Is this herpes? Help?

[IdkWhat2do]

Can anyone give me your opinion or advice... Ok so heres whats been going on. I have had something odd going, on in my vagina for the past 6 weeks. It started about 6 weeks after "possible exposure" as a Uti I took Azo pills and nothing happened so I got the stronger Azo pills and while on those I noticed a prickly feeling in my lips (almost like I had just shaved) and a tingling feeling. The Azo pills didnt help, I then got a butedrning sensation that would develope during the day. I never got any flu like symptoms or back aches or swollen lymph nodes. I finally freaked out about 2weeks in and went to the hospital one night after work, because everything I kept reading online said "herpes"! At the hospital they checked me for herpes but didnt see any visual evidence of it they tested my urine and said I had a bladder infection which could cause the similar symptoms. Loaded me up with antibiotics and sent me home. Within the next few days my burning, irritation(prickly feeling) and frequent urination stopped but I still didnt feel %100 down there. I was still insane with inspecting my vagina for bumps and spots cause I was still having the tingling sensation all through out my vagina and butt. It happens in short waves like 3-5 seconds randomly through out the day. So about a week or so after that I did develope small bumps on the inside of my vaginal lips they are not clustered or in lines. They are not red or painful or itcy. Just there. I freaked out and went and bought Lysine, and Garlic pills. I scratched one open one day (not easy to do) and it was better by the next day. Some days it seems to be getting better and then just when I think its healing I started getting the feeling that I was getting a yeast infection, but I think that was from having a lot of sex on my birthday. My husband doesnt have any symptoms of anything and we have had unprotected sex multiple times during this. Yes he is aware of it and made the decision to do so after I begged him not to. He is being very supportive.Anyway I got some Clotrimozole(sp?) cream and have been using that for about 3 days now and it seems to be helping. My bumps are hardly there... But I am still feeling the tingling sometimes...its been almost 7 weeks of this! does this sound like herpes?

[lt05]

it could be, it could be some other type of infection. have you visited the doctor to get the bumps tests?

[IdkWhat2do]

No I havent been to the doctor yet... I dont have any insurance and its over $100 for a visit

[IdkWhat2do]

The bumps are tiny you can only see them if you streach out the skin of the lip. Sorry to be so graphic but its the only way I know how to give you an idea.

[lt05]

thats okay, nothing i havent seen before.. i dont think any of us here would be able to diagnose this issue though.. i know it is expensive but better to make the visit while you have the symptoms..

[IdkWhat2do]

Im really scared... Why is the tingling lasting so long? Everything ive read says usually up to two days of prodome symptoms? Shouldnt the bumps have turned into blisters and burst by now?

[WCSDancer2010]

@IdkWhat2do

 

First - Welcome :)

 

You need to get tested but it usually takes 4-6 months for the system to get enough antibodies built up to get an accurate test. There's no way to know for sure whether this is Herpes or something else without an exam. If you have an actual blister, don't pop it, get to a clinic (Planned parenthood is your best bet either way) and get it cultured ....they take the fluid from the blister...so that's why you don't want to mess with it...besides, the open blister makes it easier to pass on/spread Herpes.

 

Planned Parenthood is good with giving a sliding scale for charges and you can make payments - they knocked my last bill from about $300 to about $125 and I paid it off $25/month. They also know more than most doctors when it comes to STD's. You need to be 100% honest about you exposure so they will know what your risk is and what to suggest you test for.

 

There's lots of great info here for you in the meantime:

 

Handouts:

http://bit.ly/h-opp-diagnosis-handout

http://bit.ly/h-opp-disclosure-handout

 

Disclosure e-book:

http://eepurl.com/b4IPP

 

Hope this helps. (((HUGS)))

[IdkWhat2do]

Thanks all...

[IdkWhat2do]

So I have a new question, I told a dr friend about my symptoms and he said that he doesnt think that it sounds like herpes to him, and if it is then its a very strange case of it. Esp. For a primary outbreak. He says a fungal infection or maybe even staph infection... He recomended an antihistimine for the tingling and it works! While I have benedryl in my system I get no tingling! Has this worked for anyone else?

[WCSDancer2010]

Again - it's very difficult to say... if you just had random itching, I'd agree. But you said you had bumps/blisters on the inside of the vaginal lips - which definitely sounds like Herpes.

 

That said, if the itching goes away with the antihistamine, then it could be an allergic issue. OR, you could be dealing with two things at the same time.

 

Have you changed/ introduced any new lotions/condoms/ etc that you might have got in contact with your lips/vagina/genital area? That is the only thing I can think of that might create the symptoms that you have in all those areas :/

[IdkWhat2do]

hmmm... we did use condoms and lube which we never do but it was after I already had symptoms, the bumps did come after that. They arent blisters because they dont hurt or anyth ok ng, wouldnt something have happened by now? Why is this going on for so long? I dont know guys, I understand that you all arent doctors and without being examined and tested nobody can tell me for sure.. I guess I was just looking for someone to tell me that it isnt and that im over reacting. If it isnt gone by next day off then ill go to the clinic. Thanks for your time and concern, I appreciate it.

[WCSDancer2010]

Why is this going on for so long?

 

Because Herpes is a slippery devil that doesn't play by the rules. AND, a few weeks/even months in your life, in reality, is but a blip in the timeline of your life ;)

 

And NOONE on here will tell you it isn't herpes. We CAN'T do that. Even a doctor would not say that without a test. A Dr. wouldn't do that for ANY symptoms/etc... they may suggest what it may or may not be, but you just can't give that kind of an answer without testing. It wouldn't be right.

 

(((HUGS)))

[IdkWhat2do]

I understand all that. I really do. Mostly I guess I was looking for someone to say that my symptoms sounded familiar to them or that it sounded atypical of a first outbreak... you have no idea the mental state I am in and my anxiety level is through the roof wondering whats going to happen next... If anything? ill go to the clinic this week and get examined. I have to if not for my health sake but for my sanity.

[WCSDancer2010]

That's a good idea - and I DO understand ... we see people on here every day with the exact reaction you are having in the first few weeks/months ...

 

So try this on in the meantime..

 

Figure out how many weeks you have been alive, and how many you still likely have ahead of you (assuming you live to, say, 75 or 80) Then look at how many weeks you have had this. Yes, it FEELS like forever, but in reality, it's a blip on the time line of your life.

 

I see this reaction to ongoing pain time and time again in my office (I'm a Massage Therapist) .. in fact, saw it this week. Had a client who has had a Frozen Shoulder for a few weeks... who is crying on my table because she says it feels like it's been that way forever and it will never get better. Yes, it hurts like hell right now and it may not get better over night (our society is soooo spoiled because we normally take a pill to make the SYMPTOMS go away rather than treating the root cause, so we never experience pain for any amount of time). But it WILL get better... read the posts of people who have had Herpes for awhile and every one pretty much will say that within a few weeks to a few months, a year at the very, very worst, their body gets it sorted out and then they may have 1-4 OB's a year that are very controllable/responsive to the Anti-virals and topical treatments.

 

So if you can get yourself to a place of ACCEPTANCE that you are in a temporary situation, your anxiety levels will go down. When your anxiety levels go down, the Herpes will settle down faster to. Herpes LOOOOOVES drama and anxiety. It FEEDS on it. So you can use Herpes as something to teach you how to learn to live in the moment and to accept that whatever is happening is not necessarily going to last forever. It's a HUUUGE life lesson that most people never get...but a very important one for your over-all happiness and health. ;)

 

Peace