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NOT Herpes, what might it have been?
Back in early September, September 12th to be exact, I woke up with a hot, itching, burning and tenderness in my vaginal area also with painful urination. Not knowing what to do I asked my mother for advice, she suggested that I purchase an anti-itch cream with a soothing additive. I purchased maximum strength Vagicaine. However the application of this cream did not calm the burning. The entire night I did not sleep well and lesions had appeared. September 13th I went to an urgent care where they took a urine sample and a labia sample. They diagnosed me with vaginitis with a bladder infection, since it appeared as their was blood in my urine. The same day, since I was not getting any better, I called my OBGYN and the operator contacted the Dr on call, who then diagnosed me over the phone with a yeast infection instead of vaginitis. The next day, the urgent care center called and told me that I did not have a bladder infection.
The medication I was prescribed for the yeast infection, assisted with the removal of the lesions- literally they fell off. When attempting to look at a lesion, one side appeared to look like crushed velvet, and the other side had a white "tail."
On Monday, I called the OBGYN clinic wishing to make an appointment to see a dr, as my primary OBGYN was not available. The soonest opening was on Tuesday. Due to the pain that I was in, I had to leave work early. When I did see the Dr, he took one look at the situation, and stated that it was Herpes. I was devastated, because I am not sexually active or sexually promiscuous at all. (Really- I'm not kidding! Religious reasons, please understand.) He took a culture for HSV. He then prescribed me to take Valtrex (initial 8 day super dosage, and then 30 therapy) and an ointment to put on the lesions.
I had attempted to do my research on HSV and how I might have contracted it, and any possible other diagnosis it could have been. Both my mom and my boyfriend thought maybe it could have been shingles (herpes zoster). I called my Dr for another appointment to see if I could have a blood test for shingles. He came in and explained to me that Measles, Mumps, Rhuebella, chickenpox, cold sores, herpes and shingles are all in the same virus family. He asked if the medication was working and I had said that it was. To him, that was the end of the discussion.
For the next few weeks I worked on trying to accept that I had herpes, but his explination of how I contracted it boggled my mind. He said that I could have gotten it from shaking hands with a person who had an active cold sore; when i was younger a relative could have kissed me; or I could have gotten it from a toilet seat at work- and the trigger that allowed it to come out of dormancy was stress from my job. I was still determined to have a blood test after the 16 weeks had passed (based on information on the internet).
About 3 weeks ago I called the OBGYN clinic and asked what steps would I need to take to have a blood test taken for HSV. The nurse on the phone never heard of such a test, and then asked the other nurses- none of them had ever heard of a test for HSV. The next day I called my family Dr, and scheduled an appointment that day for a sinus infection- which I had. While talking to him I explained my story, he then stepped out and brought in a book with classic pictures of herpes. I told him that I never had the classic clusters. He did give me the paperwork for a blood test and the following day, I had the blood test taken.
Today the results came in (via phone)- for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 the test came back negative. I had asked if the numbers were below the .90 and he said that they were below the .90 and that I was healthy. This makes me very happy, but now I'm wondering- If I didn't have herpes, then what did I have?
Thank you in advance!
The medication I was prescribed for the yeast infection, assisted with the removal of the lesions- literally they fell off. When attempting to look at a lesion, one side appeared to look like crushed velvet, and the other side had a white "tail."
On Monday, I called the OBGYN clinic wishing to make an appointment to see a dr, as my primary OBGYN was not available. The soonest opening was on Tuesday. Due to the pain that I was in, I had to leave work early. When I did see the Dr, he took one look at the situation, and stated that it was Herpes. I was devastated, because I am not sexually active or sexually promiscuous at all. (Really- I'm not kidding! Religious reasons, please understand.) He took a culture for HSV. He then prescribed me to take Valtrex (initial 8 day super dosage, and then 30 therapy) and an ointment to put on the lesions.
I had attempted to do my research on HSV and how I might have contracted it, and any possible other diagnosis it could have been. Both my mom and my boyfriend thought maybe it could have been shingles (herpes zoster). I called my Dr for another appointment to see if I could have a blood test for shingles. He came in and explained to me that Measles, Mumps, Rhuebella, chickenpox, cold sores, herpes and shingles are all in the same virus family. He asked if the medication was working and I had said that it was. To him, that was the end of the discussion.
For the next few weeks I worked on trying to accept that I had herpes, but his explination of how I contracted it boggled my mind. He said that I could have gotten it from shaking hands with a person who had an active cold sore; when i was younger a relative could have kissed me; or I could have gotten it from a toilet seat at work- and the trigger that allowed it to come out of dormancy was stress from my job. I was still determined to have a blood test after the 16 weeks had passed (based on information on the internet).
About 3 weeks ago I called the OBGYN clinic and asked what steps would I need to take to have a blood test taken for HSV. The nurse on the phone never heard of such a test, and then asked the other nurses- none of them had ever heard of a test for HSV. The next day I called my family Dr, and scheduled an appointment that day for a sinus infection- which I had. While talking to him I explained my story, he then stepped out and brought in a book with classic pictures of herpes. I told him that I never had the classic clusters. He did give me the paperwork for a blood test and the following day, I had the blood test taken.
Today the results came in (via phone)- for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 the test came back negative. I had asked if the numbers were below the .90 and he said that they were below the .90 and that I was healthy. This makes me very happy, but now I'm wondering- If I didn't have herpes, then what did I have?
Thank you in advance!
Well fungal infections can cause scarring if they've went untreated for too long. Bacterial skin infections can also cause it. At this point there's no way to know for sure but it's not herpes you know that.
Should you get a recurrence of any symptoms, follow up immediately with a medical provider to try to figure out what is going on.
grace
Should you get a recurrence of any symptoms, follow up immediately with a medical provider to try to figure out what is going on.
grace
My search for what may have cause this may have ended. I was talking with a male friend who experienced the same signs/symtoms that I did. The initial blister that became a dark crushed velvet sore, and since its disappearance, has left a scar. He said that he had a yeast infection which had mutated, thus causing these unusual signs.
While at the time being this has put my mind at ease, but I'm wondering how can I prevent this from happening again?
While at the time being this has put my mind at ease, but I'm wondering how can I prevent this from happening again?
no, I wasn't referring to biopsying a lesion - that's completely different from what needs to be done. If you had a swab done on the lesion that's good - I missed you saying that you had a culture done fo rherpes.
If you've never received oral sex or had sex then this absolutely is not herpes. No need for additional testing. I wasn't sure if you meant you hadn't been sexually active recently or had never been sexually active at all. Also some folks don't count oral sex as being sexually active so if you've had oral sex it could be hsv1 genitally. Everyone has different meanings I've found over the years. I'm sure the provider you saw who thought herpes assumed the same thing.
grace
If you've never received oral sex or had sex then this absolutely is not herpes. No need for additional testing. I wasn't sure if you meant you hadn't been sexually active recently or had never been sexually active at all. Also some folks don't count oral sex as being sexually active so if you've had oral sex it could be hsv1 genitally. Everyone has different meanings I've found over the years. I'm sure the provider you saw who thought herpes assumed the same thing.
grace
When I had gone to visit the OBGYN on that tuesday, he had taken a swab of the area for a herpes culture- which had returned negative. What I believe you were asking, is that they did not obtain a lesion for biopsy (?). I believe at that point the lesions had fallen off, and I was in the begining of the healing process.
As previously stated I am not sexually active at all. I have been in a serious relationship with my bf for over 5 years, and we have never done anything sexual. (Please reread my third paragraph in original post.)
I'm curious as to why I would need to wait an additional month or two to have another blood test taken. I have not taken any additional "therapy" for herpes, and I was quite elated that my results came back negative.
As previously stated I am not sexually active at all. I have been in a serious relationship with my bf for over 5 years, and we have never done anything sexual. (Please reread my third paragraph in original post.)
I'm curious as to why I would need to wait an additional month or two to have another blood test taken. I have not taken any additional "therapy" for herpes, and I was quite elated that my results came back negative.
It's unfortunate that no one bothered to test your lesions and just did a visual diagnosis of herpes. It sounds like the providers you are seeing are very under educated in general on genital herpes :(
Since you did 30 days of herpes antivirals I assume, you will need to wait and repeat your blood test about 1 or 2 months from now just to err on the side of caution. Are you and your bf sexually active at all? If so he too will need tested for herpes to see what his status is.
Meanwhile should you get a return of anything genitally, see your obgyn again and get properly tested for yeast and bacterial infections. Don't self treat for yeast without being seen first and tested. They should be testing your vaginal secretions, not just doing a looksee and saying what is going on.
grace
Since you did 30 days of herpes antivirals I assume, you will need to wait and repeat your blood test about 1 or 2 months from now just to err on the side of caution. Are you and your bf sexually active at all? If so he too will need tested for herpes to see what his status is.
Meanwhile should you get a return of anything genitally, see your obgyn again and get properly tested for yeast and bacterial infections. Don't self treat for yeast without being seen first and tested. They should be testing your vaginal secretions, not just doing a looksee and saying what is going on.
grace
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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.
