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Blood Test Came Back Negative - Continuing Symptoms
Hi,
I am in a bit of a predicament. 3 Months ago I started experiencing symptoms I thought were herpes. I was tested by blood 2 weeks after for HSV 2 and several other STDs. All came back negative. My symptoms, which were mild, disappeared for a period of time and then came back a month later. This time they stuck around for a month or so. I tried taking some anti-virals. It seemed like they were possibly helping. However, the syptoms didn't completely abate. 9 weeks after symptoms initially began (10-11 weeks after most recent sexual encounter prior to symptoms) I got a blood test again for type 1 and 2. Both came back negative. Igg type 1: .64, igg type 2: .06. I continued taking anti-virals for 2 weeks or so. Finally, I decided to stop taking anti-virals because I wasn't sure if they were working. The sypmtoms stopped for a week. However, the past few days they have come back. Below is a description of the symptoms.
The symptoms started in the shower one night. I felt a brief sharp stinging sensation while washing one side of my groin area near the fold where my scrotum meets my leg. Touching it again I felt another one. After the shower I got out and looked at the area. There was maybe some very light red circles but now the area felt fine except for maybe being a little more sensitive. It did not sting or hurt. I had sex later that night. The next day I began to feel like something was wrong. Now in the general area around the initial sting was tingling. Over the course of the day I started to feel a bit run down and mildly flu-ish. The tingling also became a little burny but felt more internal than on the surface. Visibly the area looked generally very normal and to the touch it felt fine minus a little coldish sensitive feeling. That night things progressed to my whole general groin area feeling burning, my inner thighs feeling burning, and tingling. My penis itself didn't have any of these symptoms just the areas around it. The burning sensation was also sore but it felt below the skin and almost more of a muscle thing. The skin still looked and to the touch felt practically fine. The next day I felt a bit better and the day after that better as well. By the 4th day I felt nearly normal. The flu-ish symptoms had pretty much passed. The burning was an occasional tingling after about the 2nd day. On the 5th day I developed a terrible cough. This lasted 1.5 weeks. I clearly had gotten sick. However, was the flu-ish symptoms just part of the sickness or a sign of an STD I couldn't be sure. This is the point I returned home from the holiday I was on and got my first blood test which came back negative for type 2. Several weeks later the symptoms returned. This time again there were no visible symptoms. Only some constant or come and go burning/tingling in the same general area. The burning and tingling did shift around a bit at one point my right testicle ached and it seemed liked there was more muscle soreness internally. I went to the doctor several times. They couldn't find any signs of herpes. I tried taking some anti-virals at this point which seemed to help a bit. The symptoms came and went for a period of time then came back. Still no visible symptoms just mild burning sensations in the same general area. The focal point would shift around occassionally. At one point it seemed down near my perenium was effected. However, mostly my left side groin near the scrotum and base of the shaft were the main area effected (probably a 3 inch by 1 inch area is where things acted up the most). This time the symptoms came and went for several weeks. I also for a period of time began experiencing pain down the back of my leg (nerve pain I believe) for a few days. Went back to the doctor, started taking anti-virals again for two weeks, again wasn't sure if they were helping completely or not. Symptoms didn't completely go away. Again stopped taking them. Couple days later symptoms stopped. Then a week later they are now back. Now just burning mostly. It progressed from being slightly reddish inflamed and itchy in the same spot on the left side of the base of my shaft for a day or two to general burning in the area to general burning currently all around the groin that comes and goes. Still no visible symptoms minus the light red inflammation which lasted 2 days. Should mention I tried some hydrocordizone which did not seem to help or hinder and also tried several anti-fungal creams which did not seem to help and if anything made thing less comfortable.
Anyone want to weigh in? Most of the doctors I saw (I saw 3 different doctors and a dermatologist) did not think this was herpes. I had no visible lesions at any point. I also had sex with a girl unprotected a number of times throughout this ordeal because we weren't really sure what was going on and she had been tested for everything and came up negative for everything (also only had 1 partner before me. I have had about 50). Obviously 2 negative blood tests point to it not being herpes. However, I still can't shake the feeling that it is herpes partly because the symptoms are still effecting me and I haven't been able to find any other plausible causes.
I am in a bit of a predicament. 3 Months ago I started experiencing symptoms I thought were herpes. I was tested by blood 2 weeks after for HSV 2 and several other STDs. All came back negative. My symptoms, which were mild, disappeared for a period of time and then came back a month later. This time they stuck around for a month or so. I tried taking some anti-virals. It seemed like they were possibly helping. However, the syptoms didn't completely abate. 9 weeks after symptoms initially began (10-11 weeks after most recent sexual encounter prior to symptoms) I got a blood test again for type 1 and 2. Both came back negative. Igg type 1: .64, igg type 2: .06. I continued taking anti-virals for 2 weeks or so. Finally, I decided to stop taking anti-virals because I wasn't sure if they were working. The sypmtoms stopped for a week. However, the past few days they have come back. Below is a description of the symptoms.
The symptoms started in the shower one night. I felt a brief sharp stinging sensation while washing one side of my groin area near the fold where my scrotum meets my leg. Touching it again I felt another one. After the shower I got out and looked at the area. There was maybe some very light red circles but now the area felt fine except for maybe being a little more sensitive. It did not sting or hurt. I had sex later that night. The next day I began to feel like something was wrong. Now in the general area around the initial sting was tingling. Over the course of the day I started to feel a bit run down and mildly flu-ish. The tingling also became a little burny but felt more internal than on the surface. Visibly the area looked generally very normal and to the touch it felt fine minus a little coldish sensitive feeling. That night things progressed to my whole general groin area feeling burning, my inner thighs feeling burning, and tingling. My penis itself didn't have any of these symptoms just the areas around it. The burning sensation was also sore but it felt below the skin and almost more of a muscle thing. The skin still looked and to the touch felt practically fine. The next day I felt a bit better and the day after that better as well. By the 4th day I felt nearly normal. The flu-ish symptoms had pretty much passed. The burning was an occasional tingling after about the 2nd day. On the 5th day I developed a terrible cough. This lasted 1.5 weeks. I clearly had gotten sick. However, was the flu-ish symptoms just part of the sickness or a sign of an STD I couldn't be sure. This is the point I returned home from the holiday I was on and got my first blood test which came back negative for type 2. Several weeks later the symptoms returned. This time again there were no visible symptoms. Only some constant or come and go burning/tingling in the same general area. The burning and tingling did shift around a bit at one point my right testicle ached and it seemed liked there was more muscle soreness internally. I went to the doctor several times. They couldn't find any signs of herpes. I tried taking some anti-virals at this point which seemed to help a bit. The symptoms came and went for a period of time then came back. Still no visible symptoms just mild burning sensations in the same general area. The focal point would shift around occassionally. At one point it seemed down near my perenium was effected. However, mostly my left side groin near the scrotum and base of the shaft were the main area effected (probably a 3 inch by 1 inch area is where things acted up the most). This time the symptoms came and went for several weeks. I also for a period of time began experiencing pain down the back of my leg (nerve pain I believe) for a few days. Went back to the doctor, started taking anti-virals again for two weeks, again wasn't sure if they were helping completely or not. Symptoms didn't completely go away. Again stopped taking them. Couple days later symptoms stopped. Then a week later they are now back. Now just burning mostly. It progressed from being slightly reddish inflamed and itchy in the same spot on the left side of the base of my shaft for a day or two to general burning in the area to general burning currently all around the groin that comes and goes. Still no visible symptoms minus the light red inflammation which lasted 2 days. Should mention I tried some hydrocordizone which did not seem to help or hinder and also tried several anti-fungal creams which did not seem to help and if anything made thing less comfortable.
Anyone want to weigh in? Most of the doctors I saw (I saw 3 different doctors and a dermatologist) did not think this was herpes. I had no visible lesions at any point. I also had sex with a girl unprotected a number of times throughout this ordeal because we weren't really sure what was going on and she had been tested for everything and came up negative for everything (also only had 1 partner before me. I have had about 50). Obviously 2 negative blood tests point to it not being herpes. However, I still can't shake the feeling that it is herpes partly because the symptoms are still effecting me and I haven't been able to find any other plausible causes.
Ok. Last question. Do you think the fact that I experience mild flu-ish symptoms for a couple days at the same time as things are acting up down there is something to be concerned about? This is the third time the two have apparently arisen together.
Do you think having taking anti vitals for a 5 day period a couple weeks before I got tested for type 1 and 2 would be enough to skew the results if I did have herpes? This was the time I got tested 9 weeks after symptoms began.
Yeah, its not really even inflamed or red except very rarely. But I get it. Its not consistent with a herpes outbreak. I just don't understand why anti vitals would seem to be somewhat relieving while a fungal cream for instance seems to aggravate it.
herpes outbreaks are not constant red inflamed skin. Maybe you had a friction irritation that have become a bit irritated from bacteria and constant touching.
Yeah, I know. The main area that is bothered though is right at the base of the shaft near where a condom would end.
Hi, do your symptoms appear herpes related? No they do not. Merely haveing a red inflamed topical skin irritation that comes and goes and moves around your groin area are not consistant with a pending herpes outbreak.
Those that do have symptoms from a first time infection with a sore developing do so in the first week and would be at point of contact like the shaft area. The area between the leg and testicle is not a common place for first time or even recurrent outbreaks.
If your still concerned you have herpes then stop the meds and test 3 months from that date.
Those that do have symptoms from a first time infection with a sore developing do so in the first week and would be at point of contact like the shaft area. The area between the leg and testicle is not a common place for first time or even recurrent outbreaks.
If your still concerned you have herpes then stop the meds and test 3 months from that date.
I should add: I also recieved an equilivent blood test for herpes over 5 plus years ago. I don't think it was a type specific test however. Pretty sure it was not. I also, thought looking back maybe two years ago I experienced something similar but it only lasted 2-3 days and was also very mild. These past 3 months have been frustrating.
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
