Jock Itch

[danjs584]

I noticed this past week that I have what appears to be my first case of jock itch. I bought Lotrimin Ultra 2 days ago and have had little response. I'm wondering from you guys who've had it, what treatment did you use and how long did it take to go away? It says the active ingredient in Lotrimin Ultra is Butenafine but other medical sites say to use different ones. I'm also wondering if it may be something else since it doesn't look as bad as most of the pictures I've seen of it. Mine is mainly just some irritated flaky skin in the crease between my scrotum and inner thighs with a few red chafing-like bumps where my thighs rub together.

Anyway, any input is appreciated...I wanna get rid of this soon so I can get some action lol.

 

[BIGBULL29]

I noticed this past week that I have what appears to be my first case of jock itch. I bought Lotrimin Ultra 2 days ago and have had little response. I'm wondering from you guys who've had it, what treatment did you use and how long did it take to go away? It says the active ingredient in Lotrimin Ultra is Butenafine but other medical sites say to use different ones. I'm also wondering if it may be something else since it doesn't look as bad as most of the pictures I've seen of it. Mine is mainly just some irritated flaky skin in the crease between my scrotum and inner thighs with a few red chafing-like bumps where my thighs rub together.

Anyway, any input is appreciated...I wanna get rid of this soon so I can get some action lol.

I had jock itch a few times...just the other year, in fact. I prefer the spray and not the cream. But, any treatment you find over-the-counter should begin to help you in a day or two, provided it's not a severe case.

 

[talbhe]

jock itch is caused by a fungal infection that is made worse by heat, humidity, tight clothes, etc.
I would trim your pubic hair down... don't shave with a razor as this may make it worse... the cream may reach the base of the hairs better. Try to leave the area open to the air, if you've just worked out shower quickly and let the area dry completely. Avoid wearing tight clothing. You need to use the medicines for at least 2 weeks to make sure you've cleared the infection. If the lotrimin doesn't work you could try tinactin, and if the cream doesn't work you could try spraying the area. Hope that helps.

 

[talbhe]

the other thing to consider is that this may not be a fungal infection, but some dry irritated skin which would get better with a good moisturizer and hydrocortisone cream. If it doesn't get better in 3-5 days see your doctor

 

[Cowabanga]

Cutting out sugar in your diet can also help, as sugar helps make fungus growth go rampant. Also sometime a jock itch can be a sign of diabetes, but I wouldn't panic and check with your doctor if it doesn't go away. But cutting sugar, can also cleanse your body, and increase your immune system. So if your body is working hard to fight this fungus, maybe it needs a little help from you.

 

[BoxersguyNJ]

The best med for jock itch is to tell your doctor to give you a prescription for "clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream it works great clears up in a few days

 

[nedly32]

tea tree oil worked well for me

 

[D_Bob_Crotchitch]

I prefer the powder based sprays. I life in a hot humid climate and have to use them from april into october. I just spray it on every morning, and it prevents me from getting it again. Sheesh, one time I had my scrotum skin crack and bleed before I could get it under control.

 

[2322]

The best med for jock itch is to tell your doctor to give you a prescription for "clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream it works great clears up in a few days

This is what I did after I gave-up on the over-the-counter meds which couldn't control the fungus. This stuff works within days and, in fact, I'm still using it now. It's important to keep using it even after symptoms have gone away as even a tiny amount of fungus can spread very quickly.

Use a hair dryer to dry your crotch after bathing and include your butt crack and the small of your back which tend to retain water which then causes everything down there to be moister than it should be.

tea tree oil worked well for me

Some people are allergic to tea tree oil. Be sure to test a small amount on a patch of skin for 24 hours on your arm before slathering it all over your private bits. Be aware that it should not be applied to bleeding or broken skin. Otherwise, it can be very effective IF in a solution of 10% or greater.

 

[Meniscus]

For some people, conventional treatments for jock itch work quite well, and once it clears up they may never get it again, or it may be a long time before they get another one. However, other people seem to be more prone to fungal infections, and they can be tough to beat.

Here are some tips:

• It can take several days before you see results from anti-fungal medications. Don't expect to see much of a change in the first couple of days. However, if you haven't seen some improvement within a week, try a different medication or see your doctor. Jock itch can be caused by more than one fungus, and not all medicines work against all fungus infections.

• Tea tree oil apparently does work well for some people, but for others it can cause further skin irritation. It did not work for me when I tried it. (Also, there is some evidence that tea tree oil causes feminization in young boys, as it mimics estrogen and has anti-androgenic properties. I don't know if it might have a similar effect on adult men, but why take chances?)

• Wash with soap & water and let the area dry thoroughly before applying the medication. Or try washing with a dandruff shampoo containing either selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue) or pyrithione zinc (Head & Shoulders), as those chemicals are used to treat fungus infections. I don't know if it works against the types of fungus that cause jock itch, but it couldn't hurt. As a preventative measure against future infections, you may want to consider continuing to use dandruff shampoo to wash your groin even after the infection has cleared up.

• Don't use your regular bath towel to dry your crotch; use a separate towel, and change it frequently. Otherwise, you can reinfect yourself.

• Try using a hair dryer on low setting to get the area as dry as you can.

• After applying the medicine, apply baby powder to absorb sweat and keep the area dry. Do NOT use a corn starch powder as it can feed the fungus; use a talcum powder, an anti-fungal powder like Zeasorb AF, or Caldesene "Protecting Powder." (The Caldesene contains zinc oxide which seals out moisture and protects chafed skin from further irritation.) Continue using the powder after the infection has cleared up to prevent future infections.

• Until the infection is completely gone, wash all your underwear, pants, sheets, towels, and bedding in hot water (bleach them, if possible) and dry them in the dryer. They may be contaminated with fungus which could lead to reinfection, but the hot water and heat from the dryer should kill the fungus.

• Don't sleep in the nude. Wear underwear to bed to reduce the amount of fungus that spreads to your sheets & bedding.

Good luck!

The best med for jock itch is to tell your doctor to give you a prescription for "clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream it works great clears up in a few days

FYI: clotrimazole is an antifunal medicine which you can also buy over the counter. Betamethasone is a steroid. The steroid doesn't do anything for the infection, it just helps reduce the inflammation and dryness so that the pain/itching and flaking/redness go away. However, there is a downside to using steroids long-term; for example, they can permanently thin the skin ultimately making it more vulnerable to future infections. They can also be absorbed into the bloodstream causing body wide side-effects. Personally, I think you should try an over-the-counter cream first and only get the prescription strength stuff from your doctor if the regular stuff doesn't work.

Read this for more information:
BBC - Health - Ask the doctor - Steroid creams

With regards to what I said about tea tree oil above (also true for lavender oil), the effects will depend on the concentration of the oil and the frequency of exposure. The boys who were affected were exposed to the oil regular for several weeks. However, I've written elsewhere about my libido problems, which began a couple of years ago, and wouldn't you know it, I've been using tea tree oil soap for the past couple of years. I've discontinued use of the soap to see what will happen.

 

[Meniscus]

Oh, two more things:

1. Although most cases will clear up in two weeks, it can take up to a month.
2. Sometimes the rash will come back a few days or a couple of weeks after you thought it was gone, then you have to start treatment all over again.

 

[unzipped]

developed a condition where when I shower the hotter I turn the spray onto my nuts, it seems to sooth and feel good.. just wondering if that is a sign of jock itch as I never had it.. plus, kinda worried about scalding my nut sack.. uz

 

[Warlock08]

what worked for me was shaving all the pubic hair off AND going commando....sometimes to work and 100% at home.....the itch faded away. This was better than all the lotions that I tried. Hope it works for you too....PS: try natural seawater as well, if you can....wearing loose shorts and wind-drying your 'boys'.Cheers

 

[nudepierced]

I did the same, The skin would split and the sprays and creams would burn so bad, I started going commando all the time and always nude at home when I can and sleep nud, that was four years ago and never another problem with it.

 

[LittleDicky]

I also vote for going commando.

I suffered with jock itch on an off for 20 years. Nothing, prescription or over the counter, would cure it -- and I was in the medical profession! My scrotum would get raw and bleed. The itch was maddening. Medications would often irritate.

I started going commando and nude at home as often as possible (including bedtime), and the condition cleared up completely in a couple of months.

As others have said, it's a fungus. Fungi love dark, moist, warm places, so it's essential to have air get at the area. The jock itch fungus (tinea cruris) is a variation of the athlete's foot fungus (tinea pedis).

I've since read that some doctors will recommend going commando.

Someone above mentioned hot water. I found that hot water did stop the itch -- but only temporarily.

 

[danjs584]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I actually misdiagnosed myself though and that it is actually folliculitis since I realized all the red bumps are where there is a hair growing out of it. Anyone else got this before? How long did it take to go away and what did you use? Thanks again!

 

[Fredro]

LOL!!! I was about to mention that the OP had not mentioned the itching. How does one usually diagnose his own personal case of jock itch? IT ITCHES LIKE A SUM BITCH!!! No, it doesn't sound like jock itch to me either.

I can remember having it about 15 years ago. Before I got it cured, the only relief I got was in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, scratching myself RAW with a stiff hairbrush.

Just do what millions of other men have done. Go get a couple of cans of Cruex. It'll be cured in about a week.

 

[B_spotted_duck]

I prefer the powder based sprays. I life in a hot humid climate and have to use them from april into october. I just spray it on every morning, and it prevents me from getting it again. Sheesh, one time I had my scrotum skin crack and bleed before I could get it under control.

euuuughhhhh!!!! MEDIC!!!!!

 

[B_spotted_duck]

LOL!!! I was about to mention that the OP had not mentioned the itching. How does one usually diagnose his own personal case of jock itch? IT ITCHES LIKE A SUM BITCH!!! No, it doesn't sound like jock itch to me either.

I can remember having it about 15 years ago. Before I got it cured, the only relief I got was in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, scratching myself RAW with a stiff hairbrush.

Just do what millions of other men have done. Go get a couple of cans of Cruex. It'll be cured in about a week.

Naah, don't use Cruex. I struggled with that stuff for months the one time I had a serious jock itch issue. Cruex is pretty primitive vs. other products-- been on the market for decades, its kung fu is pretty much David Carradine.

Tinactin took care of it in no time. Its kung fu was pretty good. Probably learned it from Chuck Norriss.

Lotrimin I've used on my feet and it was like throwing a switch to turn off fungus. It must have learned its kung fu from Keanu Reeves. Never had cause to use it on my package...

 

[B_spotted_duck]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I actually misdiagnosed myself though and that it is actually folliculitis since I realized all the red bumps are where there is a hair growing out of it. Anyone else got this before? How long did it take to go away and what did you use? Thanks again!

You could just have a doctor look at it if you're concerned, next time you go in to see him.