Aa
How many negatives put me in the clear.
Hello! I had symptoms of constipation and an anal fissure in early June. I had been using several products on my anus due to how uncomfortable I was. Then, I had a "outbreak" around my anus of what looked like about 10 tiny ulcers that I assumed were from trying so many products on my sore anus. I called my Gyno, as I do not have a PCP. He called in a script for me an said to come see him in 2 days. When I went in to see him, he told me I had Herpes. I was shocked! I had had ONE sexual encounter in the past 6 months and it was not anal intercourse. I did not really know anything about Herpes, thought my life was over. Because he had already started me on Zovirax (400mg twice a day), he could not do a test on the sores. Within 3 days, the sores were gone. I have had 3 bloodwork tests for both HSV1 and HSV 2 and all have come back negative. My doctor still says that I have it. I want to believe that I was correct in thinking that my "outbreak" was due to the over-use of products and generall rawness from going to the bathroom with laxitives, etc. I feel like he does not want to be wrong in his diagnosis. I want him to be wrong. I have stopped taking the prescription as of today and am going to wait it out and see if whatever it was comes back. Meanwhile, I have been taking laxitives continuously since my fissure occurred and still have a soreness at times from wiping so much. Please tell me that I could possibly have some other underlying issue and not Herpes.
Thank you, Grace. I appreciate your quick repsonses, as I know you are replying to TONS of people with questions that you have probably heard a thousand times. I will let you know mid December what I find out, unless I show signs of an OB before then and go in for a lesion culture. Be well!! :)
I would approach it at the gi appointment as - your regular provider felt it was herpes but multiple negative tests have ruled that out so that they spend their time looking for what it is :)
Would the GI doctor do a lesion test? When I made the appt with the GI doctor, I had to give a brief description of why I was wanting to come in. I think the only word she heard was "HERPES". After I finished explaining my experience over the last 5 1/2 months, she said, "We don't treat herpes here". Sigh. I then said..... I would like an appt for chronic constipation. That's how I ended up with a consultation scheduled for 12/3 and a colonoscopy scheduled for 12/11.
hopefully you get better answers soon!!!
not likely you are consistently testing negative for herpes and it's herpes going on. if when they examine you they think herpes, they should be doing lesion cultures at this point, not more blood testing.
not likely you are consistently testing negative for herpes and it's herpes going on. if when they examine you they think herpes, they should be doing lesion cultures at this point, not more blood testing.
I made an appt with a GI doctor. They want to do a colonoscopy on December 11th. Hopefully I get some answers. They said there is still a possibility that I am just testing falsly for herpes and that my pain is created from herpes being inside my anus. Seems odd to me that all tests have come back negative.
Both tests came back negative for the 4th time. I'm making an appt with a GI doctor. It's been a stressful few months.
it's hard not to think about it when you are frequently feeling "something" going on on any body part. will help you with your test results when I can and if it's negative, certainly finding a different provider to follow up with for symptoms is a good idea.
showered and getting ready to eat a hot meal while I still can :) got the pbj lined up for next few days. just can't decide if you drink a red or a white wine during a hurricane ;)
showered and getting ready to eat a hot meal while I still can :) got the pbj lined up for next few days. just can't decide if you drink a red or a white wine during a hurricane ;)
Yeah. I'm totally obsessing over it non-stop. I don't think a day has gone by in 6 months that I haven't read about about it. I just want to know so that I can live my life with or without it. I had been in a 10 year relationship and have now been single for 2 years. I want to start dating NOW... so I want to know what's going on beforehand. If I test today, I should have results by Friday.
My entire family lives back east in PA..... good luck with those power outages.
My entire family lives back east in PA..... good luck with those power outages.
sigh. you feel like you are going crazy yet from all of this? hope you get answers soon so that you can start dealing with whatever is going on :)
My doctor says there is no need for a GI referral. He says that the "OB" I had in early June WAS herpes (even though 3 tests have come back negative). He scheduled me for bloodwork again on Monday. HSV 1 and 2 Specific Ab IGg. Should I atleast be asking for another type of test?? He says that the tests have just been coming back negative because this was my first encounter and there are no antibodies yet. I have not taken Acylovir since Sept 22nd. I have had some soreness on the inside of my anus, however.... nothing like the "OB"in June and nothing visual enough to make me feel like I should show it to him to culture. If this 4th test comes back negative I'm going to look for another doctor all together.
I wouldn't bother with more blood work at this point. I'd be seen every time you have new symptoms and if they suspect herpes, they should be doing a lesion culture and typing to confirm. no more antivirals unless a + lesion culture.
if your regular provider isn't helpful, ask for a referral to a GI specialist.
if your regular provider isn't helpful, ask for a referral to a GI specialist.
The problem for me ruling it out is that I DID have blisterous ulcers around my anus when I initially called the Dr. I really wish he had seen it before starting me on meds. Ugh. This is been tormenting me emotionally for months now. How long should I wait to have blood work again?
odds are these aren't herpes related at all.
continue to follow up with your providers as needed for all your symptoms.
take stool softeners and laxatives as needed. you don't need hard stool further irritating things as well as you need to make sure you aren't going so often that that too is irritating things. sometimes it's a hard combination to get on top of :(
continue to follow up with your providers as needed for all your symptoms.
take stool softeners and laxatives as needed. you don't need hard stool further irritating things as well as you need to make sure you aren't going so often that that too is irritating things. sometimes it's a hard combination to get on top of :(
So, I have not been taking my prescription or laxatives for just over 2 weeks. Bowel movements are inconsistent and becoming painful again. Today, I felt a little sore. I took a very close look and I see a couple of bumps just on the inside of my anus; more posterior and on the left side. At this piont there is nothing on the outside, however, when I wipe it is tender. Should I wait and see what happens? Should I take a few doses of my medication and see if it clears right up? ???? Feedback please.
That's what I'm saying!!! Doesn't make sense!! I bought MiraLAX yesterday and took it last night instead of the laxative pill that I have been taking. I think I will find a bowel doctor and see what he thinks. My Gyno just seems to be SURE that what I had in early June was Herpes. It WAS ulcerous, however, it was at the same time, dry and flaky and in a perfect circle around my anus. I don't want to keep paying for blood tests for Herpes if I should be paying for blood work for something entirely different.
maybe you should try looking at other products to find one that just helps you to go daily instead of 3x/day? all that loose stool can be irritating. also don't hesitate to frequently use a barrier cream on your anal area too - desitin, zinc oxide, bag balm, aquaphor etc. That will help protect the delicate skin there when you are wiping more often.
herpes ulcers will heal in 2-3 weeks maximum even without any treatment at all. no reason to think this is a herpes ulcer that isn't healing.
herpes ulcers will heal in 2-3 weeks maximum even without any treatment at all. no reason to think this is a herpes ulcer that isn't healing.
Grace,
Usually I go to the bathroom about 3 times, first thing in the morning. However, never throughout the day or evening. I take the laxative before bed. If I don't take it, then I don't go for days and then when I do, I tear and bleed. The doctor is telling me that it's not a fissure and that it's a Herpes ulcer in there that is not healing. This seems absurd to me. I feel like I'm experiencing a medical trauma and it's literally making me crazy. Just when I begin to accept that I may actually have this, I get another negative test result back. Sigh.
Usually I go to the bathroom about 3 times, first thing in the morning. However, never throughout the day or evening. I take the laxative before bed. If I don't take it, then I don't go for days and then when I do, I tear and bleed. The doctor is telling me that it's not a fissure and that it's a Herpes ulcer in there that is not healing. This seems absurd to me. I feel like I'm experiencing a medical trauma and it's literally making me crazy. Just when I begin to accept that I may actually have this, I get another negative test result back. Sigh.
where else can you go and get asked questions like this - are the laxatives making you have more than 1 bowel movement a day?
it's unfortunate that your provider called you in antivirals instead of first testing you. they didn't do you any favors doing that :( at this point, indeed signs are pointing towards this not being a herpes issue. certainly stopping the antivirals and being seen any time you think you have anything more than irritation from wiping going on is a good idea. whether or not you had anal sex or not isn't a factor - you can have lesions on the anal area even if you haven't had anal sex but since it's been 6 months since you last had sex, your blood testing should be positive if you had contracted herpes during that encounter.
best of luck getting to the bottom of this!
grace
it's unfortunate that your provider called you in antivirals instead of first testing you. they didn't do you any favors doing that :( at this point, indeed signs are pointing towards this not being a herpes issue. certainly stopping the antivirals and being seen any time you think you have anything more than irritation from wiping going on is a good idea. whether or not you had anal sex or not isn't a factor - you can have lesions on the anal area even if you haven't had anal sex but since it's been 6 months since you last had sex, your blood testing should be positive if you had contracted herpes during that encounter.
best of luck getting to the bottom of this!
grace
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.
