long term nerve problems

[sam1234]

I had my phalloplasty over two decades ago, and still have some problems with the nerves. I never expected to have erotic feeling in my penis, they told me that from day one, but sometimes I feel an itch at the base. Its not something that I can scratch and it goes away like a normal itch. Its more like an itch somewhere inside the penis and there is no way to relieve it. I wondered if anyone else had run into that. I'm guessing that nerve reconstruction or attachment is far better these days.

When my surgeon did the phalloplasty, he left a hollow tunnel in case I wanted to have a hookup someday. That tunnel has to be cleaned regularly with a q-tip and it hurts like H---. I guess it strictured down after all these years, but its really painful and sometimes the q-tip comes out with a little blood on it.

On the top, I also have an area around the aereola that sometimes still itches like crazy. That one can be scratched, and if I'm not careful, I wind up scratching it til it bleeds. That doesn't happen too often. For months after my chest surgery, little pieces of suture would sometimes migrate out of the subcutaneous tissue. They never caused a problem and I'd just pull them out.

Anyway, does anyone else who has had F to M surgeries have trouble with nerves not responding or responding incorrectly?

sam1234

[AeroZeppelin92]

I have the itching problem with my left nipple. I expected to lose all sensation in my nipples following top surgery (I had double incision), but I've had feeling in them since the bandages were removed. And my left nip sometimes itches like crazy, and it's that deep itch like you describe, where you don't exactly feel like you can scratch it. Sometimes it will itch randomly, and sometimes things like my shirt brushing against it will cause it to itch.

[HeyTrace19]

Yes!  I had chest surgery 5 years ago and I still have very strange itching sensations.  Sometimes I feel like my left nipple itches, but in order to satisfy the itch, I have to scratch somewhere near my upper armpit.  When I scratch the actual nipple, the sensation is only that of a light skin touch.  Happens more frequently than I would like, but does not worry me much.  It just feels weird.

[sam1234]

Neurology has a long way to go as far as giving us natural feeling. I got the feeling back in both nipples after a while, and they respond to cold and touch as they should. Its just the one that itches, but man, when it does, its really intense.

Aero, I had a double incision too. I was a small A at the time, but still had a double incision as my surgeon wanted to remove some of the aerola and the incisions were small. At this point, I hardly have any scars from the drains. Now that I'm older, 52, as my skin changes as far as wrinkles, I do have some wrinkles around the aerola that I didn't used to have, but I'm thinking of doing some lifting again for my chest and hope that will fill them out.

sam1234

[Ender]

Yes, I've noticed similar nerve issues.  I had metoidioplasty, but I also get the occasional 'itch that cannot be scratched'--normal itch, not erotic.  It's hard to tell where the itch is even coming from.  I sometimes call it 'patchwork nerves'.  Everything was cut, rearranged, and put back together.  I guess this was bound to happen.  I had the meta >4 years ago; everything has slowly improved but feeling is still not 100%.  I still do have areas of numbness, hypersensitivity, and phantom itches.  This also holds true for my top surgery (periareolar, >5 years ago).

[sam1234]

I think the older you get, the less you are apt to get feeling back. With teens, they are still growing and they are more apt to get erotic feeling.

My surgeon left the clitoris at the base of my penis, so that has normal feeling, but its kind of distressing having to use a "female" part to orgasm or feel anything. I'm not in a relationship at present, but when I was married, I just concentrated on what she needed. I knew ahead of time that there wouldn't be normal feeling in the phallus.

Is anyone else who is F to M bothered by "female" secretions?

sam1234

[LaneD]

I had top surgery a year and a half ago.  I have a spot between my right nipple and armpit that will itch but cannot be scratch.  Sometimes I kind of slap at it to get some relieve.  I think the nerves are acting up to cause the itch but still are too numb to be scratched.

[Bimmer Guy]

I think the older you get, the less you are apt to get feeling back. With teens, they are still growing and they are more apt to get erotic feeling.

My surgeon left the clitoris at the base of my penis, so that has normal feeling, but its kind of distressing having to use a "female" part to orgasm or feel anything. I'm not in a relationship at present, but when I was married, I just concentrated on what she needed. I knew ahead of time that there wouldn't be normal feeling in the phallus.

Is anyone else who is F to M bothered by "female" secretions?

sam1234

sam, if you have had a total hysterectomy, have you considered getting a vaginectomy?  Removing the vagina completely and closing up the hole would certainly take away the female secretion issue!

[sam1234]

I looked into having surgery to close the vagina. Several Dr.s told me that they wouldn't recommend it because of the risk of injuring nerves to the bladder and bowel. One sad they couldn't close the opening completely in case there was an infection that needed to be flushed. At the time of my OVH, I asked if they could at least remove the glands that produce secretions and was told no.

I'm not sure the information I've gotten is correct, but my insurance wouldn't cover it anyway so I didn't pursue it further. It didn't make sense to me. Why can't the mucus membranes in the vagina be stripped and the sides sutured together so they heal closing the canal. After that, the opening could be completely closed. Has anyone on the forum had the entire vaginal canal closed? If so, who did it and did insurance cover it?

sam1234