KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A Malaysian coffee shop owner has claimed that a treatment for hiccups left him partially deaf, damaged his throat and shortened his penis, a news report said.

The Star daily reported on Thursday that the man's medical woes began after he sought treatment in hospital following a referral from his doctor.

There he was placed on an intravenous drip and given oral medication.

"After two days my left ear started to turn red and my throat started to hurt," Chong Wee Ken, 38, was quoted by the paper.

"When I asked the doctor, he said I had shingles and told me to continue with the medication."
 CNN.com Asia
"I also discovered that my penis had become shorter because of all these [medication and treatment process]," he said.

Chong told the paper that in the next 10 days his left ear became covered in blisters, he could not eat or speak well and he partially lost use of his left arm.

Fearing he may die, the man discharged himself and went to another hospital which treated the blisters within a week.

The surgeon that first treated Chong said that the patient was suffering from shingles of the ear and throat and the hiccups were a symptom, The Star reported.

Chong was given the only anti-viral drug available to treat shingles, the surgeon added.

"He did not give me a chance to complete the treatment when he discharged himself," he told The Star.

It was not clear from the newspaper report whether the patient was seeking damages or had filed a complaint against the hospital.

LONDON, England -- A condom that contains an anesthetic to prolong lovemaking has smashed all sales records, its manufacturers say.

Durex has sold 18,000 Performa condoms via the Internet in the past three months -- outselling other types the company sells online by a margin of five to one.

Each condom contains a small amount of lubricant cream inside the tip, which disperses with body heat.

The cream contains Benzocaine, a mild anesthetic that desensitizes the tip of the penis, so sex can last longer.

The Perfoma is currently only sold on the Internet but the company is aiming to make it available in shops in the UK by Christmas.

Amanda Tucker, Durex UK marketing manager, said: "If interest through the Internet is any guide then this will change the way people think about condoms."