Is this herpes?

I recieved unprotected oral sex 3 months ago.  a week later i got a fever with pain in the legs.  I have been weak and sick alot prior to the oral sex so i don't know if its STD related.  i just came to a new country and the doctor chalked it up as saying my body has not produced the necessary anti-bodies to fend myself from the diseases here.

1.  anyway, a month ago i felt tenderness and a very sensitive area on my penis.  i went to the toilet and checked.  my heart dropped when i saw this redness around the rim of my circumsized penis.  it was on the 6-8 o'clock.  isn't this where herpes should be?  i mean, the glans (glands)/rims resemble the lips.  and most ppl with coldsores get them right on the outer edge of their lips.  thus the location of my herpes would be a perfect match of where herpes breaks out, right?

2.  i must add that there were zero blisters.  the redness just turned into a scab!  i read from you that blisters can scab REAL quickly.  mine went from redness to scab overnight.  throughout the process i have felt no pain.  just tenderness on the red spot.  no pain in urination.  i did a HSV-2 blood test right on the 2 month mark and tested negative, although i heard that the window period of 2 months is insufficient plus the test in unreliable itself.

3. I got shooting pains and pins and needles on my legs and feet.  i also get this numb feeling on my leg too.  alot of the times this happened its when i'm stressed about myself having herpes.  i don't know if its the cause or effect of herpes.  any ideas?

4. Then now, here i am now.  5 weeks since the "outbreak."  i have been to the derm. and I HOPE u won't base ur decision on his diagnose.  he told me i don't have herpes and that i hav balanitis.  i told him that when i masterbate, my whole penis turns red!  thr glans (glands) and the shaft.  also the glans (glands) turn shiney.  when it becomes flacid, the glans (glands) turn wrinkly and scaley!  i also get white bits and pieces coming off my penis.  i'm not sure if its dead skin or yeast discharge(i'm circumsized, remember). i read that this is what balanitis is, but i'm wondering if my herpes CAUSED me to get balanitis?  he gave me an anti-fungal cream and it made my penis more red after apply it once.

5.  is it possible i'm getting a in-acute, but chronic herpes primary infection.  there's this redness on the 5-7 oclock position which is red for over 4 weeks!  could a leison stay red for so long if it were herpes?  and can hepres affect th WHOLE penis (shaft ad glans (glands))?

6.  as of yesterday i thought its getting better. the scaley penis is less scaley wrinkly.  but last night whwn i thought it was going good, i jerked off and found that the redness comes on again.  after the session, 15 min. later my penis looks exactly the way it was before the sesson.  no redness.  i know herpes is activated by sex and friction, but does it turn on and off like that within a few minutes?

  sorry for all the questions.  as u can see i'm quite anxious. thanks

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

You have balanitis (irritation of the penis).  Balanitis is not herpes, and herpes doesn't cause balanitis.  Herpes can recur but it isn't chronic in the sense of being there for a long time.  You had a negative herpes 2 test.  Get a reliable test repeated in another 2 months from the first one.  For a list of reliable tests, see www.herpesdiagnosis.com.

I think the pins and needles are from anxiety.   If they persist, ask your general doctor about them.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[206GTI]

Thank you for your reply.

  Actually the numbers each represent a question.  anyways, i now have an oily penis.  sounds weird i know.  but i don't know if its sweat related or balanitis related.  but my penis is often sticky by noon or night.  the scrotum is now also red!  i heard balanitis only affects the glans (glands) and shaft.  now that its on my ball sack, do u think it might be herpes?  once again, no blisters.  just redness and oiliness.