warts? What is next, the plague?

[PeteNYNJ]

So I noticed I had a growth on my chin. I went to the dermie and she said it was a wart. She removed it, biopsied it, and it was a wart.  Well it has grown back.  attractive.

I was taking a shower this morning and washing my butt and low and behold, there is one right outside of my ahole.  UGH.

I can't win!!!! 

[Matty the Damned]

Matty the Damned sympathises honey. He doesn't have the love-bumps, but he gets the butt-herpes instead.

Get that thing lasered off, girl.

MtD

[pozattitude]

have you been checked for HPV?  That is the "other" virus that causes genital warts and it can cause cancer...I have it too...no warts yet, but I do have a "high grade" leision that I will have removed on December 6...I hate this 

[PeteNYNJ]

Yes, it is HPV.  Yeah  more viruses  I love them

[snackprof]

have you been checked for HPV?

What do you mean "checked for HPV" - isn't a wart by definition HPV?

[allopathicholistic]

What do you mean "checked for HPV" - isn't a wart by definition HPV?

Y'know, this is a fabulous question. I asked my ID doc if HPV causes anal cancer and crazy as this sounds he seemed flat out unwilling to provide me with an official answer. I figured what the heck I'll ask the pharmacist and told him about the doctor's stance. He too didn't want to give an answer and he wasn't surprised at the doctor's ambiguity. Shit I even got a referral to the colo rectal specialist (who had an unhelpful bedside manner) and he didn't want to give an official answer either!! I'm like WTF! A freaking specialist!   These are medical professionals too  Acutally, my ID doc is a fabulous professional and person, so needless to say I found the whole episode very very odd  

Edit above in blue (for clarity)

[LACboi]

You should ask your doc if he/she has liquid nitrogen it freezes it and then it falls off.

[vokz]

isn't a wart by definition HPV?

Yes, all warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) .. but there are over a hundred different papillomavirus and they are a pretty diverse bunch of infections.

The types of HPV that tend to be responsible for genital warts do NOT cause cancer (but are sometimes present alongside four high-risk types of HPV which CAN cause cancer).

The types of HPV that tend to cause warts on the hands, feet, elbows, knees and face are very different from the types of HPV that cause genital warts and cancers.

[J.R.E.]

Pete,

Besides the problems with anal warts, I also have periodic problems with warts on the face. I have to call the dermatologist this morning, and move up my December appointment, much sooner, As I have two new one on the inside of the lower lip.( I am going to try to move it up to this Friday) I've had them there before, and they will have to be cut out, so I am not looking forward to having that done again !! There looking pretty nasty right about now, the sooner their removed the better it will be.

I also get them primarily on the chin area, also in the corner of the mouth. One thing my dermatologist tells me, is to try using an electric shaver, instead of the blade razor. The blade razor has a tendency to spread those wart seeds around on the face, while shaving.   I've found that using the electric razor helps to keep it under control. Give it a try, Just be careful shaving around the warts !


Take care-----Ray

[Tim Horn]

Hi Gang:

Vokz's post is spot on.

HPV types 6 and 11 are primarily responsible for genital warts and what is known as low-grade dysplasia. Because types 6 and 11 are what as known as non-oncogenic viruses -- meaning that they lack the genetic structure and integrity to transform healthy cells into cancerous cells -- genital warts and low-grade dysplasia will not progress to cancer, although genital warts can certainly be uncomfortable and unsightly. But as Vokz points out, many people -- especially HIV-positive men and women -- are infected with multiple strains of HPV, including types 16 and 18. These types cause moderate- and high-grade dysplasia, notably of the anus and cervix, which can progress to cancer if they're not diagnosed and treated.

The thing is, only warts can be seen with the naked eye or felt. Diagnostic tools like Pap smears (which can be used to look for cervical and anal abnormalities) and colposcopy/anoscopy are needed to determine if dysplastic lesions -- flat, otherwise invisible clusters of abnormal cells -- are present. And where there are warts, there may also be low-, moderate-, or high-grade lesions lurking. This is why regular Pap smears are routine for all women -- the use of Pap smears to detect lesions before they become cancerous can be credited with the significant drop in cervical cancer rates over the past 50 years -- and are (slowly) become standard for anal testing as well, including among women with a history of cervical HPV disease, men who have sex with men, and HIV-positive people of all stripes.

And those warts of of the extremities -- including plantar and palmar warts -- are caused by different HPV types entirely.

Check out our HPV lesson to learn a bit more about genital warts, dysplasia, and cancer.

Tim Horn 

 

[LordBerners]

I have a couple of genital warts on my penis, but this is not so unusual for me as I had them on several previous occasions, before getting hiv.  What is new since that infection are a couple of small, so far not really visible warts on my jawline.  Can those be HPV?  Or are they a spontaneous result of a low immune system?

Interestingly my first penile wart, nearly 20 years ago, was actually INSIDE my urethra, about 1/3 inche in!  That was kind of strange, and the treatment was not burning off like with external ones, but application of a sort of caustic cream as used in internal vaginal warts.  This naturally was quite painful, and one side effect was that I developed a 'bridge' where the skin on either side grew together due to the inflammation caused by this medicine. 

[allopathicholistic]

Well well. I think it would have taken less than 5 minutes for someone in my care team to give me that information (Tim: Thanks) ... Now I have to really wonder what all that evasiveness was all about? Maybe I'm in a paranoid mood today but could it be them not wanting to provide services to a Medicaid recipient perhaps?  I remember that rude specialist 10 seconds into our meeting blurted out in a very very cold tone: "You're not over 50, you don't need a colonoscopy." What a prick!

Pete: Sorry for this hijack and sorry to hear about the warts

OMG OMG OMG          Edited to add the below. Warning: It sounds like the ugly truth!!    So it seems there's a "war" going on, and not the type of war covered on CNN or Nightline either 

==========

http://www.redfieldcorp.com/aggressive_screening.html

Dr. Palefsky said HIV-negative men who have sex with men should be tested every two to three years, based on results of cost-effectiveness modeling done by the UCSF research. If the cytology is positive, the men should be referred for high-resolution anoscopy with biopsy. HIV-positive men require annual testing, followed by high-resolution anoscopy studies and biopsy in patients with abnormal cytology, he said.

Major stakeholders in the healthcare policy debate do not support regular anal screening for men who have sex with men. Notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restated its opposition to regular screening in a March 2006 update of treatment guidelines on HPV-associated cancer. The guidelines note that currently no tests are approved for detection of early evidence of HPV-associated cancers in men.

“It is not yet clear that finding and removing abnormal cells from the anus will effectively prevent anal cancer from developing in the future. CDC does not recommend anal cancer screening,” the statement reads.

==========

Ugh!!  It's all starting to make sense now. I remember they even ran my Medicaid card through a machine (a billing machine I assume) and for what? A piddly Aldara prescription? What a joke. I assume he rushed me out of there before I could ask him any cancer questions  Looks like I'll have to make a phone call to this Dr. Goldstone's office

[BobF]

I, too, unfortunately have my first experience was a "penile wart".   I was prescribed the Aldara cream, which hasn't done a darn thing in 6 weeks.  I have to go another 6 weeks with it before they do anything else.   The Doc says they can freeze it off, which doesn't sound like a comfortable thing to have done there      He checked for anal warts, but nothing was found thank goodness.

[CowboyPOZ]

The anal warts haven't popped up again since the laser surgery several years ago. A couple of times since that surgery I have found one on my penis and ball sac when trimming up. I yanked them both off and have not had anymore pop back up. Knock on Wood. If it does though I wouldn't hesitate to go have the doc freeze or burn them off before they get out of hand. I don't want to go through the radical laser surgery a second time. ITS PAINFUL!

[vokz]

Freezing is nowhere near as bad as it sounds (says the pervert who loves having his bloods drawn).

[fearless]

Freezing is nowhere near as bad as it sounds (says the pervert who loves having his bloods drawn).

Spot on Vokz. I've hadden dozens frozen off from inside my butt and have suffered no discomfort at all. I also love having my blood drawn and insist on watching the needle go in etc. Freaked my nurse out a bit at first but she's cool now. I'm much more calm when I can see what is going on.

[PeteNYNJ]

I am the opposite, if I watch my blood drawn, I feel faint.  Everytime.

[thunter34]

I hate to be a stick in the mud, Pete, but...um....you've already kinda got the plague as well.

[pozattitude]

(says the pervert who loves having his bloods drawn).

OMG....I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who likes to watch blood being drawn.



Rich

[dixieman]

Well I just want to let everyone know... once you have been infected with hpv eventhough you have no signs... showing any warts... your immune system keeping things inline you can always give the gift of the virus to your sexual partners... unfortunately many men do not understand... 75% men in this country whether showing signs of hpv or not carry the many strains of the virus...so far I have not had warts but, as my doctor stated.... I've probally have been exposed.... as most of everyone on this board... a Gift that keeps on giving... Merry Christmas!

[ubotts]

I have had genital warts for over 20 yrs..sigh I had them first frozen off..that didn't
last to long..
Later I had them Lasered off, and it took almost 3 yrs before I noticed on came back
by my butt...
Those little fuckers, are harder to kill than finding Bin Laden..
They always reappear after a few years.

So every few yrs when they do come out, I get them Lasered off...
NO pain then, but afterwards..oy ve doest that burn..They do give you lidocane
and Fenetoyl Patch to ease up the burning.....It helps a whole lot..

If there small than get them frozen off..
If there alot or some that are large, then have laser surgery done..

It helped me..It can help you as well...
When I had to go on Prednisone for my asthma..Well those warts all came out and
they turned white..I said OMG ..WTF..that's when I had them Lasered off..
The Prednisone brings out the worst in you when your have a weaken immune system
like we do..

Good luck whatever you chose...

[Miss Philicia]

Looks like I'll have to make a phone call to this Dr. Goldstone's office

It's ALL about Dr. Goldstone!  Trust!

[Miss Philicia]

the use of Pap smears to detect lesions before they become cancerous can be credited with the significant drop in cervical cancer rates over the past 50 years -- and are (slowly) become standard for anal testing as well, including among women with a history of cervical HPV disease, men who have sex with men, and HIV-positive people of all stripes.

I've had exactly ONE HIV specialist (out of four I've seen over the past 7 years) do a PAP smear.  He stated that he had begun to regularly do them on any patient during their 10th year of diagnosis... not sure how/why he came up with that equation but whatever.  I'm sure he was a Goldstone acolyte, as that is who I was eventually referred to for further amusements, and I was always convinced that any gay doctor in NYC was part of an unofficial mafia, generally in a good way however.

Once I moved to Philadelphia I, of course, mentioned my HPV dysplasia history and they'd give me some sort of neutral look and refer me to someone else.  I really just wonder how crucial all of this is.  It's such a chore to go through with all the butt laser crap -- I mean I've done it already so it's less of a big deal to me, but it's just another layer of doctor's appointments, etc.

I just never seem to get a great answer on how crucial all of this is, and it seems from reading this web forum that none of these folks get anal PAP smears from their HIV specialists.  Mind you, I had my first one 5 years ago and over that period it seems little has been settled on with this issue, except for a handful of doctors who seem to see it as QUITE crucial.

[next2u]

geesh, you guys & gals are making my buttt tingle- and not in a good way. a lot of my friends have had these procedures, none have liked them. i guess im just biding my time.

[FiercenBed]

iv had these things all over my body. on my hands, my face, my dick, & my but. after the reading the lessions thing on here i was sure i had cancer. but the displamya test came back negative. that aldvaria cream is shit and burns like hell.

after paying a dermatologist over $400; i get rid of them myself now. go to walmart by a plastic thermos without a glass linear and has one of those flip dispensers. go to a welding supply store and theyll sell you the liquid nitrogen like a doctor uses. it dosnt require a script. if they ask i tell them im using it for a theatrical play effect.....lol. CAREFULLY transport it home. keep the dispenser lid open to vent.  dip a q-tip in the nitrogen and firmly press it on the wart 2 or 3 times. the wart will fall off in a day or 2. but warts require a mirror<eg>.

like other folks on here i cant get a consenses on the pap smear thing. one doc sez it has to be done, other sez therez no reason to get it done, while yet another doc sez results for males are inconclusive. 3 docs 3 opinion's....imagine that.

[pozniceguy]

Several people have commented on the various responses from different Drs about treatments...I always keep in mind that the two people you would most like to be "correct" and supportive are Drs and Lawyers   then I remind myself that they only "Practice" their craft/skill  usually on you, and publicize that  fact by naming their offices as such.......

With Lawyers it is always " legally sufficient",  or something along the line of "you never know what a jury will do"....with Drs it seems that the "diagnosis" and "treatment plan " are two areas where they are free to choose whatever best suits their particular area of "expertise"....don't ever go to a surgeon when you have a hangnail   you might lose a finger.....

Actually I trust my Dr with my life ..he saved mine and others...but he has very definite ideas so I still take Crixivan....

Nick

[allopathicholistic]

Several people have commented on the various responses from different Drs about treatments...I always keep in mind that the two people you would most like to be "correct" and supportive are Drs and Lawyers   then I remind myself that they only "Practice" their craft/skill  usually on you, and publicize that  fact by naming their offices as such.......

Thanks, Nick. For me, I can find myself being "prevention minded" one week, less so the next. I'm taking everything said in this thread to heart, so thanks to everyone. 

[PeteNYNJ]

I am going to the doc at the end of the month for my bloodwork results so I will talk to him then.   I have had a ward on my chin and it was removed by my dermik but she said it would likely come back and it has so I called her to have it removed.

Is the wart on my chin related to what I think is the one on my ass?  Maybe I am just being paranoid

I went for a colonoscopy about a year ago for a mysterious growth in my rectum.  After many test - they couldn't figure out what it was and it went away on its own.  They concluded it wasn't cancer, any STD, or HPV. 

Maybe I am just weird.