Penis Bumps and Pain

[PC4447]

Hi-
   Last October, I had unprotected oral and vaginal sex with someone whom I have known for years. I wasn't able to shower for several hours afterward. A few days after that, I developed what felt like a pretty bad cold for around 72 hours. Two weeks after the sexual encounter, my partner told me that she had herpes. Four days after that (which were four of most stressful days of my life), I began to experience soreness in my penis; a few days after that, I began to notice small bumps on my shaft. I assumed that I had contacted the disease and began taking Valtrex daily for suppression.
   Oddly, the bumps never formed into blisters, nor did they go away. They still haven't. More seem to be popping up with time -- they're small and round, not terribly noticeable unless I have an erection. They're pretty well spread out, though there are some clusters. About half of them are situated at the base of a pubic hair. The pain has continued as well; at least once a day, I experience soreness in my shaft. I've also noticed that the veins in my penis are far more pronounced than before.
  I began talking to doctors to see why my "outbreak" didn't go away. None of them thought that I had herpes (as my symptoms didn't go away or look like herpes, and herpes doesn't tend to cause the pain I described). After waiting enough time for antibodies to develop (5 months), I took an IgG-based blood test, which came out completely negative for HSV-1 and 2. I've also tested negative for syphilis and HIV. I went to an infectious disease specialist; he (as much as he could) ruled out the possibility of my having an STD. Unfortunately, none of them knew what was going on.
   Here are my questions:
1) Is it possible that I contacted herpes and couldn't develop antibodies for it, which is why my symptoms won't go away? Are herpes antibodies what cause the virus to retreat back into the spine after an outbreak?
2) What could be causing the pain in my penis?
3) Do you think this could be a hair follicle infection? If so, is there anything I can do about it?
4) Could my symptoms have been originally caused by stress?
5) What medication would be helpful for this? (I took Valtrex daily until I took the blood test. I've also taken antibiotics and an anti-infection medicine, but they didn't do anything.)
6) And, generally, what's going on and what should I do about it?
   I'm obviously very stressed out about this. I just want to know if whatever I have will eventually go away. I can't thank you enough for offering this service. Best to you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Here are my questions:
1) Is it possible that I contacted herpes and couldn't develop antibodies for it, which is why my symptoms won't go away? Are herpes antibodies what cause the virus to retreat back into the spine after an outbreak?
No. Antibodies just show exposure, they don't stop disease.  Negative tests mean you don;t have it.
2) What could be causing the pain in my penis?
Many non-herpes things.  Anxiety would be my guess.  Ask a urologist, just to rule out other causes.  Then forget about it.
3) Do you think this could be a hair follicle infection? If so, is there anything I can do about it?
Doesn't sound like it.
4) Could my symptoms have been originally caused by stress?
Yes.
5) What medication would be helpful for this? (I took Valtrex daily until I took the blood test. I've also taken antibiotics and an anti-infection medicine, but they didn't do anything.)
Reassurance, sedatives, counseling.
6) And, generally, what's going on and what should I do about it?
Time to get whatever medical reassurance you need to realize you're actually OK, and then whatever psychological support you need to move on, which is what you really ought to do.

Good luck.

Dr. Rockoff

[Marlboro]

Wow...I have finally found someone with the EXACT same problem as me.  I had sex with a girl with herpes, I knew she had it when we had sex, we used a condom, the very next day my penis didn't feel right.  I was scared and tried to ignore it for awhile.  THe pain came and went...it felt uncomfortable. Eventually, a couple months afterward i developed these small bumps you spoke of. THen I really started to get nervous.  The bumps start at the base of my penis and have multiplied all over..like you said not real visible unless I have an erection. THey arent red, they look like tiny goosebumps. I went to the doctor, herpes test came back negative, doc and uralogist said that these were hair follicles that I probably never noticed..although I told them I would have noticed these and they have not always been there.  I had another herpes test and this came back posistive for some reason. Been on valtrex for almost a year now...bumps are Still there! And I have never had any sores or anything..just these bumps that I cant feel, but they wont go away. I still dont know what to do, I lost my longtime girlfriend over this because I wouldnt have sex with her with these bumps. THis has been effecting my life for a long time now, I really would like some answers, the doctors couldn't help, maybe someone else can?