Just found out. First Herpes Outbreak. Weird symptoms, what to do?!

[mp]

I am 25, I just found out I have herpes and I don't even know from where. I've had only one partner and he swears nothing happened, and I was his only one too. We have been together since Highschool.

 

The symptoms started while I was away on vacation. I thought I had folliculitis, I bathed in epsom salt for the week. When I came back, it was only getting worse, I went to the doctor which gave me the diagnosis and took a sample. It's been 4 weeks, and the symptoms are still there. I did get a prescription for Valacyclovir from my doctor, which I took: I can't remember the dosage, but I took 4 pills per day for 7 days. It was getting better but it was still itchy, red and wet. When I finished my pills, it got worse and now it's been the same for the whole week. It's now been 4 weeks and it's still very itchy, red and very wet. Am I the only one who has that much liquid? My underwears are damp and I have to change 4 times a day, cause it'll go through my pants. I can,t get out of the house for more than 2hours without having to come back to change pants, and underwear. I wear a big night pad and it's not enough because the pad can't cover the surface of the "wound". I tried tea tree oil, zinc, I am currently taking L-Lysine it's been 2 weeks. Will it ever leave???

[SPATX919]

It's different for everyone. Did you have a blood test as well or have you been told which type? Has your partner been tested? I'd recommend you each have an IgG blood test to determine type and each other's status. It will be key to know if you need to take precautions during future sexual activity.

[mp]

No blood test yet. I guess it is a good idea. My main concern is getting rid of this outbreak! I'm sick of it, I have a hard time sleeping at night it's too itchy.

[SPATX919]

Yours sounds pretty rough. My first one stuck around for a while (6 weeks) but it was rather mild in comparison. Try wearing loose fitting clothes to let it dry out. I hear a hairdryer on the cool setting helps too. I've also seen suggestions of making a paste of epsom salt and water to apply to the area.

 

Get tested, both of you. And remember it could take up to 16 weeks for a blood test to come back positive. If you have HSV1 genitally, your partner could have had it orally for years. It would explain the transmission and support his claim of fidelity.

[mp]

My doctor said most likely my mom has it because she had has the oral hsv so that eventually she probably gave it to me and sadly even though i never showed symptoms on my mouth my butt decided to show -_- i cried so much at first but i truly dont think my husband isnt "clean". I think thats the worst part is not knowing where it came from and knowing that i had almost no chance of getting it...

[SPATX919]

That doesn't make sense because you tend to see outbreaks in the area of contact, be it the mouth or genital region.

[mp]

I know. It would have been a lot of transfers i feel....

[HikingGirl]

@mp, for what it's worth, I think the most likely scenario here is that your boyfriend may have oral HSV1 and transfered it to your genitals with oral sex. When the two of you get around to a blood test, just be sure to ask for the IgG test (the IgM tests are unreliable and don't distinguish type 1 from type 2).

 

If you're still having an active outbreak, the doctor can also swab your sores and do a test that way. That's probably the even better route, because then you can confirm both type and location. Once the sores are healed you may not be able to collect enough sample for the test to tell you anything, but the opportunity may present itself again if you have another outbreak in the future.

[mp]

The doctor did a swab already while the outbreak was at its worse! Will the swab tell me if its hsv1 or 2?

[HikingGirl]

If it was a PCR swab (and not a culture), then yes. You can call the doctor's office and ask for a nurse or medical assistant to just pull your chart and look for you.

[mp]

Ok. Now i am getting worried. It's been 5-6 weeks approximatly and the sores are all still there.... in in constant pain and itchy.... i still cant sleep full nights cause it wakes me up and i have to go take a bath to calm the itch in the middle of the noght. I am so exhausted and tired..... and all my butt and genital area is so irritated.... is it normal that it takes this long? Will it ever leave? My doctor wants to wait for the test results.... seems like nobody can help me

[LadyShellisandre]

Try an apple cider vinegar rinse. That seemed to help me tonight.