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Persistent Balanitis for over 3 months 16M

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Background: 16M, 5'8, 190lbs, white, suffering from recurrent balanitis of around 3 months. Before this, I took no regular medications, and I did not regularly drink, smoke, or use recreational drugs. I am uncircumcised. Important context: 3 months ago, I had recurrent strep throat that I used antibiotics to get rid of. Additionally, my girlfriend had a yeast infection. 3 months ago, I began to notice many, many faint red spots on my penis head. It was itchy and produced a "dead skin" like discharge, had a very small odor or none at all. Additionally, the frenulum or "string" on the front of my penis detached/ripped a little, and became white. After around a week, the itchiness went away, and the front part healed. Redness continued and seemed to be exacerbated by masturbation. The parts that were red began to hurt to the touch. Around 2 weeks after symptoms started, I visited my GP. I was prescribed clotrimazole and hydrocortisone to be taken together. After taking them, discharge stopped happening. Additionally, I was advised to stop masturbation for at least a week. After a week, I had gotten almost back to normal. Since that week, it has gotten progressively worse. At some point, I resumed masturbation, which irritated it every time. Around 3 weeks ago, or 5 weeks after my original appointment, I visited the GP again, and I was swabbed to culture and find potential causes. Additionally, I was given topical antibiotics. The swab failed, and they called my back in to take another one around 2 weeks ago. Additionally, the antibiotics did nothing. I was swabbed around 2 weeks ago. They found "general bacteria" (according to my GP) and fungus can take longer to grow (a couple more weeks). Since that swab, they have put me back on the antifungal (clotrimazole) and an oral antifungal (fluconazole). Since around a week ago I have stopped masturbating again, as it hurts. I took fluconazole 3 days ago, and it hasn't done much. I have been applying the topical antifungal for around 1 weeks 2 days, and taking probiotics. I have noticed little improvement, but I am hoping not masturbating will help it, as it seems to be the main driver of my symptoms. Also, during my break between taking antibiotics and clotrimazole, I noticed the discharge coming back. Medical things I am waiting on: My GP is currently doing e-consults with a urologist and a dermatologist. If antifungals appear on the swab culture I took Triggers: Touching of any parts that turn red (listed below) will irritate them and trigger the redness, becoming pretty painful. Before touching they look normal, but with even minor mechanical irritation they become inflamed. This related to the last one but masturbation is a huge trigger and will leave it very irritated. My current symptoms: redness/swelling under the ridge of the head redness/swelling on the frenulum. since applying antifungal rarely, but red dots on the rest of the head of the penis. To be honest the reason I am posting here is I don't know where else to go. My GP is currently out so I am being addressed by a nurse practitioner, who is not very reassuring and says things like "why don't we try this just to try". The urologist who they did an e-consult with seemingly didn't even look at my notes, and put a single message "no referral needed, circumcised" (which is annoying cause I am not circumcised). The dermatologist has a bit of a wait. And to be honest nobody around me seems to know what to do or what is wrong with me.

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Subreddit
r/AskDocs
Posted
Feb 12, 2026 at 5:54 AM UTC
LeadScore: 5

AI Analysis

Condition
balanitis, possible fungal/yeast infection
Barrier
pcp unavailable