HERPES COMMUNITY
Are shingles related to herpes outbreaks?

Are shingles related to herpes outbreaks?

I just recently got tested for all STD's and the Herpes 1 &2 came back positive from the Herpes Select IGG test.  Herpes 1 was 3.93 and Herpes 2 was 2.03.  Could the Herpes 2 be a false positive if below 3, I have never had a outbreak from either 1 or 2?  How ever, I have had shingles on my lower back, right below my spinal cord, a small rash and my doctor prescribed Valtrex for 7 days.  I had a shingles outbreak right before my antibodies testing.  I was negative for all other STD's....Im just very unclear if the shingles can give me that postive for the herpes-2 or not.
Related Discussions
3 Comments Post a Comment
Blank
101028_tn?1331600857
Actually I'd be suspicious that what they called a shingles ob wasn't hsv2 to be honest.  That's an area where genital herpes can occur in.  Did they culture it or just give you a visual diagnosis of shingles?

If you doubt your hsv2 score, get a herpes western blot sent off.  http://depts.washington.edu/rspvirus/herpes.htm  has the info you and your provider need to know for sending it.  

No - having a history of shingles, if you really did have shingles, wouldn't cause the false positive on the blood test.

grace
Blank
Avatar_n_tn
Thank you for the quick response.  He visually looked at it and right away he said it was shingles and that was before my blood test.  I am probably going to go back and talk with him and have a culture done.  i have only had this on my back and that is it, never a cold sore nor on the genital area.  My boyfriend of 3 years just received a letter from a unknown female that he had sex with in the last 5 years that she had HSV-1 and that he could possibly have both.  He has never had any symptom or at least as far as I know and we live together.
Blank
494623_tn?1278282952
Shingles and Herpes can be very similar to look at I too had Shingles prior to my HSV2 + diagnosis,like yourself I got a little rash on my lower back and thought it was a recurrance of the Shingles,when I went to the Doctor he simply looked at it said it was nothing to worry about and wrote a Prescription for Valtrex,which resulted in me not knowing for 2 years that I was HSV2+ ..... eventually I had a lesion cultured at the Hospital where I work because it kept re-appearing it was only then that it came to light that I had been HSV2+ since I first visited my Doctor ..... I was very angry ......
I find it quite disturbing that Doctors use visual diagnosis on rashes in areas that could potentially be Herpes and almost never do blood work or cultures to check for Herpes,they simply write a Prescription for Valtrex and leave it at that.  
My advice to anyone worried by a rash in an area they think may be Genital Herpes is to go to a STD/GUM Clinic and have it checked out.
Clinics are very Professional and Confidential and they will be perfectly happy to discuss anything that may be causing worry

Daisy  
Blank
Have a Herpes question?
100,000+ doctor answers
Post a Comment
To
Comment
Post A Comment
Go
Blank
Weight Tracker
Reach your weight goal faster
Start Tracking Now
MedHelp Health Answers
Submit
Top STDs Answerers
897535_tn?1295210035
Blank
petal130
207091_tn?1337713093
Blank
auntiejessi
101028_tn?1331600857
Blank
gracefromHHP
PA
1306047_tn?1333247191
Blank
vandykd3
Avatar_n_tn
Blank
johnjohnson14
1705114_tn?1314222104
Blank
franklinandbash
AZ
RSS Expert Activity
1741471_tn?1336957856
Blank
LIVE WEBINAR TOMORROW!-SUPER BODY, ... Blank
May 22 by Michael Gonzalez-WallaceBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Fibromyalgia Awareness
May 11 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia reduces...
May 03 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank