a minimum of two more days, but sometimes up to 4-5 days.
The pain is mostly all over the outside skin, but in some small areas the pain is often more intense. But I don't think that pain is unusual and I don't think it's directly related to the overall, general pain. Instead, the small areas that are more painful are probably just those locations where the friction from my hand while trying to masturbate is strongest, which has happened pretty much all along if I don't use enough lubricant.
My dermatologist appointment is tomorrow, so I'll return and post what she/he says.
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