Prodromal Question

[MsTaken]

I was dx w 2 this summer. I’ve had prodromal sensations all over my thighs to lower back. I’ve had 1 for 20+ years and have recently started feeling prodromal tingling in an area I’ve never experienced before.

are we contagious where the tingles happen?

why is it randomly showing up on the other side of my face (my OB started above my left eyebrow, and now my right side, essentially mirrored, is getting these sensations. I’ve never experienced this before.

[ExhaustedGirl1]

I unfortunately don’t have an answer for you and I haven’t been diagnosed but I have been feeling burning, itching etc in those areas constantly. Is yours constant or does it come and go?

[mr_hopp]

Hi @MsTaken! The location of prodrome symptoms won't always coincide with where you will be infectious, but sometimes they do. The sensation of prodrome symptoms for the most part is the virus "waking up" and moving through the nerve pathways to the surface of the skin. You are infectious in the area where the virus meets the surface of the skin. Thighs and butt are common areas for genital herpes prodrome since the virus "sleeps" at the base of the spine's nerve ganglia and then when it wakes up, it travels from there through the nerves to the surface of the skin around the genitals. And sometimes the thighs/butt are the areas the virus travels through to get to create an outbreak or viral shedding. Does that help? 

[Jen44]

Hi,

Thank you for this information as the question I was going to ask is along this line.  I have read that once infected and the primary area is established, HSV2 cannot spread to other areas of the genitalia as antibodies stop this.  That said, if prodromes occur in the primary area (and never lead to sores/lesions), would it be fair to say the contagious area is localized to this spot when experiencing prodromes?  Or is the entire genitalia area a danger zone?  When it comes to shedding, which you never know if/when may be happening, is it also limited to the primary area where the virus hangs out or could it occur anywhere in the genitalia?  I read in the fact download that transmittal is only possible where the contagious area contacts the mucous.  I'm fortunate that my primary area (of which I've never had lesions/sores since the initial infection) is away from my lower genitalia so I'm trying to get a sense if that means that area is in the safe zone when I'm experiencing prodrome in the primary area.

[MsTaken]

ExhaustedGirl - since being diagnosed and understanding my new symptoms, it’s constant and getting worse. I was just put on cymbalta to try and help the neuropathic pain caused by prodrome.

mr_hopp - that does answer my question. Thank you! My OB site is my vulva and these sensations are all the way down to my knee. Since I sit on this pain all day, as mentioned, cymbalta was prescribed. I do t have an active OB and it still hurts.

Jen44 - from my understanding, you can spread it anywhere that shares the nerve base. For example, I have had it on my face for a quarter century now and recently got a new OB spot on a different part of my face. Since they share the same base nerve that branches out, it can go anywhere that base nerve touches. Shedding occurs wherever your OBs occur, in my understanding - but I’m no MD - and the most at risk are the thinner skins which tend to be mucousal areas. However my first HSV1 site is above my eyebrow - nowhere moist at all. 

[Jenn88]

On 9/15/2018 at 3:53 PM, mr_hopp said:

Hi @MsTaken! The location of prodrome symptoms won't always coincide with where you will be infectious, but sometimes they do. The sensation of prodrome symptoms for the most part is the virus "waking up" and moving through the nerve pathways to the surface of the skin. You are infectious in the area where the virus meets the surface of the skin. Thighs and butt are common areas for genital herpes prodrome since the virus "sleeps" at the base of the spine's nerve ganglia and then when it wakes up, it travels from there through the nerves to the surface of the skin around the genitals. And sometimes the thighs/butt are the areas the virus travels through to get to create an outbreak or viral shedding. Does that help? 

@mr_hopp I had burning sensation in my upper thigh area for 2 days then last night I noticed a bump... how am I or how can I tell the difference between an ingrown hair or an outbreak?