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Fishy smell from 10 year boy’s penis

61 replies

wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 14:10

Any help gratefully received!
my DS10 has a strong fishy smell coming from his penis. He’s at that shy stage now so won’t let me have a proper look but says it’s not sore or itchy. Just a bit “wet” he says. We go on holiday tomorrow so no time for a dr visit but could Pop to a pharmacy if anyone has a recommend?
thank you!!

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 16:02

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 15:54

Obviously not much use now if it’s too expensive but a lot of private GP services do online consultations so you don’t need to be nearby. Just for future reference.

Thank you 😊

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/07/2023 16:02

Ring 111 or go to urgent care

wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 16:03

Autumnsoon · 20/07/2023 15:52

Tell your doctor you need an appointment,your going on holiDay tomorrow,otherwise you will have to go to A andE …what if he’s pushed something up it..
you can’t go away op without sorting this out
or 111

He’s 10 and very mature, he’s definitely not pushed anything up it. I’ve explained the situation to the prescribing nurse and she’s said no appointment necessary until the one I’ve been given.

OP posts:
Clementineorsatsuma · 20/07/2023 16:03

Good grief. Some of these answers!

No she should not be cancelling the holiday.

OP do you have a walk in centre you can go to?

Otherwise, make the spot for when you are back, and go and ideal to a pharmacist today.

And have a great holiday!

wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 16:04

FoodFann · 20/07/2023 15:38

@wobblymum1 Maybe call around different surgeries.

We are fairly rural and only one surgery we can get to and as that’s where he is registered I don’t think another surgery would see him?

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 16:05

Clementineorsatsuma · 20/07/2023 16:03

Good grief. Some of these answers!

No she should not be cancelling the holiday.

OP do you have a walk in centre you can go to?

Otherwise, make the spot for when you are back, and go and ideal to a pharmacist today.

And have a great holiday!

Thank you!
no walk in centres, just the GP surgery. Got the appt for the day we get back. 😊

OP posts:
Seasideanticscanleadtosandybuckets · 20/07/2023 16:05

If he is mature op he need to know for medical reasons he needs to be showing you.. At 13 my ds had huge pains in his testicle.. If he had been too shy to speak out he could have lost it...

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/07/2023 16:06

Depending on where you're going a pharmacy might well prescribe while you're away, I've had antibiotics from Greece and Italy.

TeamsInterview · 20/07/2023 16:09

Have you told him to wash it ?

Ep1cfail · 20/07/2023 16:24

I'd run him a bicarb bath. Half a cut of bicarb in a lukewarm bath. Tell him to thoroughly wash it and pull back the foreskin to clean it. Get him to Dock in the water for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse off. He needs to dry himself properly. Also, make sure he's wearing cotton pants / boxers. If the smell doesn't go I'd do bicarb baths for a week until the GPS appointment.

Elsiebear90 · 20/07/2023 16:25

Has he actually tried cleaning it? It sounds like it’s just a hygiene issue.

LoonyLois · 20/07/2023 16:29

Are you going abroad or staying in England for your holiday? If staying in England you might be able to find an urgent care place while you’re away, but not sure id risk going abroad with a potential infection

Ducksurprise · 20/07/2023 16:30

If you are going abroad you won't be covered under holiday insurance if you have an issue unless you declare it.

BusterGonad · 20/07/2023 16:35

If you're going abroad you'll probably get a appointment pretty cheaply if it plays up, and other countries can be quite lax about antibiotics so it really shouldn't be a huge problem. I can't believe some posters think you should cancel your holiday. Other countries do have doctors. It sounds like a minor infection that shouldn't take much to sort.

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 16:44

Make him wash it properly then you could try having him put savlon on. It’s antiseptic/antimicrobial and I find it really helps with anything like that.

OLDERME · 20/07/2023 17:07

Good wash, apply full fat greek yogurt, twice daily. Make sure he is pulling back the foreskin. Enjoy your holiday.

wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:18

BusterGonad · 20/07/2023 16:35

If you're going abroad you'll probably get a appointment pretty cheaply if it plays up, and other countries can be quite lax about antibiotics so it really shouldn't be a huge problem. I can't believe some posters think you should cancel your holiday. Other countries do have doctors. It sounds like a minor infection that shouldn't take much to sort.

Thank you!

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:19

OLDERME · 20/07/2023 17:07

Good wash, apply full fat greek yogurt, twice daily. Make sure he is pulling back the foreskin. Enjoy your holiday.

Thanks so much, will do this!

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:19

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 16:44

Make him wash it properly then you could try having him put savlon on. It’s antiseptic/antimicrobial and I find it really helps with anything like that.

Thank you! I have some so I’ll give him some tonight after a bath.

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:20

Elsiebear90 · 20/07/2023 16:25

Has he actually tried cleaning it? It sounds like it’s just a hygiene issue.

Yes daily showers 🤷‍♀️So not sure what it is.

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:21

Ep1cfail · 20/07/2023 16:24

I'd run him a bicarb bath. Half a cut of bicarb in a lukewarm bath. Tell him to thoroughly wash it and pull back the foreskin to clean it. Get him to Dock in the water for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse off. He needs to dry himself properly. Also, make sure he's wearing cotton pants / boxers. If the smell doesn't go I'd do bicarb baths for a week until the GPS appointment.

Ah this is clever as he’s impatient and often runs off after washing and wants to get into clothes without drying properly first. (He has autism and doesn’t like texture of the towel)
i wonder if this has maybe caused it, will try clever bicarb trick.

OP posts:
wobblymum1 · 20/07/2023 17:22

Seasideanticscanleadtosandybuckets · 20/07/2023 16:05

If he is mature op he need to know for medical reasons he needs to be showing you.. At 13 my ds had huge pains in his testicle.. If he had been too shy to speak out he could have lost it...

He knows this’ll but due to his autism he finds any medical things really really invasive and is loathe to let anyone examine him. We get there in the end but takes hours for him to agree to anyone (me included) having a look/ feel.

OP posts:
WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 17:35

Yoghurt is only going to help with thrush/a fungal infection. If this is bacterial, it won’t help and may make things worse.

Brk · 20/07/2023 17:42

We’ve had this a couple of times (until I told him: stuff your privacy, I’m supervising the willy wash until you’ve learned to do it properly - and after a few weeks of that I literally still ask every day did you remember to wash it (half the time he says he forgot, the other times he rolls his eyes and says of course I did it).

Firstly: you may still be in time for an online GP private appointment. MedicSpot do until 9pm and email the prescription. Think it cost £50 when we did it. Then an overnight pharmacy can dispense the antibiotics.

So here is what the GP told us. It is either bacterial or fungal. In case its fungal, put anti-thrush cream (like canestan) on the end twice a day). You can buy that from any pharmacy or most supermarkets.

If its bacterial then it is either just the tip (in which case regular rinses with salty boiled water, cooled, may clear it) or it may have progressed up the opening, in which case it will become more and more swollen and painful until you do antibiotics. Don’t be too fobbed off by the nurse, the NHS is completely broken and basically we now either pay for private care, or get inadequate care, is the current situation.

If you’re on holiday anywhere in Europe / Asia / America / Australia you’ll probably be able to access superior medical care overseas.

Canisaysomething · 20/07/2023 17:46

You need to have a proper look at it. Just a glance and a sniff isn't enough to determine what the issue is. You aren't helping him if you just wait to see if it gets infected whilst abroad. That sounds like the worst option.