Herpes All Over Body?

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I've been having for a few months now. About five months ago, in April, I tested positive for having the HSV virus through my OBGYN. I had gone in for a pap-smear and for possible hormonal imbalance blood testing that I thought might have been causing small bumps on my lower buttocks/thigh area. The bumps were small-dime sized and itched, especially if I sat on one wrong. I had the bumps starting early in March and they lasted until April, but cleared up before I went to my gyno, and only scars were left. She then had me tested a month later, which is when I came back positive for HSV. She said that I had come in contact with the virus sometime in the past year, and it would be another year until we would be able to effectively test to see which strain I had. (HSV-1 or 2). I was devastated, but my partner was very reassuring and caring about the whole situation. Over the last 4-5 months I have felt like I have been dealing with this issue a LOT though. I have had two distinct "outbreaks" where I will get headaches/feverish before I "break out." But usually a breakout consists of itching ALL over the body and no rash besides between 15-25 spread out (all over the body) TINY bumps that look smaller than flea bites. Hardly noticeable. They never appear in clumps or groups like "normal" herpes pictures suggest. And mind you, I will be itchy for days ALL over my body. Head, ears, inside the nostrils, face, neck, behind the ears, vagina (internally and externally) chest, arms, stomach, back, buttocks, thighs (front and back), calves (front and back) and even top of feet. At the time I had been diagnosed with HSV, it had been a year since I had gotten Chicken Pox for the first time. My symptoms of break out seem to be VERY much like my chicken pox symptoms, just my bumps are not "blistery," as they look more like tiny bug bites. Most of the time I'm just itchy EVERYWHERE... the area may not have a bump on it at all!! I am constantly scratching. Recently, about a month ago I had an outbreak, and after it recovered a week and a half later I had another outbreak! Very frustrating. My question is, could this virus have more of a correlation with my Herpes Zoster virus? Could you test positive for HSV if it's the Herpes Zoster virus? Or do the tests detect two completely different things? If it was the Herpes Zoster virus, does this sound like the symptoms? I am almost 19, and I thought that adults with the Herpes Zoster virus got more of painful, shingle symptoms, not so much itchy, scattered bump, chickenpox like symptoms. Please let me know what you think! Or if you just think this is normal herpes spread all over my body. Or if it's possibly something else? Please let me know! Thanks!

[gracefromHHP]

do you know what herpes testing you had done?  no way to tell if you have been infected sometime in the past year and it certainly doesn't take another year to find out if you have hsv1 or hsv2. I'm very suspicious of the testing you had done. If it was blood testing, call tuesday and ask them to read your results to you, write them down and post them here - ie hsv1 igg 5.7 and hsv2 igg 2.3 or whatever they are.  

herpes will not cause issues all over your body.  you need to follow up on this with your provider or a dermatologist for a more proper evaluation.  also you could never mistake a herpes lesion for a flea bite.

zoster will not appear on this many body parts either.

grace

[InNeedOfAnswersPlease]

On my Lab Bill there is a list of all the tests they ran and the Herpes tests simply say "Herpes simplex I, each AB"  "Herpes simplex, type 2"  and "Herpes simplex II, each AB." My gyno called me personally to tell me the results but all she said was that I was positive. Would I call my gyno to find out the results? And what do those results mean? (hsv1 igg 5.7, etc.)

Does Herpes only occur in clusters? And couldn't it be spread to different areas of the body via your hands, or somebody else's hands?


I am appreciating the feedback!!

[gracefromHHP]

there are false positive issues so seeing the actual numeric results helps me figure out if you need additional testing done to confirm  your status. also we need to see if you had igg testing or not.  

no, herpes doesn't always occur in clusters. no you aren't likely at all to spread it all over your body via your hands.  

[InNeedOfAnswersPlease]

Alright, I will try to get the info from my gyno as soon as I can. What exactly is "igg" testing?

[curemeplease]

I also have itchiness all over the body exactly the way you describe.  It has been horrible and I haven't been able to sleep.  Nothing I take seems to help.

[InNeedOfAnswersPlease]

I think you should go get yourself checked out curemeplease! Do you have the red bumps symptoms? You should probably head to a doctor or planned parenthood and tell them your symptoms. How long have you been itching for?

[curemeplease]

i've been checked out several time now.  it all comes back to my hsv1 infection a few months back.  i've been plagued with problems.  but this is by far the worst.  i itch all over like you, including in the mouth and nose and ears.  i've been treated for bacteria and fungus but those haven't helped.  only herpes could cause this type of systemic itching with no relieif from antihistamines and antidepressants (elavil).  my itches last for a second or two then disappear.  i don't bother scratching since i know they will go away in a moment.

[gracefromHHP]

no, not only herpes can cause this. herpes isn't likely at all to cause these sorts of issues.  itching from herpes isn't only for a second or two either.

[InNeedOfAnswersPlease]

Grace, do you think this sounds like staph infection?

[gracefromHHP]

seeing a dermatologist at this point is the best course of action for better answers.