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Herpes or not? Very scared and confused!
I am a 25 year old male, recently went to the doctor with these symptoms. My right lymph node was swollen and I had a painful rash on my right buttocks. I also had one small lesion in my right pubic region and two small lesions on my right knee. I don't recall having any fever or flu like symptoms prior. The doctor told me he believed it to be HSV1 or 2 but he wasn't sure. So he took a culture sample of the sores on my buttocks and sent me home with 10 days worth of Acyclovir. He called me that next week and told me there was nothing to worry about and that I had tested negative for both HSV1 and HSV2 but I had tested positive for HZV (Varicella "Chicken pox" virus.) The results came back on a piece of paper that said a PCR was conducted.
I was somewhat relieved but decided to see my normal doctor that next week to run numerous STD tests because I was scared to death I might have something else. My doctor had a blood test taken. We looked for HSV1, HSV2, even HIV to give me peace of mind. A week later we met and he told me all of the results came back negative. The paperwork said IGM a IGG had been conducted. No current or previous exposure had been detected. He said it's looking good but I should be tested again in two months just to be safe. I went home feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
But that night before bed I noticed an itching on the right side of my penis shaft. within a half hour I developed a very small barely noticeable red bump. I just ignored it and went to bed (Tried to sleep anyway.) I woke up the next morning and it was practically gone and I didn't see any other sores. All of my previous lesions from before are nearly gone too, I just finished the last of the acyclovir 1 day ago. I am a total worrier so it's possible I'm blowing this out of proportion but maybe we missed the infection in both tests? I have been with 1 girl in the past 6-7 months she claims to be tested and clean. Before her I have had only 4 sexual partners all said they were tested and clean. Maybe the virus was missed
What are the possibilities of a false negative PCR? I had it done right during this outbreak with a swollen lymph node and blistering sores 2 days after I noticed it.
Was the blood IGG and IGM taken too soon? The doctor said enough time had passed for an antibody reaction.
What should I do next? I am scared and frustrated. Any advice or reassurance would be great.
I was somewhat relieved but decided to see my normal doctor that next week to run numerous STD tests because I was scared to death I might have something else. My doctor had a blood test taken. We looked for HSV1, HSV2, even HIV to give me peace of mind. A week later we met and he told me all of the results came back negative. The paperwork said IGM a IGG had been conducted. No current or previous exposure had been detected. He said it's looking good but I should be tested again in two months just to be safe. I went home feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
But that night before bed I noticed an itching on the right side of my penis shaft. within a half hour I developed a very small barely noticeable red bump. I just ignored it and went to bed (Tried to sleep anyway.) I woke up the next morning and it was practically gone and I didn't see any other sores. All of my previous lesions from before are nearly gone too, I just finished the last of the acyclovir 1 day ago. I am a total worrier so it's possible I'm blowing this out of proportion but maybe we missed the infection in both tests? I have been with 1 girl in the past 6-7 months she claims to be tested and clean. Before her I have had only 4 sexual partners all said they were tested and clean. Maybe the virus was missed
What are the possibilities of a false negative PCR? I had it done right during this outbreak with a swollen lymph node and blistering sores 2 days after I noticed it.
Was the blood IGG and IGM taken too soon? The doctor said enough time had passed for an antibody reaction.
What should I do next? I am scared and frustrated. Any advice or reassurance would be great.
Well I guess it's not going away completely they are still there but the lesions seemed worse last night. Just don't look near as red today. Wondered if this indicated a light outbreak. I'm not really feeling any discomfort from them at all. They just appeared last night and don't look as bad today. I'm driving myself crazy with all of this research so I'm gonna try my best to just chill out until I see the doctor on WED.
Recently developed what looks like 4 very small lesions on my right buttocks, at first I thought they were zits. Again mainly everything has been on my right side. Appeared last night but I didn't notice them until I looked for them. They look better this morning.
Is there still no reason to think I was mistyped with HZV when this is HSV? I'm really starting to wonder if the PCR was wrong now. I have an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday to check in with him again but I feel like this will be too late to have anything cultured. These lesions are pretty small and already seeming to go away. I hear it's not possible for shingles to reoccur like this so that is why I worry. Especially since this is only a few days after I finished taking acyclivor for the old ones which are still healing. I have been under tons of stress. Is the only answer to wait for another blood test?
Also my IGG was negative. I know I was probably tested to soon after the outbreak. But if this is HSV, the negative IGG would likely tell me that I haven't been carrying this for along time right? I most likely just recently acquired it.
Sorry this is stressing me out big time. Thanks for you info.
Is there still no reason to think I was mistyped with HZV when this is HSV? I'm really starting to wonder if the PCR was wrong now. I have an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday to check in with him again but I feel like this will be too late to have anything cultured. These lesions are pretty small and already seeming to go away. I hear it's not possible for shingles to reoccur like this so that is why I worry. Especially since this is only a few days after I finished taking acyclivor for the old ones which are still healing. I have been under tons of stress. Is the only answer to wait for another blood test?
Also my IGG was negative. I know I was probably tested to soon after the outbreak. But if this is HSV, the negative IGG would likely tell me that I haven't been carrying this for along time right? I most likely just recently acquired it.
Sorry this is stressing me out big time. Thanks for you info.
Thank you so much for the info. Been reading other threads on this site, you are very helpful.
it's not unusual to experience itching in the area you had shingles at.
really no reason to think that your culture was mistyped.
really no reason to think that your culture was mistyped.
So Herpes isn't commonly cultured incorrectly as Shingles? I mean the doctor sounded confident when he said it wasn't herpes but I keep reading that PCR's can be false negative 20% of the time on a primary outbreak. Technically it was positive, only for HZV. It just seems weird to me that this would be Shingles in someone my age but I guess a lot of the symptoms are similar. Both doctors said it looked like HSV upon inspection. If I experience another outbreak I guess I should get in as soon as possible and have it cultured again? I really hope I don't though. I keep feeling itching sensations here and there but no sores show up. I think that's all my head cause I'm panicking about it though.
you cultured + for shingles.
If you really need peace of mind, have your partner get a type specific herpes igg blood test and go from there. It would be unusual for the culture to be misidentified but it does happen. odds are though that you really did have a shingles recurrence and not herpes simplex.
grace
If you really need peace of mind, have your partner get a type specific herpes igg blood test and go from there. It would be unusual for the culture to be misidentified but it does happen. odds are though that you really did have a shingles recurrence and not herpes simplex.
grace
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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.
