Jump to content
  • Want to be a part of a supportive community? Join the H Opp community for free.

    Welcome to the Herpes Opportunity Support Forum! We are a supportive and positive group to help you discover and live your Opportunity. Together, we can shed the shame and embrace vulnerability and true connection. Because who you are is more important than what you have. Get your free e-book and handouts here: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/lp/ebook

Looking for answers, losing hope


Recommended Posts

I’m at my wits end with this virus and am looking for ANY insight on how to suppress it. I was diagnosed with GHSV in 2009, had “typical” outbreaks every few months and decided to go on suppressive therapy. I was on Acyclovir for 8 years and the only time I would get an outbreak, which was very mild, was when I was on birth control pills. That occurred every 3 months and was almost more of a yeast infection it felt like and would clear up in 3-5 days with adding another pill and monistat to my daily regimen. Once I stop BC pills I was outbreak free for 7 years. A few years ago I tried antidepressants to help with my depression and anxiety and after 2 weeks on those I got the most horrible outbreak of my life! I immediately stopped the antidepressants and every month since then I got God awful outbreaks which consisted of internal and external pain and itching, rawness, redness and swelling, much worse then the typical sore I would get when first diagnosed. All the while still on Acyclovir. After a year of this I switched to Valacyclovir 1g a day and have had a little better success, however, it is still almost every month during my ovulation week that I’m getting an outbreak. It’s not a sore that fills up with pus than scabs over, but discomfort, redness, irritation, certain areas of my vagina look raw, and inside looks raw. Is anyone experiencing the same thing? Any insight after all these years with the virus it cannot suppress itself? I’m a 34yr old femalep and the only other health problem I have is asthma. I eat well and exercise daily, no additional stress. This doesn’t make sense to me. Do the generic medications not work as well as the name brand? Would changing the dose to 500mg 2x a day help? I see my doctor a week from tomorrow but the last time I saw him he said you can sometimes become resistant to the meds, which I have read is VERY unlikely in a healthy person. And why is it when I get these outbreaks and I take an extra 500mg of the meds a day, within a week I am ok? Is anyone on a HIGH does of the antivirals? Should I see an infectious disease specialist? Could there be an underlying immune problem? Or hormone problem? This is all so frustrating and I am losing hope. Any insight is appreciated.

Link to comment

Since it’s not the typical outbreak sores...are you certain that it is in fact an outbreak and not something else...I read a woman’s post similar to this where she assumed it was H and finally got swabbed and learned it actually wasn’t...it was a reoccurring bacterial infection...she was just quick to assume it’s H Bc that’s what comes to our minds first...worth a shot to check it out?

Link to comment

I just assume it’s an outbreak since it’s happening every month when I ovulate. I become very red and sometimes it looks like there may be something underneath my skin but it never breaks through and when I increase the antivirals for several days the symptoms will subside. When this happened back in January I went to my doctor and she did swab me for bacteria and it came back negative but when she looked down there she did not say it looked like an outbreak either so idk what’s going on but it is so incredibly frustrating 😒

Link to comment

I bet it is! From what I understood the swab doesn’t check for all bacteria...

could be hormonal as well since it’s monthly...

If it were me, I wouldn’t put my money on H...I’d check other avenues before only relying on antivirals for help. Best of luck! Keep us posted ❤️ 

Link to comment

@ash128083 not sure your age, but if you are in your 40s or so, it could be related to menopause or peri menopause and the like. Might be a useful time to consult a nutritionist as well— you may fins removing some foods from your diet can help too. Things that didn’t trigger before can cause issues now. They do even without GHSV!

the joys of womanhood! 😂

Link to comment

@Sunshine75 I’m only 34yrs old, but, I have noticed that my vagina has not been lubricated as normal for the passed year and a half. Idk if it has to do with these symptoms or not. I saw my PC today and she couldn’t understand why this is happening monthly and said my OBGYN can test my hormones when I see him. She called in name brand Valtrex for me to see if my body will absorb that better instead of the generic. She also said some people have to take (2) 1gram pills a day to work and said to do that when I start feeling these symptoms. I feel like the doctors don’t know what to do or say except give textbook like answers. Theres so many new meds out there for all kinds of diseases but people with HSV haven’t had anything new in so long! So frustrating! I also have had a small, hard, white, bump the size of a needle head on my clitoral hood for a month. It doesn’t hurt and hasn’t changed in size. No idea what it is. I don’t think it’s herpes. I can’t help but think that from the years on the antivirals the virus has mutated or something or has become immune to the meds, but when I increase them the symptoms get better.

Link to comment

@Irishgirl Thanks, I will try it. Now that the swelling and irritation have subsided I noticed small, tender, pimple like bump near my vaginal opening which I assume is a small sore but I was able to pop it so idk if I got it from shaving or if it’s an actual herpes sore. I’ve been taking 1.5g of valacyclovir for the last week so idk why this is happening like this. 

Link to comment

I'm was just thinking what @Sunshine75 said. I'm in my early 40's and learning that being perimenopause comes with all kinds of health issues due to hormonal changes.  I know you said you are 34 but I would not be surprised if hormonal changes are playing some kind of role. For example you mentioned having asthma; I am in the middle of dealing with all kinds of new lung issues that seem like asthma and we have not been able to get under control. I just learned that there is a significant increase in asthma and copd  symptoms or new onset of asthma and copd in women (who have never smoked) once they hit perimonopause! (Same thing before each period and at puberty for women). I know that I almost always get prodromal symptoms (talking about H again) before each period. I hope you can find some relief! 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...