Preventative measures?

[valleydecember217]

Alright. I have been diagnosed with HSV-2, we did a swab and a blood test. I am finally recovering from my first outbreak THANK YOU GOD! it was shorter than I thought- I thought I would be dealing with this for weeks but it has only been a week. I feel very thankful for that. I’m in the scabbing  phase and it hasn’t been bothering me I actually forget I have to going on most the time, just waiting for it to go bye bye. 
 

With that being said, I would like to do everything I can to prevent this from happening again, or at least as little as possible. I am almost done with my 10 day dose and my OBGYN did send over another prescription of valtrex for me, but she told me I only need to take it if I feel an outbreak coming on, but I’m not really sure what those signs were as I really wasn’t paying attention as much as I should’ve since I didn’t know what it was. I’m not sure if she said to do this because I am almost 16 weeks pregnant or if that’s just the case for everyone? She did tell me the prescription won’t effect the baby at all so I guess I’m just a bit confused on when to take the valtrex? Everyday? Only when I feel an outbreak coming on? 
 

another question I have, is diet. I have read up on this of course but all the information out there is a bit overwhelming and it kind of freaks me out looking on google so I thought I’d come to the people that deal with it as well. I’ve read that there’s certain things that can active the virus? How does alcohol effect the virus? Of course I’m not drinking right now but I’d like to know for when this baby pops out, lol. Is there any vitamins I can take to help prevent an outbreak?? 
 

 

[Flowerteacher55]

Hi, @valleydecember217!

I hope you are well! 

I am SO happy to hear the sores are healing! That is wonderful! 🙂

There are two main herpes medication paths: suppressive and responsive (It's not actually called this but it is helpful to call it this!)

So, it seems your doctor sent you some extra medicine so you have it on hand for when prodrome symptoms start or when/if you get another outbreak, so you can start the medicine right away instead of having to wait to get the prescription filled. This is responsive, since you are taking it only when you have an outbreak/symptoms. If you don't know your prodrome symptoms, that is okay. Some common ones are tingling, numbness, itchiness, feeling feverish/cold symptoms, among others. If you have sores, take the medication. It's okay to not take the medication until you start seeing sores, especially if you want to see what your prodrome symptoms are. 

It doesn't seem like your doctor gave you suppressive medication, which would be medication taken daily to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks. This is usually given to those who have outbreaks very regularly, such as monthly on/around their period, or are with a long term partner and they do not want to use contraception/condoms. Some women who are pregnant are given antivirals during the final few weeks of the pregnancy to reduce the likelihood of having to have a C-section, but it all depends. Read more here: https://www.ashasexualhealth.org/herpes-and-pregnancy/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4158607/

So, in summary, it seems you don't need to take it unless you have another outbreak. If you are unsure, call your doctor and ask.

Googling herpes questions can be SO scary, overwhelming, and of course, misleading, as so much of the information out there isn't reliable. Try to not go down that sassy google rabbit hole, and instead check out the CDC, WHO, Planned Parenthood, and other medically-correct sites 🙂❤️ !! If anything, we usually start googling questions because we feel lost, lonely, and hopeless. Instead of googling for reassurance, get some reassurance from a doctor, a loved one, or by engaging in self-care to help calm your anxiety and worry. 

For diet and nutrition: Because you are growing another human inside you (so cool!) it would not be a great time to start experimenting with holistic options and diet changes because it can lead to a lack of prenatal vitamins needed for the proper development and growth of the fetus. In terms of diet and outbreaks, there is a correlation between a diet high is lysine and arginine and the likelihood of and the severity of outbreaks. Lysine typically helps, while arginine hinders. Remember, anything to an extreme is not healthy, and making sure you have a diverse plate to support the baby and you is SO important. Here is a wonderfully short article about all that, and how diet is a factor, but it is not a be-all-cure-all!: https://www.herpes.org.nz/about-herpes-questions/diet-herpes

I hope this helps!! ❤️ We are all here for you!! 🙂 

Blessings,

Grace