chrymar

sorry so wordy.... :)

hi!! so here goes... no sex in my life for four years (yikes) at almost 40. had one STUPID hook up which was with a condom most of the time on feb 14 this year. ever since then...and almost constantly, i have had really crazy symptoms. the day after this hook up, i lost my voice and got a cough. not typical for hsv but suspicious. i was put onto antibiotics four days later for a sinus infection. about three weeks later, i began having some burning/irritation in my genitals. went to obgyn and was screened for "all" std's with blood work and cultures and was diagnosed as having a UTI. no typical UTI symptoms, but was treated nevertheless. at this point, the symptoms just continued. primarily burning skin feeling in my buttocks. there were never any blisters, rash, nothing that pops up when you search for what the symptoms would be. the burning was primarily around my anus and all over butt cheeks and it felt to me that it was my skin. CONSTANT. typically all day and night. so it began...OB said i was fine and he referred me to dermatologist. first derm says nothing going on, nothing visible and he couldn't help. gave me steroid cream and said stop using soaps. went to GP who did first HSV test (9 weeks after sex) which came out negative. he gave another type of cream and suggested a different derm who said same thing as first derm. gave another type of cream. grrrrrrrrrr. like you, i was upside down in the mirror every day...5 + times a day. occasional "pimples" on butt cheeks but were there and gone within a day. finally there was a bump and i called the derm and was able to get right in that morning so she could check it. she looked and said it was just a pimple of sorts likely from my workout pants. we are now at 15 weeks so she sent me to get blood work again for hsv test and it was again negative. so now here is my status...SUPER sensitive butt area. just feels tender all the time. anytime i sit with pants on and a crease is created by my pants or underwear it just feels extra irritated. my butt hole is another story...still very irritated and burning. ALL THE TIME! so back to GP who now refers me to neurologist. she does all kinds of tests for my nerves which come back normal. tells me to stop lifting heavy weights etc and starts me on nerve blocker pills and sends me to MRI. follow up ordered in one month. during this month, i again get a pimple thing and rush in to planned parenthood (since they are the said experts on this stuff). she does yet another exam, tells me there is NO indication of hsv but informs me that i have hemorrhoids (news to me!). she doesn't do any culture of the pimple and doesn't order a test but is very reassuring that it is not hsv. in the meantime, back to the neurologist who suggests i have had shingles with no rash, the MRI is inconclusive, i am upped dose of the pills and this is where we are today. i am two days past the 5 month mark, waiting patiently (or not) for the six month mark to test again. such bull s*#t. i am SO over this all. like you have said, i feel like all the doctors think i am crazy. whenever i google my symptoms, there is no other answer and the timing is just too ironic. i can not imagine what else could be the answer. i have NEVER had any of these symptoms a day before in my life. i am athletic, healthy, eat well and now have a constantly burning butt. what gives??? so when i read your posts, i just can't help but think the stories are far too similar. aside from it being irritating physically, it makes me snappy with my child, and i just am pissy. i HATE this.

hi whitedaisies. i am so sorry to hear about your troubles and frustrations. i have just been reading back through some of your posts and our situations sound strangely similar. i have not yet gotten a positive diagnosis and still cannot confirm if i am h+, however i am dealing with this same nonsense with doctors etc. i am now on my 7th week of nerve blockers (gabapentin) am now at 1200 mg a day because my 7th doctor in 5 months, a neurologist, wanted to "give this medication a try" since there is no indication of anything else. we did an MRI too which was "inconclusive" and not covered by insurance i might add. :( sure doesn't sound like the anti depressants are a good alternative either per your account. I'm sorry is all i can say to your discouragement.

well here we go...the next step in this journey is that i have now been sent to a neurologist and just had an mri to see if this is some sort of "nerve" pain/symptoms as the 13 week Herpeselect were also at less than .91 hgg for both hsv 1 and 2. i plan to be tested AGAIN after the 16 week mark at which time i will go back to planned parenthood with these continued symptoms. i am just dumbfounded that the docs (OBGYN, GP 2 different ones, dermatologist and planned parenthood) can not figure out what is going on and if it IS H??? i must also mention @wcsdancer thank you for your insight. i appreciate your responses!! i have been tested for all other sti's, yeast as well as allergies and have had negative results. SOOOOOOO FRUSTERATED!!!!! i am just going to put the ongoing symptoms out there again...very sensitive skin in vaginal/anal areas. almost constant burning of anus. no blisters or rash. occasional "pimples" on butt that are gone within a day (i have tried to get in to doc when one is present only for it to be gone by the time i see doctor) but they are usually pretty tender although this could be a result of the highly sensitive skin in general?

it is so frustrating trying to get clear diagnosis! i too have had major issues and have non stop symptoms for almost four months now. keep your head up...you are not alone!

Hi there, Wanted to update on this to see if there may be any more insight. I went back to dermatologist as the ridiculous burning has continued. I am currently at 13 weeks so as according to all of the testing suggestions using HerpeSelect etc I thought I would give another go. Dermatologist sent me to the lab for test which should come back on Monday. Also, she gave a script for Valtrex 500 mg that was a three day run twice a day. I have just taken the last pill but there has been NO change, no improvement and I am still just as miserable. The only other "possible symptom" has been red pimple like bumps on my butt cheeks and in the crease of my butt/thigh. They look like pimple, are pretty sore to touch for a few hours but seem to disappear within a day or so. What the heck is going on? My questions are: Would the Valtrex have helped if this was H? If my blood text comes back again negative at 13 weeks post contact what should I do for testing at that point?? This is SOOOO annoying!! I am most annoyed that none of the docs I have been to seem to know a thing!! I have literally been screwed up "down there" for over three months NON stop!! I have seen a few posts such as the guy who was questioning nerve damage that I can totally relate to. I feel like if it IS H i WANT to have some dang blisters just so I would be more sure of what is happening! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

You are amazing! Thank you for the suggestions...even if I end up H- this support is an amazing and supportive forum.

Thank you SO much for you response WCSDancer! No...there were no scripts given as each doctor was convinced that it was NOT herpes and each actually stated that I was overthinking things...even being paranoid. :( So it is not unusual to have rectum burning as the the primary symptom that continues for over a solid month now? I am constantly looking for blisters. We are talking multiple times a day, upside down in the mirror with a flashlight. Thank you again. I swear I feel the pain of all of those who are so uncertain. Unbelievable!!!

Hello all. I have been reading through this amazing forum and need some of your great insight. I had one instance of unprotected (dumb) sex with one person in the past 3 years. ONLY PARTNER in 3 years. This encounter was 9 weeks ago. One day after this encounter, I came down with what felt was a cold. No fever but mostly cough, sore throat and sinus issues. I went to a doctor the following week and was given a z-pack and felt better within a few days. Fast forward three weeks from encounter and I began to have an intense burn around my anus and a bit in my vagina (sorry for detail). I went to see my OB in case I had been exposed to anything and he did a test for UTI, chlamydia and gonorrhea and he informed me that I had a UTI, even though I didnt have any UTI feelings. I was treated with another antibiotic and an anti fungal cream but never felt any better or worse, just the same with the non stop burning. The burning went on for weeks. During this time I also went to Planned Parenthood so that I could have a more "professional" on the STI opinion. The doctor said that everything looked just fine and suggested that I avoid soaps, wear baggy clothes etc, which I had already been doing. She also took a basic panel but no checks for Herpes. Back to OB doctor as I am now burning for 3 weeks. He gives me another cream, this one also with a steroid. Again, no change. Finally, 6 weeks after encounter, my doctor agrees to do blood test for Herpes which I am now learning may be futile since not enough time has passed. However, the results came back as: HERPES SIMPLEX 1 AB IGG 0.91 0.00-0.90 index, HERPES SIMPLEX 2 AB IGG 0.91 0.00-0.90 index The burning has calmed a great deal by this time in the vaginal area, but not in the anus. Also, I have begun noticing occasional red pimple like bumps on my butt cheeks that are only there for a day or so. This could be from working out and wearing tight pants and sweating. I just never have noticed in the past if this happens after workout as I am not used to constantly checking my butt in the mirror. But STILL no "lesions" or groups of liquid filled bumps of any type. Two days ago, I noticed swelling to the left of my left labia. Not really where the lymph nodes are, but just very swollen and tender. Finally, today I went to see a dermatologist. Now at almost 8 1/2 weeks past from encounter. OF COURSE no bumps today on butt cheeks but very irritated anus. Burning very badly. Derm says nothing looks wrong at all and suggests that I wait until 6 months from the encounter and get another blood test. UUUGGGHH! So on side note, I eat clean, almost complete gluten free, no dairy etc. No known allergies. Does this sound like it could be some sort of VERY long first OB that just doesnt have the blisters? Has anyone experienced burning and sore anus as a result of an outbreak that goes on and on for weeks? Would the Western Blot show if I had been exposed earlier than the 12 to 16 weeks timeframe? I read through this forum for hours yesterday to see if anyone names these issues as OB symptoms but didnt see this as being a major issue. HELP!!!!