Dr. Rockoff,
Thank you for your earlier response. I went to dermatologist last Thursday, about two days after I noticed rash. Saw two doctors in the office who said it probably wasn't herpes. I decided to have a biopsy done. But I don't get the results for two weeks. I am literally paralyzed with fear. Here are my questions:
1. Most of the information on the internet says that a visual diagnosis, even by experts, is almost meaningless, because herpes can loook like just red bumps, etc. and THAT THIN-WALLED BLISTERS OFTEN DO NOT DEVELOP AT ALL, just a red rash.
*In your clinical experience, have you EVER seen any herpes cases, especially on the buttocks, that were like what I described in my earlier post????* Have you seen many atypical cases that did not fit the classic symptoms?
2. The doctor took a biopsy on Friday, over 3 days after I first noticed the rash, and the rash was still red but well on its way to healing. How accurate would such a biopsy be by then? What kind of lab tests are usually done on such a biopsy, because supposedly cultures are no good after rash starts to heal.
3. I began using OTC hydrocortisone cream 1% (Cortaid), on second day of rash, and the doctor gave me Clobex lotion on third day. But rash had already started to heal from just frequent washing with soap. It continued to improve after using the Hydrocotisone and later, the Clobex. Is it true that if the rash was herpes, using hydrocortisone ointments on it would have probably made it worse? Since it didn't get worse, maybe it wasn't herpes?
4. The only sensation to the circular red welts (one of them almost looked like a red/pink keloid scar until it started to recede), was some itchiness - no pain, BUT i did have a slight tingly feeling in the area (base of spine/upper buttocks) for maybe a minute or so about 12 hours before I noticed the rash. This terrifies me because it sounds like it might point to a herpes prodrome. But it only tingled for a minute?
5. When I first saw rash, I put alcohol and hydrogen peroxide on it several times. I'm now worried that maybe I changed the course of the rash by drying it out with the alcohol, and that's why no visible blisters developed. Is that likely?
Please help me doctor. I'm so scared and confused.