Aa
Could it be something else?
Hi, i'm new to this forum. (I wish I could say i'm happy to be here but I'm not!)
Here's my story. 5 days ago while in the shower while washing up down there i noticed a bump on my left l lip. thinking it was an ingrown hair or a pimple I tried to squeeze it but nothing came out except some clear ooze. It was quite sore when I squeezed it, like a pimple being squeezed. anyway, i left it.
the next day i noticed that the same area had swelled and created a scab there where I had squeezed. the scab was spread in 2 small areas and then closer to my thigh, where the leg joins the groin, i saw another bump and tried to squeeze that one as well. not smart i know. nothing came out except the ooze. so I left it.
I put some Fusicort cream on it to calm the swelling but it didn't help. I booked an appointment at the Gynaecologist and saw him yesterday. told him what happened, he examined me and told me it looks like herpes.
I'm still in shock. he said it is in the final stages and when i have another outbreak (which he said will happend now that it's in my body) i should go and see him at the first signs. Dr. has prescribed Zovirax as topical treatment.
My problem is that I have only had sex with one man... my fiance. There was no one else before him. I know that he had someone before me but we have been sexually active for 2 yrs now and this is the first sign of any problem.
Is it possible that I have something else and not herpes? The wound stings a little and is sensitive to the touch. And since last night i have been feeling a sort of numbing pain on the left side of my buttocks, the part that has most contact with a chair when seated... nearest to the rectum. Feels like I had a hard exercise workout.
In January while on holiday my fiance developed a very bad 'rash' in his rectum area with very bad itching, redness, sort of blistery effect but after putting a topical cream which we got from the pharmacy (can't remember the name) it went away. He also happened to be very sick during the holiday, in bed with bad fever and nausea and when we got back home he went to the dr. who said he had a virus and gave him an injection but we forgot to tell him about the rash on his bottom as at the time we did not think there was a relation but now, I am thinking there is a huge relation.
He has not suffered from a repeated rash since. We thought it might have been brought on from sweating and the heat.
Can someone help? Is my fiance's rash and fevers in early January related to my recent symptoms down there?
Could it be something other than herpes? I am very upset and slightly depressed by all this.
Thanx
Smiley79
Here's my story. 5 days ago while in the shower while washing up down there i noticed a bump on my left l lip. thinking it was an ingrown hair or a pimple I tried to squeeze it but nothing came out except some clear ooze. It was quite sore when I squeezed it, like a pimple being squeezed. anyway, i left it.
the next day i noticed that the same area had swelled and created a scab there where I had squeezed. the scab was spread in 2 small areas and then closer to my thigh, where the leg joins the groin, i saw another bump and tried to squeeze that one as well. not smart i know. nothing came out except the ooze. so I left it.
I put some Fusicort cream on it to calm the swelling but it didn't help. I booked an appointment at the Gynaecologist and saw him yesterday. told him what happened, he examined me and told me it looks like herpes.
I'm still in shock. he said it is in the final stages and when i have another outbreak (which he said will happend now that it's in my body) i should go and see him at the first signs. Dr. has prescribed Zovirax as topical treatment.
My problem is that I have only had sex with one man... my fiance. There was no one else before him. I know that he had someone before me but we have been sexually active for 2 yrs now and this is the first sign of any problem.
Is it possible that I have something else and not herpes? The wound stings a little and is sensitive to the touch. And since last night i have been feeling a sort of numbing pain on the left side of my buttocks, the part that has most contact with a chair when seated... nearest to the rectum. Feels like I had a hard exercise workout.
In January while on holiday my fiance developed a very bad 'rash' in his rectum area with very bad itching, redness, sort of blistery effect but after putting a topical cream which we got from the pharmacy (can't remember the name) it went away. He also happened to be very sick during the holiday, in bed with bad fever and nausea and when we got back home he went to the dr. who said he had a virus and gave him an injection but we forgot to tell him about the rash on his bottom as at the time we did not think there was a relation but now, I am thinking there is a huge relation.
He has not suffered from a repeated rash since. We thought it might have been brought on from sweating and the heat.
Can someone help? Is my fiance's rash and fevers in early January related to my recent symptoms down there?
Could it be something other than herpes? I am very upset and slightly depressed by all this.
Thanx
Smiley79
Take a benadryl before bedtime - will help you fall asleep and help with the itching at night so you can sleep.
I have no idea how you would properly make a chamomile tea bath - perhaps try epsom salts ( instructions for how many cups on the side of the box ) or even throw in a packet of aveeno bath - both are helpful for sore, itchy and irritated skin.
since you are red and irritated - try a barrier cream during the day like a&d, desitin, zinc oxide etc. Helps protect irritated skin and to heal it.
The dose of valtrex for a presumed new infection is 1gm 2x/day for 7-10 days. To be honest, at this point if this really is herpes, it's too far into things for the antivirals to really do anything anyways :(
update us when you get the culture results back - darn shame they didn't have any testing in the office to give you quicker answers.
grace
I have no idea how you would properly make a chamomile tea bath - perhaps try epsom salts ( instructions for how many cups on the side of the box ) or even throw in a packet of aveeno bath - both are helpful for sore, itchy and irritated skin.
since you are red and irritated - try a barrier cream during the day like a&d, desitin, zinc oxide etc. Helps protect irritated skin and to heal it.
The dose of valtrex for a presumed new infection is 1gm 2x/day for 7-10 days. To be honest, at this point if this really is herpes, it's too far into things for the antivirals to really do anything anyways :(
update us when you get the culture results back - darn shame they didn't have any testing in the office to give you quicker answers.
grace
good morning to both of you... thought i'd update you.... and grace you'd be happy to see i got a 2nd opinion
i didn't get a chance to read the posts yesterday but i couldn't take the anxiety anymore so i called my dr. (my general practitioner whom i trust and can confide in). told him what i was going through for the past 10 days and he told me to go to his office so he could see me. a little embarrased, he checked me down there and according to him it does not seem like herpes. he did say that i have secretions and discharge and that my labiam minora is very inflamed and irritated. said that something is causing this irritation and it's either something inside you or its something that's gone inside you. he also noted that i have a haemorroid outside the anus and there's a small little 'lump' nearby which is felt after applying pressure with the finger a little to the left of the anus.
he took me by the hand and took me to the clinics gynaecologist who after hearing the history examined me and he took 2 culture samples from inside my cervix. too late to do swab tests as the sores have healed and are closed and he said he needs the wounds to be fresh and open so the juices can be sampled and tested. he didn't give me his final diagnosis but he did put me on valtrex as a precaution (something that the intial examination that my gynaecologist was supposed to do but didn't!!) i'm taking a dose of 3 x 500mg tablets a day (instead of the usual 6 x 500mg tablets a day as per dr. information to me).
i get the results of the cervix culture in 2days. these tests cost me an arm and a leg so i hope we find something out!!!! when i get the results then i'll take it from there. but i don't accept a herpes diagnosis with just a physical exam from the first dr.
the past 3 nights i haven't slept well at all. the itchiness in the vaginal area is very bad and unbearable. dr. told me to wash with chamomile tea down there. it's supposed to soothe the area which helps for a while but at night the itchiness seems to get worse! i feel like scraping at my insides! how bad! anyway, thanks for the help guys. i'll post the lab results of the cervix culture as soon as i get them. keep your fingers crossed. i don't know what i should be hoping for... herpes or that it's something else. you know what they say 'be careful what you wish you for!'
Smiley79
i didn't get a chance to read the posts yesterday but i couldn't take the anxiety anymore so i called my dr. (my general practitioner whom i trust and can confide in). told him what i was going through for the past 10 days and he told me to go to his office so he could see me. a little embarrased, he checked me down there and according to him it does not seem like herpes. he did say that i have secretions and discharge and that my labiam minora is very inflamed and irritated. said that something is causing this irritation and it's either something inside you or its something that's gone inside you. he also noted that i have a haemorroid outside the anus and there's a small little 'lump' nearby which is felt after applying pressure with the finger a little to the left of the anus.
he took me by the hand and took me to the clinics gynaecologist who after hearing the history examined me and he took 2 culture samples from inside my cervix. too late to do swab tests as the sores have healed and are closed and he said he needs the wounds to be fresh and open so the juices can be sampled and tested. he didn't give me his final diagnosis but he did put me on valtrex as a precaution (something that the intial examination that my gynaecologist was supposed to do but didn't!!) i'm taking a dose of 3 x 500mg tablets a day (instead of the usual 6 x 500mg tablets a day as per dr. information to me).
i get the results of the cervix culture in 2days. these tests cost me an arm and a leg so i hope we find something out!!!! when i get the results then i'll take it from there. but i don't accept a herpes diagnosis with just a physical exam from the first dr.
the past 3 nights i haven't slept well at all. the itchiness in the vaginal area is very bad and unbearable. dr. told me to wash with chamomile tea down there. it's supposed to soothe the area which helps for a while but at night the itchiness seems to get worse! i feel like scraping at my insides! how bad! anyway, thanks for the help guys. i'll post the lab results of the cervix culture as soon as i get them. keep your fingers crossed. i don't know what i should be hoping for... herpes or that it's something else. you know what they say 'be careful what you wish you for!'
Smiley79
Obviously if this is herpes, one of you came into the relationship with it. Since your provider did not test you yet to see if you had it before this and never knew it, BOTH of you need tested now to see who has what and then you can go from there.This is the right baseline testing to have done to determine what further testing either of you need done.
If your gyn says you don't need to come and be seen ( you absolutely can not be diagnosed over the phone for this - you need proper testing of your vaginal secretions done ) or refuses to test you properly for herpes, seek out another provider for a 2nd opinion. It is not time for a dermatologist at this point - a gyn or even your regular doctor are better options since they are more comfortable in general with the genital area than derm docs are as far as basic testing.
grace
If your gyn says you don't need to come and be seen ( you absolutely can not be diagnosed over the phone for this - you need proper testing of your vaginal secretions done ) or refuses to test you properly for herpes, seek out another provider for a 2nd opinion. It is not time for a dermatologist at this point - a gyn or even your regular doctor are better options since they are more comfortable in general with the genital area than derm docs are as far as basic testing.
grace
As Grace stated:
"You need to go back and be seen and get re-evaluated. Get your vaginal secretions tested for yeast and bacterial infections too. Both you and your bf should get blood tests now to see who has what and go from there."
See your doctor and get tested for goodness sake!
"You need to go back and be seen and get re-evaluated. Get your vaginal secretions tested for yeast and bacterial infections too. Both you and your bf should get blood tests now to see who has what and go from there."
See your doctor and get tested for goodness sake!
thank you for your continuous concern and assistance. i check this website everyday and it's become my only solace. my fiance is very understanding and says i should also check what my dermatologist has to say about all this. but i think i should stick with the gynaecologist. i'm not sure i'll be able to convince him (the gynaecologist) to run bloodwork though since he said there's no point. (he didn't explain why). i'm going to call him today and tell him about the itchiness down there. see what he says. i'll keep you posted.
one more thing, in other posts you suggest to members to get tested after 4 months of exposure or outbreak. but in your post above you say my bf and i should get tested now. if we do get tested now how accurate will the results be?
i didn't get any sleep last night because of the constant itchy feeling down there. i refuse to scratch it though for fear of spreading whatever it is i have!
one more thing, in other posts you suggest to members to get tested after 4 months of exposure or outbreak. but in your post above you say my bf and i should get tested now. if we do get tested now how accurate will the results be?
i didn't get any sleep last night because of the constant itchy feeling down there. i refuse to scratch it though for fear of spreading whatever it is i have!
You need to go back and be seen and get re-evaluated. Get your vaginal secretions tested for yeast and bacterial infections too.
Do not wax until you have found out what is going on and have properly treated it and things are back to normal down yonder.
Both you and your bf should get blood tests now to see who has what and go from there.
grace
Do not wax until you have found out what is going on and have properly treated it and things are back to normal down yonder.
Both you and your bf should get blood tests now to see who has what and go from there.
grace
I forgot to mention that i also have a slight burning feeling, almost like carpet burn feeling, on my buttocks where a crease forms while standing....
any ideas why?? only on the left side, same side the breakout occured in genital area.
also, how soon after a breakout can i get my bikini area waxed? (not brazilian).
any ideas why?? only on the left side, same side the breakout occured in genital area.
also, how soon after a breakout can i get my bikini area waxed? (not brazilian).
Hi Grace,
thanks for your time. You didn't say whether it is worth my while to get blood tests done now? or should I wait 12 weeks?
I'm glad to say that the sores are almost gone. looks like the Zovirax is working after all. (it's been 10days now) but what's bothering me now is a constant itchiness in my genital area and sometimes near the opening of my vagina. Lots of tingles where the sores were and I feel like i just want to scratch at it badly. But i resist the urge and leave it alone, it is very bothersome though.
do you have any ideas why i have this? do you think i have a yeast infection now? God I hope not.
also feeling very tired the past 2 days.
hope to hear from you soon. (or anyone else)
a little more smiley today!!!
thanks for your time. You didn't say whether it is worth my while to get blood tests done now? or should I wait 12 weeks?
I'm glad to say that the sores are almost gone. looks like the Zovirax is working after all. (it's been 10days now) but what's bothering me now is a constant itchiness in my genital area and sometimes near the opening of my vagina. Lots of tingles where the sores were and I feel like i just want to scratch at it badly. But i resist the urge and leave it alone, it is very bothersome though.
do you have any ideas why i have this? do you think i have a yeast infection now? God I hope not.
also feeling very tired the past 2 days.
hope to hear from you soon. (or anyone else)
a little more smiley today!!!
You and your partner both need blood tests done in order to get a better idea of what's going on. It's a shame the provider you saw is so misinformed about herpes and treatments :( They are not following the cdc's guidelines and I"d be sure to call the manager of that clinic and point that out to them.
grace
grace
Hello Grace and thank you for your post.
just to update this thread... It's been 8 days now since the first sighting down there. i've been using the Zovirax from the 4th day onwards till today so in total Zovirax being used for 5 days so far. the sores seem to be healing but there's still a tingling and sometimes stinging sensation that shoots into me for no reason. i have no pain when urinating. and yesterday i went swimming in the sea which i thought would be war but i think the salty water actually helped to soothe the wounds! anyone experienced this?
the buttocks pain has subsided as well. i have been going commando for 5 days now (which is quite nice to be honest) and i think that's also helped with the healing process.)
Grace, could my symptoms be related to another infection or another illness?? what else can cause sores down there besides the herpes virus?
i called my dr. this morning because i'm still quite anxious about this whole diagnosis. i told him i'd like to do a blood test to see if it is in fact herpes that I've got. and he said that the blood test will not tell us anything! he said the next time i have an outbreak i must call him and go immediately to see him so he can do a culture and send that for tests. i asked him if there's a possibility that it is not herpes and is something and he answered no, it is classical herpes symptoms. as if that should make me feel better! he didn't help me much but then again dr's are not here to lie to us. but at least i'd like the scientific proof of a blood test that his diagnosis is correct.
should i go to my family dr. and ask for a blood test? or is it a waste of time now? do blood tests have to be done in between outbreaks? i'm confused.
sorry for the questions and the frustration!
just to update this thread... It's been 8 days now since the first sighting down there. i've been using the Zovirax from the 4th day onwards till today so in total Zovirax being used for 5 days so far. the sores seem to be healing but there's still a tingling and sometimes stinging sensation that shoots into me for no reason. i have no pain when urinating. and yesterday i went swimming in the sea which i thought would be war but i think the salty water actually helped to soothe the wounds! anyone experienced this?
the buttocks pain has subsided as well. i have been going commando for 5 days now (which is quite nice to be honest) and i think that's also helped with the healing process.)
Grace, could my symptoms be related to another infection or another illness?? what else can cause sores down there besides the herpes virus?
i called my dr. this morning because i'm still quite anxious about this whole diagnosis. i told him i'd like to do a blood test to see if it is in fact herpes that I've got. and he said that the blood test will not tell us anything! he said the next time i have an outbreak i must call him and go immediately to see him so he can do a culture and send that for tests. i asked him if there's a possibility that it is not herpes and is something and he answered no, it is classical herpes symptoms. as if that should make me feel better! he didn't help me much but then again dr's are not here to lie to us. but at least i'd like the scientific proof of a blood test that his diagnosis is correct.
should i go to my family dr. and ask for a blood test? or is it a waste of time now? do blood tests have to be done in between outbreaks? i'm confused.
sorry for the questions and the frustration!
Could your man have had herpes and never knew it? Sure could. At this point you both need testing to find out what is going on. Since it sounds too late for your testing to be of much use, at this point he should get a type specific herpes igg blood test and then go from there. Should you get a recurrence of your symptoms, go and be seen that day and insist on a lesion culture and typing - in this day and age just a visual diagnosis is completely unacceptable!
Topical zovirax cream is also worthless. It won't speed healing of genital herpes much at all. This is plainly stated in the prescribing info and your provider erred in prescribing it to you as the only treatment.
I encourage you to read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com for accurate info on herpes. It's free to read online or print out at home.
grace
Topical zovirax cream is also worthless. It won't speed healing of genital herpes much at all. This is plainly stated in the prescribing info and your provider erred in prescribing it to you as the only treatment.
I encourage you to read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com for accurate info on herpes. It's free to read online or print out at home.
grace
I am sorry to hear you have to deal with this. The disease is manageable, but the anxiety of not knowing exactly what you're dealing with is beyond frustrating. I recommend getting bloodwork done to with the IGG test that looks for HSV1 and HSV2 antibodies. If your bodies have been fighting this thing for a few months, the tests will show that. Of course a culture test verifies the location which is also a factor as it is possible to get genital HSV1, although the breakouts are far and few between and more mild primarily.
There is also a western blot test that is supposedly very accurate but it might be harder to get ahold of, I believe washington? university is where it would need to be sent to.
It is possible this is herpes, but even if you are hit bad with HSV2 - there are antiviral drugs like famvir? that can be used to suppress the virus. Other than that it is a nuisance.
Best of luck to us all
There is also a western blot test that is supposedly very accurate but it might be harder to get ahold of, I believe washington? university is where it would need to be sent to.
It is possible this is herpes, but even if you are hit bad with HSV2 - there are antiviral drugs like famvir? that can be used to suppress the virus. Other than that it is a nuisance.
Best of luck to us all
I'm in the same situation in the way that it has taken over my life! I am waiting on my culture and blood results. But, my Dr. said mine didn't look like herpes. I have convinced myself that it is because I can't find or come up with another explanation. But I'm praying with you that mine isn't herpes. Like you, I am sort of depressed. I feel like crying all the time over this. I posted my symptoms on this board yesterday and nobody has replied to mine either! I guess nothing is going to help me until I get my test results back.
thanks for the post.... i'll try be patient but this thing has sort of taken over my life! in just a matter of days it's like i've become a different person (not towards others but towards myself). i can't believe this is happening and i'm praying Lord knows i am praying that this is not herpes.
and i'm not sure i can wait for the next outbreak for the dr to do tests.
what should i do to know for sure if its herpes i have or not? should i go back to dr and ask for tests? which tests?
what symptoms do you have?
sorry for all the questions but i'm feeling a little lost.
trying to be smiley!
and i'm not sure i can wait for the next outbreak for the dr to do tests.
what should i do to know for sure if its herpes i have or not? should i go back to dr and ask for tests? which tests?
what symptoms do you have?
sorry for all the questions but i'm feeling a little lost.
trying to be smiley!
I am a recent (and as I just discovered maybe not really) diagnosed HSV patient so I really don't think I can help. But yes, people are out there. :D
Be patient.
Be patient.
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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.
