Hi DS and Robin,
I, too, have recently become interested in this topic. I'm a 35 y.o. Aucklander and have suffered from phimosis (without even knowing that it had a name, I just thought 'that's the way it is') all my life, until a urologist recommended circumcision, which I had 5 weeks ago. I've since discovered that this can be treated by steroid cream (sounds like DS can confirm this), so I'm fairly gutted that I've gone through this surgery and all the attendant complications and significant pain and lifestyle changes (can't go to gym, walking and even sleeping are still painful, and I've already resigned myself to forgetting about sex) due to the hypersensitivity of the glans (or seemingly, compared to the previous with-foreskin lifestyle) without even being told about a non-surgical option.
My hope is that the sensitivity declines as the area heals from the surgery but after reading comments by DS and others, maybe I'm being too hopeful about this.
Has this resulted from the phimosis, that the glans has never been exposed to 'the world', so now we're expecting it to harden up very rapidly? (I mean 'very rapidly' as compared to other guys who have grown up with an exposed glans/circumcision throughout childhood, puberty, etc, which could have meant a slow loss of sensitivity due to friction on clothing, small amounts of urine on underwear from post-urination, etc.) This is why I'm thinking Robin's idea of urine-soaking may have some merit, but I haven't got to a stage where I'm desperate enough to try that yet!
I'm currently doing salt-water soaks to help with suture healing, and I'm hoping this may also help 'toughen' the glans up. Well, maybe 'praying' would be a better word, because I'm completely frustrated with this new lifestyle; putting on and removing underwear is still a major drama in the morning and evening due to the glans sensitivity and it sticking to the underwear fabric. Grrrr.
So why has this not been addressed anywhere before? I find it hard to believe that this is an unusual problem and certainly the urologist who performed my surgery is so unconcerned about my increasing frustration as to be almost blase about it (needless to say this actually increases my stress, not reduces it).
Anyway, DS, you're not alone in your symptoms and if either you or Robin find any 'magic bullets' then please share 'em around!
Regards,
CJ
>Hello DS.
>Thanks for the reply. Very glad to hear that if you find a solution you will be telling the world ...
>Yes, so Id like to support you finding a solution -
>Point by point,
> >Everything that I've seen on this has suggested that touching it to harden it up is the only way, my problem with this is that after months of doing this (and not to mention the pain), I have gotten nowhere with this.
>everything I have seen as well suggests touching the penis will harden it up ... however this does not always work (as you are very clearly aware)
> >I cannot use a condom, if anything it makes the pain worse, possibly being a synthetic material and not a natural lubricant I guess.
>A condom makes the pain worse ... hummm? ... synthetic materials? well maybe you are a nature lover :) I hesitate with any more of my old wives cures, but pigs stomachs etc were used for countless centuries as condoms, ... is there anything you could "glove" it with?
>Sometimes by thinking of ridiculous answers and questions to unresolvable problems, one loosens up the thinking equipment and might even come up with something intelligent --- my question here would be is there anything which when touching your glans actually feels pleasant ... lets just consider anything ... ice cream? - avacado dip :):) (sorry Im getting carried away, but feel when all the sensible normal questions and answers have been checked then we must check the illogical ones) ... and how does just warm water feel?
> >Other things I have read have said that the glans isn't supposed to be hardened, it should be moist all the time under the foreskin.
>moist under the foreskin, but also it must be a little hardened, this is no contradiction ... , we are not talking about a crust on the glans. There are some men who say they have absolutely no sensitivity or feeling in the glans, ... why? I dont know - often a very early circumcision might have resulted in this.
> >Doctors have said that the problem could lie in the glans, ie; with the nerves, as opposed to the external side of it, since the creams do nothing.
>Interesting, but is it true? you would surely know. If merely rubbing the surface gently causes extreme pain then it seems logical that it is the surface nerves, or the nerve receptors on the surface which are causing the problem, even if the root of the nerve might lie deep in the glans. (so I consider this to be a red herring)
> >The methods you have suggested do seem like an old wives tale, but I guess I can try the nescafe bath, I have nothing to lose there..
> >As for the urine, surely that might cause other sorts of medical problems? infections etc.
>Yes, I agree my methods are like old wives tales, but old wives were sometimes very wise ... and I feel as well you have nothing to loose by mixing a few potent witches brews in nescafe jars.
>Urine as ingredient, I consider as probably the least problematic, you probably have not heard anything of urine cures, there are books written about it (old wives books!) (talking of taboos, it is meant to be very good for you to drink your own fresh urine ... I have managed one sip ... and Im afarid my mental resistance is too great) anyway I would consider urine as the safest of all my ideas ...
>You would be very welcome to check my old wives tales out with a dermatologist ...
>The idea which I feel might work best, or the one Im most interested in - is using cider vinegar ... hummm however I would suggest this only in dilution and with very much care for skin reactions ... (maybe I am influenced too much by memories of conkers - (from the horse chestnut tree) and playing conkers in school was always more successful if one hardened the conker by boiling it in vinegar).
>I am afraid I cant give a serious and sensible answer, we are exactly in this sort of area which I explained previously: "Sometimes by thinking of ridiculous answers and questions to unresolvable problems, one loosens up the thinking equipment and might even come up with something intelligent"
>So thats this weeks witches brew ... I dont apologise, --- again one of the best methods of keeping ideas fresh and stimulating is allowing the sense of humour freedom.
>cheers
>Robin
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>>Hi, thanks for the reply, yes I agree with you, this is a taboo that needs to be broken. Kids should learn about this kind of thing in school, perhaps in their sex ed. classes.
>>Everything that I've seen on this has suggested that touching it to harden it up is the only way, my problem with this is that after months of doing this (and not to mention the pain), I have gotten nowhere with this.
>>I cannot use a condom, if anything it makes the pain worse, possibly being a synthetic material and not a natural lubricant I guess.
>>Other things I have read have said that the glans isn't supposed to be hardened, it should be moist all the time under the foreskin.
>>Doctors have said that the problem could lie in the glans, ie; with the nerves, as opposed to the external side of it, since the creams do nothing.
>>The methods you have suggested do seem like an old wives tale, but I guess I can try the nescafe bath, I have nothing to lose there..
>>As for the urine, surely that might cause other sorts of medical problems? infections etc.
>>And trust me, if I do ever find a cure, I will be doing everything I can to make sure it's in all the medical textbooks, and posted everywhere on the internet!
>>DS.
