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Bumps under skin lasting weeks ....

Hello. It's been awhile since I've posted. I thought I had everything under control and was ready to move on. That was relatively short lived :(

Short background ... had unprotected sex with a partner of unknown status from 8/2013 - 2/2014. Started freaking out about the possibility of having contracted something. I did, but that was easily treatable. Then I started having herpes fears as I was having symptoms (burning, tingling, etc.) never "sores" or "blisters." I tested at 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 6+ months and I am negative for HSV2 but positive for HSV1. No big deal ... it's oral, most people have it, blah blah blah. I've never had a cold sore in my life mind you. So, of course, I start thinking the worst, that I actually have gHSV1.

Here is why I think this and where I need assistance and opinions. I have gotten small, cyst like bumps down there for as long as I can remember. I have always written them off. They are under the skin, they don't blister or anything, they just appear and then go away. Well recently, since all of this has started (February of this year) I've been getting them more frequently it seems (maybe I'm just more aware??). Over the course of the last 4 or so weeks, I have gotten three of them .... but they have manifested themselves slightly different this time. They start as bumps under the skin, like a ball (but it doesn't really move around) and they are slightly tender. Of course, I have messed with them and examined them ... Two of them have "popped" I'd say. Like I messed so much with it, they've gotten irritated and broken open. One had thick white stuff in it with a very sticky consistency (sorry, that's gross I know). The bump totally went away after this happened. The second bump just recently did this too, but instead of white stuff, it has clear liquid in very small amount and there is a clear irritated opening of the bump now. I'm freaking out that this must be a genital hsv1 infection./outbreak. But, like I said, these particular bumps have been here for weeks, remaining totally under the skin until now.

Any thoughts on this?? Because they have been present for so long, I'm not sure going to get it swabbed would be useful for me. Also of note, my doctor is confident I don't have an hsv1 genital infection .... I've called and seen her more times than I care to admit over the course of 7 months. She has seen similar bumps on me before ... but never popped like this. She doesn't seem concerned, but I fear the worse.

Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Update .... hopefully someone will comment. I'm still experiencing bumps under the skin in that area, on one side (although I did have one on the other side during one of these episodes). The last one went away over a week ago, and things were totally back to normal. Then yesterday, two more randomly appeared in the same areas. Again, they are under the skin like little cysts or pimples; however, one had a little white head on it. This morning, I simply looked at it and touched it and the white puss came out. Like a pimple. No clear fluid or anything else. It's tender to the touch.

I know it's been said that herpes are not white puss filled, but then there are sites that say they absolutely can be. It's confusing. I'm negative for HSVII, and positive for HSVI, so naturally I'm thinking this is an HSVI outbreak (since I've never had a cold sore on my mouth). But it's been going on for awhile ... over a month, which heals and then returns a week later or whatever. Could this be acne or is this presenting as an initial HSVI outbreak? I'm going to try and go to the doctor tomorrow, it will have been 48 hours since this round showed up.

I'm so tired of this :(
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Avatar universal
Thanks, Life .... the bumps themselves only last about 2-3 weeks I'd say, but sometimes once one goes away, another appears days later in a different place, which is why I say it's been going on for about 4 weeks now. I'm just perplexed. What else could this be?! I do shave, and am prone to acne, but there?! I dunno .... the plan is to go in when I get a new one although there is never anything to swab because for weeks, it's like a cyst under the skin. No head, no puss, no fluid .... Just a little bump under the skin.

Anyway, thanks for the response. Much appreciated.
Helpful - 0
3149845 tn?1506627771
Hi, the only way to confirm this is to have a fresh bump swabbed but i would agree that they dont really appear as herpes. Herpes are not white puss filled and come and go in about a week or 2 and most often breakout in the same spot give or take an inch and with on old infection would only be on one side.
Test to confirm so you can put this behind you.
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