Aa
Herpes Symptoms?
I have been having symptoms that I think are due to herpes. I received unprotected oral sex from a woman 4 months ago. A couple of days later I felt a weird sensation in my penis and testicles that felt like tingling. It progressed to itching in my genital area and buttocks. I also had crawling sensations in my penis and buttocks. The tip of my penis became sensitive for about a week and then I started noticing leg pains. The toward the end of the symptoms about 3 weeks later I noticed that my lymph nodes under my arms hurt. The symptoms went away and after a doctor telling me I didn't have herpes I dismissed them as no problem.
About a month later the symptoms came back and I had itching in pubic area, genitals, buttocks, and legs. Pain in legs as well. I also had lower back pain for about a week after the symptoms started to lessen. A few weeks into the symptoms I got a terrible headache that was on and off for about a week and started feeling twitching and tingling around my lips, nose, and eyes. Also trouble focusing with eyes and photophobia. The eye symptoms went away, but I have had tingling and twitching around my lips and twitching all over my body for about 9 weeks now. I tested at 8 and 12 weeks, both negative for both types. I recently tested at 4 months type 2 negative and type 1 antibodies 1.26. I have never seen any visible redness, blisters, sores, or had a cold sore. I also am having tingling in my scrotum and random sharp pain in my penis that has not seemed to go away for months.
Is it possible to have seemingly classic herpes symptoms without visible symptoms?
My doctor still wants to say the symptoms are not due to herpes, but I find it too coincidental that I newly tested positive for type 1 and experienced these symptoms just after unprotected oral sex. I know 1.26 is a low positive but my first 2 tests were around .2, so are my symptoms most likely due to type 1?
Also I'm getting a recurrent circular rash on the back of my right wrist that started around the time of the facial symptoms. Sometimes get pains and tingling in hands as well.
About a month later the symptoms came back and I had itching in pubic area, genitals, buttocks, and legs. Pain in legs as well. I also had lower back pain for about a week after the symptoms started to lessen. A few weeks into the symptoms I got a terrible headache that was on and off for about a week and started feeling twitching and tingling around my lips, nose, and eyes. Also trouble focusing with eyes and photophobia. The eye symptoms went away, but I have had tingling and twitching around my lips and twitching all over my body for about 9 weeks now. I tested at 8 and 12 weeks, both negative for both types. I recently tested at 4 months type 2 negative and type 1 antibodies 1.26. I have never seen any visible redness, blisters, sores, or had a cold sore. I also am having tingling in my scrotum and random sharp pain in my penis that has not seemed to go away for months.
Is it possible to have seemingly classic herpes symptoms without visible symptoms?
My doctor still wants to say the symptoms are not due to herpes, but I find it too coincidental that I newly tested positive for type 1 and experienced these symptoms just after unprotected oral sex. I know 1.26 is a low positive but my first 2 tests were around .2, so are my symptoms most likely due to type 1?
Also I'm getting a recurrent circular rash on the back of my right wrist that started around the time of the facial symptoms. Sometimes get pains and tingling in hands as well.
The blood tests we have for hsv1 are less reliable than the ones we have for hsv2. No accurate way to know if your hsv1 just wasn't picked up on the first tests or not to be honest.
typically when you contract hsv1 genitally, you get very classic symptoms that even a 1st year medical student can identify as herpes. They are very obvious and wouldn't consist of just itching. Odds really are that this isn't hsv1 genitally going on.
grace
typically when you contract hsv1 genitally, you get very classic symptoms that even a 1st year medical student can identify as herpes. They are very obvious and wouldn't consist of just itching. Odds really are that this isn't hsv1 genitally going on.
grace
Just because you haven't "kissed" or had sexual contact with another partner doesn't mean you didn't contract HSV-1 orally. Have you shared a cup, chapstick, food, eating utensils, etc... with anyone in the past 4 months? Most likely from platonic encounters like those you contracted HSV-1 orally.
Also, you shouldn't be scared to give the virus to your friends (if its HSV-1 oral that is). The majority of people in the world have HSV-1 orally, or will have it some point in their life.
Also, you shouldn't be scared to give the virus to your friends (if its HSV-1 oral that is). The majority of people in the world have HSV-1 orally, or will have it some point in their life.
I understand that my symptoms could be another condition, and have been told that multiple times. I have not been in contact with any other person (kissing or anything like that) since the contact 4 months ago. The fact that I noticed the symptoms a couple days afterward and tested negative at 8 and 12 weeks, and positive 1.26 at 4 months, doesn't that mean that I contracted HSV1 from that contact and was just late to develop antibodies?
At first I also thought I had jock itch, but I've had no rash and the symptoms have come and gone, which I didn't think was a symptom of jock itch.
I feel very isolated from my normal life, I am scared that I will give this to my friends if we ever share a drink or food, and I feel like I can't be with a girl without giving her this problem.
At first I also thought I had jock itch, but I've had no rash and the symptoms have come and gone, which I didn't think was a symptom of jock itch.
I feel very isolated from my normal life, I am scared that I will give this to my friends if we ever share a drink or food, and I feel like I can't be with a girl without giving her this problem.
odds are you don't have genital herpes causing any of this. It really sounds like you have a few separate issues going on. Most of the non-genital symptoms you mention sound like you caught a virus ( that time of the year for those sorts of things ). You need to continue following up on this with your provider.
if you continue with just itching in the genital area, odds are it's a fungal infection aka jock itch.
grace
if you continue with just itching in the genital area, odds are it's a fungal infection aka jock itch.
grace
Alright, you sure have an onslaught of random symptoms. Let's try to get a clearer view from out of this chaos.
From your description, you do have a number of "classic" genital herpes symptoms. These include lower back pain, tingling in genitals / legs, headache (sometimes), and enlarged lymph nodes. However, these can also be caused by any number of ailments. Also, the chances are if you did have GH the lymph nodes in your groin area would have been enlarged; not in your armpit area. The enlarged lymph nodes in your armpit area is indicative of an infection somewhere else in your body other than the genital region. Also, the tingling/facial twitches you experienced do not suggest herpes what-so-ever (unless the tingling of the lips lead to an outbreak of a cold sore, but it did not).
I have never heard of photophobia being a symptom of GH whatsoever.
To answer your question: yes it is possible to have some classic symptoms of GH without a visible outbreak, but it's unlikely. Also, you had blood tests done at weeks 8 and 12, which are reliable in their results (especially week 12, since 3 months is the suggested time where antibodies can be detected 100% of the time). The fact that at 4 months you had antibodies for HSV-1 is more indicative of an oral infection, not genital. Just because you have never had a cold sore does not mean you do not have the virus; many people are HSV-1 orally positive but have never had a cold sore. Also, the fact that you have never had an OB or any genital symptoms besides fleeting itching is a good sign; if you ever get any lesions, you should see a dermatologist / your GP and get a swab culture done, which could confirm whether or not you have GH.
Otherwise, trust in your GP and your blood tests. You have a great deal of strange and most likely unrelated ailments going on. You should relax and stop worrying; take your anxiety out of the picture, which may be causing/exacerbating some of your symptoms. You may want to see a dermatologist about your recurrent rash on the wrist as well.
From your description, you do have a number of "classic" genital herpes symptoms. These include lower back pain, tingling in genitals / legs, headache (sometimes), and enlarged lymph nodes. However, these can also be caused by any number of ailments. Also, the chances are if you did have GH the lymph nodes in your groin area would have been enlarged; not in your armpit area. The enlarged lymph nodes in your armpit area is indicative of an infection somewhere else in your body other than the genital region. Also, the tingling/facial twitches you experienced do not suggest herpes what-so-ever (unless the tingling of the lips lead to an outbreak of a cold sore, but it did not).
I have never heard of photophobia being a symptom of GH whatsoever.
To answer your question: yes it is possible to have some classic symptoms of GH without a visible outbreak, but it's unlikely. Also, you had blood tests done at weeks 8 and 12, which are reliable in their results (especially week 12, since 3 months is the suggested time where antibodies can be detected 100% of the time). The fact that at 4 months you had antibodies for HSV-1 is more indicative of an oral infection, not genital. Just because you have never had a cold sore does not mean you do not have the virus; many people are HSV-1 orally positive but have never had a cold sore. Also, the fact that you have never had an OB or any genital symptoms besides fleeting itching is a good sign; if you ever get any lesions, you should see a dermatologist / your GP and get a swab culture done, which could confirm whether or not you have GH.
Otherwise, trust in your GP and your blood tests. You have a great deal of strange and most likely unrelated ailments going on. You should relax and stop worrying; take your anxiety out of the picture, which may be causing/exacerbating some of your symptoms. You may want to see a dermatologist about your recurrent rash on the wrist as well.
Have an Answer?
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.
