dreamer05

Thanks for the messages above @My thoughts and @Flowerteacher55 😁 I think I do need to be kinder to myself in all of this! I saw your message @Flowerteacher55on a day when I really needed to see it. And it reminded me to be kind to self. It reached me at the perfect time. I appreciate it. In terms of what you said @My thoughts re: being sure if I have HSV1 bs HSV2 .. to be honest I've wondered that myself too! It was only this past year that I've had really frequent breakouts...before that it was like 2-3 breakouts over 5 years. I do vividly remember the doc (he was an OBGYN) who initially diagnosed me explaining me the difference between 1 and 2 and telling me I had 1 and the upside of lower frequency breakouts. But after this year I've felt some uncertainty. Where I am in Ontario, Canada, they don't do testing if you don't have an active breakout. I think most of the people on here who say 'go get tested' are in the states. This has been my experience here and various docs have told me the same thing. I'm not sure if any one else on here in Canada has had the same experience - pls message and let me know if different. So they really only diagnose when you breakout. They take a swab from the lesion. I could do a testing next time i breakout to be sure about the 1 vs 2 things I guess. As a follow up to my initial story with the guy I had recently broke up with: he didnt experience any more symptoms following the initial worry he had. I think he may have been in his head. We've parted ways since then. I guess I was all worried for nothing. But thanks again for your support. ❤️

Ok thanks My thoughts - this does put my mind at ease. I haven't had to deal with managing all this in a relationship in a while. What about if I was having or approaching having an active breakout (with hsv1) and did have unprotected sex? What are the chances of transmission? Thanks for your help

Hi! I haven't seen this particular topic on any of the forums and need some advice. I've had HSV1 for almost ten years now. I used to not break out often but this past year I've had frequent breakouts. I am seeing someone new and I did disclose to him. It went quite well. He got a lil distant for some time but did come around and seemed to get over it. That being said, due to other things going on in his life, we recently decided to part ways. I was really bummed because we had a good connection (and I had disclosed and it was successful). He also had mixed feelings about our break up bc he does like me, but basically he just isn't ready for a new relationship (he has a daughter and this was his first dating experience following her mother, and he just realized its too soon). Anyways, before parting ways we did have one last sexual encounter (and didn't use a condom in the heat of the moment). I was on 500mg of valtrex at the time and wasn't in an active break out. We've only had sex twice total - the first was with use of a condom and the second was the one just described. Today, he messaged me and its been 2 days since our last sexual encounter and he says he thinks he got it. He is experiencing itchiness and some tingling. I'm kinda horrified 😞 I have never in my ten years knowingly given it to someone. So I don't exactly know how to handle it. Things are also weird, we were on our way out of our short relationship and we were about to end contact (so I could move on in a healthy way), and now this happens... I have a lot of anxiety around his thoughts and feelings about me now bc I do still care about him and he cares about me. We prob would still have been together if we met when he was more ready. I just don't know how to handle all of this. Do I stay in his life to help him navigate this if he does end up having it? What next steps do I take? How do I support him through this? Thanks!!

THanks @WCSDancer2010 !! I've always been into healthy eating, yoga and natural products, even prior to my diagnosis, so I have gone this route with this as well. I do EFT as well (I actually just finished doing it for an interview I have tomorrow, and then read your post!) I think Christmas eating may have triggered this breakout. I find my body is sensitive to disrupting my routine. I have been back on track though (healthy eating and supplements, exercise, yoga and mediation & adequate sleep) and I'm just a little disconcerted and worried that it keeps flaring up again. Your right, I feel as though I am lucky in that my flare ups are not bad. What worries me more is the thought that my immune system is being compromised and despite my health lifestyle it is not being successful in clearing the breakout. I need to find what works for me I guess.

I also took my Valtrex for 7 days and continue to be on l-lysine

I feel like my herpes outbreak has been on/off for two weeks now. It seems to subside and I feel healing and then I am itchy and a bit sore the next day. Its not awful, just more annoying than anything. Is this common? How long does it usually stick around. This is only my second outbreak. Thanks for the help!

Great post @thisisgoingtobeokay !! Amen!

Yes of course! Thanks Adrial!

I asked this same question in another thread but can't seem to find it. Hope you can help me out. The thread mentioned that when a woman is on her period that it may or is more likely to cause a herpes outbreak. I just wanted someone to elaborate on that and find out if this is true and why it is true. I ask because I haven't had a bad outbreak since my first... I have an IUD and don't get a period and usually theres no issue monthly but more recently I have been having bad cramps. I am trying to make some links and am thinking I may be having a period without any spotting. When the cramps occurred this month I had an outbreak. Also the cramps seem to last longer. So I am thinking that my outbreak may be linked to my "silent period" (that's what I call a period with no spotting lol). THanks for your help in advance:)!

@WCSDancer2010 I just noticed you asked if periods start off the OB...can you elaborate a little, are OBs related to periods? thanks!

Okay, thanks to you both! I'll get it checked out. I've been cleared of STDs (other than hsv) so perhaps its related to female reproduction.

Everyone is so knowledgable on here, I love it! thanks in advance for the help!! My question is that I have been having consistent cramping in my lower abdomen and it sometimes spreads down into my groin. It can be mild continuously but also quite intense at times where I feel like I cant move. I have been taking Valtrex for the fourth day down there and my mild breakout down there, that I could see visually, has seemed to dissipated, however, the cramping hasn't gone away. Just wondering if any one else experiences significant cramping? I'm still learning what is typical for my breakouts and am wondering if this is normal or if it could be something else and I need to take action. In hindsight I think back and have had bad cramps in the abs and groin in the past with no visual breakouts. I had an IUD in prior to my first breakout and its still in and my periods are very very mild if I even have one. So this cramping is relatively new and seems to be linked to the HSV from what I can tell. fyi- I have genital hsv1

Awesome:) Thanks Adrial.

Thank-you so much for taking the time to write back. I truly appreciate it and believe you did clear some things up for me. When I was diagnosed, the doc did say I do have the HSV1 downstairs and he went on to say this is the strain experiences less BOs. And I do experience cold sores on my mouth and from my understanding this is also HSV1...so I may be one of those that has the same strain in both places. I will consider the antibody test for both though so I can be clear. I try to maintain positive although I do have my moments! I'm really into yoga and healthy eating so I'm glad I was set up well in that way too. Thanks again!!!

Thanks, so helpful!! I appreciate it :)

Hey there! I noticed some posts that mentioned taking a lysine supplement is good in preventing BOs. I am really interesting in holistic health and natural care and wanted to know if anyone knew of or used other natural remedies and supplements to prevent or treat their BOs? Thanks

One of my questions is: I am not on daily suppressive therapy and only have taken Valtrex when I think I am having a breakout ......When do I know that I should be on daily suppressive therapy? Like how many outbreaks a year? I think I've only had my initial breakout and perhaps 2 more. Also is there side effects on being on Valtrex continuously? I do have hypothyroidism and balancing my hormones was a struggle in my teens and now that I feel balanced as a young adult I dont want to interrupt this.

Hi. I'm new on here and I should start by saying that this is such a great site... I feel like I have already learned so much and, unfortunately, have begun to realize how little education I got from doctors involved in my care. As a result, I feel like my questions are building up in my head!! I was diagnosed with HSV1 Feb of 2013 and had a pretty severe OB as my first. I 'think' I may have had one minor outbreak during the summer but was not sure since my first outbreak was horrible and this seemed nothing like it. Now, I think I am having an outbreak. This seems more clear to me that it is herpes, however, its not as severe as my first outbreak. I am experiencing more cramping and groin pain and I did have some itching and mild pain and tenderness. I guess this current break out is making it more real to me that I have to deal with this on a consistent basis. My next questions is: When growing up I did have cold sores, until I went on the pill in adolescence, which seemed to stop them. After my HSV1 diagnosis a year a go, I noticed I do get small cold sores every once in a while again. Is there a link here? I guess I'm a little confused. Do I have both HSV oral and HSV1 genital? Or did I always have HSV and it was just passed to my genitals through sexual acts? The person I was sleeping with when diagnosed with HSV1 genital did not think he had it or if he was just a carrier to his knowledge he had never passed it, which is why I am wondering if I just had it a long time dormant and it came out when triggered by stress. Also, as a related question: Would this mean that during a breakout down there should I refrain from kissing as well? Thanks for your help!!