Mxgirl

I never really thought of that. I'm from BC Canada. My friend has a license so I could get him to pick some up for me. I admit I do miss it sometimes but I quit about a year and a half ago and my life has been so much better without it. It made my anxiety so bad and one time I think I experienced some kind of psychosis. After reading an article about how it can be linked to schizophrenia and with a history of mental illness in my family, I quit cold turkey. My spouse smokes it regularly and it doesn't bother me. But if there is a kind that is supposed to help anxiety then maybe...hehe.

"I figured that was going to be the case but was holding out some hope it would be type 1 then not as easily transmittable. " I've been feeling the opposite way. Hoping its type 2 then it would be rare to spread to the face. Is it really easier to transmit type 2? Can you clarify and elaborate?

Thank you for the advice that's very helpful!

I suffer from anxiety as well. I don't take any meds for it but I cut some things out. Stimulants are a no no. I drink decaf coffee, if any, but mostly stick to herbal teas. I also noticed I get hangover anxiety so over consumption of alcohol is no good (for obvious other reasons as well). Cigarettes, cocaine obvious. One factor that I didn't expect is pot. It used to calm me and help me think rationally if I was upset. I quit smoking pot as it seemed to be develop into severe anxiety and paranoia. Cutting out these substances has enabled me to manage anxiety without pharma substances :)

I purchased some lemon balm extract in capsule form. I couldn't find any essential oil at the time. I just cut the capsule open and swabbed some on with a cue tip. It burned for a while but seemed to advance the outbreak and possibly lessen it. Has anyone else used this? Should I be using the essential oil instead? Also, I took some orally too. Does this help as well or does it only work applied topically? Any other remedies and advice would be welcome :)

Yes that's a good idea. Honestly, I haven't gone to the doctor because I've been in denial and afraid to admit that I have it. Now that I'm over that part I can face the music. I suspect it's type 2 as I've never had a cold sore that I can recall, but then again I haven't had symptoms pop up until now and my partner seems to not get any symptoms at all. I think my partner truly believed he didn't have it due to absence of symptoms. I was in the same boat until now so I can understand. I've read that blood tests can often show false negatives or positives so it's not always the best indicator. Perhaps he should have done more research and considered that he could have it but what would the average 24 year old male do? Probably be happy that they haven't had an outbreak and assume they don't have it. I don't really feel any bitterness toward him because of how evasive I now know the virus can be. When I talked to him about it he seemed confused. He asked me if he has it too then. I explained to him everything I've learned about how it can be dormant and still passed on. It's frustrating how much this has consumed my thoughts the past week. I'm hoping once this OB goes away I can go back to thinking about happy stuff.

I want to add that my friend knew about my herpes scare with my partner and made the choice to sleep with us. I still feeling terrible knowing that we may have given it to her. I know she's been longing for a boyfriend and I can imagine this has made it difficult for her :(.

I just realized last week that I have herpes. I'm not entirely surprised by this, even though I've been with my partner for almost three years. Our relationship began summer 2011. I was looking to sleep with a hot guy and he was no exception. We slept together our very first date and did not use protection. I did a visual inspection and everything appeared to be normal and healthy (and amazing). I told my friend at work that we had slept together and to my shock she told me he had herpes. I confronted him about it and he told me his ex got herpes after they broke up and blamed it on him. He insisted that he had not had an outbreak to his knowledge and that his blood test was negative. We continued our sexual relationship and it grew into a serious relationship. I was paranoid for the first while; frequent doctor visits to check out an infected hair follicle. Time passed and I began to think we were lucky and didn't have it. I had my first outbreak that I'm aware of in January. It was very mild, a couple itchy bumps that scabbed and went away. I was in denial about what it was, even though deep down I knew. I've done a lot of research about it over the years so I knew exactly what it would look like. My partner and I slept with one of my friends back in October/November a couple of times. About a week after my initial apparent OB, she told me she was diagnosed with herpes. She is rather promiscuous, sleeping with new guys almost weekly without protection. So now the puzzle I've been trying to piece together is who got it from whom? I wonder if she got it and gave it to me, or if we had it this whole time and gave it to her. Or if we had it this whole time and she got it on her own. There's no way of knowing for sure. I do think in retrospect, that I have had it this whole time and just didn't have any obvious outbreaks. The reason I believe this is because for the past few years I've experienced what I now know is called prodrome. That raw tingly unpleasant feeling in your skin. It happens randomly every few months maybe then just goes away. What's different now is that I've gone off birth control pills after 8 years in January, and had my first apparent outbreak that same month. My partner is a little surprised too as he doesn't seem to get outbreaks. He does have eczema and dermatitis sometimes which may be why his symptoms are so evasive. Perhaps we've mistaken an outbreak for dermatitis. He also has a very strong immune system and rarely gets sick. I am hoping to build up my immunity and focus on pinpointing triggers. This OB was significantly worse than January. I have been partying every weekend and compromising my immune system. As much as this sucks, it has motivated me to make more responsible decisions with my health.

Love it! It's been almost a full week and I'm beginning to come to terms with my new situation. As much as it sucks, I have so much to be grateful for in my life. Xo.