Never-ending herpes outbreak?

[Eddie]

Hi-

 

I'm about to enter my 7th week of an awful outbreak of HSV1/genital. The strange thing is that it has been over 6 years since I have had any outbreak at all. I have not taken any suppressive medication in over 6 years as well. To be honest, I totally forgot that I even had this. The first outbreak was quite painful and took about 2 Months to clear. The only thing I can think of that made it come back was that I had taken prednisone for a 4-week period to help deal with a stomach issue (it helped). I notice one little sore and then a few weeks later, it erupted into a full-blown outbreak. I did see me doctor and was prescribed Valtrex 500mg 2x a day but it has done noticing. After 4 weeks of an outbreak, I went in for testing of HIV, Lyme, HSV2 and every other std there is. All came back negative.

 

I'm quite worried that although it has been 3 months since I have been off of the prednisone, it has permanently woken this thing up and now it won't go back into hiding.

 

I will be seeing my doctor again tomorrow. Has anyone heard of this happening? Could there be any other fungal or bacterial infections that it causing this outbreak to linger?

 

I did have a partner when my initial outbreak occurred all those years ago. Now I am single and going through this alone. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated.

[WCSDancer2010]

@Eddie

 

Hello and welcome!

 

Well, odds are very strong that the Prednisone is the culprit - it knocked your immune system down (which is it's job) which allowed the virus to regain the upper hand. So now your system is having to start over. I'm glad you are going to see the Dr tomorrow ... I would ask him to also check to see if something is out of balance in your immune system.

 

In the meantime, check these links out ... they will help you to deal with the symptoms ...

 

Some quick suggestions:

 

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 ..

 

Also: Gold Bond Spray powder - right after exercising/hot showers/etc. Supposedly really cools the area ;)

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1821/food-drinks-that-causeprolong-herpes-outbreaks/p1

 

http://regannaturopathic.com/2013/04/the-truth-about-arginine-lysine-and-herpes-simplex-virus/

 

 

 

[WCSDancer2010]

@Eddie

 

Hello and welcome!

 

Well, odds are very strong that the Prednisone is the culprit - it knocked your immune system down (which is it's job) which allowed the virus to regain the upper hand. So now your system is having to start over. I'm glad you are going to see the Dr tomorrow ... I would ask him to also check to see if something is out of balance in your immune system.

 

In the meantime, check these links out ... they will help you to deal with the symptoms ...

 

Some quick suggestions:

 

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 ..

 

Also: Gold Bond Spray powder - right after exercising/hot showers/etc. Supposedly really cools the area ;)

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1821/food-drinks-that-causeprolong-herpes-outbreaks/p1

 

http://regannaturopathic.com/2013/04/the-truth-about-arginine-lysine-and-herpes-simplex-virus/

 

 

 

[whitedaisies]

Well, I can do the "I feel your pain, post"...don't know about steroids and their affects on herpes; although I know it is definitely not helping your situation. As for permanently waking up; I would say, if you were able to bat it down the first time, your body will regain control again.

 

I am on constant herpes outbreaks or what I think are constant prodomes and I am not even going to tell you how long b/c it doesn't matter but I am super stressed out now. But I will tell you they are getting better and each time is less and more days inbetween that I feel normal. Some bodies have a tougher time than others.

 

Key to yours I think is to get your immune system back up and running again as the steroids depleted it. Read Dancer's posts, get lots of rest, exercise, eat right, take your antivirals religiously, see your doctors for their advice you could have a combination of things going on like your outbreak could have got infected too....

 

Good luck

[VCguy]

Hey there. So I've been dealing with a similar situation for the past 3 months. I'm probably going to make an individual post about it in the future.

 

I was diagnosed during my first OB with HSV-1 about 4 months ago. Bad time, you know the story, but it got better and cleared for about 3 weeks. Then, out of the blue, I got an unidentified urethral infection (I'm a male) that lasted for way longer than any doctors had seen. NO STIs came up positive no matter how many times I was tested. The thing is, the first day that I took my first dose of antibiotics (doxycycline), I got my first recurring OB on my inner thigh, and since then, this single spot on my thigh hasn't cleared.

 

I was on an antibiotic regiment for two months, which barely helped the infection and certainly made my outbreaks terrible. So, 3 months later, 1 month since I stopped the antibiotics, I've still got this single spot on my thigh, and also have recurring outbreaks elsewhere. These started when I started my antibiotics and have not stopped. They're not severe, but every 3 or 4 days I get new symptoms. In 3 months I haven't gone 1 week without red spots occurring on the head of my penis, under my foreskin, on my shaft, and on my thighs. Again, they're not severe, but certainly present and persistent. I've been on Valtrex for 2 months and it clearly isn't doing anything to help. Also taking 1500 mg of Lysine daily and its not helping.

 

I'm trying to tell myself that it'll get better and they'll stop being so consistent, but there's been no evidence of that whatsoever. No doctors know what to do or know what's going on and I'm starting to lose hope. It's bad enough I have herpes, but the fact that I'm managing symptoms every day is getting to be too much. I read the stories of people who get a few outbreaks a year and am jealous. I doubt this helps, but just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one with abnormal symptoms that wont stop. I hope we come across some helpful information soon.

[whitedaisies]

Ditto!!!

[WCSDancer2010]

My best advice is to attack the virus from the outside then .... try all the things I listed... also, I have used Alum for my OB's for years ...it's an astringent and dries them right up. Perhaps if you can get them to just heal and get ahead of it from the outside, your body will manage to gain control from the inside. It certainly won't hurt ;)

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1624/herpes-medication-genital-hsv-1-how-to-keep-herpes-outbreaks-clean-dry

[VCguy]

Whitedaisies, what do you mean ditto? Did your outbreaks get worse after an antibiotic regiment, or are they just generally consistent?

 

[whitedaisies]

They are just consistent for 7.5 months. I don't know why my body is having such a hard time. The ditto referred to its bad enough I have herpes, but constant outbreaks are ridiculous. You could have erythema multiform which could explain the outbreaks all over; little red dots and pimples and such. It's when your body hyperreacts to a virus or meds.

 

Let me know if you learn anything; I am just at my witts end and I am not getting any answers anywhere.

[lookn4answers]

Eddie,

I realize this is an old post, I just wanted to revive it and see if you are still on this site.

I am nearing week 8 of an outbreak that followed a short term course of Prednisone.  I've had GHSV-1 for 1 1/2 years and my last outbreak was a year ago.  All outbreaks I have had were controlled with Valacyclovir for 5-7 days, wow, not this one.  What did you find out from your Doctor regarding your extended outbreak after Prednisone?

I hope this note gets to you.

Thanks!

[lookn4answers]

Has anyone else had an outbreak, especially a prolonged outbreak, after taking prednisone?

Mine is slowly improving yet just won't go away even when on 2 gm Valacyclovir BID.

[ash128083]

I’m a woman but have been experiencing the same thing. I’ve had HSV2 for almost 10 years and have been on antivirals for 8. I also have asthma so I am very familiar with prednisone and am usually on that at least once a year. In the past 8 years I hav had zero outbreaks even while on prednisone up until this past year which has been pure hell. I have had to use prednisone maybe 3 times in a year for my asthma and have been having horrible outbreaks at least every month. The daily antivirals do not seem to be working eventboughI increase them during my outbreaks. I take 2,000mgof lysine a day, vitamin c, ehinacea, zinc, b complex, and olive leaf extract, I eat well and exercise 5x a week, no added stress besides these chronic outbreaks which seem to be getting worse and worse. I’ve finally made an appointment to discuss with my doctor what to do and to get tested for other diseases/hormone problems etc because it has been completely debilitating.   

[lookn4answers]

Thank you for your reply.  I'm sorry to hear that you are having such problems!

My doctors say that it is rare to have hardly any outbreaks after the initial with GHSV-1.  I must be the rare case (the ginger effect with red hair).  I had 4 within the first 6 months and this long lasting one nearly a year later.  I can say that I believe the HSV outbreak is resolved but with a couple of new lesions showing up I went to a specialist, she said I have Molluscum Contagiosum.  She won't say that the HSV-1 outbreak would last 2 1/2 months but in my mind it appears that my immunity was compromised with the prednisone, I had an extended, significant GHSV-1 outbreak.  With my immunity still down and HSV lesions it may have been easy to acquire Molluscum Contagiosum.  MC doesn't look or act like HSV so I am confident that is was HSV for the extended time and not Molluscum Contagiosum from the beginning, just now.  Nice thing is that it will eventually go away.

[Saveme51]

I found out I had this in July 2018, and been having constant outbreaks ever since. Don't know when I got it and my husband probably has it too now, because I never knew. I'm assuming in the past 2 years from an affair I had. He doesn't have any symptoms, but I can't seem to have a good conversation with him about having GHSV1. Been together for 30 years, and  he doesn't understand, and might divorce me because of it, since I've cheated on him in the past. It's so depressing my life has changed like this. I'm on Valtrex every day with lysine and monolaurcidin and still get OBs every week. I guess the only positive thing is my husband can't perform like he use to, so I only give him oral. Pretty sad!!!