Herpes outbreak

[sunnytiti]

Hi,

I have a recurrent outbreaks every 2-3 weeks make me very deppressed. I do not take any midication.

Does anyone get outbreaks every 2-3 weeks?

Thank you.

[gracefromHHP]

how were you diagnosed as having herpes? do you have hsv1 or hsv2?

can you describe what your ob's are like?

why aren't you on daily suppressive therapy if you are having frequent recurrences?

grace

[sunnytiti]

My girlfriend has HSV2, after we had unprotected sex, a few days later pain in groin area, testicle, rash, legs and buttocks pain, red bumps (buttocks, tights and scrotum) lymph nodes painful.

Recurrent outbreaks every 2-3 weeks.

Blood test IGG hsv1 & hsv2 after 3,6 and 12 months all came back negative, Viral culture was negative too but not shure was within 24-48 hours or more The PCP told me he is a 100% genital herpes and my blood test is a false negative. Is this possiable?

I met a new girl but I do not want to infect her.

Sunny,

[bobrope45]

So you had a blood test 12 months after the first symptoms and it was negative? And "3,6" (?) months later?

Also, how was your girlfriend diagnosed with herpes? Swab, blood test?

If you are having negative blood tests after 12 months and negative viral cultures, odds are this is not herpes going on. Visual diagnosis is wrong 1/4 of the time.

Everytime you get symptoms, be seen by a doctor immediately and ask for a viral culture - better yet, a PCR swab.

[sunnytiti]

I do not have medical insurance anymore to ask for PCR swab. I read you can get a false negative result as you get a false positive result and some folks never test positive for some reason.
I consider mysylf the one will never test positive by IGG blood test.

[bobrope45]

It's true, around 5% will test falsely negative in the HerpeSelect test. But even those people will test positive for viral culture swabs when symptoms are active. If you are getting negative viral cultures and symptoms every 2-3 weeks (which is atypical for herpes, although not impossible), odds are this is not herpes.

You might opt to believe you are in those 5%, sure. But if you have access to doctor who can swab your lesions, you shouldn't be assuming you have herpes before getting a positive culture. You might be spending money on medication and worrying about something that is not herpes.

[sunnytiti]

Do u mean the 5% will keep get a false negative even with repeat test for many times?

[bobrope45]

Yes. The people who deal with false-negative with the test will most probably always test negative. That's because the test fails to detect the antibodies that such people have produced against the virus.

But as I said (twice) - people with false-negative blood tests will have positive viral cultures if they indeed have herpes. Otherwise, they are most probably not false-negative, but rather a true negative.

[CONative]

not to "thread jack", but the people who never test positive (estimated 5% or whatever), is that for both HSV1 and HSV2? or can it be for one or the other?

like, say I test positive for HSV1 (lifelong oral herpes), does that mean if I were to be infected with HSV2 (total hypothetical, since i'm pretty sure i'm not at this point ;), it would most likely show up on an IgG test?

[sunnytiti]

So if there are 5% will never test positive how come the igg test idls accurate by98%!!!!!!

Igm vs igg

Igm not recommend. Anymore cayse high rate of false positive and sime false negative too.

Igg has a many false positive now plus 5% flase negative as u said
..
So why igg still recommend. If its give us a wrong indicator ...

[gracefromHHP]

you testing negative repeatedly for hsv2 means you probably do not have genital herpes. your provider insisting you do based on a visual diagnosis is actually not the best medicine :(

at this point, I recommend seeing a different provider who can think outside the box and think more than herpes as a cause. this sounds far more like a bacterial skin infection or a fungal infection going on that you just haven't cleared. no more blood testing for herpes, lesion cultures only if you have symptoms and they suspect herpes.

grace

[sunnytiti]

Could bacterial skin infection develop like a blister or just a bump?

Thank you.

[gracefromHHP]

yes they can appear as both.

[sunnytiti]

Grace

But still may be i am one of the 5% always get a false negative result.

So the 5% only for herpeselect or for all like wb and biokit and immunoblot?

Thank u

[sunnytiti]

Grace

But still may be i am one of the 5% always get a false negative result.

So the 5% only for herpeselect or for all like wb and biokit and immunoblot?

Thank u

[gracefromHHP]

it's not likely you are the 5%. be seen every time you have symptoms. a dermatologist is the best person to follow up on this with.

[sunnytiti]

I dont have insurance. I used to go to stds health department.

You didnt answer my question yet!!!
The 5% for all kind of blood test or just the herpeselect.

Thank you

[gracefromHHP]

it's for the WB actually.

[sunnytiti]

I did not get what do u mean!!!!!!
May you explain?

Thank you.

[bobrope45]

She meant the 5% figure is for the Western Blot test. It's a different type of blood test than the ELISA IgG and it's considered the gold standard.

[sunnytiti]

So the WB has a 5% false negative not 1% now?

[bobrope45]

Who said 1%?

If you are having a hard time believing in the tests accuracy, just get a swab during symptoms in the closest health departament. Plain simple. If the virus is in the lesion, the swab test will be positive.

[sunnytiti]

I have a red bump between my groin area and belly botton since Sunday, it looks like blister but not watery blister!!!but pain to touch, I used a Hydrocortisone and cortaid cream on it but still look the same since sunday, I have a cough and lower back pain.!!!!!

Thank you.

[sunnytiti]

The 1% per ASHA and Washington University Labatory test plus in Nov 16 u told me the 5% for Herpeselect and now u said WB!!!! Whats next????

I have a red bump between my groin area and belly botton since Sunday, it looks like blister but not watery blister!!!but pain to touch, I used a Hydrocortisone and cortaid cream on it but still look the same since sunday, I have a cough and lower back pain.!!!!!

[gracefromHHP]

a cough is not a sign of herpes.

lower back pain can be caused by many things.

recurrences of herpes would've been almost healed at this point.

as I've recommended previously, be seen every time you have symptoms for an exam.   You need lesion cultures at this point if they suspect herpes as a cause of your symptoms but it really sounds like it's something else going on.

unless you get a + test result for herpes, not a whole heck of a lot more we can help you with.