Yana234

“ And interestingly, one of the top herpes researchers Terri Warren once told me she has never seen a case of genital HSV-1 getting passed to a partner via genital-to-genital sex. (In fact, around 50% of all new genital herpes cases are HSV-1 from oral sex.)” We need to be careful about this. My GHSV-1 came from genital to genital sex in one encounter.

@mr_hopp Thank you so much for the information and supportive words. It is very helpful to have confirmation of what I was thinking about the hair loss (very unlikely the Valtrex). I definitely hear you about the self care and stress management. The Catch 22 there is that usually when one most needs to pursue healthy diet, movement, social interaction, etc. is when it is most difficult to find the motivation to do so. I did just make a small step, though. Peeled myself off the bed and made a salad with Vitamin C laden red bell pepper. 💪🏼 Baby steps…

Hi again. 😊 Still new here. Female, 53, GHSV-1. I took the full course of Valtrex during the first OB two months ago and have been experiencing significant and consistent hair loss starting around that time. I have been researching side effects but I haven’t seen anything definitive about hair loss, just a few casual mentions. Of course, my hair loss could also be related to the fact that this diagnosis coincides with initiation of divorce, moving overseas with no plan, the sudden death of my best friend - the only other human I know who had GH and could have talked to about it- and serving as 24/7 caregiver during my mother’s repetitive cancer surgeries (apparently they just going to keep carving out parts of her mouth until they can’t anymore - then what.) And here I am, maybe unfairly blaming the Valtrex. 😅 Back to business though, has anyone heard of this or experienced it? I need to know because if it’s not a thing then I need to take it for suppressive therapy given all the stress I’m under. If hair loss *is* a thing with Valtrex then I may just need to put up with the slow simmer down below for a while or make the decision to get a pixie cut or something. (srsly, tho, WTAAAAAAF)

Hi everyone - I new to GHSV-1 and have sooo many questions. Today I find myself wondering if this will ever somehow show up on my mouth / lips at any time in the future. Assuming no kind of sexual contact with another, including kissing or oral. (apologies if this has already been asked and answered somewhere)

@AlliKat12 and @mr_hopp These are both super helpful replies, thank you so much. This is my first OB since the primary one two months ago. This one was not bad at all compared to the first one, and tamed down within a couple days. I wouldn’t have really needed the cream for symptoms but I did use it because I had it on hand. Good to know that probably will help, even if just a bit. RE doctors and shade - funny story: my primary OB happened in a developing country where the doctor did not bat an eye. In fact, she wondered what all the fuss was about when I started crying. When this recurrence started I went to urgent care here in the US where I grew up - a very conservative, religious, racially homogeneous, sexually repressed small town in the south. I was asking the Nurse Practitioner about how prevalent GH is in this area. First, he was completely unfamiliar with GHSV-1 and didn’t seem to know it was a thing. He wasn’t judgmental at all, he was just a bit flummoxed. Then I asked him “So, how often do you see GH in general in this practice?” What I was looking for was some level of comfort if he would say “Oh yes, I see it regularly (or even sometimes) here.” He kind of thought about it and wanted to say something comforting so eventually said, “Well I do work in the prisons sometimes…”. Of course my initial reaction was horror, but now it just makes me giggle. Like WTF have I gotten myself into. 🙂. Can’t keep crying, just gotta laugh at some point.

I was diagnosed two months ago and I could have written every line of your post, it is all exactly my sentiments. I don’t know if it helps, but you’ve got at least one person in the universe who is in exactly the same emotional / mental boat as you. I just found this forum, and the information and supportive words have been great, but I am there with you in that I am not ready to be practicing resilience yet. I am simply not willing to accept this with any kind of positive attitude or developing healthy perspective - at least, not yet. I don’t see one good thing about this and I am deeply sad. I get distracted and forget about it for a while but then the memory hits me and I feel that hard gut punch and my eyes tear up. It’s the worst thing that has ever happened to me and I feel like I just need to be sad and angry and hopeless for a while. I don’t want to make it worse by reiterating and dwelling on the negative, but maybe it could help you to know that you are not alone.

I am new here, just diagnosed two months ago with GHSV-1. For my first OB, the doctor had me use topical acyclovir cream in addition to the oral Valtrex. I’m having my first recurrence and treating it with 500mg of Valtrex twice a day for 3 days. Does that sound right or should I do more days? And, should I be using the topical acyclovir cream again or is it pointless for recurrences? I don’t see anyone mentioning it here. I’m not even sure if topical is generally indicated for a first OB. I was diagnosed and treated in a developing country with rudimentary healthcare and a doctor who barely spoke English. I don’t yet have a doctor here in the US to ask (hence my relying on the interwebs for advice).