Herpes on inside of lip

[naturegirl]

I just contracted Type I herpes a month ago had the primary infection swollen glands, very sore gums and 2 cold sores.  Was tested and came back postivie for Type I.  So now I am trying to learn and become familiar with the symptons of an outbreak.  I thought I was having one on the inside of my lip and went to the my dr who gave me prescrip for Famvir which I took.  The area is just inside my upper lip, who have to pull it up to see and is only slightly red and there are some small (pencil point size) clear bumps.  Its been a week since I finished the Famvir and the area looks the same.  Not as red but it never got worse never really a sore with weeping etc...plus I read you don't get sores on the soft tissue of your mouth only the gums and hard palate. But the redness is right along where the lip grades into the soft tissue of the mouth, while the clear bumps are well into the inside of my upper lip. So perhaps I overreacted and thought I was having an outbreak and its something different. Maybe my mouth has always looked like this but now that I am paranoid and overanlyzing everything I tried to convince myself its something.  Aside from being slightly red with some small clear bumps there is nothing else occurring.  My first outbreak was just two sores not on my lip but on the top of my upper lip.  So could this be something herpes related on my lip or no?  I am afraid to touch or kiss anyone for fear I could spread something.  Since this all new to me I am not sure what to ignore and what to give attention to.  I have a prescrip of famvir on hand for any future outbreak.   Thanks for any insight.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Recurrent herpes, as opposed to the first attack, is outside the mouth, usually on the lip margin, not inside the mouth.  You should have a dermatologist look at what you're describing, so you can learn what it is and then forget about it.  What you should be looking for is what you must have seen plenty of times on other people--a scabby outbreak near the lip margin that lasts about a week.  Treatment, with Famvir or other anti-herpes antibiotic, helps the sore heal a little bit sooner.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[Renee35]

How long was your primary ob? I have had bumps on my lips for about 5-6 weeks now. Didn't know what they could be because they just grew but didn't cause any pain or itching etc. and now yesterday the bumps started to look like canker sore type lesions and hurt. Just wondering if mabey this is like my primary ob. I am not very familiar with what a primary oral herpes ob is like;

Hope you are able to get an answere to your problem. You may also want to try the healthboards, they have a herpes message board that you would prob. find very helpful.

[naturegirl]

my ob lasted 2 weeks and from everything i have read 5-6 weeks would be really long for a herpes outbreak.  It typically last 12 days so about 2 weeks.  Also with your 1st outbreak you will have other symptons becuase your body is fighting the infection for the first time hence the swollen lymph nodes, sore gums, fever etc...  Thgough people can also have no symptons with their first primary infection.