Seeker1960

Hi @Better I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Some people do get so mild of symptoms they don't know they have it. You know your the other aspects of your relationship with your husband. Some would say that he possibly could have had it before you were married and that you just got it now from him. Has he been tested? What kind of test confirmed your positive result? Swab or blood? If he is recently infected he would have still been contagious without a positive blood test. It takes weeks to months to develop the antibodies to show up positive on a blood test. If he has a high igg it could indicated a previous infection if he has high igm it could mean a recent infection. You should get couples counseling and get to the bottom of things and see if you can salvage your marriage. The HSV may have been from infidelity or it might have been preexisting some experts would say. You know the other aspects of you marriage and if there are other reasons to suspect infidelity. I think there are some female members who can give you some good answers on the other parts of your question as to the duration of the initial outbreak and so on. This can affect everyone differently depending on how our immune system responds and how well it suppresses it. Hang in there and know you are not alone in your situation. That there are others like you who are here to support you. Be good to yourself.

I had a coated tongue around the time I was infected. It won't be classified as a typical symptoms. I had all typesbof symptoms from electrical stocks to night sweats to no being able to sweat at all. The immune system's response to the virus can be different for everyone and because of that you can get weird symptoms that are not directly identified as caused by HSV. Most people get typical symptoms like blisters and so on. Fewer get the atypical symptoms.

I experienced something like that early on after being infected. I had some autonomic dysfunction that cause me to have gastroparesis. That is you eat only a little food and feel full. You don't have much of an appetite either. I found that making smoothies and milk shakes helped. I was able to drink high calorie drinks and green juices to maintain some nourishment. I think my whole digestive system was whacked out. Eventually things stabilized and I was able to eat normally again and gained my weight back. I lost like 25lbs. Try the smoothies.

I don't know much about H Whitlow but from what I've read it rarely reoccur and you get it by contact with and active sore and if you have cuts on your skin. I would take your child to a dermatologist it's probably some other mild skin irritation. It doesn't look like HW that I can see. You still need to use precautions to not have any open sores come in contact qith his skin. I nelieve thst you will be okay.

Hey there @tweetsoc From what I read from others experience the HSV2 igg should be pretty accurate however there are some people who are positive that don't test positive on the igg test. A positive PCR swab of an active sore is definitive. HSV can irritate nerves like the prudendal nerve. I don't think anyone in the medical community would acknowledge the HSV causes anything but blisters and skin issues. I believe that HSV can trigger many issues that are not recognized because it replicates in the nervous system. So the answer I would say is that HSV is probably not a cause of ED or Orichitis but because HSV can affect everyone's immune system differently it would make think twice despite the medical community opinion. They don't have all the answers or we would have a cure by now.

I saw a post on HC that was probable you. Lost life? I know you are desperate for answers and extremely anxious. The person who answered you is a self proclaimed expert on all thing Herpes. He gives diffinitive diagnosis that you don't have Herpes if you don't follow the exact typical symptoms. Trust what you understand. Your body. You know when you started getting the symptoms. You know it was after a sexual encounter. You know you tested negative for all STD's. You test negative for HSV but you are not sure because you have to wait up 16 weeks to get an answer. I belive you will get that answer by the 16th week eitherway. If you test positive I believe it will likely show that you are newly infected with HSV1 although HSV2 is a possibility. If you keep going to the old schools of thought on HSV you are going to get answer based on an old limited understanding of how the works and the atypical manifestation if neuropathic symptoms of the virus. If they knew so much they would have developed a vaccine. It's the new researchers who are making progress and getting the better understanding because they belive people like us. Calm yourself down as hard that is to do. Then you can think clearer and also figure out how to approach management of your symptoms. Take care friend.

Get help for that first. That is more important at this stage. The better you are mentally and emotionally the better you will be able to cope and manage your HSV. It could become almost a non-issue if you can get there. Stay well my friend. You're going to be okay.

@LosingHope If you are looking for answers from General Practioner you're not going to find them. Not even from an infectious disease Specialist or even an Dermatologist. If you are having an atypical presentation of HSV not even the so-called experts like Terri Warren and HH Hansfield will acknowledge that. Very few exceptions like Dr Friedman from the University of Pennsylvania who is working on a vaccine and therapeutic acknowledge that. They are going to say that your anxiety is causing these symptoms and that you're ot sick at all. That you don't have HSV because you don't have blister or cuts. That you are a hypochondriac and it's all in your head. You will only get confirmation when you test positive in the third month. There are also some people who do not test positive on the blood tests and only have tested positive via swab but they are the very, very few. Like I said, you have to get your anxiety under control, understand that this is not a life threatening illness for you unless you were immuno-compromised. Then you could be in trouble and would need intervention with high dose acyclovir and other antivirals to prevent encephalitis. I don't believe that to be your case at all not even remotely. You have stuff going on similar to what happened to me. These symptoms will eventually resolve if they have been triggered by HSV when your body finally catches up and gets in the fight. You can get you Doctor the give you the acyclovir of Valtrex as that might help. My suggestion is to treat your anxiety, and any other outstanding health issues that can be treated with standard treatments and be patient. HSV is causing some issue because it's replicating and moving around in your nervous system. It should calm down gradually or even suddenly. Hard to say which because it affect everyone differently. Hang in there and try not over think this and worry about it. You will learn that millions and millions have a form of HSV. The majority have little to no symptoms. The unfortunate ones like us do.

It is going to take at least 6 to 12 weeks to develop antibodies sufficient to test positive on a test. It took me like 15 or 16 weeks to test positive. I took multiple tests that were negative even though I knew that I was positive and was infected. Then I finally got my confirmation.

HSV1 and HSV2 are the type of Herpes virus. GHSV1 just indicates that you have it in you genital tract instead of orally. HSV2 is mostly found in the genital tract so I don't think I've seen it as GHSV2 although it can be had orally as well.

Typically people are infected with HSV1 orally in childhood and get cold sores aka Herpes on their lips or face. However, people can become infected with HSV1 on the genitals via oral sex from an infected person who has oral HSV1 or less commonly through genital to genital contact with a person who has GHSV1. There are many different strains of each virus some which are more nuero-invasive than others. They both can cause serious symptoms depending on various factors. Mostly they cause irritating and annoying symptoms. HSV is suspected in some cases of causing various intestinal tract issues but again caused by what is does to the nerves. You cannot assume that you have HSV2 without a confirmatory test. You could have either type. The person that infected me had both and I only got HSV1. Lucky me.

Hey you need to stay calm. I know that you are on edge but every symptom is not directly or in directly related to HSV. I've had that bump up my eye lid. It will go away. You can get some eye lubricant or some antibiotic drops from your eye Doctor. Dangerous would be encephalitis or something like that. You're going to be okay after a while but stressing yourself will only make it worse. If you are having anxiety you might need to see a Doctor about it.

I don't know if this is an OB in the true sense. With a typical OB you get Prodrome just before you get lesions or blisters then then they clear up. With atypical HSV like we have it because the active HSV is triggering off our nerves it doesn't go into a latent stage. Eventually you will notice it start to die down as your immune system learns how to defend. It's hard but be patient and monitor your symptoms. You will be able to notice that many gradually or suddenly dissipate. There is no predicting what is going to happen with this. It's not going to be cut an dry that it follows the same path in any two people. You will have to try different things to see what your body best responds to.

HSV affects the nerves. I don't believe I have read anything about damage to organs. If HSV infects your CNS it can affect your parasympathetic nervous system as well. I got some some autonomic dysfunction for a while after I was infected. The issue is the nerves that run throughout our body are affected and worse at the beginning because we have not developed any defense. You can't be certain of which HSV type that you have until you get a positive test. You could very well have HSV1 which can give you the symptoms you are having.

@LosingHope You're newly infected and your body is learning to react to it. In the beginning it was like that for me as well. Treat your depression and other symptoms as they all are probably not HSV related. Don't let HSV be an excuse to end your life. It adds an un wanted dynamic to your situation buy it isn't worthy to respond by giving up on life. I say get your depression and anxiety under control. Try different things to support your immune system. Try the antivirals as they might work. I am not so sure that the HSV is causing the damage that you're talking about. It could make it feel worse but not the cause I don't think. You probably have GERD as stress causes concentrated stomach acid. Unfortunately HSV is with us for life but life can still be great with HSV. I'm doing very well with it. I find enjoyment in my work and my family and enjoying life. Yes it sucks that I have it but I am not letting this virus destroy me. I am still hoping that a break through medicine or treatment come out. Things seem to be moving faster and in the right direction over the last couple of years. So help could be around the corner. You're still young enough to benefit and you might see a total cure. Don't give up on hope@ Don't give up on life. Don't give up. Give it some time. I can't promise that you will be symptom free but it should follow the couse and get better and calm down to a point it's not the daily issue in your life. Hang in there!

There is a Trial for Pretlivir for people with Antiviral resistant HSV. You might be able to sign up for that. The good news is that you are young enough to have hope that you will see an effective vaccinebor therapeutic come out in the next 5 to 7 years. Maybe earlier for Pretlivir. Hang in and try some natural options to boost your immune system.

Hello @LosingHope I am not an expert on all things HSV but I know the truth of my reality and personal experience with it. Your symptoms if HSV related are not typical according to the "experts". So if you go on the HC site you will be told it's not Herpes and it's anxiety or something else. There are some questions that should be answered in your search for your answers. 1) Did you ever have oral cold sores? 2) Did your partner ever have oral cold sores growing up? 3) How long have you been sexually active with you partner and has it been monogamous? Obviously we are trying to see where the HSV entered into the picture. If you were negative which I suspect then when did your partner get it? If she is have new symptoms then she probably has a recent infection as well. HSV infects the nervous system not just the skin. It can situate in different nerve areas or infect the Central Nervous System. If you are newly infected it will take a little time for your immune system to recognize and defend against the virus and build up antibodies. You may not test positive for a 8bor more weeks. It took me like 15 or 16 weeks to test positive and I had to get a Western Blot. Now that I have had it for a while I test positive on the standard tests. If you have HSV you could have either type 1or type 2. You can either type genitally or orally. Everyone's body reacts this virus in different ways although it seems like many people get the typical blisters some are totally asymptomatic or have symptoms so mild they don't even know they have it. For others like me we have symptoms which started very much like yours. Mine calmed down after about a year and an half. They only have recently fired back up because of some seriously stressful situations in my life and also that my immune system took a hit getting the last covid vaccine. I feel it like my body rebooting and the symptoms are gradually receding. I would ask your partner a few more questions to see if she was with someone else recently. You both should get tested now and if you're negative then I would wait until February or March for the next test. I wasted a lot of money on tests that showed negative because my antibodies had not developed yet. You want to find the type of HSV that you have. HSV2 and HSV1 can be equally nasty on our nervous system. HSV2 carries the stigma more as it's associated with genital Herpes and HSV1 is associated with oral "cold sores". They are essentially the same and HSV1 has become prevalent in genital infections. I don't know what if any treatments you are trying. Antivirals help some people although I don't remember them helping me much. They might help you. The various form of neuralgia you are experiencing can be difficult to manage. People have tried various drugs for pain and other anti anxiety drugs to calm their symptoms. My belief is that your immune system can get it fairly under control after awhile. If you have immune system issues then you may need to go a different route. I am trying some natural antiviral like Lion's mane. Basically, there is no one size fits all here. What works for some doesn't for others. The only thing that will work hasn't been fully developed and that is a vaccine or cure. There are things in the works but they could be 5 to 7 years before they are on the market. Sorry, I wish I had better news for you. I know what your going through. Hang on and hang in. Things will get better over time but it will seem like a long-time. Keep learning about the virus and keep track of your symptoms. Most experts are going to say your crazy and put you on Xanax or something. Your not crazy and it's not all in you mind. Your symptoms could be HSV. You just have to be patient and wait to get the confirmation. I am here if you need support.

It seems I didn't get the full picture from your initial post. HSV doesn't define someone but it can reveal who a person is. In your case you are still a caring, loving, compassionate and considerate who you are. HSV revealed that your former partner probably was not the person you thought he was. You can't change a person no matter how much you try. They are who they show themselves to be. You've probably been saved from going through some emotional trauma that you do need. I am sure that he will figure things out. You will find someone who will accept you just the way you are. Stay well and be good to yourself.

@HeartbrokenPNW I understand how you feel but he is overwhelmed with a combination of anger, sadness, disbelief, worry along with the physical manifestations of HSV. He doesn't see you as a person any longer, he sees you as the source of his now permanent condition. Unfortunately, he cannot see your compassion, your empathy, your kindness or any of the good things about you. He will eventually have to resolve with himself and come to a realization. He will have to figure how to move forward with his life like the rest of us who have HSV. This has been a hard lesson for you but you will overcome and grow as a person. You now understand how important disclosure is at the beginning of a relationship is and that failing to do that at the beginning has consequences even if if was just an innocent mistake. Eventhough we may be asymptomatic we can't forget that we still have the ability to pass this on to someone else and that they deserve the opportunity to decide the risks. We all make mistakes. Don't beat yourself up over it. You did nothing intentionally malicious.

Hey @BayArea22 You symptoms are somewhat similar to my own as are the circumstances as how I was infected were similar also. I was infected about 7 years ago. I've never had a typical outbreak. I had all the symptoms that your are have and much worse actually. I had a lot of burning and thought I had pudendal neuralgia. I was treated for that as well. Let me save you the trouble of going through of whatvI went through. Genital HSV1 is not very understood by most of the medical community or so called experts. If you read around you will find many of us who suddenly got these symptoms after a new sexual encounter, were HSV negative prior and now are HSV positive with these symptoms. It is an atypical manifestation. HSV1 infects the nervous system and affects all those nerves in the ano-genital tract and beyond. The symptoms get better as our immune system learns how to counter the virus. Sorry that you are in the same situation that I find myself. The good news there are therapeutics and treatmentsbon the horizon. Maybe in 5 to 7 years there will something that works better than what we have available now.

@DistressedLady Your partner seems to understand and accept the risks. I believe I was infected while using condoms so condoms are not a guarantee. The antivirals should reduce the amount of active virus perhaps to the point that it would be unlikely to be passed. If you guys love eachother and are planning on building a future together then then you both can decide if you are willing to take the risk and accept whatever happens or doesn't happen. According to some studies there have been couples who have been together for years and who have not passed it and have not used condoms. Still, I understand the fear of being the one who passed this to someone you love and care about because we don't know how their system will be affected.

I am 62 years old and I have been planning on getting the Shingrix Shingles vaccine. I recently took the latest Covid Booster and it affected my immune system in a way that my HSV reactivated and fired up my symptoms. I am worried that it will happen again. I may have to wait a little longer for my immune system to recover and then get it. Anyone notice any issue after taking the Shingrix shot? Any improvement?

,You care about people and they care about you. You may hate your life right now but you can change that. You can find purpose and meaning for your life. Yes you have HSV and so do many others. You can accept yourself with this virus and others can accept you and love you as well. You need to get to a better place spiritually, emotionally and physically. You came to this forum for a reason and for advice so that tells me you want to keep living. You can have a full life even with the annoyance that HSV can be. Hang on and hang in. We need to be here for eachother

@Gemini 444 I am here to give you encouragement to keep hoping and coping. You can message me anytime. I believe there will be better days for you and for me. If our immune systems take a hit for some reason we can have more symptoms. I believe you will get back to the place you were before. It might take a little time. My symptoms flared up recently but I see some improvement as time goes by. Try new things to see if you immune system gets strengthened and can suppressive the HSV. Don't think about ending your life. You matter despite how you feel. I know you are loved by someone and it would a tremendous loss for you to leave. Hang In there and find a new reason for living. Don't let this virus have power over you! You're going to overcome!

@Gemini 444 There may be a way for you to get the Pretlivir. It has beena approved as a Breakthrough treament for immunocompromised people. You might qualify for that if you have a Doctor who can state that and prescribe it to you. Also you can try LDN Low Dose Naltraxone. It is not very expensive at all.