Newly diagnosed, a few questions about herpes symptoms

[nurselove]

I was just diagnosed last month with genital HSV 2. I was sexually assaulted almost a year ago and he was known to have herpes. I got a bunch of antivirals in the ED right afterwards and I honestly thought I had not contracted anything. Last month I left the country, I was sleep deprived, stressed and taking antibiotics and oral steriods (which will lower immune system) plus taking antimalaria meds. I had my first outbreak while I was gone, I came back to the US and went to my OBGYN, the blood test came back positive. I never had anything like a pimple, what I had was more like a kanker sore on my perineum area. My doc gave me acyclovir for 10 days, I was really itchy but it healed up a little after a week. There was no crusting at all like I've read about online. Last week I had one more sore (looked just like a kanker sore) and it was there for 3 days and then gone. Then yesterday another one showed up on my labia, this is just red and doesn't look open yet but for the first time ever both of my lymph nodes are swollen on either side. Has anyone ever had outbreaks like this? It just doesn't sound typical from what I've read. I also think it's weird that I'm getting one at a time and then after it heals another comes up. I don't know if this is just once reoccurance or if it's multiple ones. I was waiting to go on suppressive meds just in case I don't actually need them. I was thinking if I rarely ever have outbreaks I would rather not be on meds for them. My sores aren't ungodly painful, more like they just sting when/if they're touched. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated!!!

[WCSDancer2010]

@nurselove

 

First, Weclome... I'm sorry for how you arrived here but glad that you found us :)

 

Yes - this is all as "normal" as Herpes gets. Everyone gets different types and durations for their OB's. I used to get the canker sore type OB - now they are more like paper cuts when I get them. I never had swollen glands but my ex hubby (who got it from me because we didn't know that my "heat rash" was herpes) got the swollen glands and terrible flu-like symptoms.

 

Do you know if it's HSV1 or 2? Likely it's 2, in which case you may have OB's for up to a year on and off before it settles down...or you may have 3 or 4 close together and it could go silent. It's a slippery devil that doesn't play by any hard and fast "rules". :p

 

If you can live with it without anti-virals, and you don't have a partner to protect, then you might as well not take them. I keep them on hand for OB's and just in case I actually meet someone that gets to the point where intimacy is likely... wearing loose clothing/skirts without underwear/cotton underwear/nothing at night will help a lot to get it to dry out. Epsom Salts baths work well for some too...sit in the tub and dump 3-4 handfuls of the salts right between your legs and let it soak.

 

(((HUGS)))

 

 

[tsv33]

I'm going through the same thing. My first ob was one small painless bump that went away within one week. My second ob started like almost 4 weeks ago and was in the same place but this time was painful and I had the itchy thing going on. I thought I was done but now I have several little tiny whiteheads around my vagina....I really thought obs occurred in the same spot every time. This is so frustrating!

[nurselove]

Thanks for the response! I'm still waiting to see what my OBs end up like and how often I'll have them before I decide what to do. I would hope that I don't continue to have outbreaks like this where it's just one after another. I have been taking L-lysine and I've been putting raw honey on the spots (read that it can speed up the healing by 50%). I figured they're not really in a place where I can keep them dry anyway so I may as well try it. lol. My OBs have all been in different locations so I'm not sure if that's normal or not either.

 

My boyfriend hasn't been tested yet but to be honest he's not too eager to do it. We've always had unprotected sex so I guess that we assume he's been exposed anyway. He wasn't really upset when I found out about it because he knew we couldn't change what was already done. We're in a committed and very serious relationship and he doesn't want me to take antivirals if I don't really need them as far as how frequent my OBs are. But I've told him I'm more than willing to take them if he's negative.

 

And BTW...I'm sooo thankful for this site!!! I cried for days after I was diagnosed and then I found you guys. I felt so rejected and dirty and I really felt like my boyfriend would leave and that I would just stay single instead of even trying to find someone understanding. It's been so amazing to find other people who are living with HSV, from the sad posts to the happy and inspiring ones...it's nice to be a part of a community!!

[lt05]

i have a question about symptoms as well, do sores usually have heads? like something you could pop? feels like a pimple but im obsessing over whether its an outbreak or not, no other symptoms just a little sore when i sit, (it lasted for about 2 days its gone now) it was on a different area from my first OB. i also just noticed last night a bump on my forehead, and im obsessing whether thats a pimple too! Am i being crazy??!

[nurselove]

I guess that they don't have to have a head. I've heard of people popping theirs...but mine have only been a red spot and then an open area like a kanker sore appears in the middle. But mine are nothing like a pimple and they don't have a head. But now I'm becoming paranoid!! I've always gotten really bad razor burn along my underwear line and now that I know I have H any time something turns red I'm starting to freak out.

[lt05]

same here @nurselove.. im obessing over something on my forehead which you cant even really see, just feel underneath the skin. i put alcohol on it and toothpaste which cures my pimples! ahhhhh i feel crazy!

[WCSDancer2010]

It05

 

i also just noticed last night a bump on my forehead, and im obsessing whether thats a pimple too!

 

That's called a zit my friend :p

 

Whe someone "pops" them they are talking about blisters. The contents are usually clear, not white or like pus.

 

99% of the time, Herpes will only be in the genital or oral area... yes, occasionally someone autoinnoculates another area but its usually through very sustained contact with the genitals or through an open wound. In the vary rare instances when this happens, it usually goes away and doesn't re-surface because it doesn't thrive well in that area.

 

BREATHE my friends.... you are waaaayyyy overthinking this :)