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Chicken Pox or Herpes?? Very Very Confused!!
I do realize not to self diagnose, but what I am looking for here is insight, advice, similar experiences and the thoughts of others.
I am a 21 year old female who experiencing something strange.
On May 18th, 2010, I had PROTECTED sex with a guy who has been more of an aquiantance than anything else. I then performed oral sex on him without a condom, then we continued with more sexual activity (again, protected sex.) After the encounter, I had no physical symptoms of anything that would be of concern.
I recall a couple weeks later, I went out for ice cream with my family and noticed a red pimple looking bump on my inner thigh, half way between my groin and knee. The pimple appeared to have a white head with a red base. The constant stratching at the area is what drew my attention there. I picked at it (thinking it was a pimple) and it had a clear mucous, then scarred.
June 17th, I had a menstrual cycle and shaved "down there" still all appeared fine. June 21st, things changed a bit. After I returned home from the gym I went to take a shower and use the restroom. I noticed that I had a sore on the left side of my perineum that burned as urine flowed over it. Alarmed, I checked the entire area in a mirror. I saw that on my left labia I had a bigger open sore that burned tremendously as urine passed over it. I called planned parenthood and made an appointment for June 28th. As I waited for my appointment, I kept checking the area. I also had a few more of the "pimples" one on my leg, and one right on top of my butt cheek. I popped those, and like the first one, they too left scars. When it came time for my appointment, I was seen by a NP. She asked if I had headache's I told her yes, she asked if I had any tingling sensations. I told her yes. Fever?.. No. Pain?... No, besides the burn of urine over the sore. She asked me all of these questions with Genital Herpes in mind. She then performed a viral culture and gave me a script for Acyclovir. Then she told me that she'd like me to come back in two weeks. The Acyclovir did nothing for me. So I stopped taking it. About a week later, the sores we're completely gone but left two tiny scars or black mole looking things. I never messed with those sores for fear of what they might be, so I am not sure why I have these scars or pigment changes inside my vagina. Everything that I've read about herpes states that once the virus goes dormant, the skin heals back to normal or as it was initially. Anyway, 13 days later, I received a call from the nurse who told me that the viral culture came back positive for herpes but she did not tell me which type, and for some reason at the time, i did not think to ask. From then on, I have been getting little pimple/blister like bumps all over my body, my chest, my back, my legs, my arms, my face, and i think possibly my scalp. They are not clustered. I have never had clustered blistered through any of this. They look EXACTLY like chicken pox and they also itch. I try to avoid touching them at all costs. My mother is a nurse and thinks that it also looks like chickpox. I am experiencing the tingling sensation ALL OVER my body; it's not just confined to one place. I asked the guy if he was clean or had any history of having an STD and he said no, not that I can just take his word for it. Also, the sore on my left labia was touching the skin of the right labia, since herpes is contagious especially in mucous membranes, wouldn't it spread? The sore was unilateral not bilateral, same for the sore on my perineum which was on the left side. No sore appeared on the right side.
Im not sure if they we're able to idenify what type of virus is causing this, hsv 1, hsv 2, or chickenpox (vzv)! It does not look like shingles, it looks look chickenpox. Since chickenpox is a member of the herpes family, could it be possible for the viral culture to be positive and because it happened to be in my genitals the nurse chalked it up as that? I know that chickenpox can appear anywhere on the body, including the mouth, eyes, and vagina. I would find it odd if what I am experiencing on my chest and back is from hsv 1 or hsv 2. Has anyone had or have heard of anything like this??? I am going nuts. I am planning on calling planned parenthood and asking for the type of virus they found in the culture. Thanks in advance to anyone who can reply. Sorry this was so long but I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice!
I am a 21 year old female who experiencing something strange.
On May 18th, 2010, I had PROTECTED sex with a guy who has been more of an aquiantance than anything else. I then performed oral sex on him without a condom, then we continued with more sexual activity (again, protected sex.) After the encounter, I had no physical symptoms of anything that would be of concern.
I recall a couple weeks later, I went out for ice cream with my family and noticed a red pimple looking bump on my inner thigh, half way between my groin and knee. The pimple appeared to have a white head with a red base. The constant stratching at the area is what drew my attention there. I picked at it (thinking it was a pimple) and it had a clear mucous, then scarred.
June 17th, I had a menstrual cycle and shaved "down there" still all appeared fine. June 21st, things changed a bit. After I returned home from the gym I went to take a shower and use the restroom. I noticed that I had a sore on the left side of my perineum that burned as urine flowed over it. Alarmed, I checked the entire area in a mirror. I saw that on my left labia I had a bigger open sore that burned tremendously as urine passed over it. I called planned parenthood and made an appointment for June 28th. As I waited for my appointment, I kept checking the area. I also had a few more of the "pimples" one on my leg, and one right on top of my butt cheek. I popped those, and like the first one, they too left scars. When it came time for my appointment, I was seen by a NP. She asked if I had headache's I told her yes, she asked if I had any tingling sensations. I told her yes. Fever?.. No. Pain?... No, besides the burn of urine over the sore. She asked me all of these questions with Genital Herpes in mind. She then performed a viral culture and gave me a script for Acyclovir. Then she told me that she'd like me to come back in two weeks. The Acyclovir did nothing for me. So I stopped taking it. About a week later, the sores we're completely gone but left two tiny scars or black mole looking things. I never messed with those sores for fear of what they might be, so I am not sure why I have these scars or pigment changes inside my vagina. Everything that I've read about herpes states that once the virus goes dormant, the skin heals back to normal or as it was initially. Anyway, 13 days later, I received a call from the nurse who told me that the viral culture came back positive for herpes but she did not tell me which type, and for some reason at the time, i did not think to ask. From then on, I have been getting little pimple/blister like bumps all over my body, my chest, my back, my legs, my arms, my face, and i think possibly my scalp. They are not clustered. I have never had clustered blistered through any of this. They look EXACTLY like chicken pox and they also itch. I try to avoid touching them at all costs. My mother is a nurse and thinks that it also looks like chickpox. I am experiencing the tingling sensation ALL OVER my body; it's not just confined to one place. I asked the guy if he was clean or had any history of having an STD and he said no, not that I can just take his word for it. Also, the sore on my left labia was touching the skin of the right labia, since herpes is contagious especially in mucous membranes, wouldn't it spread? The sore was unilateral not bilateral, same for the sore on my perineum which was on the left side. No sore appeared on the right side.
Im not sure if they we're able to idenify what type of virus is causing this, hsv 1, hsv 2, or chickenpox (vzv)! It does not look like shingles, it looks look chickenpox. Since chickenpox is a member of the herpes family, could it be possible for the viral culture to be positive and because it happened to be in my genitals the nurse chalked it up as that? I know that chickenpox can appear anywhere on the body, including the mouth, eyes, and vagina. I would find it odd if what I am experiencing on my chest and back is from hsv 1 or hsv 2. Has anyone had or have heard of anything like this??? I am going nuts. I am planning on calling planned parenthood and asking for the type of virus they found in the culture. Thanks in advance to anyone who can reply. Sorry this was so long but I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice!
chicken pox isn't going to show up on this many body parts over this period of time. I'm assuming you were vaccinated for it and even if you didn't get enough protection from the vaccine and did actually get chicken pox, you'd feel a lot sicker along with this rash. Adults who get chicken pox are miserable!!!
You need to see your doctor today or tomorrow for this rash. odds are this is something else going on. if they suspect it's chicken pox or even say shingles ( which shingles doesn't occur on this many body parts either ) - insist on a culture to confirm it.
your genital culture was + for herpes simplex, not herpes zoster. the lab can tell the difference.
you also can ask your provider to order up a type specific herpes igg blood test to see if you have hsv1 or hsv2 since you weren't told type when you had your culture done. also they can fax a permission for records sheet to PP and have your lesion culture results sent to your regular doctor too to have as part of your record there.
grace
You need to see your doctor today or tomorrow for this rash. odds are this is something else going on. if they suspect it's chicken pox or even say shingles ( which shingles doesn't occur on this many body parts either ) - insist on a culture to confirm it.
your genital culture was + for herpes simplex, not herpes zoster. the lab can tell the difference.
you also can ask your provider to order up a type specific herpes igg blood test to see if you have hsv1 or hsv2 since you weren't told type when you had your culture done. also they can fax a permission for records sheet to PP and have your lesion culture results sent to your regular doctor too to have as part of your record there.
grace
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
