Herpes Self-Diagnosis...or Stressing Too Much?

[obsessing]

I will give you the low-down and hope I'm not giving too many red herrings in this story---I'm 35, gay, have spent 10 years in a relationship with no anal sex and rare genital-to-genital contact. Before that, had about 8-10 partners and engaged in mostly non-penetrative stuff and yet did get warts that were successfully burned off with no resulting side effects of recurrences. Over the past year, monogamy has ended and I've had at least 10 different encounters that mostly consist of receptive analingus, masturbation (not mutual, but at the same time if that makes sense) and I would say I've had about 5 mouths come into contact with my penis---I avoid the latter because I do not like it; I've always had a very sensitive glans. Never had any other STDs or problems. A month ago, I had some oral sexual contact with my penis from a partner I had had this with about six months earlier. Over the past few years, I've masturbated excessively---only once a day, but for long periods of time, often without lubrication (keeping it going with rubbing, rubbing through fabric, etc.) Three weeks ago, I was masturbating for a long time, long my erection, and then it came back quickly---the skin on my penis around my circumcision scar is tight and when this updownup occurs, the penis is hard at the top and the bottom and looks like it has a rubber band around the circ scar. This time, I ejaculated in that state. Didn't feel good. Didn't hurt. A couple days later I had a distracting tingling in my glans and corona and possibly the skin around the circ scar and I was not getting easy erections (I'd have to focus on sexual thoughts very hard to get hard). Over time, I have had a run-down feeling. I became convinced I was about to find blisters in the tingling area but never have. Saw my doc [tested neg for HIV, gono, syph, chlam, all other great blood results, too] who noted the corona appears slightly swollen and said to lay off the masturbation for two weeks then see a uro. I have laid off and it went from tingling to a sort of "after-sex sensitivity" feeling. Also, the skin (what's left since I'm circ'd) adjacent to the corona sort of adheres a bit to the corona, seems to have a new consistency. My pubic hair bothers it. Hot baths help. No urination problems, but I've had a sore throat, felt under the weather, occasional mild abdominal "tug" and three weeks later still feel that sensitivity. Is this potentially a mild HSV-1 on the genitals with no blisters? Could blisters still show up three + weeks after first symptoms? If I see a uro, what tests should I ask re herpes? Or should I feel strongly that it's probably not herpes without blisters, period? SORRY so long-winded.

[rardg]

I always seem to get one or two itching blisters after an intens e masturbation session without using any lubrication,is there any reason to be concerned.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It seems to me that you are mentally focusing on the penis far too much.  This would explain the many vague symptoms, which do not seem to me to suggest much beyond what your doctor said--sensitivity from masturbation.  HSV-1 titers aren't much help--they don't localize the site of exposure even if they're positive.  But your description sounds nothing like herpes--no blisters, symptoms lasting too long for a single episode, etc.  I would advise lubrication, minimizing masturbation and other friction, and perhaps a vacation.  

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff