UnsureConfused

Oh sorry forgot to mention: repeated igg testing at 4/13. Results were HSV2 - 2.1 I know some people consistently test low positive but I’m hoping the lack of increase tilts the odds of being truly negative in my favor. Thanks again

Hey guys it’s been 6+ months since my last possibly exposure. Here’s my testing history: 12/20 HSV 2 - 2.35 1/4 HSV2 - 2.2 1/4 (3 months post possible exposure) - WB hsv1 positive; hsv2 indeterminate 4/13 - blood draw for paired WB testing I haven’t had any symptoms. Some jock itch initially brought me in for testing after a long ski trip (long johns, no showering, wearing the same dirty clothes is not a good combo). Clotrinazole cleared up the yeast infection pretty quickly no symptoms since. I guess my question is if anyone knows of any cases where an indeterminate western blot turned positive upon retesting later. I’m ok if this is my diagnosis. I just want to know about any other similar cases if anyone knows of some. Thanks.

There’s also just an incredible lack of literature on male candida overgrowth/yeast infections which makes all of this more difficult

Wow. That was absurdly long. Apologies all.

This is going to be a bit of a long post but here it goes: On December 9th I received oral sex from a girl. Just a few days later I was feeling a strange itch in the tip of my penis/urethra. Slowly but surely the itch got worse and the tickle I experienced while peeing turned into a burning. Eventually these symptoms got pretty bad and I thought I had an STD. I had also shaved before the encounter and was noticing a flesh-colored bump where my normal focculitis occurs at the root of my penis shaft. I should also mention I entered the girls vagina briefly (maybe 5 min) when she said, “we can’t... I’m not on the pill). Thinking back it all seemed kind of weird though. I was masturbating frequently at the time as it provided some modicum of relief to my urethra. This likely did more harm than good as the bump got larger and a white film began developing on and just below the head of my penis. It was very itchy. I went snowboarding the following week (December 16) for three days and had horrible hygiene. This is when the burning became unbearable - my only relief being the middle of when I passed urine, the start and finish we’re very painful. I’m circumcised, but not very well and the head of my penis was retreating into whatever foreskin I have, like a turtle retreating to its shell lol. I went to my GP thinking I have chlamydia or herpes, although the bump at the base of my penis never blistered, didn’t hurt, was not itchy, it was just there like an ingrown hair. My doctor did a full battery of tests for everything except HSV1. I should also note here: I have vague memories of being a child and getting sores above my lip/under my nose from sun exposure. My mom has had herpes in the same place before. I’ve always just kind of assumed I have HSV-1. But maybe that’s wishful thinking/an attempt at revisionist history. Anyway, my doctor diagnoses balantis/jock itch on site due to the red swollen nature of my gland (head of penis) and reported burning during urination. I also had a swollen lymph node in my neck that’s basically been swollen my whole life. One lymph node in my groin (opposite the bump) was also slightly larger than the other. A few days I get a call from my doctor. Everything is clean except....I tested positive for HSV-2. Now I was really confused/lost. My tests was a HerpeSelect Elissa Igg test. My number was 2.1 or 2.2. I read up online about false positives and found out about their prevalence. I ordered a Western Blot. The Western Blot tests for both HSV 1&2. It came back positive for 1 and negative for 2 at about 6 weeks post possible exposure. Now I felt great! I figured all was well, I’d always had HSV-1 (oral) so all I had was a yeast infection. I stopped applying the clotrimazole about a week earlier than my doctor had recommended because symptoms had stopped. Now, in March, I’ve felt a slight return of the symptoms but I’m not sure if they’re in my head or not. I had been applying daily coconut oil as an anti fungal but stopped last Thursday as I took another snowboarding trip. This one was similarly unhygienic. I also shaved not too long ago and hair has been growing back on my base/shaft of penis. I’m hyper conscious and noticed the same bump somewhat, although it never got big or even could qualify as much as a bump and I have a slight tingle in my urethra. I also masturbated for the first time in two weeks and now it is back to sort of oozing and presenting as a white, curd like substance as it did when all of this first started. I’m pretty convinced I have a nasty internal yeast infection that I may have made resistant by not carrying out my treatment fully. I wanted to get a swab of the little bump but no one else can even really see it other than me. I’m going into urgent care later today to have everything checked out again as my doctor, admittedly, is in over his head. He didn’t even know what a western blot was for herpes and said I had HSV2 without a doubt solely on one low-positive blood test with no outbreak. I am also now seeing a slight rash on my inner thighs next to my scrotum that has little white bumps, exactly like focculitis but I’ve never had foccculitis there before. Not very itchy though just uncomfortable. I guess my question is this: does this sound like a primary HSV-1 genital infection that is now recurring? Or like a yeast infection that I did not kill off? I guess it’s impossible to tell as I was never tested for herpes before this but I remember having cold sores - Maybe they were just pimples? Also would the HSV-1 have been able to show up only 2 weeks, barely that, post exposure? Some people seroconvert faster than others I suppose. I did also have some flu-like symptoms at the time but my entire family was also sick at that time and I may have had thrush a long with a urethral/skin yeast infection. I just need a fresh set of eyes to read over these circumstances and give me an opinion. Obviously we’re not doctors, but I’ve begun to realize doctors don’t necessarily know anything as much as we know our own bodies. But ever since I was (falsely) and temporarily diagnosed with HSV-2 I can’t trust my own body. The more I think about Herpes the more I feel the symptoms.