Is it herpes or can i finally put it out of my head???

[BadDay1972]

Despite a negative hsv2 (genital herpes) blood test out to 10 months post unprotected 1 night stand sexual exposure I can't put it out of my head that I've had false negatives and actually have herpes. I have ALL the symptoms of herpes except for the actual sores...but I've had times of intense burning in my genital area, raw feeling of penis, itching, discharge burning feeling in my legs, back ache, etc that seem to recurr every couple of months...this seems to only be consistent with one thing - HERPES and only HERPES!!! How can this be?

I've tested negative for other common stds and am 99% sure I have genital herpes even though i continue to test negative...I ask experts here and on webmd and they keep saying I can be CONFIDENT or I PROBABLY don't have genital herpes. I've yet to have a doctor or professional clinician tell me..."you don't have genital herpes." I think that would help me with this anxiety i've been living with for 10 months now. I'm officially lost and don't know what to believe anymore. As I search the internet, all I can find when I type in my symptoms is GENITAL HERPES. Somebody please help me!!!

[Coolwhip217]

I too have had symptons of bumps in the crease are of mu inner thigh and have been having them for the past 6 years. But since those six years i have had 3 pregnancies and each pregnancy i have gotten tested for every STD and came up negative for all but the bumps that keep recurring just have me so paranoid becsuse now the previous bumps that i had this week have busted and the skin has been remived due to my panties and girdle and so now its like a skinned up soar arear in the ctease pf my thigh. So now im back to thinkn i have it but still hasnt yet to sleep around with different peoll like that. I jus want answers!!!!

[samsung101]

QUESTION ? I have it in the hair they tested the culture at first he said it was folicilitice but then they sent a culture and they said it was herpes but he said they dont know tey want to do a blood test it has been two weaks I only get it when I am having sex and it  rubs back and forth and iritated..god I hope I dont I have used a condom every time...it doesent really burn when I pee. but I have horrible skin when I was a kid I used to get rashes in my thighs from bad jock itch? and non of my partners have it can the culture be wrongs? or should I take the blood test?

[winchy]

I came across this site by accident, but just had to post in response to badday's problem.  YES, you almost certainly do have herpes. There are two strains of the herpes virus: HSV-1 often called facial or oral herpes, and HSV-2, genital herpes. BUT, and it's a big BUT, you can have HSV-2 on occur on your face, AND you and also have HSV-1 occur on your genitals. In fact, if you have HSV-1 and get cold sores, you can even spread it yourself to your genitals by rubbing the sore and then touching your genitals. So in your case, you may have gotten it by that one encounter 10 months ago, or you might have simply spread it yourself from your face to your genitals. Either way, don't bother with more testing -- you've got what you need to know. Yes, you have HSV-1 and yes, it has obviously spread to your genitals. Oh - of COURSE you can get a blister near the base of your penis, or in  your pubic hair. Those are common places. So again, your test results only show the strain of HSV you're infected with. They don't necessarily show where the infection is occurring. You're not crazy and you don't need a psychologist. But you might benefit from some kind of treatment. Just tell the doc or whoever that you have an HSV-1 infection in the genital region and ask what kind of treatments are available. Good luck to you! It's not the end of the world, really. But do find out about how to live with it.

[88tinman]

Yea i noticed a day or so ago when i got home from work i had a small area of bumps that werent red in the pubic region i freaked out thought it was herpes so i tried popping them to see if it had a core and they did they bled a little no puss other than the core came out i have been wearing my pants real low with the belt bucke right in the pubic region i have had no other symptoms of herpes and the last time i had unprotected sex was 2 months ago so im a little worried i hate doctors and if i go herpes im gonna flip my lid. i looked at pictures of what it looks like and now after i popped em it looks like the pics kinda but before i popped them they were almost like a blackhead and maybe 7 of them 4 in one are and a few scattered but none where there isnt hair so i would really appreciate some input thanks

[kppatient]

Positive HSV1?  You got it.  Take antivirals and wear a condom for the rest of your life.  How do you think coldsores spread herpes through oral sex?  How do you think oral sex can expose you to herpes of the face?  2 strains and they don't care.

[chcnme]

Hi Bad Day. Thanks for the info.  You look negative for HSV2 and positive for HSV1.  With the positive HSV1, whatever is going on in your genital area may not be a just a case of anxiety.  My advice to you is to get seen by someone at the health department.  You can call them and them about your symptoms and your fears that this is herpes.  Take the test results with you.  Best of luck.

[chcnme]

And by the way, this is what you said, not me

"It recurrs which only suggests herpes and i've had bumps/blisters on different occasions - one on the base of my penis near the pubic hair area, one on the back of my thigh that was definitely blister like and one or two weird red bumps in the crease of my right leg in the groin area...not to mention the tingling in the tip of my penis, the burning genital raw feeling penis, discharge etc etc that recurr every so often...IT HAS TO BE HERPES."

[BadDay1972]

Those bumps all happened without any of the other symptoms. Also, I've had 4 NEGATIVE herpeselect tests out to 10 months since that unprotected encounter. 3 months - hsv1 pos >5.00 (i get cold sores) hsv2 neg .05, 4 months hsv1 pos and hsv2 neg, 6 months - hsv1 pos hsv2 neg .10, 10 months hsv1 pos hsv2 neg .04. So, you tell me - have i had FOUR false negatives with all these symptoms? I can only do so much testing - I don't know what else to do. Nobody wants to give me a straight answer - considering you're an std or ex std expert - what other tests can i do to see if i actually have genital herpes? You tell me.

[BadDay1972]

Dude,

No offense...but i was feelin good about my chances that i don't have herpes until you commented. I was finally convincing myself that i am not one of the people who actually has herpes but tests negative. Now, I'm worried again and am thinking that this can only be herpes again! I'm sure you didn't mean to do this but dam. I was hoping to have my anxiety eased not increased. I just don't get it...I read everywhere that my symptoms are only caused by herpes yet the doc in the STD forum tells me that none of my symptoms are herpes. Now, I'm starting from square one again.

[chcnme]

Hey Lady, you're the one asking questions over here and the one who believes you have herpes.  I'm a woman (and a ex-STD nurse.)  If you think you have herpes, and if you can't quit thinking about, and if you are exhibiting symptoms of it, you need to get tested again.  Plain and simple.  I guess if you get enough testing done you'll eventually believe it, or you won't.  

[chcnme]

Do what exactly what Suzi told you do to, and go for another test. You could have herpes.  If you are having burning and tingling in these areas and have seen blisters before and this is recurring, you could have herpes, and you need to be tested again.  False positives occur, so - get tested again.  Ease your mind one way or the other.  You had unprotected sex, and while anxiety can cause a lot of symptoms, you deserve another test.  Best of luck.

[chcnme]

I can understand you are trying to get "relief" or be reassured, but with the description you have given of the problems going on and a sexual encounter with someone you think gave you herpes, my advice stands: get tested again.  Just because you are totally convinced that you have herpes and are totally focused on these problems areas in your private parts doesn't mean you don't have herpes.  I'm sorry if you don't like my advice or if it makes you now more uncomfortable, but my advice stands. And if you are negative again and continue to have these symptoms, then sure -I might be willing to say you have an anxiety disorder and need psychiatric help.  But right now, you have not given enough information for me to tell you that this is nothing more than anxiety-induced.

[BadDay1972]

First off, I have a penis, therefore I am not a lady - I'm a man. Second of all, I've had negative hsv2 tests, not positive..Thirdly, I came to this forum so I could find someone to HELP me with my anxiety about false negatives and whether anyone else has experienced these problems. The doctor in the STD forum tells me I should trust my results and that my symptoms don't suggest herpes yet you say my symptoms do suggest herpes...how exactly does that help me? I've had one painless zit type bump on the very base of my penis that i popped and a hair seemed to come threw it...and i had a couple of bumps in the crease of my leg which also did not hurt...these symptoms are what led me to get tested which was well over the 3-4 month period for which i was told to wait. So, that's why I came to DR HHH in the STD forum to get his advice...I came here to try and ease my fears.

[suzi-q]

I know you don't have herpes.  It is total panic!  No one with Herpes would go this crazy over thinking they do have herpes!  

short story:  I was once convinced I had aids even though I was not sexually active.  ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED!  I SOUNDED JUST LIKE YOU!  No one could convince me.  

Go for one more blood test and when they say you don't have it (which you don't) go and see a good psychologist!!!!!

THAT'S WHAT I DID!!!

[davemac5252]

let me ask you something how often are you checking yourself? i went through the same thing and the doctor told me that constant checking of my genitals can cause a burning feeling and zit type things.

[BadDay1972]

What makes you guys so confident that I don't have herpes? My symptoms match up to herpes and only herpes - aside from my negative blood tests...What else can it possibly be. It recurrs which only suggests herpes and i've had bumps/blisters on different occasions - one on the base of my penis near the pubic hair area, one on the back of my thigh that was definitely blister like and one or two weird red bumps in the crease of my right leg in the groin area...not to mention the tingling in the tip of my penis, the burning genital raw feeling penis, discharge etc etc that recurr every so often...IT HAS TO BE HERPES. I'm doing everything I can to just trust my blood test results but in the back of my head I always have the feeling/idea that I am one of the unlucky "false negative" or "hasn't seroconverted" people. Thank you for your CONFIDENCE in that I don't have herpes...I guess I'll just never really know which is so frustrating and will probably bother me and hang on my shoulders for the rest of my life!

[babylove2006]

YOU DO NOT HAVE HERPIES!!!!!!!!

Try and RELAX!!!!

Hope you have a better day!!!:)

[sparkeler]

Your right herpes doesnt usually appear in the pubic region or on the creases of your thighs.  Cultures aren't 100% accurate but blood tests are.  Especially 10 months after exposure.  Most likely the bump in your pubic area was an ingrown hair.

[BadDay1972]

That's the thing...I did have one sore on the very base of my penis near my pubic hair...it seemed more like a zit though or an ingrown hair. It didn't hurt at all and I popped it - i actually scraped it off so it left an ulcer but i'm pretty sure a hair popped up through it. It healed up in about 3 days or so. I've read that herpes sores don't usually show up near the base of the penis near the pubic area. Who knows...I never had any prodrome symptoms before this appeared so that leads me to believe it wasn't a herpes sore...couldn't get it cultured because i popped it of course. what do you think? I also had a couple of small bumps that seemed like the same thing but were more red in the crease of my leg about a month after the last sore...i've also read of course that this could be herpes and was common in that area and easily mistaken for something else. Don't hate though...i'm REALLY trying to believe that I DON'T HAVE GENITAL HERPES. It's just hard with everything I read and all the different opinions about how reliable and accurate herpes blood tests are.

[sparkeler]

YOU DON'T HAVE GENITAL HERPES.  First, you had a negative blood test.  Second, despite the *tingeling* and whatever else you are experiencing their would have at least ONE time been a sore.  Those 2 FACTS tell me with certainty you are in the clear.  Anxiety can play tricks on our mind and body.  I suggest you seek counseling if you continue to allow this to rule your life.  Stay safe.