treating infections/phimosis?

[untomySelf]

Hi

wondering if anyone has any experience with this:

ds (3.5) told me as we got into bed tonight that theres something on his penis. He pulled the skin back to show me and it looks very sore, as if the foreskin is swollen, puffy and he cant pull his skin back bc of it. I moved closer to touch it to see whats going on but he protested and said don't mummy it hurts.
I asked him if it hurts when he pee's and he said no.

Its late here so havent called a homeopath or Dr. yet but wanted to post here as I am so concerned.

Anyone had their ds go through this? Dh is saying its phimosis. I got in a bath with him and we (I) gently pulled it back (only as far as he usually does it himself, whilst playing )and it will retract BUT its painful and there is obvious swelling and soreness there.

He is just super tender about this. I hate that I feel I am violating him, its so intrusive but in my heart, I figure its better that its me and we nip this in the bud and treat it than some freak Dr who would really create yet another trauma for him.

sigh. Im worried. I dont want to create a trauma around his genitals iykwim Of course, I realise we have to deal with this, just want to tread respectfully

SO, any recommendations for treatment. I figure a topical something..but does it have to be an antibiotic? Anyone treated this naturally and cured the infection? Please help.

My dh is the fearmonger saying oh no if it gets worse, he might have to be circumcised and that terrifies me and goes against evrything or anything Id ever subject him to.

Anyone know anything? help

TIA

[Quirky]

OK, your dh is just wrong. If your ds can pull back his foreskin, then it's not phimosis! Even if it was, there are treatments short of circ to fix it. So don't worry - your son does NOT need to be circed. Tell dh to go take a chill pill.

There are a lot of knowledgable folks here who will help you out just as soon as they see your post, so hang on - help is on the way!

[emmaline]

ds2 has just had same sort of thing

dunno about natural remedies but we got an ointment made for ears actually but used for infected foreskins too called kenacomb(antibiotic and antifungal mixed witha topical steroid I think, to cover all bases), it does need a prescription but remember docs here are not so chop happy as in USA and you are very very unlikely to get flack for not circing

if ds can retract a little to get the stuff inside it should clear up quickly

[untomySelf]

Jane thanks for your kindness and I have just written a prescription for a chill pill for dh:LOL Hope he is a good boy and takes it

emmaline thank you!! Ill get some of this (for next time?)but I dont know if Ill need to as I have ben bathing him in warm water and with a lot of pacing and containing him emotionally as he is frightened, have managed to gently pull it back, wash it in warm water and squirted breastmilk on it and then pulled the skin back over the head o the penis again. Also saw our homeopath and she gave me some Apis and something else, name escapes me right now.

Within 2 hours the redness and tight swelling seems to be gone. Extraordinary really, but am still keeping an eye on things to make sure.

A friend suggested Vitamin C and just a gentle topical antiseptic cream. Im still open for more info and natural meds.

I reckon breastilk is a wonder drug.

feeling relaxed and not as scared after a good bawl and some rescue remedy

thanks again

[Frankly Speaking]

Untomyself:

I think you can relax. There have been 15 or 18 moms come here very worried with the exact same symptoms. In every case, I have told them to just watch it for 24 hours and in every case, the next day everything was fine.

This appears to be a part of the normal loosening and separation process and it appears that it causes slight trauma that causes the redness and swelling. This is a very tender area, you know! I suspect tomorrow there will be hardly any sign of it left and your son will be none the worse for the wear.

If tomorrow comes and it has not improved, the solution will be an antibiotic cream available by prescription that should clear it up quickly. At any rate, there is nothing to panic about. Even if he does need the antibiotic, a circumcision is not in his future.

Please let us know what happens.





Frank

[Gitti]

Untomyself,

Are you being too exact about cleaning under the foreskin?
Just consider that possibility.
He is only 3.5 yr. old, he actually does not need to be cleaning under there until he is a teenager.
Pulling it back every night might dry the skin of the glans especially if it is done in bubble bath or with soap.

Of course I don't know if you are actually telling him to retract and wash every night, but I am just saying, if you do, that could be the problem.

Care before and after puberty...

http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/


Our 6 yr. old boy retracts himself very seldom, only when he wants to, we have never told him to do so. By the time they are teenagers they will clean ALL BY THEMSELVES. No instructions needed!



Here is a warning even for adult males:

Apparently, a few adult males wash under their foreskin quite frequently with the use of soap.12 We cannot define excessive washing, but over washing can deplete the natural oils from the mucosa of the inner lining of the foreskin that covers the glans penis.12 Depletion of natural oils causes non-specific dermatitis (NSD) that may be mistaken for balanoposthitis.12 Excessive washing and the use of soap generally should be avoided15 because it may cause balanoposthitis or yeast overgrowth. If soap is used, any residual soap should be rinsed away before the foreskin is returned to its forward protective position.

[untomySelf]

Frank

thanks for your reassuring words and knowledge. You are right, the whole trauma seems to be gone! I am still amazed as boy it looked so swollen and red and almost not possible to retract at that time. But, its passed. ds came to me last night and said Look, Mum! my penis is all better now and sure enough it looks as it always has!

I daresay I may not have freaked out with fear so much if my dh didnt rant about phimosis and gangrene and circumcizing (fearmonger!!) Bc I havent had experience or know enough, I was on vigilant Mumma watch LOL

Gitti, thank you for the great links. No, I have never encouraged that he do a thing really bc I have pretty much followed what you have also posted about it doing its work by itself. The only time it is retracted really is when he fondles it himself and I trust he knows and will not retract further than is comfortable.

cheers and thanks for taking the time to post. I hope other mothers do read this thread if they have a similar thing happen and freak like I did!

he usually bathes in just warm water and sometimes that great liquid soap by Dr. Brunner or something like that (sorry name escapes me, but its all chemical free and gentle)

[Gitti]

Glad everything is better!
Kids are amazing and so resilient. We just have to trust nature a little more.
But I know what you mean about panicking....we've gone though a few episodes, too.

[Frankly Speaking]

Thanks for reporting back. This same thing has happened so often that now I worry more about the mother's distress than about the boy's problem. I'm glad to hear that all is well!




Frank