Back and Leg Pain

Hello all,

I am a 22 year old male and last week I had protected sex with a few seconds of unprotected oral. A few days after I noticed sciatic pain in my lower back and hips as well as itchiness in my rectum.  I have not had any blisters or Outbreaks (that I can see) but I am concerned that this signs of herpes.

The girl I slept with claims to be clean and has tested negative in the past.

Any hell will be appreciated.

[gracefromHHP]

odds are this isn't herpes going on.

have you ever been tested for herpes before to know your status?

grace

[Randar79]

Grace, sorry for the late reply I did not see your response.  I have tested negative in the past.  The back pain has got better but still persists (total of about 3 weeks) .  

I also started to notice swelling in my neck (lymph nodes).  Which I think suggests an infection somewhere in my body.  I still have no obvious lesions or blisters.  (although I know everyone is different)


I believe that I have to wait 3 months to get an accurate result for a blood test

[gracefromHHP]

odds are this isn't herpes so go and follow up on it now. your neck lymph nodes won't swell because of a genital herpes infection.

[Randar79]

Thanks again Grace.  My back pain is largely gone now but I am now experiencing a lot of irritation and itching in my anus and surrounding area.  I find this troubling seeing as how it occurred immediately after the pain in my lower back and buttocks.

How long would it typically itch before I would start to see blisters?

I mentioned this to my provider but he did not think much of it.

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

you'd see blisters within a day or two of itching and pain starting.

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

along with the irritation in my anal area i am now experiencing occasional pulsing pain in the anus that seems to originate from my tailbone.  Do you have any suggestions of what could be causing this?  Is this consistent with the nerve pain that is associated with genital herpes?  Is it common to experience nerve pain without an actual outbreak?

I still haven't seen any blisters so I am not as worried about herpes but will be getting a blood test at 12 weeks.

Thanks again for all your help.

[gracefromHHP]

really nothing else I can add at this point. when you have new symptoms, follow up on them properly with your provider.

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

I have just one more question for you.

I now notice a red rash on my skin in my upper butt crack where the burning seems to originate from.  The rash is only located in the folds of my buttock so I would normally think it was nothing to worry about, but since it has happened at the same time as the nerve and back pain I was experiencing, it is causing me some concern.  It is only reddening of the skin and there are no blisters or raised bumps to speak of.

I have read a lot about herpes outbreaks being mistaken for other rashes etc.  Is this a possibility or am I just over analyzing that point.

I have an appointment this week with my doctor to take a look at this but would appreciate your opinion.  

Thank you again for all your help.

[Randar79]

Hello,

I have been to the doctor and he tells me it is nothing to worry about but I have been reading that you can have anal herpes without having anal sex.  I was wondering if anyone can tell me if this is common or a rarity?

I realize that I probably don't have herpes and will have a blood test at the 12 week point.  

[sunnytiti]

Herpes can be anywhere in genital area(Boxer short area) plus the legs and nerves pain related to herpes.
The legs and nerves pain means your virues is active.

I learned that from Grace from other post.

[gracefromHHP]

when you contract genital herpes, your entire anogenital area is infected with the virus. The virus infects the entire sacral nerve ganglia. You shed the virus from the area of lesions when you have one as well as from the entire anogenital area (anus and penis for you guys ). You also shed the virus periodically from the anogenital area in between obvious lesions.  where you have actual lesions at is actually meaningless.

make any sense?

[Randar79]

Thank you Grace that answers my question.

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

I saw my doctor again and he checked my anus for a source of the irritation and also performed a prostate exam as a possible source for my back pain and everything seems fine. He prescribed a steroid creme which seems to help.

I have been having the pain in my buttocks and tailbone for about a month now which started days after having sex.  Both me and my doctor have not seen any obvious herpes lesions. I should also note that at first the back pain was accompanied by frequent urination but that has gone away on its own. (I was tested for Gonorrhea and chlamydia and both were negative)

Is it possible for the Herpes virus to be causing this nerve painfor this long without any lesion?

[gracefromHHP]

no it is not.

at this point a neurologist would be the  next step if your regular provider can't figure out what is causing your pain.

[Randar79]

Thank you so much Grace.  I really appreciate all your help during this time.  

[gracefromHHP]

it's what the forum is here for :)

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

My back pain has almost disappeared over the last few days which is a relief.

I do have a general question however.  During my doctors visits, I asked my doctor about a few odd bumps and blemishes that I noticed from inspecting the area and he did not suspect that anything was herpes related.  My question is then how common is it for herpes to not come in the form of a traditional herpes lesion.  I have read a lot about misdiagnosis and am just curious if this is a common occurance.

I realize that you cant comment on bumps but I was hoping that you could comment on general terms.

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

well it's not unusual for it not to appear with 'classic" blister type lesions but at the same time, herpes lesions will typically be itchy and/or painful.

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

Okay so this is getting frustrating.  As I mentioned before this back pain (tailbone/buttocks) and irritation began with several days of frequent urination.  I went to my doctor who ordered a urine test for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia and other bacteria infections and found nothing.  Within a week the frequent urination had stopped but the back pain has continued for 5-6 weeks.

Now all day today the frequent urination has returned and the back pain has intensified slightly from the last few days.  I have also noticed a bit of an odd tingling/stinging in my urethra after i urinate.  Any idea of what this could be?

is it possible for a herniated disc (or other back problem)  to cause frequent urination?

I am going to try to see my doctor tomorrow but would like your input.

Thanks

[petal130]

This is the herpes forum. You need to see a doctor at this point if you have concerns about a herniated disc, and back problems in general.

None of your symptoms sound herpes related, period. Move on from herpes.

[Carrie64683]

You need to get an MRI of your back to check for a herniated disc.....

[Randar79]

Hi Grace,

I am still having frequent urination and back pain albeit at less severity than before.  I have stopped worrying about herpes as a cause but did get a blood test (igg) at the 12 week point just to be safe.  I am currently waiting for the results.

Today I visited my doctor to get the results of an ultrasound he had ordered and the results were normal.  He suggested that my symptoms could be due to a virus that I picked up and that since the symptoms are improving i might just have to wait it out.

My questions are...

1)  What viruses (STD or non-STD) could cause frequent urination and pelvic/lower back pain? could it be a common virus i contracted from oral sex?

2)  How long do herpes blood test usual take before the results come back (its been about 1.5 weeks)?

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

yes, many common viruses that cause us issues elsewhere ( like upper respiratory infections) can cause us to have urinary issues too.  typically they run their course in a few weeks.  

unless you had a herpes WB, the blood test results should be ready in a day or two. call the clinic and ask for your results :)

[Randar79]

Okay thanks.  I called the clinic and my results came back negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2!

Thanks for all of your help

[gracefromHHP]

congrats!

[Worriedsick222999]

My wife has similar situation. 4 days of back pain now and no sign of rash, itchyness or lesions. Is this normal.

Is it possible that she will have herpes related back pain without any lesions? Is it possible that an outbreak is only back pain