Constant Outbreaks...Alternatives to Medication?

[utterlyconfused]

I had my first outbreak in June of 2018. It took about 4-5 months for me to get my first outbreak. But the past few months, I feel like the outbreaks won’t stop. There have been a couple weeks where I get two outbreaks in one week. I hate taking the valtrex medication, and as crazy as it sounds, I feel like taking it everyday can make me immune to it. My doctor’s nurse suggested I take it daily for three months to “break the cycle,” but when I started the three months, I had two outbreaks in the first two weeks. I stopped taking it daily about two months into the three months (about two weeks ago) and already had an outbreak.

 

I have a friend with genital herpes as well (she doesn’t know I have it) who says she never takes her medication and rarely gets an outbreak, and when she does, it isn’t painful. Does anyone have any suggestions? Advice? I just really don’t want to take this medication everyday for the rest of my life. I’m 24.

[Fmals]

Have you tried lysine? I just started 1000mg/ day

[mfl650]

Lysine worked for me and then it didn't. But anything that might work is worth a try. Journaling your prodromes and especially knowing what your prodromes are and feel like can make you more vigilant of your triggers, whether it be chocolate, cigar smoke, lack of sleep, etc... it could be anything but staying away from known triggers when you recognize them can lead to a more symptom free life. 

[TBarr]

Highrisk sex last December. I have not still been formally diagnosed. Have redness and bump on top of shaft of penis that doctors says is not herpes. But have had really bad nerve that started 2 months after incident and is just now ending at 5 months. I take valtrex daily and vitamin regimen. I have tested negative at 17 weeks via "gold standard" western blot from U Wash. I have had 3 PCR swabs during an outbreak and they were all negative. I will go off valtrex in June and get retested via blood test.

However I have to say after vitamins/valtrex/twice monthly acupuncture it is much better.

 

[TBarr]

I should say that i am hsv2 negative. HSV1 "very high" but have had cold sores orally twice-3 times a year for 30 years. Was I reinfected with another hsv1 ? They say that is almost impossible because of the antibodies immediately figting the virus when it tried to enter genitally and the 3 PCR swabs were negative for hsv2 hsv1 and chickenpox. But still the redness bumps and nerve pain until I took daily valtrex and vitamins.

[utterlyconfused]

On 5/17/2019 at 9:21 PM, Fmals said:

Have you tried lysine? I just started 1000mg/ day

I take 1000mg every other day but am starting on taking it every day. is there anything else you take? has the lysine worked for you?

[Fmals]

12 hours ago, utterlyconfused said:

I take 1000mg every other day but am starting on taking it every day. is there anything else you take? has the lysine worked for you?

I haven’t been taking it long enough to say if it’s working or not but I havent had an ob since I started it...it’s only been month though

[(frustrated)]

I'm having this same issue. I have constant OBs unless I'm on a really high dose of Valtrex. This has been happening since I had my first one in March. 

[utterlyconfused]

10 hours ago, Fmals said:

I haven’t been taking it long enough to say if it’s working or not but I havent had an ob since I started it...it’s only been month though

are you taking valtrex too? I’d definitely take a month free of OB’s over two a week lol

[utterlyconfused]

3 hours ago, (frustrated) said:

I'm having this same issue. I have constant OBs unless I'm on a really high dose of Valtrex. This has been happening since I had my first one in March. 

have you told your doctor? if so, did they say anything about it?

[Fmals]

15 hours ago, utterlyconfused said:

are you taking valtrex too? I’d definitely take a month free of OB’s over two a week lol

No, no antiviarals...I wanted to see how my body reacts to the virus before deciding on  it.

[Fmals]

Sooooo...scratch that lysine notion...got an outbreak today 😑 

[tiredandlonely]

On 5/17/2019 at 5:58 PM, utterlyconfused said:

II hate taking the valtrex medication, and as crazy as it sounds, I feel like taking it everyday can make me immune to it. My doctor’s nurse suggested I take it daily for three months to “break the cycle,” but when I started the three months, I had two outbreaks in the first two weeks. I stopped taking it daily about two months into the three months (about two weeks ago) and already had an outbreak.

Do you get bad side effects from valtrex? Taking valtrex every day will not make you immune to it. I have been taking it every day since end of 2014 (I took a break some time in like 2016/2017 I think - but it wasn't for too long), and I have not had an outbreak since. I get a full physical every year and so far things are fine with my blood work, etc. 

I didn't want to take daily antivirals in the beginning either, but my quality of life became soooooo much better when I did. It did take a few months for things to "even out" and for the prodrome symptoms to stop completely. 

If I were in your situation, unless the valtrex was causing me major issues, I would take it for 6 months to a year and then taper off it (take 500 mg per day for a week or two, then take 500 mg every other day for a week or two, then stop). I would also wait until a time of low stress to discontinue the meds. Your body may just be going through some things (stress, hormones, etc) and need a little extra help keeping this under control. 

I tried everything my first several months with herpes (lysine, monolauric acid, oregano oil, lemon balm, immune boosting supplements, etc) and honestly none of it did much for me. I don't completely discount that these things can help, because I know they do for many people. I think perhaps if I went off valtrex and tried those things now, I'd have more success because it has been in my body for several years (the first few years of having the virus, it is usually more "active" than later on). 

FWIW, I have read a few studies that lysine needs to be at daily doses of at least 1,500 mg to help with herpes outbreaks. I don't remember, but I think I took 1,000 mg/day. If I were to try it now, I'd probably start at 3,000 mg/day and if it did help, I would take that dose for 3 months and then taper down to 1,000 mg/day.

 

 

[utterlyconfused]

On 5/22/2019 at 8:20 PM, Fmals said:

Sooooo...scratch that lysine notion...got an outbreak today 😑 

yeah, I was taking lysine 1000mg everyday and it was great for a couple months, but then I went out out town (from texas to greece for 10 days) and I think the stress prior to it started a domino effect. I'm back to getting about an outbreak a week again, even with valtrex everyday. thinking of getting back on valtrex daily for a while and see if I can go back to lysine after? idk yet. what happened with you since this?

[Fmals]

On 10/22/2019 at 9:49 PM, utterlyconfused said:

yeah, I was taking lysine 1000mg everyday and it was great for a couple months, but then I went out out town (from texas to greece for 10 days) and I think the stress prior to it started a domino effect. I'm back to getting about an outbreak a week again, even with valtrex everyday. thinking of getting back on valtrex daily for a while and see if I can go back to lysine after? idk yet. what happened with you since this?

I quit the lysine back then...I started taking oregano oil capsules...

I haven’t had an outbreak since then (I hate even saying that out loud Bc I don’t want to jinx myself lol). 

I don’t know if it’s from the oregano oil or just my body adjusting to the virus...I also take a multivitamin but I’ve always pretty much taken those.
 

I also don’t know if it’s wine that’s my trigger lol. Looking back all three of my outbreaks were when I drank Red wine for a few days in a row. I haven’t had wine since then as well (definitely had all other types of alcohol tho!) I’m planning on testing the wine theory at some point but probably not til after the holidays haha. 

[utterlyconfused]

20 minutes ago, Fmals said:

I quit the lysine back then...I started taking oregano oil capsules...

I haven’t had an outbreak since then (I hate even saying that out loud Bc I don’t want to jinx myself lol). 

I don’t know if it’s from the oregano oil or just my body adjusting to the virus...I also take a multivitamin but I’ve always pretty much taken those.
 

I also don’t know if it’s wine that’s my trigger lol. Looking back all three of my outbreaks were when I drank Red wine for a few days in a row. I haven’t had wine since then as well (definitely had all other types of alcohol tho!) I’m planning on testing the wine theory at some point but probably not til after the holidays haha. 

haha I feel the jinxing! but hmm, what made you start taking oregano oil for herpes? and how long have you had it for? if you don't mind me asking!

and good luck on the test! haha I can't seem to even get an idea as what mine could be. besides stress obvz lol

[ash128083]

On 5/20/2019 at 7:22 PM, (frustrated) said:

I'm having this same issue. I have constant OBs unless I'm on a really high dose of Valtrex. This has been happening since I had my first one in March. 

How much Valtrex are you taking? Are you on generic or name brand? I’m having the same issue and I don’t know what to so anymore!

[jamesd]

has anyone ever heard or tried the biogetica kit?