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Dermatology  (Expert Forum)
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Still Worried about Herpes- Please Help
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.

Still Worried about Herpes- Please Help

by please help 12345, Sep 22, 2003 12:00AM
I posted a question a few days ago about my worries about a herpes infection. This is an update on that. First of all, based on your experience, do you think I put myself at risk from that encounter?  I called the national std hotline several times and got some pretty equivocal information-most said that transmission of HSV-1 requires the mouth to touch the genitals, but I've seen medical reference information that it is even spread by "droplets in breath". I didn't notice any lesions on this woman's lips, but there's no way for me to know for sure-she could have been prodromal, shedding, etc.  
  The rash itself cleared up in about 4 days total, though it seemed like it was on its way to clearing up even sooner.  I am worried about the fact that though I never saw any blisters, there were a few pore-sized holes with a very small amount of what looked like water coming out of them.  (Not to be confused with weeping sores - just pinpricks of moisture.  I looked closely at the scotum today, and I THINK, but I'm just not sure, that I can still see at least some of these "pores", they're just not leaking any water anymore.  I.e. the skin in that area is healed and the pinpricks remain.  Does this make sense?  
The overall rash area itself looked red and POSSIBLY edematous- but not like a thin-walled blister, more like a deeper swelling.  
There were also one or maybe two slightly larger circular indentations, maybe barely 1/16th of an inch by 1/16th of an inch, that you could see if you stretched the scrotal skin tight, also emitting a pinprick sized amount of water.  ONE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN looked like a hair follicle with its top cut off.  I thought that's what it might actually be, but as it has healed, there doesn't appear to be a hair follicle in that spot.  What does that sound like?
About 2-3 days after I first noticed the rash, I was able to  rub off an overall area of dried skin in the shower with my thumb.  The skin came off like little pills of dried skin. That one particular 1/16th inch circular indentation, I hesitate to say scab, took longer to flake off. There's still a little redness in that spot, with maybe an ever-shrinking outline of the circular indentation remaining.
  I went to the emergency room on thursday night (48 hours after noticing rash), but there wasn't much of the rash to see at that point and the very young doctor barely glanced at it anyway, saying it was "probably nothing to worry about".  
But I AM still worried. This is killing me - I can barely sleep and I can't eat at all. So my questions are -  Have you seen something like this before? If so, what was it? Does it sound like herpes? Will an hsv-1 titer test (Igm?, Igg?) help determine whether this was an hsv-1 infection? Since I probably had oral hsv-1 as a child, will that make the test useless?  I don't know what to do but I know I can't live with this uncertainty and worry. PLEASE give this your fullest attention. Thank you

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Sep 23, 2003 12:00AM
Look, I answered the first time that:
1) I can scarcely imagine that you cnotracted herpes the eay you describe; and
2) The penile changes don't sound like herpes.

Let me reiterate both these points.  Let me add further that there is no way for me or anyone to interpret sight unseen the meticulously and obsessively described skin changes in your note.

This brings me to the third point I made in my first anser:
3) Please see a dcotor so you can get a definite answer and stop thinking about this.  

This remains valid.  Antibody tests may furnish minor assistance, but what you need is a thorough clinical evaluation--in person.

Take care.  And please preserve your sanity by taking my advice.

Dr. Rockoff
Member Comments (2)

by jannov, Nov 01, 2003 12:00AM
Dear,
I’d like to describe a little bit different way how to treat health or skin problems.
I suffered from atopic eczema all my childhood. My mom tried everything possible to help me, but nothing worked. I went to see many doctors, tried every cream or pills with no results. I remember my mom how desperately she tried. One day I don't know why, but I went to see a healer who came to my town once a month to help people. Believe or not. The eczema what I was suffering from  for 18 years was gone within few weeks. I learned at that time, that skin is only a mirror of my organism. The problem on the skin is just a demonstration of some of your organ problems. Skin problem is just one way how to let you know about that.
But anyway, when I was 20 years old I started to travel to different countries. Never had problems with my skin until I came to USA 5 years ago. I was OK for 4 years but last year I got severe eczema again. Except my face I had it everywhere.
I tried everything possible for few months, with no results at all. I decided to search for alternative help again. I got in touch with Mr. Gellner who was claiming he can treat any health problem over the distance by meditation. And he was saying that he was successful in 99% of all eczema cases so far .First I didn't believe it and was fighting with that problems for another months. Than I said to myself, I don't need to risk anything, if I'm going to try and I did. 5 months was nothing happening at all. On the 6th month my bad eczema disappeared within one week and never came back again. His treatment is very unusual but has the best advantage what nobody else can offer. You pay after you see the results. You can just give it a try and wait till it comes. From the time I got fixed from him, I started to promote his healing method around the world. It is not about money, but about helping to other people, because I know how people with eczema can feel in our society. The web page is www.healer-cz.com  You can ask by e-mail what ever you might need to know or you can call me on my cell in USA 937-672-3935
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