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HSV1 INFECTION
I am female and in my late 40's. I have never had oral sex up until 6 months ago (receiving). My first sexual experience with a new partner had oral sex. A week later I noticed my vagina felt sore (3 out of 10)and it burned when I peed gone in a week. On time, I had kissed him vigorously with his sharp beard. Within 15 minutes, my lip swelled up and was sore. There was one or two pimples on the inside of my bottom lip red, no fluid. Went to dr and he gave me Valtrex and Antihistamine adn said he didn't know try both. I took 1 day dose of Valtrex and symptoms completely gone next day. I had oral sex with my new partner 2 days after (received and given). He kissed me then gave oral sex. I gave him oral sex as well. 10 days after this encounter, I experienced that same irritation in my vagina same as before . This occurred for 4 days. On the 5th day, I had sex with my partner lots of oral sex in anal and vaginal area. After a few hours of sex, I experienced lower abdominal pain and burning inside my vagina. I went straight to dr afterwards, he looked at my cervix, said it looked great and no herpes sores. STDs all came back negative (no blood work). The next day I had horrible swelling and watery discharge, I went to another dr who looked in my cervix and said everything fine adn outside no sores. My symptoms have been on going for 2 months with leg pain, pins and needles down my legs and inner thighs, burning in my vaginal area especially when sitting, walking I am fine. I have had 1 sore swabbed and vaginal fluid came back negative. Waiting for results on what everyone is telling me is a bartholomew cyst. No sores are ever painful even when popped. Waiting for results for all STDs done over again and some blood work. If it is hsv1 in my genital area and I have had outbreaks on and off for 2 months (very little off), then does that mean I am going to be one of those unlucky people that get constant hsv1 outbreaks. What is your professional opinion?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Not likely to influence the test but if you were our patient, we would advise not taking this medicine without a herpes diagnosis in your situation. Your call
Now we are really done here. I will neither answer nor respond to further posts on this thread.
Terri
Now we are really done here. I will neither answer nor respond to further posts on this thread.
Terri
I took a blood test b4 taking valtrex.
If I complete the 10 day prescription will this impact if I take another blood test in a month? (It has been 10 weeks since my first suspe te exposure)
If I complete the 10 day prescription will this impact if I take another blood test in a month? (It has been 10 weeks since my first suspe te exposure)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If you take Valtrex, it could well change your antibody test result when you take one. Are you aware of that? Four days won't impact the test, but I think if you want to do an antibody test later to find out your status and you have no typical herpes symptoms, I think you should consider whether you want to take this medicine or not.
Like I said, we are done here until you have antibody test results.
Terri
Like I said, we are done here until you have antibody test results.
Terri
Vaginal swab of a sore w white pus that drs did not think was herpes came bck negative. All std tests negative. Bacteria swab on labia came up w am overgrowth of bacteria but dr said this was normal. No bv. No blood test results yet. I am assumin I will be hsv1 positive bc statistics say....so now what? All sores or pimples swabbing negative. Vaginal fluid negative. Blood tests pending. On 10 day valtrex anyway for 4 days.....pain in leg and vagina not as severe but was subsiding anyway b4 I took medication. Now what? Do I just wait for another episode? And how do I continue with a normal sex life? I feel like there is a potential I could infect someone.....even though all swab tests negative....what do u tell ur patients? Thx again for ur help and advice!!! The dr just told me to have partner wear a condom and I don't have Ito disclose. Could I have herpes w such bad vaginal and leg pain with absolutely no sores? Everyone is tellig me it's impossible. With my discomfort I should be full of sores. Anyway nothing is 100%...jut stuck in limbo.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The statistics support that he may well have HSV 1.
Herpes doesnt' "spread like wildfire" throughout the body. If you do have herpes, which we have no idea that you do, it will stay in the nerve groups affected. That's the area from waist to mid thigh for genital herpes and the face for oral herpes.
If you continue to have "sores" in the genital area, then I would suggest that you continue to have them swab tested for herpes. It's hard for me to know if what you call a sore would be what I would call a sore, either. If the doctor didn't really want to swab the "sore" that suggests to me that is is unlikely that are are herpetic, based on an actual visual presentation.
Unless you have new test information, I think we are done here.
Terri
Herpes doesnt' "spread like wildfire" throughout the body. If you do have herpes, which we have no idea that you do, it will stay in the nerve groups affected. That's the area from waist to mid thigh for genital herpes and the face for oral herpes.
If you continue to have "sores" in the genital area, then I would suggest that you continue to have them swab tested for herpes. It's hard for me to know if what you call a sore would be what I would call a sore, either. If the doctor didn't really want to swab the "sore" that suggests to me that is is unlikely that are are herpetic, based on an actual visual presentation.
Unless you have new test information, I think we are done here.
Terri
I have had all std Tests all negative. After the sexual encounter they checked for bv that had some bacteria but didn't qualify as bv. Subsequently got tested for bv again negative. Blood work and a new round of std Tests along with a sore swab is due next week. I don't have multiple sores. I had one sore that dr said looked like a water blister and said definitely wasn't herpes had thick white pus w little bit of yellow. Swabbed negative. Vaginal fluid negative. One pimple w white fluid dr said not herpes and refuse to swab. These 2 sores now are on a puffy pea shaped base at the base of my perenium which everyone says is barrholomew cyst. Dr only swabbed to get me out of the office. There were 2 small ones with white fluid in them tinge yellow but in no way clear straw fluid. Can herpes sores look like this? I feel like a walking Petrie dish. As I have moderate to severe pain in vaginal anal and legs my lips and face cheeks and eyes numbness and numbness and tingling across both my breasts. I feel like hsv1 is spreading like wildfire. Is it possible for my casual partner to not get hsv1 from my primary outbreaks oral and genital. Seem either he's lucky or has hsv1 antibodies or this isn't herpes.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
First of all, I don't think you got it from you friend who gets cold sores and gives you a peck. Let's put that one aside.
Have you had a herpes antibody test yourself? If not, I think I would recommend that you do that. You can do that through your health care providers or you can order it online yourself. With all those doctor visits, I'm guessing you have had that test, but perhaps not. I think you should start with that. If it is positive, it will not tell you if you have new or old infection, however. Also, it would be possible to acquire HSV as a new infection both orally and genitally at the same time. If this truly was new herpes, I would have expected you to tell me that you had multiple sores. You aren't saying that. Also, if you had HSV 1 genitally, I would not expect the symptoms to be almost continual for a couple of months.
In terms of fear of infecting someone: If you got something from the new partner, I wouldn't worry about having sex with him because he can't get what he already has. In terms of infecting the usual partner: I can't really answer that because I don't know what is going on with you.
Over the years, I've learned that sometimes people pick up a bacterial or fungal infection from a new partner that can be irritating but certainly isn't herpes. Some of us have bacteria on our body that is completely normal for us and causes no symptoms, but someone else might not have that bacteria and when they get it, they are symptomatic. Something like that might be going on with you. I am assuming that your health care providers have ruled out other things, like trich and BV and gonorrhea and chlamydia?
Terri
Have you had a herpes antibody test yourself? If not, I think I would recommend that you do that. You can do that through your health care providers or you can order it online yourself. With all those doctor visits, I'm guessing you have had that test, but perhaps not. I think you should start with that. If it is positive, it will not tell you if you have new or old infection, however. Also, it would be possible to acquire HSV as a new infection both orally and genitally at the same time. If this truly was new herpes, I would have expected you to tell me that you had multiple sores. You aren't saying that. Also, if you had HSV 1 genitally, I would not expect the symptoms to be almost continual for a couple of months.
In terms of fear of infecting someone: If you got something from the new partner, I wouldn't worry about having sex with him because he can't get what he already has. In terms of infecting the usual partner: I can't really answer that because I don't know what is going on with you.
Over the years, I've learned that sometimes people pick up a bacterial or fungal infection from a new partner that can be irritating but certainly isn't herpes. Some of us have bacteria on our body that is completely normal for us and causes no symptoms, but someone else might not have that bacteria and when they get it, they are symptomatic. Something like that might be going on with you. I am assuming that your health care providers have ruled out other things, like trich and BV and gonorrhea and chlamydia?
Terri
Thx for responding. I had one partner since I was 18. My new partner has had 1 other than me reenrly and many as a ternager. I know I don't have anything from my partner of many years bc symptoms have been appearing since my new partner. So that leaves I got it from my new partner or I randomly picked it up from my friend. She always has cold sores and is touching my stuff and gives me a peck here and there to say goodbye. So those are the only 2 possibilities. He hasn't shown any symptoms at all. And our relationship or lack thereof is difficult kind of a acquaintances w benefits thing. If I asked him to do a blood test he would probably show up hsv1 positive anyway and then what? I am not pursuing that avenue anymore. He is aware I was worried and got tested swab negative and that I am still having symptoms that no one can explain so its up to him whether he wants toget tested. I sincerely appreciate ur advice. I hope we both find answers too. This constant sate of flux and worry is exhausting. I have lost 15 pounds in almost 2 months. So I look great but can't hae any sex for fear of infecting someone. Keep me posted...
I definitely know where you're coming from. I'm going through the same situation but I'm a male.
The key difference is getting your partner to test no matter how OCD he might think you are. All my blood tests through 12+ weeks are negative for both types of HSV, yet no doctor can pinpoint what's happening to me. I have also seen numerous from different areas of expertise. However, I made the girl from my encounter test for all stds and she was positive for HSV1 which she said came as a shock to her. She did not have any cold sores or anything of the sort during my encounter, but her positive result indicated to me a possibility of contracting her virus.
You need a type specific IGG test if you haven't done so already. If this partner was your last and 6 months have passed with no other encounter, your IGG test would be extremely accurate. Please take those tests to confirm your status. Negative swabs are a good sign, but they also have a high false negative rate. Good luck.
Hope we both find answers.
The key difference is getting your partner to test no matter how OCD he might think you are. All my blood tests through 12+ weeks are negative for both types of HSV, yet no doctor can pinpoint what's happening to me. I have also seen numerous from different areas of expertise. However, I made the girl from my encounter test for all stds and she was positive for HSV1 which she said came as a shock to her. She did not have any cold sores or anything of the sort during my encounter, but her positive result indicated to me a possibility of contracting her virus.
You need a type specific IGG test if you haven't done so already. If this partner was your last and 6 months have passed with no other encounter, your IGG test would be extremely accurate. Please take those tests to confirm your status. Negative swabs are a good sign, but they also have a high false negative rate. Good luck.
Hope we both find answers.
Oh also, I have one other sexual partner. No oral sex with him. New partner claims no cold sores, no herpes sores. I have no reason not to believe him. Weird if it is herpes, how he could not get it during my primary oral and primary genital outbreak. He's had no symptoms and since I am coming back negative, he says there is no need for him to get tested. Since he thinks I am OCD about it, I don't feel like I should have to get into the scientific problems of HSV! diagnosis. He already thinks I am nuts. He is a casual partner but of course, I care if I passed anything to him, but I don't see how I could have caught anything except from him. and I don't want to accuse him so I am just leaving it. Needless to say I am having trouble figuring out whether or not to have sex again....every dr is telling me to continue with my life and symptoms are from sthng else, but no one can tell me what so I feel herpes is always a possibility. How many sores am I going to keep swabbing? How many times am I going to go to appts....I have been to 15 appts in 2 months....all say i am psychosomatic....how can i make up all these symptoms...it makes no sense?
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
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.
