blisters on legs because of herpes?

[MalicePalace]

So I've only had one outbreak (the initial one). I have yet to get any testing done but the doc was quite positive and I've had quite a few of the most common symptoms. One thing that I'm concerned about right now is that a couple days after my outbreak in the genital area had cleared up, I noticed two small red spots on my lower calves. One on each leg, they were mirror images..so weird. Anyway at first I thought they were ingrown hairs, but then a day or two later I noticed they were more like blisters (still very small, about the size of the head of a pin). I noticed another of the same things the other day, this time behind my knee. I searched for information about this stuff online and could only find people saying that it is unlikely for hsv to be in places outside of the boxer area and others saying that herpes wouldn't thrive in that part of the body...I'm kind of freaking out about it. Am I going to continue to get these? Does that mean that my entire legs could be an area where I could spread it from? As I'm asking these questions I feel like they sound silly, but I need to know what kind of contact to avoid or if there's ssomething I am missing here. Has anyone else experienced this or know anything about it?

[seeker]

The only absolute way to answer your question is with a swab. That being said it's highly unlikely to have H on the lower leg. You would have had to autoinnoculate yourself.

 

I have a theory that fighting H along eith the stress helps bring about other skin issues. To parsphrase frued sometimes a bump is only a bump.

[WCSDancer2010]

@seeker is right - if you are that worried, get it swabbed ... but odds are it's something you would hardly have noticed before herpes ...

 

Now it IS possible to pass it to another area if you happen to get those areas against the OB's (Herry the Herp autoinoculated his heels while meditating in a robe ;P )but it's rare ... and it you DID manage to that, it should settle down and you may never see it again ... and no - your entire legs won't be infectious ... just the area where the sore is.

 

 

[MalicePalace]

Thanks you two! I do know that I'm highly oversensitive now to anything going on with my skin and my body. As if I wasn't already a bit of a hypochondriac... :-/ ha well I feel a bit better about it and if another pops up I'll try to get in to get a swab immediately

[Sil88]

I have a pair of mirror image spots too, but on my inside thighs.. I was wondering the same thing. More likely in my case since it's the boxer area.

[MalicePalace]

I'm pretty sure it's hsv related. It has gotten bigger and looks almost identical to what I have had in the genital area. I'm bummed but more so confused because HOW in the world would I have autoinnoculated behind my knee?!?! Ugh whatever. I have no expectations any longer when it comes to knowing or predicting what my body will do.

[seeker]

There is something called dissemination. Its where h infects another skin condition but not the nerve, its different than autoinnoculation and isnt reoccuring. Its basically the same thing as an infected cut or pimple or such but H is the infector and again, its not autoinnoculation. Ive been doing a little reading up on it. Makes sense, maybe touch a h sore then a pimple lets say. Pimple gets infected but the body can deal with the virus so it doesnt get to the nerve so no establishment.

 

And malice, the chances of you AutoInn behind your knee is pretty slim. AutoInn is rare and only happens in a very small window. The virus doesnt do well outside the body. It would take an open active sore, you touching it, then with ninja like speed touching a cut behind your knee. Are you in the habit of scratching your privates then other places? Didnt think so.

[MalicePalace]

Oh very interesting! Thank you for the info, seeker!

[seeker]

your welcome. dissemination is a relatively new discovery in H related circles. I almost dint want to bring it up as it could be " one more thing to worry people" I personally find it reassuring and think it may have happened to me as I get hardened cysts and the second time around one acting like H. never again though. still doing some looking up on it, just have to be careful and vet the sites I read, like everything H related there is lots of messed up info out there.

[MalicePalace]

I went to get this looked at but by the time I was able to get in to the clinic the blister was scanned over. Now it's completely gone...I got blood tests done while I was there and they didn't come back positive. So, as of now I am assuming still that I have hsv but that the antibodies aren't at levels high enough to be detected yet. But I was discussing this with my mother the other day and shingles came up. She mentioned that maybe it was a small outbreak of shingles brought on by the stress of the herpes diagnosis. I guess it's possible? In all of my research of herpes I am still vet confused of the relationship between shingles and herpes simplex. If I get any more blisters like that one, I will go in as soon as I see it and get it swabbed, otherwise I'm going to be getting a blood test again in a month and will update for anyone who cares to follow :)

[WCSDancer2010]

Shingles and Herpes look different and shingles normally presents on the torso.

 

Shingles is caused by the Chicken Pox virus ... they are all a family of viruses that hide out in the nerves... that's how they are related ...

 

definitely a swab is in order just for your info ... but odds are against it being Herpes ... OR shingles ;)