This site demonstrates the importance of checking every uncircumcised or intact boy, for adhesions, phimosis and frenulum breve, before puberty. These conditions anatomically inhibit the relationship between the foreskin and the glans, particularly when the penis is erect. This often causes pain and other problems during puberty, or when making love.

Phimosis can often lead to infections, the most common of these infections is balanitis.

If you're new to these pages: Please Start at the Beginning.

To diagnose LSA: "The glans demonstrated sclerogenous ivory colored patches located perimeatally, which is the classic manifestation that determines diagnosis." (Meuli)

Homoeopathy
Classical medicine knows no certain cure for this condition. In one reported case, after 6 months of frustrating attempts with cortisone, a homoeopath was consulted. Homeopathic cures are specific to the individual and related to the condition of his whole body, nevertheless it appears recognised that "Thuja" will often cure balanitis. In the reported case it was administered with a LM12 potency as a liquid 2 drops morning and evening for the first 3 months and had a 90% success. After the first 3 months the higher potency LM18 was recommended to complete the process, .. (updates follow).

______________________
S.K. wrote in the newsgroups:
Question for folks out there.
I had a circumcision a few years ago, as an adult, in response to recurrent balanitis. The problems disappeared and I was very happy with all aspects of the surgery.

It's been about 5 years and the foreskin appears to be getting longer. While nowhere near as long as it previously was, it can be pulled to cover the entire glans. I recognize some folks on the net would be happy about this, but I prefer myself cut. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'm considering going in for a second time. How much can be taken off without a problem?

PS - notice to the anti circ crowd - this is a single incident for an adult male - not a political statement about neonatal, routine circumcision. Let me be please.

------
Dear S.K.
>You can get any amount you like to cut off, A consensus of opinion (which is quite a surprise around here) suggests that a surgeon who can perform with the freehand method, would be able to give you the trim you choose.

>Can I ask, previous to your first operation, did you have any problems with retracting your foreskin, - often the doctors don't ask this question, and often this is the cause of balanitis.

>(maybe e-mail contact would be mutually profitable)
>Robin Stuart.

_________
From e-mail
I had some trouble with phimosis as a teenager, but was too afraid to deal with it and it eventually cleared up on its own. According to my urologist at the time, the cause of the balanitis will likely never be known - "some people get it" was his comment. It was a chronic problem that went on for several years.

One of the reasons for my current question - the problem seems to be coming back. After several years of no infections, my wife and I have both gotten them recently (me at the fold of excess skin at the edge of the corona).

The balanitis began (at least as something I recognized) when I got married at age 27 and manifested itself as trading yeast infections back and forth with my wife. We tried dozens of remedies over a few years, but the infections always returned. Our doctors never identified a root cause, concluding that for some reason, we were susceptible to them. The partial circumcision was effective in stopping the problem for both of us for five years (until now).

Thanks again
S.K.

____________
TREATMENT

Hi Robin:
Good to hear from you again. Let's see, the saga of the balanitis. What we developed over the course of about 5 years was:

To avoid:
1. wash at least twice per day and immediately prior to and after sex
2. refrain from oral sex
3. wear as loose fitting clothes as possible, including boxer shorts

If the balanitis flared up, so to speak, I used one of the prescription creams. Sorry, it's been a while and I don't recall which one. It was one of the Lotrimin family, but had a different cream base (because the Lotrimin caused some irritation and itching itself).

With the help of the doctors, we tried perhaps a dozen different creams out there, most of the Lotrimin or hyrdocortisone varieties. I tried a couple with the most recent bout and the hydrocortisone seemed to work best this time. Evidently, according to the urologist, everybody reacts differently to different creams and it takes some experimentation to get the correct one.

As we discussed, the partial circumcision was highly effective and I've only had a couple of back-to-back cases in the 5+ years since then. Likewise, my wife has had very few cases of vaginitis since then.

Dr. K.W. Chow has a very informative medical description.

© R.Stuart