LosingHope

In October 2022, I had sex with the mother of my daughter. Two weeks afterward, I had my first initial outbreak. During this timeframe, I experienced excessive sweating, extreme itchiness, tingling and crackling sensations on my tongue, burning butt, and horrible neuropathy. At first, I didn't have any visible sores, but over time, I developed bumps and small cold sores on my face, which took quite a bit of time to disappear. Every time, I ate something or went out in the sun (even with sunscreen), I started to experience the symptoms again. Before my sexual encounter, I did not have any of these symptoms and was healthy for the most part; with a weight of 165. Now, I have been transformed into an anorexic version of myself who always looks like he's under the weather, which other people have noticed as well. I have tried to avoid foods high with arginine but it has been very difficult since most foods seem to contain some amount of arginine. I have even tried all of the supplements (Lysine, Red Ginseng, BHT, Zinc, Elderberry, etc.) to help offset the arginine but they only help to a certain degree. Since then, the sweating has not stopped. No matter what I eat, I end up sweating profusely and even more so at night, and this has been consistent for a whole year. Every time it happens, I find myself losing more weight. Others on the forum have stated that they don't believe it's HSV-related, and I know that many of the infected have declared they haven't had this problem, but the correlation between my food intake and the sweating are too coincidental to ignore, especially given my other experiences. I'm sweating as I write this now and it's 45 degrees outside currently. I constantly stink from the sweating and can't even wake up in the morning without my clothes being drenched. The last time I was on here, I expressed that I wasn't sure how much longer I could hang on with this disease. Since then, I've tried to continue living...but this isn't life. I can't keep going like this. The mother has vehemently denied that she has herpes, although other people have confirmed that she's known she's had it for years and even disclosed it to someone who ended up telling a friend of mine who later on told me. She has left me to take care of her kids (my daughter and her sister by another man) while she has continued to have relationships with other people like there is nothing wrong with her. And of course, the kids continued to believe whatever she tells them. My life has become a toxic and unholy mess from which I cannot seem to catch a break. My mental state has been drastically altered by this disease; I can't work at the same level as I used to, can't work out, and can barely eat or go outside on sunny days without some form of suffering. I apologize for the long post, but I woke up again drenched in sweat and I'm tired of going through this. I just...I can't live like this...

Thanks @Flowerteacher55 This has been really hard to process. Trying to get back into a good place mentally, but this was just too much.

As most of you who have read my story know, I started exhibiting HSV2 symptoms in November after having sex with the mother of my child. When I approached her about it, she denied that she had anything and told me that she had gotten checked out, which "supposedly" came back negative. She even went as far as to get self defensive and went into a whole rant as to how she was clean and didn't have anything sexual wrong with her. Back then, I said that I didn't think she was telling the truth. Well, last night, I found out I was right. A friend of mine who knows a friend pulled me to side last night and said he needed to talk to me. As we sat in his car, he proceeded to tell me that the friend of his had mentioned attempting to have sex with the mother of my child two years ago. Apparently back then, she had replied with a disclosure that she had HSV and was having an outbreak so she didn't want to infect them. According to what I was told, she even proceeded to tell them that she had been on medication for HSV. Which means not only had she lied about having being negative and having HSV, but she knew that she had it before she and I had sex. And of course, the worst part is, she gave someone else the decency of knowing the truth and saving their life, but didn't feel that I deserved the same courtesy. Which means she made the conscious decision to destroy my life and didn't care how it affected me. She literally lied to my face, and tried to make me feel like I was being disrespectful and out of hand for trying to approach her like an adult, when the entire time she knew something was wrong with her. The saddest part is that I tried to be in her corner when she was down and out, trying to help her against my better judgement. And ever since then, trying to be kind to her has done nothing but ruin my life. I'm hurt, angry and absolutely mortified at the type of human being she is. It's one thing to pretend nothing's wrong with you, but to knowingly infect someone with no regards to their life or well-being and to even treat them like they're the bad guys is absolutely demonic. Since last night, I have been mentally spiraling out of control and have had a hard time trying to rein in my emotions. I'm lost and don't really know what to think anymore. Hope for a cure? People keep saying that's a almost a decade away, and that trend seems to be have been going on in a vicious cycle for the last 20 years. Dating life? I hadn't been with anyone for years and the first time I have sex again, this happens. So now dating is back out of the question. This woman has basically robbed me of my peace, my capacity to date, and even my physical health and I feel like she did it purposely out of hate and without any care in the world. Trying very hard not to be suicidal, but after hearing what I heard last night and seeing that there really may not be any concrete cure yet for this disease, despite all the advancements and treatments coming out, it's getting more difficult every day not to feel that way.

Not sure about the At-Home tests, as many people have complained about companies botching their test results or taking too long to send result back. Some companies like Let's Get Checked and Everlywell have been touted as effective for some customers, but not everyone seems to have the same experience. Of course, it doesn't hurt to check them out and see what other customers are saying. From what I've seen, it's a two sided argument; some people have praised the test for being relatively easy to use and have no problems pricking their finger to draw a few drops of blood on the first attempt. Other people have complained that the needles that come with the test are not enough to get the appropriate drops of blood on the paper during their first try; forcing them to attempt several times with only a limited amount of 2 or 3 small needles. Then there's the matter of sending off the test. Some customers have complained about the companies informing that they need to take another test (free of charge, of course) because the first test didn't have enough blood on the sample paper to be tested, while others are told that the sample they sent took took too long to be accurately tested. Then there are also reports that even though these tests are usually accurate, there are times where the tests can come back with false negative or positives depending on how they're done. If you can find someone who has actually gone through the process, they may be able to provide you with more information about the experience. I know this isn't quite what you're looking for but you can also try STD Check, which sends an order to a local participating lab in your area and you simply show up, take the test, and receive your results online. No insurance, you pay out of pocket for the test you want and they'll set you up with a nearby lab. Personally, I wanted to do the at-home tests myself, but after reading the reviews, I became wary of the whole deal and went with STD Check. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help more. I hope you find an answer. If you decide to go through with it and can find a company that works out for you, please let me know. I would like to try it as well.

@Seeker1960After taking the Red Ginseng for about a week, I do feel like it's working. I have also started to take Sea Moss for energy and the immune system, which also seem to be a great help. I have begun to mix Lion's Mane and Red Ginseng together, which, aside from small stomach discomfort, has been working well together in water. I've experienced a few issues here and there--itchy butt & groin, small piercing headaches, pain and pressure in the urethra, quick moments of itchiness around the ears and face, and a little nausea--especially when I have things that stress me out, or it's around night time. However, the night sweats have not stopped, despite me feeling better. I meant to ask, did you ever experience pain and pressure in the urethra? Is that normal? Or could it be something else?

Since my symptoms began I have been worried about shaving my beard. My face was one of the few things I had left that I was somewhat proud of keeping up, but since the symptoms started I've continued to feel constant tingling around my mouth and cheeks, I have been scared to shave, in fear of bringing about an outbreak in those areas. Any males in the community had experience with shaving with HSV? I'm open to any thoughts or suggestions.

When you say "pain," what does it feel like?

Actually, they can. For men, it's called andropause. Low testosterone levels can cause men to exhibit a variety of symptoms including decreased muscle mass, low sex drive, increased weight gain, hair loss, affect metabolism, and even cause hot flashes.

I have seen several people mention hormonal changes may have an effect on HSV outbreaks. How true is this? Does that mean if you're testosterone levels are low, it can cause your HSV to act up even more. Conversely, if you correct your hormone imbalance, can that help reduce your frequency of outbreaks?

I have been constantly experiencing pain, warmth, and pressure in my urethra since my symptoms started in November. In addition, my stomach, abdomen, and upper groin constantly feel like something is rolling around in there. I know that HSV can lead to these symptoms, but I also read on here where someone got treated for their Urethritis with antibiotics before they were diagnosed with HSV and at least the Urethritis went away. Has anyone else had this experience, received regular antibiotics and have been successful in getting rid of these issues?

I've been reading about herpes cures and vaccines lately, and wanted to ask the community about their thoughts on the matter. They say that the Fred Hutch is working on a cure that is set to start human clinical trials by the end of 2023 (hopefully) https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2022/09/herpes-gene-therapy.html Then, of course, everyone is talking about Pritelivir. That and monoclonal antibody treatments from companies such as Heidelberg Therapeutics and United BioPharma are estimated to hit the market by 2025. https://herpescureadvocacy.com/2021/05/24/what-is-the-timeline-for-a-herpes-cure/ I know what we're all probably thinking: It will realistically be another 10 years before we get these cures and more than likely, it will be expensive as hell for us to actually receive any procedure or medication. But who knows? It's said that there is no typical length of time it takes for a drug to be tested and approved. It might take 10 to 15 years or more to complete all 3 phases of clinical trials before the licensing stage. But this time span varies a lot. There are many factors that affect how long it takes for a drug to be licensed (https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/how-clinical-trials-are-planned-and-organised/how-long-it-takes-for-a-new-drug-to-go-through-clinical-trials). I know I'm being overly optimistic out of desperation and wishful thinking, but maybe we might get lucky and may see something that can substantially help cure herpes by 2027, which is only 4 years away. What do you guys think? Is it possible? Are there any other viable treatments that you know of that are closer to the completion stage?

@Seeker1960 They say 2025 will be the year that a new lineup of medications will roll out. Then there's the gene therapy that is supposed to cure 97% of HSV, which will hopefully start human trials by the end of 2023. Two years of that puts it at 2025. Another two years of study afterward may put it at 2027. I'm probable going to be in my early 50s when it's finally available for public use. Then again, depending on how fast everything happens, if we're lucky, that might be ready before 2028. How is the Red Korean Ginseng working out for you?

I have had night sweats every night since I started having HSV symptoms in November. Does that ever stop? Or is that going to continue forever?

I used to lift weights before getting HSV. Since dealing with symptoms in November. I have not been able to do anything. I am constantly going through outbreaks and am trying natural antivirals such as Lion's Mane, Asganwandah, and Magnesium to manage my symptoms, but I'm not sure it's helping. I want so badly to gain my weight back and work out again, but I hear weight lifting can actually exacerbates HSV symptoms. How true is this for the rest of the community? Will I not ever be able to ever work out again?

It's been over a month and this bump underneath my lip still hasn't gone away. It still hasn't burst open, but it hasn't disappeared either. I've never had this happen before and it only happened during my first OB. Has anyone else experienced this?