Is this herpes?

[Melly1244]

hi all --

here's my timeline:

-unprotected sex with a friend Sept 28

-probably around Oct 25th, started having itching ... some redness

-tested for chlamydia/gonorrhea Oct 31, came back negative

-started noticing some more redness and some white spots on the mons pubis/other vulva, not raised or fluid filled, just flat white spots

-went to a clinic, tested for yeast/BV, was clear, said they didn't think herpes

-went on vacation out of the country 11/13-11/9 came back, had some pain under armpits

-got hsv2 igg test at about 8 weeks past exposure, came back negative

didn't really go away, have some white marks now at the top of the vulva, almost look like insect bites? no fluid in sight

then got sick, fever chills for a day or so, mainly sore throat/cough

now here we are, still have flat white dots all on my mons pubis, the white things on my vulva -- i have ad nauseam been inspecting my vagina, had about 700 mental breakdowns

its now Dec 6, and my outer vulva is still absolutely painful, burning most of the time — I also have gotten cold sores since I was a kid, have one, and my lips are throbbing — plus have had stabbing pain and rashes appearing in my armpits. Not to mention weird twitches all over my body. 

i feel like i've had almost every herpes symptom, and it’s all been going on so long now, and i have an OBGYN appt in a week, and am planning on testing again.

any advice on what the hell is happening? do primary outbreaks last this long?

[Victory_in_Defeat]

First off @Melly1244 as I say to everyone, I'm sorry you have found yourself on this site. In a perfect world, none of us would be here and this site would not exist.

With that said, I'm glad you found your way to this site and are seeking answers for something that can be very scary. First off, I'm not a female, but I'm sure one of the females on this site can give you some more accurate information. Also, I am an engineer, not a doctor, so don't take every word of mine to be fact.

What I can tell you, is that you're right, some of the symptoms you are experiencing could very well be herpes, but at the same time, symptoms of a particular illness does not necessarily mean you have it.  Symptoms are only an indication of a possibility of a disease, not a certainty.

HSV unfortunately can be very difficult to identify as it is a virus. The body typically responds to viruses in the same manner which is why you may experience some of the same symptoms of other illnesses, such as the flu. However, the length of time that you have experienced these symptoms is not typically associated with HSV, though it is still conceivable.

My best suggestion is to have yourself tested, for HSV2. Since you already have had cold sores, I assume your are already positive for oral HSV1 - the virus typically associated with cold sores (though not exclusively). It is highly unlikely, though possible, to have HSV1 on both the oral and the genital region. It is more likely (but still unlikely) to have HSV2 on your genitals and HSV1 orally. However, the only way to know for sure, is to have yourself tested.

My second suggestion, is to try and relax. Stress is a known cause for an outbreak. Even if you didn't have an HSV infection, stress is still bad for your overall health and will not help your situation. I know this is easier said than done, but worrying about your situation will not serve a purpose in this case. As of right now, we don't know anything for certain, so drawing conclusions and connecting dots that don't exist will not help you.

I really do wish you the best of luck and hope you feel better soon.