When will this anal herpes blockage finally go away?

[venicebeach95]

I’m 26 and I had my first anal herpes outbreak start two ish weeks ago. It started as a little bit of pressure down there and then culminated in me shedding tears when trying to go to the bathroom, and getting nauseous and sweaty from the pain. It never looked that bad externally but the pain was mainly internal.

Cut to two weeks later and I’m 99% clear on the outside of my body, and the pain when sitting is totally gone, but I still feel an ulcer or something inside (which I originally thought was a hemorrhoid until the nurse said it was herpes). But, it still feels like there’s a blockage when I try to poop. It hurts (though not as bad as before), and the poop all comes out in Rolo sized pebbles, hard and causing me to bleed a little. My Valtrex round finished 4 days ago, but do I need more to get rid of this internal blockage? What should I do? Thank you!

[Flowerteacher55]

Hello, @venicebeach95!

I hope you are doing better since you posted this. I am so sorry for the delay in responding! 

Did you get a swab test or IgM blood test to see if this is indeed HSV? 

Herpes can be internal, as you have described, and it is very painful. I had sores inside my vaginal cavity during my first outbreak, and it was just ... ouchie.

It could be a blockage, however it could also be from the stress and pain you have been feeling. The body's response could have been to tense up down there due to the inflammation and pain, which could cause constipation. 

A study at Yale from 2016 showed how herpes (specifically HSV-1) can impact the nerves of the colon, causing constipation. Although the study talks about genital HSV-1, I would imagine it applies to HSV-2 as well.

Because herpes is linked to the nerve bundles in our bodies, those nerve bundles can impact all the other nerve sites in our bodies, apparently including our freaking colon (literally what the heck, this is both interesting and just plain bizarre!) Here is the study: https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(16)30204-9

Also, if you had anal sex before the outbreak, is it possible you somehow got an injury from that? 

Before taking more antivirals, you could get an internal exam at your OBGYN or primary doctor's office to make sure there isn't something organ/muscular related going on (also, they can see if there are still sores present, and if so, they could give you more antivirals). It's important to get an exam, especially because you mentioned seeing blood when you pooed. 

I hope this all helps. I am so sorry you've been struggling! Please know we are here for you ❤️ You are not alone!

Sending blessings and prayers your way ❤️ !!

-- Grace

 

[Stars-and-Stripes]

@venicebeach95 since your post was in Sept 2021, I'm just checking in on how you're feeling? How's your constipation? Has it gotten any better? Also did you have any numbess in the anal/perineal area? I'm experiencing the same constipation w/numbess and only 1 month in from OB. I've read drinking Smooth Move tea helped so i am going to try that. Keep us updated please. Thanks