Testing Question

[californiadude1980]

Hey Terri,

I had a Western Blot done and it was negative at 6.5 months.  I have not had a "classic outbreak", but continue to have daily symptoms; achy groin, muscle twitching, stinging pains, pulling on my inner thighs, etc.  I have not had any encounters between the one 6.5 months ago and now.  My question is, have you ever seen a person that tests negative on a Western Blot at 6.5 months post exposure seroconvert after that?  Thanks for your help.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Dude!  It isn't true that most people with herpes don't have symptoms!  It is that most people with herpes do have lesions, but they don't recognize them as being herpes.  That's because they show up in areas that are not considered genital or they confuse the lesions with something else because they aren't painful or typical in appearance, but once we diagnose someone with herpes, most are able to identify an outbreak of some kind within 3-6 months.  

No, I do not think you are infected.  We are so finished here.

Terri

[californiadude1980]

Hey Terri, did you see my last question?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I'm sorry, but you can't post a new post on someone else's thread, you have to have your own, please.

Terri

[lovebugg430]

So I'm confused and need some help! I went to the doctor because I had some itching and burning in my vagina. When the doctor saw what my vagina looked like she said she was 97% sure it was genital herpes so I got a DNA culture done. It came back negative. So I went in and got a blood test and it come back positive. Do I have genital herpes or not?

[californiadude1980]

Ok, thanks for your response. Let me ask one final question: if my symptoms sound herpetic to you if their was a lesion, but most of the time genital herpes doesn't present as lesions, wouldn't you say there is a realistic chance I contracted the virus?

I know my blood tests are negative, but how can I dismiss herpetic symptoms?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Let me say that if the symptoms were happening when a lesion that was swab test positive, that would not be unexpected.

Terri

[californiadude1980]

Thanks for your reply, Terri.  So when you say the symptoms don't sound like herpes on their own, would they sound herpetic if accompanied by a lesion?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

No, I have not.  The extremely few people that I have seen with positive swab tests and negative western blots never seroconverted.  Period.  Plus the symptoms that you describe, on their own, sound nothing like herpes  

If you were thirsty a lot ( one of the indicators of diabetes) and your clinicians ran a blood sugar test and it was normal, would you continue to believe that you had diabetes?  No, you would believe them.  The same is true of the western blot.  If you had sores,that would be different.  Especially if you had sores that tested positive for herpes!  But you don't.  If you can't accept that you don't have herpes at this point, I really feel that you need help from a professional gaining acceptance of your test results.

Terri