Please HELP!.... Herpes or?

[jesse117]

I recently was on a vacation somewhere warm and had intercourse with a condom with a girl who claims to be clean and herpes free but upon returning a week or so later I woke up with 4 small lesions or tiny sores on the left side of my scrotum and one on my foreskin where the penis base meats the foreskin, nothing at all directly on my penis shaft or head.  Upon finding these I initially panicked and waited almost two days to see a doctor, I have experienced absolutely no itching or pain in these 4 marks or feeling them burst with puss or blood but they are 4 small lesions or marks.  I have felt very uneasy since finding them and have had slight flu like symptoms and a feeling of tiredness but I think that might be more due to the anxiety of the unkown of not knowing what I had than perhaps the actual flu.  Yesterday I went to see a doctor and he said although he cant 100% for sure say its nots herpes he thinks it was a type of infection like folliculitis caused from a cut in the skin from something like shaving the area that was infected through whatever while on vacation and caused the small 4 lesions due to the fact that there is no itching or burning or burning when I urinate and prescribed to me a tube of antibacterial cream to apply 4 times a day and told me it should be going away within 4 to 5 days it has been a day since I saw this doctor and now after using the prescribed medication my glands in my groin have began to and cause some discomfort (mainly the right side) which im informed is a symptom of herpes, I'm wondering if anyone can offer advice as to if i'm over reacting and they'll go away or if this does sound like herpes and I was mis-diagnosed or if they've ever had this type of problem?  Also noted that while vacationing I spent alot of time in the ocean and in hot tubs with tight under armour shorts under my swimming shorts.

[jesse117]

since my last post, I have seen 3 doctors, 2 from seperate walk in clinics and 1 from the ER.  I am extremely paranoid of having herpes as I feel like it will ruin my life it is in fact positive that I have it.  Both doctors from the walk-ins have suggested to me that its always possible to have herpes but they both still feel that it is not herpes and I have been prescribed Ciprofloxacin pills (500 mg tabs 2 times daily for a week) and also fucidin cream, Today is the first day that I have used the Ciprofloxacin pills but have been using the Fucidin topical antibiotic cream since last thursday evening with not much results in the 2.5 to 3 days i've been using the cream on my lesion/blister like bumps on my scrotum and pubic hair area that I mentioned before and actually if anything i have noticed more redness and a few more small bumps.  The ER doctor saw me very briefly and did not say much other than taking a viral swab to be sent away and would not say either way if it was or wasnt herpes.  I still have had no painful sores or itching at all or trouble urinating or burning while urinating or a fever of 102 degrees, I informed the walkin clinic doctors that I have experienced swollen groin glands since starting to use the cream and the doctor said this is normal which scared me because swollen glands is a symptom of herpes also my left forearm has been somewhat sore but im not sure what from and this raised questions again because muscle aches is a symptom of herpes, I have been experiencing alot of anxiety from this past week and this is consuming my life i'm just looking for any help possible because regardless that these walk in clinic doctors have both said to me they do not think it is herpes I cant help but think it looks like herpes to me even tho it isnt on my penis shaft or head and also does not burn or itch and isnt very painful like the initial outbreak tends to be.  Anymore insight as to if this is a skin infection caused from things like shaving the area getting a deep infection from the water in different countries or hot tubs and pools at a resort like the walk in clinic doctors feel it is or herpes would be great or if anyone has experienced anything like this please respond ASAP!  thank you in advance for your help.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms, I agree with your doctor that there is a strong possibility of these bumps being due to chafing and friction rub causing irritated hair follicles. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur.

The only way of ruling it out is by getting yourself tested for genital herpes. Laboratory tests include: culture of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies to detect virus, skin biopsy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for presence of viral DNA. I sincerely advise you to consult a dermatologist and get it ruled out by getting these tests done.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep us posted on how you are doing. Kind regards.