Primary Herpes Outbreak Question & New Perspective

[ksurter77]

Hello Everyone,

 

The purpose of my post is two fold: 1) to get some people's perspectives/knowledge on my potential HSV, and 2) to offer a perspective I've gained since I first thought I have might have it and how it's changed me!

 

1) I believe I had a primary HSV outbreak on my mouth a month or so ago. This coincided within a day or so of me sleeping with a new person, so due to the timing I'm a little worried about whether I have Oral HSV1, HSV2, both, or Oral and GHSV1. You guys perspective would be greatly appreciated here.

 

My Symptoms: Prior to sleeping with the person, the week leading up my gums were slightly swollen and I had some pain urinating (nothing major, but definitely not normal). I didn't think anything about it, until later that week. I slept with a new girl on the weekend and after some brief nude rubbing, used a condom - but neither of us performed any oral sex. Early on the next morning I woke up with chills and a fever and increasingly sore mouth (about 6-7 hours after we had sex). Still no outbreaks that I am aware of anywhere. Sunday night I noticed I had several canker/cold sores beginning to form on the top inside part of lips, and my gums were more swollen and painful. I still had the fever, though advil definitely helped me feel better. On Monday I got some valtrex and started taking it, and by this time my fever had gone away, but my sores were painful, my gums were really bad so that I couldn't barely even eat, and would even bleed if I tried to do too much with them. At this point I start researching, and the symptoms for Herpes seem to match up pretty well for a primary outbreak. But then I start getting really paranoid about whether this was something that was happening prior to sleeping with the girl, or if it was causal - and more specifically - if I had anything to be concerned about with my genitals. I did notice I had a single pimple on the front shaft of my penis and a couple other red bumps on the back side, and then this started me to really become concerned. I had recently shaved so I thought it could also be razor bumps. It didn't look like the traditional pictures of HSV2 from this site, nor did it cause me any pain or itching, but again I had been on valtrex for a couple days by this point so I wasn't sure if that was helping me. The sores and my mouth sores both had gone away within the next few days, so both under a week (but that was with Valtrex).

 

Note: I have never had any other readily apparent herpes symptoms before in my life.

 

My question: Do you all think this sounds like Oral HSV1, Oral and Genital HSV1, or something different, potentially hsv2? I will go for a blood test, but I need to wait the sufficient amount of time.

 

 

2) My new outlook:

 

So I'm obviously hoping that I only have Oral HSV1, but regardless of what happens, my search into this has revealed that this truly is something that is stigmatized and overblown. My perspective towards the infection, as well as those who have it has completely changed to something that, while should be protected against and informed about, is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Good medication exists to help treat and prevent the virus, and the more people are open about this and talk about it, the more understood and accepted it will become.

 

Thank you to everyone who responds in advance, and goodluck!

[WCSDancer2010]

@ksurter77

 

Hello and Welcome!

 

What you describe sounds more like canker sores than HSV1. It sounds like you already had some kind of oral irritation coming on and perhaps all the kissing made it worse... yes the timing with the valtrex seems to be why the OB went away but it may well be incidental.

 

Herpes doesn't usually show up until at least a few days after exposure... 6 hrs is way too short to be herpes IMO.... and I can tell you it won't be HSV2 because H2 only makes up 1% of all oral herpes and that is from oral sex ....

 

So it sounds like you were given Valtrex without a swab??? WTF?? If they had done a swab you would have your answer right now .... :(

 

I would *guess* you are in the clear ... but I would get blood tested right now because the odds are that you have Oral herpes (HSV1) anyway... best that you know if you do so you know to be careful if you have any symptoms (flu/lesions/papercuts/etc) that *might be herpes ...aka... avoid oral sex in that time ;) If it comes up negative, get retested in 4 months....

 

And it's doubtful you got gential HSV1 either ... it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with your oral issue and as it sheds a LOT less in the genital area and you used a condom, your risk is very low for that.

 

And good for you for seeing that haveing Herpes doesn't have to be a big deal - unless YOU make it a big deal... yes, some have really rough introductions to it but in the long run, it's just a nuisance skin condition in a really inconvenient place :)

 

 

Handouts + disclosure e-book:

http://eepurl.com/b4IPP

 

http://herpeslife.com/how-can-you-get-herpes/

 

Herpes facts video

[ksurter77]

WCSDancer - Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post, I appreciate it! You're right that it's just an inconveniently located skin condition, and my attitude towards it has changed now that I am educated and informed. I will admit that prior to any of this I did think that Herpes was worse than what it really is. I think it's the fact that it's "lifelong" that freaks everyone out. But knowing what I know now, I wouldn't mind being with someone who has it as long as everyone is honest up front and discusses things.

 

I actually got Valtrex from my dentist who had mentioned they help canker sores at a previous checkup, so I got the prescription phoned in. By the time I realized I should go to the doctor, it was around Christmas Holidays and I wasn't able to make it in (bad idea I know).

 

If it weren't for the bumps on my penis I noticed a few days later, I don't think I would have ever worried about it at all. Your information is very helpful though, as it is incredibly unlikely that H2 would be on my mouth, and also very unlikely that I contracted Genital H1 when using a condom (though we did rub around genitally for a bit before using one).

 

I do think there's a chance I got H2 along with a coincidental mouth sore/outbreak that had been starting before I had sex. I wish I could upload a picture of the bumps from there!

 

Either way I won't know I guess until the blood comes back, but it's a long time to wait 3months for the antibodies.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[WCSDancer2010]

If the condom stayed intact and the bumps were where the condom was, then it wouldn't be Herpes. The only reason condoms are not 100% effective is that OB's/shedding can occur in areas not covered by the condom.

 

I'd get blood tested now ... just in case you already have something at the moment - and it will clarify if you get a changed result down the line where it came from

[ksurter77]

Yep that makes sense. I agree with the blood test. I'll report back here with the news. Thanks again WCSDancer :)

[ksurter77]

Hi WCSDancer - Reporting back. The blood test (iGG type specific) came back HSV1+ on a 7.38 value with .90 being the breakpoint. So it's a very high value and I'm not sure if it signifies anything in particular?

 

I did some digging in my past testing history, and in January 2013, I was tested by a service which DID do HSV1 & 2 along with the standard suite of tests, and I was negative then. This past August as part of my annual blood work/checkup, I was tested by the local doctor, but..surprise surprise, no HSV was tested. So basically I have a time period of 2 years where I could have contracted HSV1.

 

My questions I'm hoping people here can help with :)

1) I still want to be 100% positive about HSV2, since it's only been about 5 weeks, what is a good amount of time to wait for a retest? Also, now that im confirmed for HSV1, does that lower my risk of contracting HSV2?

 

2) Since im very confident that I have oral HSV1 due to the cold sores on the inside of my lip, I want now to be confident about whether I may have GHSV1, and any way I can figure this out without an outbreak there. I've read that GHSV1 doesn't OB very often at all, so it may be impossible to determine without that? Due to the bumps I noticed on my penis a couple days after my mouth sores, I am worried that I somehow got HSV1 in both locations, or managed to transmit it to my genitals when the sore was open (when urinating for example). Is this possible or at all likely for me to get HSV1 in both locations at the same time?

The reason I'm asking so many questions here is that, while I can do research on the medical sites, they tend to list every potential chance of everything as a possibility, EVEN if the chance is remotely small (sub 1% here) for certain things. I understand why this is necessary, but it's just not realistic for most people, and causes unwarranted angst. Help here would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

[WCSDancer2010]

I would wait to re-test till you are 4 months post exposure.... that should give you a reasonably conclusive result either way.

 

The only way you will know if that is GHSV1 is a swab... but there's a lot of other things that can cause a "bump" on the pernis... folliculitis is one. Certainly, the odds of you passing your OHSV1 to your genitals is next to nil unles you are a contortionist and can get your mouth on your own privates :p

 

Yes, it IS possible to get H1 on your genitals from someone else with OHSV1 .. we have 2 people on here with that but we tend to get a higher number of the "odd" cases here because those of the nature of this site.

 

The blood test at 4 months may shed light on things, but I would get to a Dr if it comes up again and get it swabbed.... I expect it's nothing because of the location..the condom should have protected you just fine in that area ;)