First of all I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to join a forum or really communicate openly about herpes seeing as I’ve had it for almost 15 years. The thing with my herpes is I don’t really ever have to think about it since I very rarely got outbreaks. After my first horrific outbreak when I got it I’ve maybe had 4-5 outbreaks in the past 15 years. I’ve gone through very stressful times, moved, switched birth controls, been sexually active or not at all and nothing seemed to cause any bad outbreaks besides one every couple of years.
Now, for the past 3 months I’ve had either a series of outbreaks or one continuous one that never seems to heal. This has NEVER been this bad and I’m starting to loose my mind. I did just recently move internationally (back to the USA) and have been stressed out with moving, starting a new job and being the sole income for my household as my husbands not working. However, I’ve definitely been more stressed out than this before and not had outbreaks like this so I really don’t understand why it’s happening now.
I don’t usually take anything for my outbreaks as they are so infrequent so the first one 3 months ago I brushed off as a random occurrence but now 3 months in I’m desperate for this to stop.i have used acyclovir cream and taking lysine and it’s done nothing really to help. I’m booked in to go see someone but couldn’t get in until next week. I’m hoping maybe a prescription for Valtrex or something will help.
im so scared now that it’s going to continue for months even with treatment. So many factors have changed I also can’t pinpoint a trigger. I got a new iud about 5 months ago but had one previously and never had problems, I’ve moved and been very stressed for about the past 2 years constantly, I’ve moved to the desert now which is very hot (although I lived here previously with no problems)...the first outbreak occurred 3 months ago after vigorous sex in a pool so I can see what caused that but not the subsequent ones.
I still carry a lot of emotional trauma and shame and I’m terrified if I have outbreaks for months on end it’s going to start to affect my mental health. I also haven’t told my husband about these outbreaks (he knows and I know I could) but I hate talking about it and we are going through a rough time for other reasons that I just don’t have it in me to fight and emotionally deal with it all at once. And no I don’t think our problems have stressed me to the point of causing these outbreaks as things have been rocky for a while now.
Has this happened to anyone before? Having almost no outbreaks then all of a sudden constant?
Advice, support, shared empathy- anything would help. I’m freaking out and it must only be making it worse...