All over joint pain from herpes?

After several unprotected sex acts with an old ex I began to get sick about six weeks later with slight fever, diarrhea, fatigue, and then small bumps on gentials along with burning pee. After another two weeks I went to get tested for all STD's including HIV. All came back negative except herpes. Turns out I contracted HSV 1 AND HSV 2. My doctor said that it was recent because the ratio was extremely high. Fast forward eight months later and I started having sudden joint pains all over my body everyday for almost two weeks. I don't exercise even though I am a healthy young woman so I know the joint pain is not due to working out. Can an informed and knowledgable person tell me if sudden achy joints can appear even if there is no visible outbreaks? I have heard of achy muscle and joints with herpes, but not much said on them if they occur when you are not having an outbreak. Any thoughts???

[waringblender]

How were you tested for herpes? It's possible you are not positive at all and that it was not interpreted correctly. Post the numbers here.

Were your genital bumps cultured, or were you just tested by a blood test?

The joint thing is not due to herpes, even if you were positive for herpes. Make sure you have an absolutely positive diagnosis before assuming you have it.

I can't imaging not working out on a daily or almost daily basis. Are you too overweight to exercise?

[unknown101]

I am not over-weight at all. I'm about  5' 4" and 115lbs and that's why I don't excercise. I have been petite and a ballet dancer most of my life. As for my test, it was a blood test because by the time I got to the doctor the bumps (outbreak) had healed and the other symptoms were gone too. HIV- was relative to the neg cutoff. HSV I/II IgG Rflx- 41.4 High (positive if >1.0). HSV II IgG 5.3 High (positive >1.1). There was no doubt in my mind that I have herpes because I saw the outbreak in my vaginal area and they looked like the pics on the interenet. Once my husband and I reconciled I told him about my incident and he went to the doctor to be tested about 3 months later. In January he was tested for both herpes and HIV and they were both negative. I am sure that he never caught the herpes from me because I was on antiviral meds and never had another outbreak from the time we got back together. The only thing is different it that I began birth control for the first time ever and a month after I started taking them the joint pain started. But I highly doubt that birth control has anything to do with this all over joint pain.

[waringblender]

Your pain is probably not due to herpes, either. Just because you have herpes doesn't mean you should be ascribing every symptom you have to it. Do you take Valtrex now?

[unknown101]

No, I take Acyclovir. But I began taking the pils again after the joint pain started. I did some online research and turns out there is a lot of study going on tying RA to herpes. With the hundreds of different types of herpes viruses, some doctors believe that Rheumatoid arthritits can come from herpes.

[auntiejessi]

Even if it comes from herpes, you need to treat it separately.  You should make an appt with your doctor to discuss this.  You can test for arthritis pretty easily - you want to get a test called SED rate.  Its not a definitive diagnosis, but it looks at inflammation.

I wouldn't get too determined that this is all due to herpes without looking at other causes first.

And Waring - I don't exercise regularly, and I'm certainly not too overweight to do so.  ;)

AJ

[daisy315]

I find this post very interesting because I contracted HSV2 in 2005 and in late 2007 I started having joint pain,it started in one finger and now 6 months later it's everywhere and I am seeing a Rheumatologist,he knows nothing of my HSV2 so this makes me wonder if there is indeed a connection somewhere along the line  .....
Prior to my Herpes diagnosis I never had a joint pain in my life I was fit and healthy and also certainly not overweight,I did excercise with weights a couple of tims a week before I was advised to stop as it was likely to too impact on the joints in my wrists,elbows and hands.

Waringblender : Because a person doesn't excercise every day does not suggest they are too overweight to do so or that is the reason for their joint pain,it simply means they don't suffer from excercise paranoia :)

Daisy

[unknown101]

That is certainly useful information that I will look into as soon as possible. Thanks!

[unknown101]

I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one having this problem. I had began to worry that maybe my HIV test was incorrect because every time I type in joint pain and STD's only ghonorrhea (however it's spelled) and HIV come up. But anyway, I would like to see a specialist because like you, I never once had joint pain before until about a year after my diagnosis. When I was first informed of my HSV 1&2, my doctor told me that with the initial infection joint pain was common. I didn't think anything else about my herpes until so much later when unexplained joint pain began to occur and there was never another outbreak. I just don't get how the joint pain is EVERYWHERE!  What does your doctor have you taking for the joint pain? Is it short or long term relief? and I definitely think you should mention the HSV to your doctor. Does he or she think that this sudden joint pain is completely unexplainable and what does the doctor say?

[auntiejessi]

I agree about telling your doctor about herpes.  There's no reason for them not to know, and on the very off chance that this is being caused by herpes, you aren't letting your doctor treat you the very best he can if he doesn't know.

Aj

[daisy315]

I understand why it is important to tell Doctors the whole story,but my problem is I work in the hospital and know my Specialist,I also know many members of staff who work alongside him having worked there for over 17 years,I also know how staff talk amongst themselves regardless of patient Confidentiality rules,therefore I would not even consider this being documented on any medical history they would be liable to read,the Herpes is mine and not up for dicussion in the coffee room I would also then feel that everyone and their Granny knew my status whereby at the moment only myself and my Doctor ( outwith the hospital) knows and i'm happy to leave it that way,the Herpes doesn't bother me personally I am just not about to single handedly try to eraticate the stigma that has been impossible to do since Genital Herpes began,it has always been one of those conditions that those who don't have it love to talk about especially if they get wind of someone they know having it,we can talk about Patient Confidentaility till we are blue in the face it will never stop the chat that goes on among work collegues always adding "don't say anything about what I told you" I would then feel I was in a "nudge nudge" situation believing everyone knew,and I certainly don't need to add that to my problems right now  .....
Besides it would make no difference if my Specialist knew or not they are two separate conditions and require different treatments,if i now have RA I have it there is nothing I can do about that either,I don't see that telling him I have Herpes is going to change things or make any difference to the way I would be treated if I didn't have it.
If having HSV2 wasn't such a taboo subject no one would need to hide it,but sadly society isn't going to change in the foreseeable future.

Daisy

[gracefromHHP]

To the original poster.....

there are many, many viruses out there that also cause all over joint pain.  There is no reason at all to suspect your herpes has anything to do with this. See your provider for a further work up since you've felt so crappy for 2 weeks now.  

grace

[daisy315]

I do believe however that any infectious disease has the ability to trigger other conditions such as RA/ Fibromyalgia/Peripheral Neuropathy is some people ( not all ) ..... From what I have read about RA unless it is a genetic condition it can be triggered by other things,so it is very likely had I not got Herpes I wouldn't have got RA either but in saying that something else might have triggered it off like a bad flu or something.Our bodies are so complex :(

Daisy

[unknown101]

I am the original poster. Thank you so much for your support and educational information. I will see about getting to the doctor asap.

[confused101stressed2]

hi i have had herpes for 7 yrs it really is not as bad as ppl think..dosent shorten life span and dsnt affect immune system(not a immune defficiancy) i have genital and ur first outbreak from being exposed is the worst a little swelling in lymph nods in genital area and joint pain in that area valtrex will help you with this and depending on ur health and STRESS in particular the outbreaks occur but they will be mild just remember to always use a condom from hear on out even with no outbreaks it is always apropiate to let ur partner know but i stress condoms becasuse ur more vaulnerbale to stds including hiv and even hcv beleive it or not but remember with a condom ur at 0 risk  good luck to u and 6 week test for hiv antibodies is 99% accurate

[TyrannaSoreUsValtrex]

Ok. Lets get the record straight here people. The original poster claims that she experiences joint pain and discomfort that she attributes to genital herpes. Then you have people that post "I have HSV and it's not all that bad".
Well, they're both right. It affects everyone differently. First of all I am not a doctor nor a medical professional. I am however somebody that has had herpes for over 20 years. And I can tell you herpes reeks havoc on my body. The pain and discomfort in the joints and muscles is bad. I take Valtrex everyday. I can not miss a day or I will feel it. I am otherwise healthy. Exercise about 4 days a week. My wife doesn't suffer the same symptoms as I do. I can always tell if a doctor is either ignorant to herpes, has herpes themselves and can sympathize and or empathize or just plain gets it. So to all of you looking for answers. I say you are not alone. You know your body. You know what symptoms are triggered by your herpes. Don't let anyone try to convince you that the flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, joint pain, muscle numbness and tingling, severe itching etc... is not related to your herpes. I know mine is. I say BullS#!T to anyone that says it is not. Come walk in my shoes when I am having an episode that can last anywhere from 2 weeks to over a month. Not fun folks. And don't even hope for a cure. These pharmaceutical companies are making billions. Yes billions treating herpes. They will squash any cure that comes along. Heartless greedy pigs. The great Louis Pasteur would never survive in these times. The pharmafia would have him killed. Enough not said.

[horakswoman]

OMG!!! Ive been telling my husband for years that if I have an outbreak I get sick all over and noone believes that the two are related!!! I dont break out, I just feel like Im gonna have a breakout(swollen lymphnodes, low grade fever and some irritation) then that goes away and every bone in my entire body hurts!! My toes to my face it is horrible! I get swollen lymphnodes everywhere and then pain and fatigue and aaahhhhh its horrible! I cant get anyone to diagnose me properly, Ive had steroid injections, arthritis medicine, now they wanna say Im depressed! Ugh! I am sure that it is related to my herpes but noone will listen! So what should I do/ Take Va;trex everyday? Please help!!

[lookingtoGod]

I think that if you suffer that much, then yes, take it everyday. I'm not a doctor either. My breakouts used to be like once every other year, one little spot in exactly the same place everytime,  preceeded by my left hip aching for a couple days. Last fall it completely changed, and many more places have developed and it's pretty much constant, unless I take meds. I've been under a lot of unusual stress and that's the only explanation I can come up with.