Going through my first outbreak and I don't know when it's gonna end

[otter]

I found out about 3 weeks ago that I have HSV2. It was very mild with only 3 bumps, itchiness, and slight burning. After about a week, while I waited for my test results, I started anti-viral meds. 3 times a day for 10 days. Each day seemed to be getting better and then I was done with the meds and I have 2 solid days of feeling like my vagina went back to normal. I considered myself lucky and try to start my healing process and I now considered what having HSV2 at 32 years old and being single would be like.

 

After two days of what seemed to be a normal vag, I had another outbreak...same deal, 3 dots, some itchiness, and general burning. I started my anti-viral meds asap....three days go by and nothing is really improving, it's actually appearing to get worse. More itchy, not new bumps to from what I can see, and general irritation around the underwear lines. Is this normal? It's been about 3 weeks and I have been on anti-virals for about half that time. Shouldn't this be getting better?

 

Anyone else experience a primary outbreak that seemed to come in phases? I'm super scared there might be something else wrong, but I'm not sure if my head is just going wild with worst case scenarios.

 

Any advice would be helpful.

 

-Beijos

[Guest]

Voce fala portugues? Oi gente! Bemvindo! Somos aqui que a ajudar.First and foremost, you have a normal vagina. This doesn't change that. Maybe certain characteristics differ from other women, but you are normal in the great scheme of the universe. It's important to remember that.

 

Second, the outbreak WILL end. It always does. My first one in April lasted for a week with antivirals, then went away, then came back about a week later. I experienced all the symptoms: tingling, crawling under the skin, numbness, itching, a little bit of nerve pain, but it was the emotional distress that was (and still is) the worst for me.

 

I would recommend trying a different antiviral. It sounds like you're taking famciclovir since you said you're taking it three times daily? While it is more affordable, I would recommend trying acyclovir because it's twice daily, but my personal preference is valacyclovir because it delivers more medicine to the body with one pill daily than the others can with two or three pills. It's worth the cost, truth be told.

 

Finally, remember to breathe. Just breathe. It's funny I can say this and give you all the advice in the world because I'm internally a huge wreck myself. But here I am. Just breathe. Get out in the sun. Smile. Look up the YouTube video for Joaquin Phoenix's forehead. It's hilarious. Really. I haven't laughed that hard in almost a year.

 

Also, if you would like to talk feel free to message me privately. My Portuguese isn't great because I haven't been practicing, but I do speak it. The only good thing that came from my ex-girlfriend. I'm also 32 and living with this since April.

 

Tchau, amiga! Dois beijinhos pra voce!

[WCSDancer2010]

@otter

 

Hello and Welcome ...

 

The one thing you need to understand is that Herpes doesn't play by any particular rules ... but it's not uncommon for people to have a number of OB's for the first few weeks/months. It can take up to a year for your body to build the antibodies up to where it can control the virus. For some people, it takes one OB - others, the whole year. Controlling stress and learning what your triggers are is key to controlling the OB's...

 

general irritation around the underwear lines

 

Sounds like your underwear may be part of the issue - try wearing looser cotton underwear whenever possible ... and I'm listing my regular recommendations below to help get you started with controlling the OB's...

 

Go Commando as much as possible - getting air to the area can help to dry it out more quickly

 

Reduce stress as much as possible - Herpes feeds off stress!!! It can become a good barometer for you that your body needs attention in some form or other

 

Look up Trigger Foods/triggers on here in the FAQ and search bar - lots of topics on them ... the main foods are chocolate and nuts but you want to learn about the Lysine/Argenine balance that can help keep Herpes under control

 

Epsom Salts baths can do wonders for some. Sit in the bath and dump a few handfuls of the salts right between your legs. Relax and let the salts do their thing then get out and dry off, finishing with a blow drier set on low heat to really get the area dry.

 

These 4 things seem to do the most help for the most people. Aloe Vera CREAM (make sure ALOE is one of the first ingredients and there isn't a bunch of other crap like petroleum and if it has glycerine, it's AFTER the Aloe in the ingredients .. go to a Health food store for your best chance of getting a good product) or Zinc cream may help during the day to keep it from sticking and help relieve the pain ..

 

 

Hope this helps :)

 

(((HUGS)))

[otter]

No, I don't speak Portuguese...I wish I did. My ex-fiancé is from Rio Grande de Sol, so I was immersed in Portuguese for quite some time, but I have lost most of the language since we parted.

 

Thank you for the support and thanks Dancer for all the helpful tips. Some days are better than others, and even though I'm reading tons on HSV2, it's hard to emotionally heal when my first outbreak seems to be pushing 3 weeks now. Even though I'm passed the "my life is over stage", I still think about having HSV2 all the time...at least every hour.

 

I feel like I should count my lucky stars given the severity of my outbreak is small compared to what could have happened, but these lingering lesions are not spreading nor really going away...even with Valtrex daily. I know once I start running and biking again my emotional wellbeing with improve, but this outbreak is keeping me from doing that.

 

Does exercise make an outbreak worse?

 

Thanks again for your support and help, it makes this new news easier to digest.

 

-Otter

[WCSDancer2010]

We talk about the "opportunity" that Herpes brings us, and perhaps one of your "lessons" @Otter is patience ... we are so used to being "cured" instantly nowadays that we don't know how to live with discomfort ... I see it time and again both here and in my office (I' a Massage Therapist). People get injured and within a week they are obsessing about when they will feel "normal" again. Only 100 years ago, people dealt with discomfort all the time. They didn't obsess about it. They just got on with life. So just putting it out there that perhaps one thing you can work on is acceptance and patience ... trust that the OB's will get better (they will) and that once day you will realize you have not thought about it at all.

 

As for exercise, for some, it makes it worse. I would suggest that you wear loose clothing if you do, and shower off and dry the area with a blow drier right after ... make sure nothing rubs the area.... and go commando in between as much as possible ...

 

Give it a try ... go slow at first... don't over stress your body. Hopefully you will be "up and running" soon ;)

 

(((HUGS)))

[otter]

Thanks Dancer. I struggled with patience before I got HSV2, so post diagnosis has been really tough in accepting that time is really what I need right now, and nothing is going to push that any faster.

 

I continue to read more about HSV2 and using this support forum has been really helpful. I still swing between acceptance and anger...especially since I have pretty solid proof of who gave it to me, but each week is getting better. I think once I'm over this first OB and I can get up and running again, I'll have much more strength and confidence to start dating again and heal emotionally.

 

-Otter

[WCSDancer2010]

Anger is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies ..... let it go friend. It will help you to heal and move on faster ...... and will put you in a healthier place to go into another relationship ;)

[otter]

I consciencously know that being angry and thinking bad things toward that person really is toxic to myself...but unconsciencously, it's tough to do sometimes. I have been using sea salt baths and smudging with sage prayers to help me release my anger and resentment.

 

Some days are better than others, but over all, for knowing that I have HSV2 for about a month now, things are looking up. It helps that my back to back outbreak is getting better enough to throw in some moderate exercise.

 

-Otter

[WCSDancer2010]

Remember that those who pass on H to others are either ignorant of their status, or if they know their status and don't disclose, they are either mis-informed (all too often Dr's still tell people that you can't pass it on without an OB) ... or they are working from a place of fear... fear of being unlovable ... they have bought into the stigma hook, line, and sinker.... and while it isn't "right", it's understandable and I see it as a very, very sad existence for those people to live like that. If you can find empathy for their behavior, forgiveness gets a little easier. Remember, we are ALL of us fighting our own internal battles ;)

[otter]

This is very wise advice and I will try to put my anger energy toward empathy and forgiveness.

 

You are very right, we are ALL fighting our own internal battles.

 

-Otter