Herpes or Not?

can hsv2 show up in other areas of your body?  my bf had a boil on his butt. went to the er and dr's said boil and it was cut.  i later tested pos for hsv2.  he went back to the dr for culture and blood work. everything came back neg. my hsv2 was probably was caused by ex during one of me & bf break up. bf and i didnt have vaginal sex after me & my ex but he did perform oral before i had any signs or ob. now bf had what looks like blisters on his arm? not sure if its 1st stage of hsv or something totally diff.  so can his bumps (almost looks like your skin would after you were burnt by cooking oil) really be hsv2?  or can i transmit hsv2 to other areas of my own body???  

[gracefromHHP]

Your bf needs to go and be seen for his new symptoms.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Thanks Grace.  Sorry about the multiple threads.  New to this forum thing.  I really appreciate you and this website.  The docs aren't a whole lot of help.  Since this HSV thing is so 'common' why isn't it a part of annual exams?  From what I see with others, as well as myself, most docs dont seem concerned at all.  

One more thing, does HSV2 only show up in the genital area?  Can I stop looking or wondering if a itch on my back (dont have one but just wondering) is part of HSV2?  Can it spread?

[gracefromHHP]

You aren't going to end up with herpes all over the place.  Anything that doesn't itch consistantly for a few days, isn't going to be a herpes issue. we all get random itches on body parts ( which is why they have door jams for us to rub our backs against like bears....he he he ).

Your bf probably is spreading a bacterial infection on his body and he needs to be seen promptly for it.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Thanks Grace!  He went to the dr today.  Doc said it looked like poison ivy.  I think I have everyone paronoid :)  This thing has flipped my life upside down and now that I getting back to being me (thanks to you & this site) he pops up with what could be poison ivy.  he was retested just to make sure.  thanks a million!

[helpmomof1]

Hey Grace!  I know HSV2 orally is rare.  But what are the symptoms?  Will they look like HSV1 (cold sores) or be in a different form?  I'm just wondering if my "sinus infection" was more than just that.  Since it appeared around the same time as an OB. The ENT did a visual and said it was just a sinus infection (sore throat etc) but no culture or testing was done.  I did see pics of the ulcers but can it be way milder with a sore throat?

[gracefromHHP]

so many things can cause a sore throat. I assume his provider did a full exam and that's how they determined your partner had a sinus infection.  No real reason to doubt the diagnosis from the sounds of it.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Well it was actually me with the sore throat during what may have been my 2nd OB. Not sure where HSV2 came from.  Havent had many partners.  I may have had an OB a couple of months ago but I wasnt tested for HSV2 bc the symptoms were gone when i went to the Dr.  I also had a sinus infections following that "OB". A full exam was done at that time (ex-ray & all) but this time no exray just visual.  I had small red bumps on the top of the roof of my mouth, a small pus like spot on my tonsil, and sore throat.  This was the day after my HSV test.  I went to dentist who recommended I see ENT.  I didnt mention to him that I was tested for HSV.  After his examination I asked him if it could be HSV.  He said no.  He stated it would be cold sores or look totally different.  I'm just trying to rule out oral HSV2.  Which is rare, so I can have some what of a normal life (as in kissing my kid & that kinda thing)

[gracefromHHP]

sorry  I missed that it was you with the sinus infection when I read your post the first time.

Hsv2 oral infections rarely reoccur and when they do, they tend not to present as symptoms inside the mouth as you've described.  You also asked if it looked like herpes and were told it didn't - no reason not to trust your doctor.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Hey Grace.  Me again.  Are tingly hands & feet associated with HSV2?  I know it may sound crazy but I seem to remember this starting around the time I may have been infected.  Also, I noticed dry flaky skin on my hands, wrist, and feet.  I've had skin issues before but nothing like this.  Feet sometimes cramp at night? Forgive my craziness.

[gracefromHHP]

Hi, my name is helpmomof1 and I admit that I see herpes everywhere :)

Nothing you've mentioned sounds suspicious for herpes on other body parts.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Thanks Grace!  I am having my 2nd or 3rd, heck I don't know OB :-)  This is really frustrating.  You nailed my "quote".  What would you recommend for suppressive therapy?  BTW.  I noticed this little spot on my side today. At my waist line.  Kinda looks like a pimple but its dark in color???  Dont think its HSV so now thats driving me crazy. Any ideas???  :(   signed, need a good nite sleep

[gracefromHHP]

if you aren't real sure yet what are ob's and what aren't, when you have symptoms in the boxer short area as we call it - the area of your body that would be covered by a normal pair of boxer shorts, don't hesitate to go and be seen within 48 hours of their appearance for a lesion culture and typing. It's a pain in the butt I know but sometimes it takes awhile to figure out what is going on.

As for suppressive therapy - if your insurance makes it affordable then I recommend valtrex because you can't beat the once daily dosing with it. It will be going generic the end of december so it will get cheaper then especially if you have prescription coverage.  Otherwise go with el cheapo acyclovir. you take it 2x/day for suppressive therapy but even without insurance it's less than $20/month in the US with a prescription.  

How long ago was your bf tested for herpes?  How long was he tested after his butt boil symptoms started?  

grace

[helpmomof1]

This is my 2nd OB since dianoised.  I think I may have had one a month before I went to the dr.  What I thought to be a hair bump and at that time I increased fiber intake and was having MB's a bit so I thought my sore butt was from that but now I'm wondering if that was my 1st OB.  Went to the dr less than a week and bump cleared but butt was still a butt sore.  dr didnt look at it, it really didnt concern me at that point now i wish it would have.  That would have told me if the HSV2 came from bf or ex.  Or heck, i couldve had it for years and it been dormint.  right???  

BF went to dr before i even mentioned i went.  they told him boil and cut it.  then after i mentioned what i went and poss hsv, he went back and got a culture and blood work.  came back neg. then he went again (aug 13 post) when this bump area showed up on his arm.  dr visual said poison ivy and culture (i think he had blood work to) came back no virus isolated.  

i want him to go back in nov for blood work since that will be the 4 month mark.  i almost think it really did come from bf and not 1 nighter with ex because of the possible ob the previous month.  at that point, we really weren't having sex.  he gave me oral july 4th which was after ex but also after possible 1st ob.    

i have been under a lot of stress lately and i think thats what triggered this ob. the ob started saturday then sunday my hands were like 'white'.  you know how you put glue on your hands, let it dry, and peel it off.  thats how my hands were.  so i got to thinking about other things it could be.  nothing i searched fit so i have an appt with pcp next week.  i do have 'funny' skin so who knows.  

to top off my peranoia, my 6 year old daughter just said 'my butt hurt' so of course i had to pull out my flash light and look.  nothing there but thats not what i needed to hear right now.

i really appreciate you grace! your screen name really fits!  it helps those like me who dr's and nurses "dont have time for"  its like, this is so common to them they yes "yes you have it" and move to the next patient.  this has changed my life and that's all they have to say.  no information, no nothing.  i felt like i was 'bugging' them when i called back with questions.  so THANKS A MILLION!

[helpmomof1]

Hey Grace.  What triggers frequent reoccurances?  I hear things like stress, low immune system, & menstral cycle.  I'm thinking my frequent reoccurances are due to my cycle.  My first "confirmed" OB was in July.  Then I had another one in Sept. (which took about 2 weeks to fully heal) Now today, I have another one.  I do live a high paced life with being a single parent, work, and other activies.  But when I heard stress was a factor, I did all a could to avoid stress.  I haven't started meds yet.  I was trying to see how this thing would do on its own.  I do have a Rx which is in the process of being filled.  Please tell me that will help.  I can't "stop" my cycle which seems to be my trigger.  After my second OB, I went and had some blood work done to make sure there was nothing else and there wasnt.  What can I use on it until I get my Rx?  Thanks for all your help Grace :)

[gracefromHHP]

Have you been back yet to get retested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally yet?  Sometimes that's even the trigger for when folks are infected for awhile prior to seeing their first symptoms as to why they suddenly start having more obvious recurrences that get them diagnosed.

Just remember, it doesn't matter who you got herpes from and you might never figure that out. Just know what you have and what your current partner has. nothing else really matters. Of course convincing your mind of that is a whole other matter!

grace

[helpmomof1]

Thanks Grace.  I had an exam last month when I went back for the other STD test (HIV, Clam, Gohno, & Syp) the Doc said there was no yeast.  I do tend to have yeast frequently.  I have had "female" problems just about my whole life.  VERY sensetive skin & in that region as well.  I went thru a round of yeast infections following my cycles then a round of BV following my cycles (years apart).  I started the Nuvaring earlier this year and thought I was having a reaction to that, which may even edge the OB's??? With my history I wanted the other test done too since HSV2 was introduced.  Now that I have educated myself about STD's so many of them have the same symptoms (including HIV) which is why I really wanted to be retested. If HSV could slip in, other things could too.  BTW - my meds are here & i started them right away. Thanks again

[helpmomof1]

hey grace, me AGAIN.  ok, seems like i may have another ob???  is this really possible? my ob last sunday was in the genital area but cleared in a day or two.  i started valtrex (500mg daily) last monday. now today a felt a 'split' in my butt in the area where the ob was that took 2 weeks to heal. can this really be an ob? i felt a little tingle then felt the split. i dabbed a cotton ball in alcohol and touched it, and it stong so... Can one really have ob week to week or month to month? i have an appt with pcp tomorrow for a physical.  should i be retested and/or tested for other things???  gono, clam, hiv, syph test taken on 9/24 all were neg. i have not been sexually active since june 29. plz help.  what is going on????

[gracefromHHP]

I think you have more than herpes going on at this point so continuing to follow up with your providers to try to get to the bottom of it all is the best course of action.

good luck - it's frustrating sometimes to figure it out.

grace

[helpmomof1]

Hey Grace.  It's been a while.  I took your advice and went to see my pcp.  Retested for EVERYTHING under the sun and everything came back just as before, clear of everything except the HSV2.  Having some other skin issues to be followed up by my derm & allergy testing.  So I began to look past the HSV2 and live again.  Even started back having sex.  He did give me unprotected oral.  Yesterday he got these bumps on his chin. He has razor bumps but these look different.  He did go to the barber the day before & they used a different after shave on him.  Just wondering if this could be some form of HSV2.  I have been on supressive meds for over 3 months and havent had an ob since.  I know its still possible to pass even w/o an ob but what are the odds on this being "that" he has an appt tomorrow but thought I'd ask your opinion, since you're tha best!  

[gracefromHHP]

odds are this isn't herpes going on on his chin. his being seen though is the best course of action.  so many other germs out there other than herpes.

grace