Herpes or anxiety?

[nephpo]

Hello. I was hoping people with experience could read this and help me. I have always had severe anxiety and I'm a hypochondriac so I'm having troubles discerning symptoms from anxiety. 

My situation goes as this. On July 8th I had a sexual encounter. We exchanged oral. I washed my genitals with soap after and brushed my teeth. Immediately after I was already feeling guilty and having anxiety and regrets about it. 2 days after the encounter I began to experience a strong burning sensation in my pubic area. I checked all around and couldn't find anything. I continued, and still do, to check every few hours every day. I had and have not had yet any lesions or any redness or rash in my pubic area where the pain is. On my glans I do get these little red specks from sensitivity to soap but they appear and disappear with in hours and dont hurt at all. My only symptom I've really had the entire time was a burning sensation locolaized specifically just where my pubic hair is and at some point I  noticed a subtle tingling sensation in the tip of my tongue. The burning sensation was constant and never stopped so I went to the er on the 13th to get checked out and came back negative for all other STDs. The doctor said she didnt see anything and couldn't test for herpes because there were no lesions to test, in my mouth too. She saw some of the red specks on my glans but didnt seem concerned by them. After that I calmed down and the pain immediately began to go down at that news. The burning sensation at that point went from being constant to seemingly only when I sat down. If i got up or walk around it's not there. 

My anxiety was so bad though that I had to go on my old lithium medication to control it. I took it for 1 week till I got my mental health situation back under control.

Over time I started to feel a burning sensation in my lips and tongue too. I thought my lips had swelled but I honestly cant tell. If they are it's both my lips, equally swollen all over so they. They look normal so I cant tell if they are or not. I want to believe I'm so paranoid I forgot how my lips normally are. I'll suck on ice cubes but the swelling, if it is there, has not gone down. If they are my lips will have been swollen for over a week now. No changes in skin though. No blisters or canker sores. Burning sensation every now and then. It's not constant. Itll happen for a couple hours then go away. My anxiety running rampant.

On the 21st I went back to the er to get a blood test for hsv done. I know it was too early but I figured it could at least ease my mind. The doctor inspected me and still saw nothing to do a swab test for. They had no response to my burning sensation either. 

It is now the 30th, 3 weeks after the encounter, and I still feel burning here and there, in my mouth and groin. Still no changes in skin. I'm at the point where i cant tell if there is the burning of phantom feelings from imagining. My test results came back negative for hsv 1 and 2. It was still too early for the test and I plan on going back in at the 1 month mark, 2 month, and 3 month for re testing. I'm relieved by my negative test results but all these phantom feelings have my anxiety going crazy, if they are phantom feelings. On my tongue, not where the tingling is but right next to it, I think I see my tongue getting darker.

From all this I'm hoping people could discern  from this if they think its just anxiety or could it be herpes. Right now, with paranoia I'm having trouble discerning between the specks I get on my glans from possible lesions. Could some people tell me what I should be looking for and where, especially in terms of lesions? Since herpes is viral and not bacterial, would gargling salt water prevent a herpes sore from forming in the mouth before it starts? Before this started I would already use tea tree oil in my pubic area after a shower, would this prevent of stiffen an initial outbreak or are outbreaks not preventable, only manageable? Information on the internet isnt very helpful or it's the worse case situations only. I just need real peoples opinions and thoughts and experience. 

[amber1326]

Hello there, 

 

First off, they can do a blood test & it’ll show up in your blood but it takes a bit it took me about a month after my initial outbreak to show up in my blood tests. 

Your looking for blister looking lesions, my initial outbreaks, usually start with an itching burning feeling. I would definitely go get a blood test done, the er won’t be able to diagnose you without a visible lesion. 

If you have any other questions feel free to reach out!

I wish you the best! 

[nephpo]

Thank you for the response. I did take a blood test and it came back negative for 1 and 2. I'm gonna wait another week to take another blood test. The last 3 weeks have been hell worrying over this. I haven't had any itching what so ever, just the burning sensation.

Could sweaty hands and feet be possible signs of flu like symptoms along with nausea and headaches? 

[nephpo]

On 7/31/2018 at 12:21 PM, amber1326 said:

Your looking for blister looking lesions, my initial outbreaks, usually start with an itching burning feeling.

Do lesions always turn into blisters that scab over? Can lesions be very minor red spots that dont hurt or it? How long do they take to form and how quickly do they heal? I try to find this information online but cant find anything specific that describes them, just very broad vague information.

[amber1326]

On 8/4/2018 at 6:34 PM, nephpo said:

Do lesions always turn into blisters that scab over? Can lesions be very minor red spots that dont hurt or it? How long do they take to form and how quickly do they heal? I try to find this information online but cant find anything specific that describes them, just very broad vague information.

I’ve had a couple not really be blisters, so to speak they almost look like small bug bites, is the only way I know how to explain it. For me I can feel a burning itching sensation, & a day or two later I get an OB. I usually try to take the antivirals as soon as I feel any kind of symptoms. Then it takes anywhere from 3-7 days to heal 100% depending how bad the OB 

[nephpo]

So now it's been 5 weeks since my encounter. Im still unsure if it is hsv or not. I have had blood test at 2 weeks and 4 weeks and both came back negative. I still plan on getting tested again at the 2 month mark and 3 month mark.

I have had a consistant burning sensation in my pubic area for the 5 weeks. It's not even constant anymore. It seems to really only be present when I sit. There has been no sores, no painful urination, no rash, no itching or tingling. No flu symptoms and no swollen lymph nodes either. 

I am concerned about the possibility of a cold sore forming. I have this little spot swelling on my upper lip. Theres no tingling, burning, or itching, more like a phantom feeling. I'm hoping it might be just a reaction from this balm I made with oregano oil in it. 

 

Pretty much at this point I'm wondering if anyone has any input on if this could be hsv or not? The burning is really getting to me and I'd just like some input or advice.

 

[Stupida]

Did you check to see if you have BV?