Confused. igM.

Last year I got tested for herpes 1 & 2. Here are my results:

HSV 1
igM - POSITIVE
igG - WEAKLY POSITIVE


HSV 2
igM - POSITIVE
igG - WEAKLY POSITIVE

There were no figures. Just these.

Then I did a test with another lab and my results showed that igG for HSV 1 was 1.75 and the igG for HSV 2 was 2.4.

Does this mean that I had recenty acquired the herpes infection? I didn't/don't have any symptoms.
help.

[gracefromHHP]

the lab that was reporting as "weakly positive" needs to improve their reporting method. I'm sure a heck of a lot of folks have been wrongly diagnosed due to that method :(


Your hsv2 igg is a low positive. when did you last have sex prior to testing? If it's been at least 4 months then you need to confirm your status with either a herpes biokit hsv2 igg blood test or a herpes WB.  Neither of these are likely available through the lab your provider is using so it'll be up to him to order it for you from the U of washington lab .  http://depts.washington.edu/rspvirus/herpes.htm  has the education and the info your provider needs to order this for you if you are in the US.

grace

[Mistakeguy789]

I won't interpret your results as I am not trained in that area.

However, if it was me I would ask for a confirmation test on the HSV-2 as the numbers are in a range that is most times a false positive.  

If your HSV-1 is accurate you are like about 50% of the US adult population who has HSV-1 Oral (cold sores / fever blisters).  Which we got from childhood from that kiss from auntie or grandma.  Most of us won't make it to the old folks home without HSV-1.  

[JJ987]

Thanks for that response. But if both the igM and the igG are positive, doesn't that mean i have herpes?

Somebody, HELPPPPPPPP :'(

[petal130]

Disregard the IgM test, it is pretty much worthless for diagnosing herpes, as it picks up other viruses as well. As mistakeguy said, your IgG test is really inconclusive without numbers. One either has herpes or they don't, so "weakly positive" does you no good in knowing.

[JJ987]

@ petal, my nos were
igG for HSV 1 was 1.75
igG for HSV 2 was 2.4

I don't think i have any symptoms.

but if both the igM and igG were both positive (by test #1 for both and then test #2 for IgG) what does that mean? I re-did the test (with sane lalb) and my nos were both under 2.

I'm really sad. There's someone who's interested in me and I have to tell about my hsv status. They've never had sex before. This is going to be hard.

[JJ987]

@ mistakeguy789, what confirmatory test can i do (beside WB). seeing that i got tested 3 times.

[gracefromHHP]

the lab that was reporting as "weakly positive" needs to improve their reporting method. I'm sure a heck of a lot of folks have been wrongly diagnosed due to that method :(


Your hsv2 igg is a low positive. when did you last have sex prior to testing? If it's been at least 4 months then you need to confirm your status with either a herpes biokit hsv2 igg blood test or a herpes WB.  Neither of these are likely available through the lab your provider is using so it'll be up to him to order it for you from the U of washington lab .  http://depts.washington.edu/rspvirus/herpes.htm  has the education and the info your provider needs to order this for you if you are in the US.

grace

[JJ987]

yes, that lab sucks. i even called to get some more info and they were very impolite and unhelpful. I'm not in the US so confirmatory testing seems a no. a doctor told me today that i do have herpes and the igM result meant that i was going thru a current infection. I re-tested today...he told me i was wasting my time.

don't know how a love interest will respond :'(

[JJ987]

And the doctor even said that results that were >3.3 are very difficult to get seeing that they had to extrapolate to get these based on some procedure in the lab (Elisa assays) based on the amount of antibodies found in a particular volume of solution. Too technical to understand then and much less explain to you. But basically he was saying once the result is over 0.99, you sure you have it. No "false positive".

:'(

[gracefromHHP]

he is wrong with his information as far as no false positives. plenty of studies out there now on that. Also a zillion posts here from Terri Warren, Hunter Handsfield and Ned Hook on that topic - all 3 are very involved in herpes research and also chat with other top of the field herpes researchers too. It's a very known issue and if you haven't had any obvious lesions to culture, it's worthwhile following up on.

If you aren't in the US, look for a herpes support group near you that has someone there like me who can help you get confirmatory testing in your area.  I'm not familiar with options for confirming status outside of the US since they vary so much.

grace

[JJ987]

Thank you so kindly for your feedback. You do give me hope. I will look at the posts from the ppl you mentioned. And will try to find out about a support group that may help. Thanks again.