********HELP, DS SUDDENLY HAD V V SWOLLEN PENIS....V UPSET*****

[Heathcliffscathy]

out of nowhere in last five minutes...obviously in pain, really crying penis really swollen, head looks inflamed...he is 20 months...shall we go to casualty? out of hours dr calling back!

[starlover]

wait and see what doctor says.... but i think i'd be inclined to go just to be on the safe side!

[hercules]

Oh, poor lamb. HAve you given calpol whilst waiting? If that much pain Id take him in.

[spidermama]

I'm not being funny but has he been rubbing it soph? I was shocked when I first saw my ds's enlarged with the blood in theirs after they'd been fiddling.

[dinny]

Sophable, a friend's little boy had this and needed prompt antibios - infected penis. I'd go to A&E. Poor little boy, hope he feels better soon.

[marthamoo]

An erection wouldn't be painful. Sounds like an infection to me too - though very sudden onset. Hope the doctor gets back to you sharpish, if not I'd take him to A&E.

[SecondhandRose]

CANESTAN cream, we had the same problem, fungal infection.

[SecondhandRose]

We named it cauliflower willy and DS is now 10 and we still talk about it 5 years later. "Wash it properly - you don't want cauliflower willy again!"

[franke]

Go to A&E could be a UTI. ds had this last year and needed antibiotics. Does he have a temperature?

[WideWebWitch]

balanitis I bet, ds had it a few times when v small. No root cause, nothing you can do to stop them getting it but sometimes needs anti biotics to deal with it. They will work fast at this age, I'd wait for out of hours doc and see what he says. If it is that it looks scarier than it is!

[joash]

COuld also be an other type of infection. It sounds like what DS repeatedly went through when he was about the same age. It soon disappears once you have relevant medication, etc.

Don't want to upset you, but it happened to DS about four or five times in as many months and the doc finally suggested curcumcision (can't spell) because his foreskin was too tight and that was the root cause of his recurrent infection - he was done at about 2 years old and has never had any problems since.

[Hermione1]

infection infection infection. Is he weeing ok? is he crying? my ds had it, said that he wouldn't be able to sleep if it was that bad (he had fell asleep in his buggy), i would see what the doctor says and be prepared to take to out of hours doc or something., hope he is ok.

[HappyMumof2]

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[HappyMumof2]

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[Heathcliffscathy]

hi everyone...just got back from out of hours doctor, he nearly sent us to hospital, but they told him to just give us antibiotics (erythromycin as i'm penicillin allergic) which we've started giving him (found late night pharmacy thank god).

as i'm hippy dippy woman, am gutted that he is on his first course of antibiotics (i know you'll all think i'm idiot for that...)

also have spoken to homeopathic helpline and they say that i should be rolling foreskin back and cleaning and drying underneath it...what do you think? i thought it was fused until 3 years or something. dh would be happy to do this gently as he has a bath with him every night but is it ok.

basically if he has peed and it seems bit better by tomorrow they we can go on hols as planned (i'm going to visit sister in holland)...if he hasn't peed, then straight to hospital....



any more advice gratefully received...

[Heathcliffscathy]

spidermama, i've seen him with a stiffy before...v weird, but this is nothing like that, the head is really really red and much too swollen...

[HappyMumof2]

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[JakB]

sophable, my friend's toddler had this and it was a specific infection caused by a tight foreskin. Antibiotics kicked in v quickly.

[hunkermunker]

No advice, but don't think you should be trying to pull his foreskin back - can cause all kinds of problems.

Hope he's much better very soon. Antibiotics do work fast (felt the same as you when I had to give them to DS when he had a UTI - but they made him much better so quickly).

[Heathcliffscathy]

i wouldn't touch his foreskin now! i just meant when he was all better.....what is the advice on pulling back gently to loosen, is it bad news???

[Nemo1977]

sophable my ds is 20mths and i have always been told never to pull back foreskin as its just not meant to..if toddler has problems in that area take them to see gp but otherwise dont touch it.

[Heathcliffscathy]

am confused now. is this advice that a homeopath would give but not a GP?

[marthamoo]

I would leave his foreskin alone 'til he's at least 3 - ds1 had a tight foreskin and was referred to a specialist and that's what he said (it righted itself, btw). Let the antibiotics do their work, do not fret in a hippyish way (be a techno hippy instead), and I hope he'll be better soon.

Agree with HMof2 - if he does have a tight foreskin, he may be prone to more flare ups of balanitis: ask to be referred if this turns out to be the case.

[dinny]

Sophable, was so upset when had to give ds antibios at 6 months. DD only had them for firts time recently aged 3. But they are necessary sometimes. Maybe feed him some live yogurt?

[HappyMumof2]

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[Heathcliffscathy]

mm: love techno hippy....

i am one i think...would always rather do holistic non-interfering none medicating, but if situation acute antibiotics it is iyswim...

that's what i thought about foreskins...i will do more research, but in meantime be leaving it well alone, which is what i thought i should do....