Eliott_in_Space

Hi there - I'm so sorry I never thanked you for your input! Somehow I got internet unsavy and didn't notice the reply. I appreciate your thoughtfulness - thanks!

Thanks for writing. I got H a little over a year ago, so I am still getting to know how my body works with it. The main thing I worry about is, when I have non-specific symptoms, is wondering if I'm shedding more virus at those times. For now, I tend to feel the most secure if I just up my meds to be on the safe side. I don't seem to be having any adverse reactions to them, so hopefully that is an ok plan.

Hi there I'm always so confused by this virus. I have genital HSV-1 and take valtrex daily. Usually my prodromes are enlarged lymph nodes and exhaustion accompanied by a feeling of raw or tingling skin. What confuses me is if I have just an ache or tingling, but no lymph node action. Like a few days ago, I felt an ache in my groin, but no tenderness and couldn't feel an enlarged lymph node either. But it put me on alert. Now both of my thighs ache - like I did a hard gym work out. And I did do a lot of weighted leg exercises at the gym the other day so . . . It's hard for me to tell if I'm being conscientious or paranoid! It feels like at any given moment I could totally not be symptomatic, or totally could. Hard for me to have any unusual sensation in the area and not wonder if it's herpes. I wish I could better recognize the difference between run of the mill aches and pains and signals that the virus is more active. Any thoughts?

hi there, ugh - so last week i got a phone call from a lover saying that he had been exposed to gonorrhea. I got a shot and oral anti-biotics from my doc and thought I was all good, but then a couple days ago started feeling my first herpes symptoms in about 5 months. I'm guessing the gonorrhea triggered my body to freak out. so - I'm sort of calm and sort of anxious. I'm about to leave on a trip to england that is going to include meeting a man I've been looking forward to meeting for several months. I'm starting to make peace with the fact that we may not be able to have the sort of sexual connection that we'd both been hoping for, but god, what timing. My main plan of attack is staying calm, getting plenty of sleep, taking my acyclovir, eating well, and avoiding alcohol. any other good immune boosting suggestions? It doesn't really feel like the medication is doing much - I upped my dose from 2 pills to 5 yesterday and thought it was going well, but tonight I started to feel the groin lymph node swelling. so, i guess i'm accepting that I am depressed about it and that he and i will be having a different sort of herpes conversation than I'd planned! How soon after an outbreak do you think it's safe to have protected sex? when i get an outbreak, i get a rash just inside my vagina and anus - sort of a sandpapery feeling. for folks who haven't seen a previous post of mine, I'm a ftm (female to male transgendered )gay man and what creative ideas do you all have for fun activities, other than board games, in case your one chance to be with someone is during an outbreak? oh herpes.... i am so much cooler with your presence when you aren't noticeable. I'm trying to keep a positive outlook, on how, if there is a good sexual connection, that a little patience isn't a bad thing, but i could see the herpes being tricky in case of a long distance thing...

Thanks @WCSDancer2010, you are a sweet heart. All my surgery stuff is in the past, and hormones are just a regular part of life now, but you are right in terms of the rejection stuff - it is just a part of life and totally ok ( in the grand picture and I think I'm getting pretty cool with it in terms of trans stuff too). I've only had one new sexual partner since knowing about it genitally, and the guy was so cool about it. He revealed having hiv with no symptoms and i revealed having hsv1 with no current symptoms and we were both like, cool, sounds like you have your health under control. He's more of a long distance friend, so I'm thinking about it more as I have a date next week with a guy I've known for a while, but have never dated before. We'll see - I guess I'll wait and see if I want to kiss him and then will use your advice, @sanngrior - i like how you presented it. The goal is to be chill, since the reality of it is so much more mild than the fantasy. I'm a songwriter and actually did some writing about it - it reminds me of myths and the power of names and associations. In many myths, you gain control over a beast or adversary when you learn how to speak it's name without fear.

Hi there @WCSDancer2010, thanks for reaching out. I've enjoyed reading many of your posts on here. Yes, I was diagnosed with HSV1 genitally, and recently read about it being a bit harder to pass on in that form. Realistically, I kissed the guy who I got it from, so I suppose it makes sense to have it orally too, just weird because it's been about 6 months since then. I just don't want to feel like a bad person, or like I'm hurting another person by being close to them in an irresponsible way, and I suppose a part of me holds out a hope that it wasn't a herpes sore on my lip, but something else. aaah, life! I'll read the links you sent, many thanks again for the note

Thanks positivelybeautiful, I appreciate your response!

hi there folks, I'm a gay ftm man ( transgendered, born female) One stupid lonely night last december, I hooked up with this guy who I had a lot of mixed feelings about, and a few days later, had painful burning feelings down below. After my diagnosis, he told me that he has had cold sores in the past, and so it seems like it transferred through oral sex, and he happened to be shedding the virus. So, I was super depressed at first, really despondent and felt like I just was out of the running for fun or romance. I should say, this was at a time when I was also really just coming into my own in terms of sexual identity, so, it was hard. I'm also part of a very small dating pool. I've been on many a date that goes well until I reveal that I am trans. Many fewer dates that go well and that the other guy is into dating a trans man. So, being part of an even smaller part of the population is not something i was looking for! Finding this site was a god send. I began to realize that what I had was a painful rash ( I never got any sores ) that had a wretched stigma attached to it. In the past few months, I've pretty much made peace with it ( it helps that I haven't had an outbreak since February, a lot easier to feel positive when you're not in pain! ) But, now I have a new question. About a month ago I got a sore on my upper lip - it looked a bit like a crater, a hole in the middle. It never hurt, never had a blister, or pus, but the pharmacist said it could be a cold sore. I've been afraid that I would break out in herpes all over, and just not be able to be touched again and miss out on more and more types of intimacy. I tried not to make a big deal of it, but it's hard not knowing what it was, and also adjusting to possibly having it in two places. I used abreva for about 3 weeks ( one short hiccup during that time ) and slowly it faded away. So, here's my question, that I'd love your feedback on based on your experiences. Could it be anything other than herpes? And tips on disclosing this new fact would be great. Although I know so many people get cold sores, and I know that most probably don't disclose before a first kiss, it just seems wreckless to explose others to a virus without their consent. I want to find a balancing point so that I'm not being so cautious as to be alarmist, but also treating a potential partner with respect from the get go. Thoughts?