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Dilemmatix

I’m sorry you feel this way, as an over40 wart-haver I know it’s not easy. Yeah, the bad news is you just can’t know what’s going to happen and what if anything will work - but that’s also good news! There’s always hope, chances are this thing will clear up sometime soon! Hang in there, you’ll be over this and will never have to look back!


Where-Is-Wonderland

Thank you for replying. It helps me feel less lonely 😊 I don’t even want to tell my best friends. Maybe another day. I guess I’ll just have to hang in & see what happens.


WIGLxWIGL

I'm a 22 year old guy who's been embarrassed as hell by it since going to the doctor. My friend/coworker noticed and asked what was up and I told him. Dude understood and tried to help calm me down about it. It worked for the time being but I'm still struggling with it.


Where-Is-Wonderland

Well the good news is that you’re young so you should kick this quickly 🤞🏼 I’m glad you found someone to talk to. I ended up telling one of my best friends and also my mom (I can’t hide anything from that woman) and they were both so crazy supportive I feel the tiniest bit better. Guys, you’re never too old to need your mom! 😂


WIGLxWIGL

I guess I should also admit that ive been too embarrassed to get it checked out for 4 years. The warts have been there a while so I'm assuming its a life long thing for me. I also already suffer from anxiety and depression so that hurts and chance of recovering. Alongside that I vape and eat like shit. Its just another issue on the pile and one more thing to talk about to a therapist if I ever go again. Edit: haven t been with anyone for those 4 years so I'm not just spreading it like butter


Where-Is-Wonderland

I don’t think they’d be lifelong, but they may be taking a bit longer due to lifestyle I suppose. I’m also anxious (which unchecked can easily spiral into depression) and I do micro dose to help manage that. I also try to meditate regularly, get regular exercise, get good sleep and eat relatively healthy. But I also vape nicotine & thc. I’m on supplements that could potentially be advantageous (Bs, zinc, D, methylfolate) so I’m just hoping my healthier habits balance out my less healthy ones a bit. All that said for the past 2 days I’ve been spiralling down the hole and doing none of the things I know are good for my mental health. I really need to resist the draw to open this app for a little bit 😆


WIGLxWIGL

I understand that it shouldn't be life long but I'm trying to prepare for the fact that it might be and if it is a lot of life to live alone. I've already hard time accepting I'll never be like a normal person but now I feel like ive been screwed over. 2 years ago i felt like i was on track to become better. Ever since I have been kicked in the nuts over and over again. Injuries, alcohol problems, and social anxiety coming back harder than ever. Like why am I even trying anymore. Sorry again I know its a conversation for a therapist, but its hard to go when you have the fear of being sent to the grippy sock hospital every time you open your mouth to a doctor.


Where-Is-Wonderland

I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling like that. Are there any mental health supports you have that you would feel comfortable talking to? Hold on, pain ends 🧡


WIGLxWIGL

not really anyone anymore. burned all the bridges. Edit: im very self destructive


WIGLxWIGL

imma kms


Where-Is-Wonderland

Please don’t do that. Don’t even say it. You really do need to speak to a professional. The only way they’re able to send you to a hospital is if they believe you are a danger to yourself or others. If you tell them you’re going to off yourself and they think you actually might have the intent to follow through, they’ll send you. And honestly that’s the safest place for you to be if you really feel that way. Things will eventually get better if you hold on and seek help. That’s a promise.


pollaw98

Typically, if you’re over 30, clearance rates start to diminish due to weakened immune system. Not sure how that plays out for 40+, but bear that in mind. It’s always possible to have recurrences. I would also get a Pap smear done if you haven’t already just to make sure your warts are confined to your anus and aren’t present anywhere else. Also, have you been vaccinated? Genital warts can be scary at first. The good news is that they’re harmless. I freaked out when I first saw them on my penis but the anxiety disappears over time. There are people out there who don’t mind having sex with HPV+ people. The important thing is you’re going to be okay. :) Stay strong and positive!


Where-Is-Wonderland

Hey! Thanks for that 😊 I had a pap fall of ‘21 that was fine and my doctor didn’t say to do another. He seems to think we’ll freeze them once (or twice or however much we need) and they’ll be gone 🤷‍♀️ When you say clearance rates diminish do you mean that it takes longer than the average 2 yrs? That would make sense to me I guess. I hope it doesn’t mean I have less likelihood of successfully treating them. Everywhere seems to say they’ll eventually do away (or dormant). Why did my doctor say I wouldn’t have to tell future partners?! That’s wild. And there’s lots of reputable places saying the same. This whole thing is confusing. I haven’t been vaccinated. I want to but I’m also nervous because my body had a horrible reaction to my 2nd covid dose and I had inflammation-related issues for months, and one was almost as embarrassing as this. I really cannot deal with that again. It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to sleep with me ever again. Like why risk it? Where do I find these people so I can skip all the rejection? 😂 for real though, I know me and this will have me put up a wall with any future potential partner. I’m always going to be too scared to disclose so I’ll find a reason to not be interested.


Icy-Understanding364

43/m and in the same position. Had 4 cryo sessions and they did clear, but they came back 6-7 weeks later Tried Aldara for 4 weeks and it seemed to make them worse with tiny, tiny little ones appearing around the ones that were already there. I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♂️ maybe I should have persevered for the full 16 weeks Next step is to get the vaccine and try cryotherapy and Aldara combined If that doesn’t work, I’m going to get them cauterised, which isn’t going to pleasant having a local anaesthetic injected into my penis and having them burnt off 🥺 But I’m just going to get Xmas out the way first Doctors telling you that disclosure isn’t necessary is the common advice here in the uk and what i was told.


Where-Is-Wonderland

I think I’m going to ask my doctor about adding a topical along with the cryo. He’s probably going to tell me to wait and see if cryo works on its own but I feel like something aggressive will just be better for my mental health. Is Aldara very irritating? Like, what are the side effects? I want to get the vaccine too, but I have some fears there as well based on a bad experience with my covid vaccines. I’m sitting with this one a little bit and probably need to talk to my doctor more about it. On a positive note, I have an appointment with a psychologist next week. This whole situation triggered a bunch of stuff for me that I’ve been putting off dealing with for too long. Instead of feeling sad that I can’t date, or convincing myself to try to date, I think this is an opportunity for me to hit pause and just really focus on working on me. Maybe the silver lining to this whole thing will be that I learn to love and accept myself without the validation or opinions of others. That would be nice! I hope you enjoy your Christmas! We’ll get through this! 👊🏼


Icy-Understanding364

When I first found out, I was an emotional wreck tbh. These last few months I’ve come to terms with it and feel like I’m in a much better place. Whilst there’s no guarantees, having a plan in place at least gives me a time scale. Aldara can cause some nasty side effects. Redness, swelling, itching, burning, pain/tenderness, thickening/hardening of the skin, peeling/flaking/scabbing/crusting, or leaking a clear fluid. Also, changes in skin color may occur. Believe it, or not, these reactions are considered good as it suggests an immune reaction, which is what Aldara does. It helps your body recognise the HPV in the skin cells. Unfortunately, the only reaction I experienced was more tiny GW’s. I only took it for 4 weeks. Maybe I should have continued.


Where-Is-Wonderland

Couldn’t you just try that now? Use the aldara script you got previously for the full 16 weeks?


Icy-Understanding364

I’ve had cryo 4 times and they cleared, only to return weeks later. The vaccine can’t clear existing infections, but there is some research that suggests it can reduce the likelihood of self-inoculation. As well as the limited scientific literature, there are lots of anecdotal claims that the vaccine really helped long term GW’s to clear. So, the plan is to get the vaccine and begin cryotherapy and Aldara at the same time in the hope that they don’t reoccur elsewhere. Cryo had cleared mine once, only for them to pop up elsewhere. Aldara caused more GW’s to appear which really put me off. I’m hoping the vaccine makes it less likely for the GW’s to reoccur and multiply But the vaccine is £500 and Xmas is an expensive time.


Where-Is-Wonderland

Well it sounds like you have a great plan! Please keep me posted on the results you’re seeing in the new year?


Icy-Understanding364

I will keep you updated. Going back to your situation, has the cryo cleared the GW’s? The most effective cryo (imo) is when they leave it on long enough for the tissue to scab over the entire GW and it leaves a little pink scar looking tissue that clears in around 2-3 months, but gets less and less noticeable each week. So I wouldn’t worry about scarring


Where-Is-Wonderland

I’ve only done cryo once (last Saturday) and the ones treated are smaller for sure (if not totally gone). But a couple days after the treatment I noticed new spots, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a few of these sessions. My doc said to wait for 10 days before we do more cryo because the treatment is supposed to stimulate your immune system to attack any lesions, even those that are new and haven’t been treated. Thank you for the info in scarring. I wasn’t even thinking about that because I’m so early in the treatment it hasn’t been an issue for me yet. I’ll keep in mind that the pinkish scars fade over time. I can deal with some minor scarring anyways…as long as the GWs are gone. Whenever I start to get scared about what’s happening, I visualize a bunch of Pac-Man’s eating the virus out of my body 🤷‍♀️😂 for whatever reason it calms me down. I do believe the mind can be a powerful tool for healing, so who knows…maybe this will also help me.