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I recently found out I'm positive for hsv1/2 in August from my blood test then came back 4 weeks to get retested through bloodwork & it confirmed I was hsv1/2+ in September. In October I got tested through swab because I had an outbreak but it was in the healing stage I got my results today & it came back hsv1/2- I asked if it came back inconclusive & the nurse said no she didn't understand it either it because it didn't say inconclusive it said negative so the doctor gonna call me back so he can explain so I can understand what's going on have anyone ever had results like this I'm pretty sure I had an outbreak 1 sore at the top in between the cease of where my outer labia part I had no itching or irritation & a rash looking outbreak where my outer labia touch I had itching & irritation there(irritation which I believe was bought on due to having hair growing back there I hate hair I like to stay bare) even when I went to get swabbed in October even though it was healing he said it looked like an outbreak.

Had anyone had similar results where blood work confirmed positive for the hsv antibodies but swab came back negative for hsv1/2 & not inconclusive?

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are you saying you have both 1 and 2?

 

as I understand it, swabs can be hit or miss. I believe its 48 hrs from origin or the reliability drops considerably as the live virus isn't in the bump anymore, or in significant enough numbers to be tested for.

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@Queenie

 

1) is your Dr an OBGYN or a PCP? If they are not an OBGYN, stop right there and get thee to a Lady-Bits doctor. PCP's are notoriously poorly informed about Herpes and usually out of date on the subject matter.

 

2) What were the numbers in your "positive" blood draw? It should look something like this: HSV1 <1.1 .............. technically they will call you a "positive" if the number is 1.1 or higher, but any Herpes specialist will tell you that anything between 1.1 and 3.5 can be a false positive (40% chance of it) so you would want to go back in a few months and re-test if your numbers are in that range. If it is still in that range you should get a Western Blot done (you have to do it privately and I can get you the info if/when you need it)

 

 

3) As @seeker said, if the Dr didn't get the swab while it was active, it can come back with a negative result. Usually you need to get the swab done in the first 48 hrs..... AND, it's always possible it was something else like an ingrown hair.

 

 

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Way back in the first couple of years I had herpes I had 3 different outbreaks swabbed. One of those was swabbed with in the first 24 hours of the start of it. All three test came back negative. After the last swab I finally got to be examined by a doctor that was completely knowledgeable about herpes. He looked at the outbreak and grilled me with questions. He finally told me that from what he saw and from the answers I gave him I difanatly had herpes. He prescribed Acyclovir and the outbreak cleared up faster than any others before it. He also told me that 30% of herpes cases will not test positive. Now, I assume that is with a swab test. I was in the military at the time and they did not do a blood test for herpes. I finally had a blood test last month that came back positive for hsv2. So, personally I believe a swab test may not always be the most reliable method of diagnosing herpes. The Western Blot, IGG, or a well educated knowledgeable doctor or N.P. are the most reliable.

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@seeker

 

Yes from the bloodwork I tested positive for both hsv 1 & 2

I definitely passed the 48hr window because it was my first outbreak & it looked like a rash so I figured it was a reaction to one day pill I took for a yeast infection I took for the first time 2wks prior because most of the side effects listed did happen but once one sore appeared I realized it was outbreak because the urge itch started to take place so I went get it swabbed 12days after the first symptom

 

@WCSDancer2010

 

This is my Obgyn for the bloodwork it was igg

Hsv1 >8.0

Hsv2 3.0

Then when I retested 5wks later same result

Hsv1 >8.0

Hsv2 3.0

It wasn't a ingrown hair I had that before & I will tweeze the hair out so the bump go away this was definitely an outbreak because it was an open sore & I never had that on my vagina before & when I called in to make an appointment the nurse sent the prescription for Valacyclovir for me to take to see if it work & that's when it started to heal

 

@ihaveittoo & @WCSDancer2010

 

What's the western blot?

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Ok -

 

HSV1 at >8 is a definite positive

HSV2 at 3.0 is actually in the "positive" side but anything between 1.1and 3.5, while being called "positive", can have a 40% false positive rate.

 

Thus the reason to do a Western Blot test - the Elisa test that you took will only test for 1 protein. WB tests for 14 - it's the gold standard of HSV testing. When people have an inconclusive test, we suggest they do WB for clarity.

 

You can become a phone patient of Dr. Lisa Taulbee at the Westover Heights Clinic,http://westoverheights.com/ (503) 226-6678 ... she can order the test for you through Quest Labs. It costs $5/minute for a consult … cheap IMO for clarity and/or peace of mind.

 

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Quest is the only lab that will do the test so you may have to pay out of pocket.

 

While I know that sucks I am a very strong supporter in getting people to take responsibility for their health EVEN WHEN their insurance doesn't .... I fear we have become too reliant on insurance to cover everything.... There is a care called Care Credit that is specifically for medical stuff ... you may be able to get that to help you to cover it and pay it off... or ask at Westover and at Quest if there is a program for people whose insurance doesn't cover it... you'd be surprised how often you can get a good reduction on the cost of medication and other health stuff if you ask :)

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