Winner of rare urinary retention with first OB....HELP :(

[LaurenElise]

Two weeks ago today I had my first outbreak and tomorrow is two weeks from my diagnosis.  I knew right away what it was even though I really didn't know anything about herpes before all of this.  I had been dating someone for about a month and I thought we were heading towards a relationship.  Interestingly enough, he ended things with me the same day that I found out my diagnosis.  The infection is still not showing up in my blood so I'm pretty sure he is the one that gave it to me. *Sigh*  Anyways, I started acyclovir right away but my initial outbreak was horrible.  I couldn't go to work, or walk, or breathe without it hurting but by last Sunday (a week ago yesterday), things were really on the up and up.  I had been having issues when I would try to pee.  It was taking longer than usual to get started.  Well by a week ago Monday I had lost the ability to pee.  I ended up in urgent care and surrounded by people who had no idea you could get urinary retention from herpes.  I was sent home with a catheter.  That was honestly very traumatic for me (the catheter) so I was relieved to have it taken out by Wednesday.  Still couldn't go on my own and only one doctor in my obgyn office had treated this....back in the EIGHTIES.  I have been able to contort my body to pee so I don't have to go back for another catheter but it's been a week and I still can't go on my own.  I am starting to feel like I'm going back to the old me, but this urinary retention is scaring me.  Like I'm going to be this way forever since it's showing no sign of giving up.  I'm still taking acyclovir as suppress therapy and I've also been taking all kinds of supplements to boost my immune/nervous system.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Am I going to be unable to pee for the rest of my life?  The only information I've been able to get is online and even then, there isn't a whole lot.  Thanks so much xoxo

[J.L2018]

Hello 😌 I also had something similar on my first outbreak, I couldn’t wee without being in excruciating pain for about 2 weeks and I’d try and put myself of going in fear of the pain, the Drs wouldn’t swab me for herpes so I was given antibiotics which actually made everything a whole lot worse ( my body doesn’t react well with antibiotics) which extended it to about 3 weeks of having to wee in a freezing cold bath pretty much under the cold water tap, I literally cried every day until I went to the specialist Sexual health clinic and was given some acyclovir  .. 6 months later I’ve had about 2 proper outbreaks and I can assure you that they won’t even come close to being as bad as what you’re currently going through & that itself makes them a lot less stressful and a lot more bearable ! You will be able to wee without pain soon and it will be the best feeling ! Keep up with the supliments and don’t stress ! I know in this situation it’s hard , I was a little ball of stress,however that maybe what’s prolonging the outbreak, so keep positive, know it will go soon & remember it isn’t likely to ever be this bad again !

Hope it clears up for you soon.

[Elle27]

I had some urinary retention during my first outbreak, I would have to lean forward on the toilet to press down on my bladder, I had trouble initiating and then continuing through out- a lot of starting and stopping and pushing. It lasted probably 2-3 weeks and subsided when my swelling and inflammation went down. I got diagnosed 3 months ago and haven’t had this issue since- and I’ve had frequent outbreaks. 

I hope you feel better soon. I think it’s more common during the first outbreak and typically subsides with subsequent outbreaks. 

 

 

[LaurenElise]

Elle27:  Thank you SO much for your post.  I've been struggling to find someone who knows what I'm going through and there's very little information online.  And some of the information I've found is a little unsettling like how this could go on for months.  My situation is exactly what you described.  I spend so much time in the bathroom pushing, taking breaks, and pushing again.  I've been working from home because I don't want anyone catching wind of what I'm doing to pee.  I was pretty freaking out by the entire thing but within the last couple of days it has become normal life and I have a pee schedule lol.  So happy to hear that this is temporary. I can handle 2-3 weeks if that means it's going to go away.  It's just so weird to feel SO much better but having this 'complication' lingering in the background.  You've put my mind at ease. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 🙂

[LaurenElise]

J.L2018:  Thanks for taking the time to respond.  This has been such a weird experience for me.  I always thought herpes was sores and that it.  It runs so much deeper than that and it feels like every day something else with my body is breaking.  I've always been an active person and I've trained fo bikini competitions.  Now I feel disabled and like my body is failing me.  I know that I need to keep my stress levels down but that is almost impossible for me since I stress and have anxiety/panic.  Thanks for your kind words though.  I know this isn't permanent and I *think* I'm almost out of the woods with this OB.

[TequilaGirl]

Finally I see someone talking about this! I had a similar problem with my first OB. Long story short I couldn't pee and didn't feel the urge to pee at all when I had my first OB... told my gynob and told me that herpes can damage or affect the nerves so she gave me complex vitamin B for 2 months to nourish the nerves and for like 1 week she prescribed me emselex to relax my bladder because I was soo scared about it.

It has been 6 months since that happened to me and i gotta say that it got better! Now I feel the urge to pee (sadly not like before) but more normal I guess... so my advice will be to take the comples vitamin B so you can boost your immune system and nourish the nerves :) 

 

Good vibes! 

[LaurenElise]

Hi TequilaGirl:  It's so difficult to find information about urinary retention with herpes.  I honestly couldn't find anyone who could give me much information on this at all, so I had to turn to the internet for answers.  I have been taking a B Complex since I was diagnosed with HSV but I don't think it has helped much lol.  I was terrified when this first happened but now that I'm on day 12, I've kinda made peace with all of it lol.  How long did you experience the retention for?  

[LaurenElise]

I took a nap this afternoon and when I woke up I had the urge like I really had to pee (which I haven't felt in all this time).  I was able to go!  Like nothing had ever happened.  So weird!  I cried tears of happiness though.  The urinary retention might have been the most traumatic part of the entire outbreak.  SO glad it's over.

[TequilaGirl]

@LaurenElise i don't remember exactly but i couldn't pee or feel the urge to pee for like 1-3 weeks. Nowadays I can feel the urge and pee by myself but it's not the same 😞

[Elle27]

On 12/19/2018 at 4:22 PM, LaurenElise said:

Elle27:  Thank you SO much for your post.  I've been struggling to find someone who knows what I'm going through and there's very little information online.  And some of the information I've found is a little unsettling like how this could go on for months.  My situation is exactly what you described.  I spend so much time in the bathroom pushing, taking breaks, and pushing again.  I've been working from home because I don't want anyone catching wind of what I'm doing to pee.  I was pretty freaking out by the entire thing but within the last couple of days it has become normal life and I have a pee schedule lol.  So happy to hear that this is temporary. I can handle 2-3 weeks if that means it's going to go away.  It's just so weird to feel SO much better but having this 'complication' lingering in the background.  You've put my mind at ease. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 🙂

So glad you are feeling better!