Hi there,
Some context to start with. I've been couching for three weeks, had a flu and fever, stressed with work and private situations and weak physical health (smoker), made my immune system is very low. And three days ago out of the blue my scrotum skin on the left side turned red, and my lefball felt heavier and bloated, somewhat of a pulling feeling down when you stand up. The right one was just fine. I checked it out and I saw 3 spots similair to zits on the left side of the scrotum. First I thought it could be BLUE BALLS. It could not be a STD and I thought it was an ingrown hair, so I paid no more attention until I felt some pain later that day when i walked, a burning sensation with every step. When I took a look I saw a patch of pink skin where the toplayer was gone, where the 3 white spots were visible earlier. I tried some honey for 15 minutes on the scrotum and aloe vera after that. It relieved after 15 minute, today I still went to the doctor for a check up. He gave me a cream 'fusidic acid' to kill of bacteria that cause skin infection. The infected skin at the moment is somewhat darker in color and feels like leather in texture and the leather top layer is peeling off in dry small skin pieces. The spot on where it started is getting bigger and looks more pinkish, new skin. I'm not happy about the results yet, it's like a snake getting a new skin scenario, but then the left scrotum skin, I will try this cream for 3 more days. I'll keep you guys posted about the outcome.
Obviously none of you has actually gone to a proper dermatologist who knows his/her stuff because none of you have stated that you tried oral antifungals. I have had this issue for 2 entire years. I'm 23.
It started with two small patches on the sides of my penis shaft. Over the next two years, it got so bad that the gentlest scratch would draw blood and tear the skin. My skin was like a damp sheet of toilet paper. Literally. My scrotum and perineal region would tear up chronically, leaving raw patches which stung whenever it touched water. It often bled. From time to time, I'd try my hardest to bear with the itch, thinking that as long as I break the cycle, the itch will subside. It never did. The longest I ever manage to not scratch was 5 days. I also tried the pinch-and-rub or friction therapy. To no avail. It doesn't draw blood but it results in serious amounts of clear exudate. The clear fluid will harden and form a crust over the scrotum. The hardened layer is thin, and often desquamates in two days. This leaves a very fragile, sensitive, and inelastic scrotum. The cycle then repeats itself.
I self-diagnosed and self-treated my symptoms for two years. I used various creams, including Hydrocortisone 1%, Lotil Cream, Puriya Mother of All Creams, Daktacort, Daktarin, Nizoral Cream, Nizoral Shampoo, Betnovate, and Clobetasol. Most recently I had been convinced that the issue was caused by skin atrophy from using superpotent corticosteroids. I suffered from depression because I read that skin atrophy from steroids is irreversible. I came dangerously close to suicide.
I am 23. Never did I once thought to visit a dermatologist because I was embarrassed and I figured OTC solutions would suffice. Hydrocortisone, Betnovate, and Clobetasol did help with symptoms very briefly. But they would come back with a vengeance. I visited a dermatologist one month ago. He immediately prescribed me with Diflucan to be taken for a week. The symptoms had never returned. Please consider seeing a qualified, experienced dermatologist for your skin problems.
The main course of action once you have such symptoms is to see a dermatologist. Make sure he or she has a good reputation. You do not want fresh graduates treating skin problems. Nor do you want dermatologists with a bad record. Invest in a good dermatologist. It is worth it.
It is important that he/she understands your concerns. If you are dealing with itching, make sure you try not to treat it with topical steroids, even when prescribed by your doctor. Steroids do not help deal with the fungus. What you need are topical anti-fungal creams. In stubborn cases, you need oral anti-fungals. Make sure you keep your scrotum as dry as possible. There should be no compromise. Take a month of work if you have to. Stay at home and keep your balls air-dried. Do not leave the house as any sweat will interfere with the treatment. This is important. If you balls are sweaty, make sure you also use Daktarin powder.
Many fungus infections appear to be refractory because most people can't be bothered to stick to a treatment regimen that does work. They take a course of Diflucan and expect to be cured. For stubborn cases, it definitely takes weeks and months to be cured. I've read people claiming miconazole doesn't work after only applying it for 7 or 14 days. You're supposed to apply it until symptoms clear and then 10 more days after that. Stopping your treatment mid-way would only cause the fungus to become resistant to your creams.
I hope all of you with scrotal problems invest a few hundred dollars in a good dermatological solution, instead of trying to solve your own problems with amateurs online.
Fungal infections are very common and most people can't be bothered to post their symptoms online. That's why there is such a paucity of people discussing scrotal and penis problems online, when dermatophytosis account for 10-20% of all visits to dermatologists, with higher prevalence in hot and humid weather. 10-20% of all men cannot be walking around with uncured peeling scrotums. This is absurd.
Clearly, dermatologists treat fungal infections on a very regular basis. A visit to a qualified, experienced dermatologist will most likely solve your problems. Instead, people on here would rather just ramble on about their itchy scrotums and coming to conclusions based on a couple of articles they found online.