[More herpes outbreaks since menopause]

Yes lysine has helped in the past (2 caplets per day-). Ive used lysine instead of the antivirals for daily maintenance.

Id like to read where you found the info about women having more trouble than men with HSV OBs.? And any other article. Please.

I haven't done any research in a few yrs now but certainly will to see if there are anything new.

Tks 

[More herpes outbreaks since menopause]

I have gone back on antivirals but it reeks havoc on my IBS. After a while I will just use L-Lysine instead and hope.that this will be enough.  I will also go start taking probiotics to help with my IBS and gut health as I know our  immunity  is all from our gut. I am seeing my doc next week.

I'll keep you posted it this resolve my issue.  I just hope that it does.  After 23 yr, I would have expected that I would ve getting less OB not more.

🤞

[More herpes outbreaks since menopause]

Hi, I' a 23 yr veteran and 56 yrs old.  Im fully menopausal and on bioide tical hormone  therapy.  Since  I started on the progesterone I've been getting monthly OB.  Wondering if anyone else has experienced this, if there is research on this or if anyone has insights about HRT or just my immune system going down? I'm going to start again on regular  L-Lysine.( I had stopped for the last 6 months). Thanks

EP

 

[Supplements????]

Hi. I had also read that l-lysine was helpful but then another article said that it was only proven to be good against hsv-1 and not hsv-2.  Because of this I haven't tried it.  Is anyone taking lysine and also hsv-2 and having good results?

[25 Years And Counting...]

On 12/5/2015 at 11:47 AM, HollyGirl said:

I could write a novel about my experience…

 

A few words and thoughts from a non-medical mind and thriver:

 

There's a hugely fulfilling life out there if you make the decision that this doesn't define you. Because it doesn't. And it shouldn't. Let it be the catalyst to help you discover the depths of your compassion, your bravery, your protective instincts, your self-love, your breadth as a human being, your balance. Let it be the divining rod to help you find people on this planet who will accept you as you are and to weed out those who just aren't worth the time of day. Great exercise early on in this life. Let it teach you what unconditional love is. THAT is a huge gift.

 

If you've just been diagnosed and having frequent outbreaks, be nurturing with yourself. Find ways to boost your immune system, get plenty of rest, and above all else, let go of your negative thoughts. Go ahead and go through all your stages of grieving, it's part of the process, then make peace with it. The aspect of making peace will likely be a turning point for you both physically and mentally. Your body WILL mount an immune response over time. More than anything, realize that you are anything but alone, there are lots of us out there living really great, full lives who share this predicament. This only defines you IF YOU LET IT. I don't know Adrial, but his words and wisdom resonate deeply with me. Just wish this resource, and the Internet, were around when I was first grappling with my diagnosis. What a wonderful forum, sanctuary and safe haven!!!

 

I hibernated and withdrew into quasi-depression in the beginning. I wasn't "the kind of woman this happens to"! Truth is, it happens to all kinds of people who don't invite it into their lives, and to some who do to advance a relationship with someone they care about. It doesn't discriminate, any more than a cold or the flu discriminates. It's an opportunistic virus. In hindsight, I continue to blame the media for overblowing this. Nobody does that with cold sores, though I'm almost grateful that the stats are showing that HSV-1 is to blame for 50% of new genital herpes diagnosis. Maybe that will provide the tipping point for both greater understanding of what this virus is (and is not) and to accelerate a vaccine to prevent and one to halt. Fear and loathing are very powerful marketing tools. My humble but strong advice? Make the decision not to let those inflammatory voices dictate how you feel about this ailment.

 

I rarely ever get OB anymore. Maybe 2-3 times in 15 years. Can't remember the last time. No big deal. It was different in the first 2-3 years. Didn't have to take antivirals to control. Seems to have protected me against oral herpes because I still test serum negative for that. Yea!!! I got married (to someone who was HSV2 positive, as fate would have it, prior to meeting me.) I thought he was a gift from above when he told me he had herpes! Came as such a huge relief that we were on a level playing field. And then we all but forgot about it. We have healthy, happy, wonderful children. I live a rich, full life that has zero connection to this virus. And we had beautiful sex to conceive them! LOL

 

I'm now divorced now and having to have "the talk" for the first time in 20 years. I won't lie, it stresses me out. I've met an incredible human being and I don't want to lose him over this. But that isn't mine to control, is it? If he is the man I imagine him to be, then he'll accept this as part of a greater package that he thinks is pretty amazing. And if he doesn't, I need to know that too. This forum has been deeply empowering for me as a resource to find the right tone, the right words, the right attitude to convey. Thanking all of your for that as it is helping me as well.

 

We all are as lovable as our ability to love and reciprocate. This isn't an incurable cancer, or some deathly pandemic, or brain-eating amoeba, or disabling deformity. It's a skin condition that resurfaces in some from time to time that puts us briefly out of sexual commission. It's a nuisance, not a death sentence. It's manageable. It's also an invitation to take really good care of ourselves and to get in tune with our own bodies.

 

I'm taking suppressive antivirals now, not because I need them to control outbreaks that I no longer get, but purely out of a desire to protect my potential partner from viral shedding, if in fact, that poses a risk for him. Dunno. Erring on the side of caution. (Which 20 years ago no one knew about -- we were told that if we didn't have outbreaks, we couldn't spread it. Frankly, I never did pass it to anyone without protection when I was asymptomatic, but I'm not qualified to dispute the findings of the asymptomatic viral shedding studies, though I'd love to know if the pharmaceutical companies sponsored $$$ the research. Gold mine for them if they did. And suspect. Our fear of rejection and being infectious is a huge profit center, real or imagined.) If you are a Harry Potter fan, think of this as your Boggart. Then deal with it accordingly.

 

I just want to do everything in my power to reduce the chances of passing this on. Frankly, I'm guessing mine is very low at this stage of the game, but there are no studies I'm aware of on long-term presence of virus and the antibody level connection to viral shedding rates. Would make for an important study, especially since antibodies develop off-the-charts over time.

 

In closing, suicidal thoughts, deep depression, feelings of worthlessness, etc. are SO unnecessary and heartwrenching to hear about!!! This seems to be a safe place to reach out to others sharing a common life experience. Come here, be present, put your truths on the table. And then breathe a sigh of relief. You have a lot of company.

 

If one person felt better about their prospects by reading this post, then it was worth the time it took to write it. Now go out and find a thousand things to be happy about!

 

 

Hi, thanks for sharing.  Just wondering how ling you wait until you disclose?  Before sex of course but do tell him you want to get to know him first?

 

[Feeling Optimistic: Successful Disclosure Story]

Thanks so much for sharing!  Im starting to date again and Im really nervous about being rejected when I disclose.  This helps give me courage.

 

On 12/3/2017 at 10:02 PM, PhillyChick said:

I've been a member here for awhile, lurking around in the shadows. But I am proud to have found this community, as it has helped me re-frame my perspective on what it means to live with HSV2.

 

When I was first diagnosed, I just knew my life was over. As an over 40 black female with HSV2, i figured i should just throw in the towel. Dating as a 40+ black female is hard enough, but then add cooties on top of that....forget about it.

 

But then a funny thing happened. I met someone. He seemed awesome, and checked all the boxes of what I'm looking for. We went on about 4 dates and everything was perfect. But then oh wait, I remembered that i'm one of the "infected" and he would never want me. I came back to the forums for support, plus i read all of Adrial's guidance on changing my perspective. Then I literally wrote out my disclosure talk and practiced it. This was my opportunity (see what I did, there? lol) to start this potential relationship in the spirit of open communication, honesty and vulnerability. If he decided not to proceed, then he was rejecting the herpes, not me. and that's his choice.

 

I finally got the nerve to disclose, and it went better than I thought. He said he appreciated my honesty and that he'd call me in a few days. i figured oh well, i'll never hear from him again. he did call me a few days later, and we had small talk. while i was waiting for the shoe to drop, he says "so when will i see you again?". i said, well, what do you mean? I assumed after our talk you wouldnt want to see me anymore. he said what are you talking about? of course i want to see you again!

 

I am besides myself! He is willing to take a chance on us, and I am so happy. We've gotten much closer because of this, and we're trying to make it work. I dont know what the future will hold, but i'm excited to find out!