can herpes be mental

First off thanks for your help.  For the last 4 months now, I have been experiencing a variety of symptoms I thought were herpes.  I felt this because I found out my ex has genital herpes.  2 days after I found out I experienced pain between my anus and penis-my doc said prostatitis.  15 days later, after a 7 hour drive, I had tingling in my penis that lasted all day every day for 3 months.  At this point I noticed that my testicles were not descending all the way down in my scrotum, leaving excess skin at the bottom.  I have also experienced burning pain throughout my entire groin that lasted all day and night for 3 days.  I've had frequent urination ever since the tingling started making it 4 months now.  I also had sharp pain in penis on one or two evenings.  I was examining myself constantly for at least a month when the pain intensified, as a result I started sleeping with ice on my penis and taking lots of baths.  I noticed a few red, but painless bumps on my inner thigh at this point.  I went to the ER where the dr. said it wasn't herpes.  Later I got blood tests done(herpeselect all of which were negative)

1)can I trust the blood test
2)Can a doctor tell from looking if its herpes
3)Are herpes sores always painful
4)Could I have caused burning by over self examining
5)Could the ice have caused the red bumps
6)My doctor says its all mental, do you agree

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

1)can I trust the blood test
Yes.
2)Can a doctor tell from looking if its herpes
If the symptom is there when the doctor sees it.  If not, that's what the blood test is for.
3)Are herpes sores always painful
No, they're usually not.
4)Could I have caused burning by over self examining
You bet.
5)Could the ice have caused the red bumps
Sure.
6)My doctor says its all mental, do you agree
Absolutely.

Time to take reassurance at face value and move on.  If you can't, please get the counseling you need to do it.

Good luck.

Dr. Rockoff

[ncworriedone]

two more questions I forgot to ask
1)does herpes cause a strange smelling body odor, I thought my armpits smelled different than usual for a couple of days
2)I took some valtrex just in case, could that affect the blood test?

[mr_jim]

Apologies for posting a comment before Dr. Rockoff responds.

Nothing you describe sounds remotely like herpes and the blood test is generally very reliable.

In these forums I've seen a very large amount of extreme anxiety and misunderstanding about the severity of herpes (especially genital herpes).  Let's compare HSV2 (genital herpes) with the ubiquitous common cold...

* The common cold is a very common virus.
* HSV2 is a very common virus (from a common family).

* You can catch a cold from exhaled droplets
  (i.e. just by standing nearby an infected person)
* You can only get HSV2 from direct sexual skin-to-skin
  contact.

* There is no cure for the common cold but you can treat the
  symptoms. It's impossible to prevent someone catching another
  cold.
* There is no cure for HSV2 but you can treat the symptoms.
  It's possible to supress the virus to minimize or possibly
  eliminate recurrent outbreaks).

* You will suffer from a common cold repeatedly, possibly
  several times a year.
* HSV2 outbreaks can recur, for some people many times a year,
  for some people rarely or never.

* You can feel awful with a cold (especially a bad one) and it
  can last a week or more.
* You may feel some pain/discomfort for 1-3 weeks when you first
  get HSV2 but subsequent outbreaks are usually very mild and
  sometimes you won't notice them at all - oh and an outbreak
  usually only lasts a few days.

Most of the concern people have around herpes stems simply from the irrational stigma (which itself derives, I suspect, from the fact that it can be sexually transmitted).

Don't worry!  You don't have it.  Even if you did, it's a LONG way from the end of the world.

Cheers
MrJ (who does have HSV2)

[ncworriedone]

I know nothing I have sounds like herpes.  I just read so many web sites saying that the symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.  The more I read the more convinced I became that I had some unusual from of herpes.  I was stunned when after 16 weeks the blood test was negative.  Its till hard for me to accept, obviously, but I am starting to believe.  I do have one question for you, if its not too personal, what types of symptoms do you have,, and especially what does the tingling feel like, mine is overwhelming, non stop and feels like something is crawling on me.

Thankx

[mr_jim]

hi again,

The symptoms can vary in severity from person to person but they're  by and large similar, and certainly yours don't fit the bill. I'm glad your starting to believe, that's good news!

As for my symptoms, I occasionally get a gentle tingling or itching signalling the early stage of an outbreak (the prodrome). It's noticable but not uncomfortable, at least not for me. Sometimes, maybe once or twice a year, one or two small spots on the penis may appear but that's it. Pop some antivirals and in about 5 days its clearing up.

It is possible that the outbreaks can be more severe and/or more frequent - that certainly can vary from person to person, however I believe that the majority of people are more or less like me and manage the minor symptoms fine (a few lucky folks never get a single recurrence).

Hope this helps and I hope you can feel more at ease...
Cheers
MrJ

[need to get this out of my head]

you mentioned your symptoms include tingling and itching before the outbreak? if its not too personal do you mean those are the only symptoms you get? or do you mean your get that and then you get blisters or what not? thank you

[mr_jim]

Hi,

It's no problem answering your question, I actually think it's useful for folks to get this sort of info from people who actually have it.

Assuming I feel or see anything at all, then usually it's just the tingling itch without anything more.  About two or possibly three times a year I may get one blister (never more than one so far, aside from the initial infection). The word "blister" summons up images of something much larger than what I actually get. It looks more like a small spot, probably no more than 1-1.5mm in diameter. Note, however, that I get no discomfort at all from this little spot/blister.  If it wasn't visible, I'd not know that it was there! It usually clears up in about 5 days anyway.

Of course, it's important to point out that this is only *my* experience - other people with genital herpes may be affected differently!

All the best,
-MrJ

[katylonghorn]

What does the tingling feel like?? I have it but only the initial outbreak I do not know what to expect to feel when another outbreak occurs..