Man’s penis turned black after he injected it with cocaine

It also released a ‘foul-smelling’ discharge

(iStock)

A man who injected his penis with cocaine saw it turn black and release a “foul-smelling” discharge.

The 35-year-old man’s case has been reported in the American Journal of Case Reports and found that he was admitted to ER with “excruciating” pain in his penis and scrotum three days after he injected the drug into his penile vein.

A doctor who was working in the Bronx, New York hospital where the man was admitted said the man’s penis was ulcerated, black, swollen and emitting a foul-smelling discharge.

The doctor added that the man had a long history of intravenous drug use and that he revealed he’d previously injected cocaine in the same vein at least twice in the two weeks prior “without any complications”.

It was reported that the man refused surgery to cut away the dying skin tissue and was put on intravenous antibiotics for five days.

The man refused drug rehabilitation following an improvement in his condition and was later “lost to follow-up”, the doctor explained.

The report added: “Intravenous drug users should be counseled to seek help and should be advised to enroll in drug rehabilitation programs, as cocaine cessation is the only definitive treatment.”

The report did not clarify why the man’s penis was discoloured after he injected it with cocaine.

According to a 2021 report from the government, powder cocaine is the most commonly used stimulant in the UK and the second most prevalent drug overall.

Use in 2020/21 was reported at 2.9 per cent in England and Wales, the highest figure since 2008/09 which was 3 per cent.

The most recent survey shows that cocaine use, including crack cocaine, has dropped in Scotland from 3.7 per cent in 2008/09 to 2.3 per cent in last year’s report.

Wastewater analysis done in several European cities including London and Bristol backed up suggestions that cocaine use among adults was highest in the UK compared to the rest of Europe.

If you or anyone you know is facing a drug addiction, you can find your local drug treatment centre here.

You can also call the Narcotics Anonymous helpline on 0300 999 1212 or the Cocaine Anonymous helpline on 0800 612 0225 or email helpline@cauk.org.uk.