Aa
Hsv 2 - recently diagnosed very confused
in march of 2010 I had a few sore bumps on the inside of my palm. Before I broke out I had a sort of pins and needles type feeling in my arm. I put a bandaid over it and let it heal. I never did go to the doctor and just thought I had irritated it. Two months later it appeared again. This time I went to the doctor but it was a little too late to test it but i explained to my doc what it looked like and showed him a not so great pic from my phone and he said it definitely looked herpetic and prescribed me valtrex which I never did take. A year later and I have not had an outbreak on my palm. Last week my leg hurt so bad it felt like one solid bruise and I was not feeling well all. Then my leg (outter thigh closer to my hip then knee) started to itch followed by painful bumps that looked just like what was on my palm a year ago.. Again I went to the doctor but this time as soon as the bumps showed up. Just got my test results...positive hsv 2. I have been with the same person for the last four years. Before that I was with the same person for 10 years and before that a virgin. First question is how could I have gotten this and how is it that I had first ob on my palm and now on my outer thigh but never near or on my genitals? I would appreciate any input or experience. I have been an emotional wreck the last day.
It's not that folks go a lifetime without ob's, only 20% of folks infected with hsv2 are truly asymptomatic, it's that folks are looking for very painful and obvious blisters like you have had so far and don't realize that in most folks, it presents much more subtlety like redness, itching etc. Even with yourself, most folks who had a rash like that, depending on the time of year, would never even go to be seen for it and just think it was poison ivy or something and never think herpes as a cause due to the location alone. You have a good provider :)
When you are infected with the virus genitally, it infects the sacral nerve group. Even though lesion typically will show up in what we refer to as the boxer shorts area ( the area a normal pair of boxers would cover ), they can occur anywhere in that nerve group which basically means anywhere from the waist to the toes. hard to tell at this point if you had hsv2 genitally and never knew it and transmitted it to your hand and are just now having obvious ob's on your legs that you are taking notice to or if you contracted it on your hand originally and then transmitted it to your genital area or just what at this point. you'll probably never figure it out.
keep asking questions :)
When you are infected with the virus genitally, it infects the sacral nerve group. Even though lesion typically will show up in what we refer to as the boxer shorts area ( the area a normal pair of boxers would cover ), they can occur anywhere in that nerve group which basically means anywhere from the waist to the toes. hard to tell at this point if you had hsv2 genitally and never knew it and transmitted it to your hand and are just now having obvious ob's on your legs that you are taking notice to or if you contracted it on your hand originally and then transmitted it to your genital area or just what at this point. you'll probably never figure it out.
keep asking questions :)
Nothing out there will tell you how long you have had the virus in you. Sorry. The only real method we have to do this is a positive culture and a blood test at the same time showing negative and then getting a positive one later.
HSV-2 can lay dormat for a while and in some people it may return. Using antivirals may help in controlling the virus. You always will have an inital outbreak. Now a reoccurance for some people does happen but with HSV-2 genitally doesn't always work that way.
HSV-2 can lay dormat for a while and in some people it may return. Using antivirals may help in controlling the virus. You always will have an inital outbreak. Now a reoccurance for some people does happen but with HSV-2 genitally doesn't always work that way.
Realistically how long could the virus lay dormant and would a blood test tell you how long the virus has been present? Also, if you have the virus what are the chances you could go an entire life without a single outbreak?
The culture is the most accurate test we have for HSV. Only time it is wrong is human error.
The virus can infect other parts of the body such as the hand/feet/face/back/neck etc. We don't typically see it on the hand/palms because the skin is thicker and more tough than that of our genitals. But it can be transmitted with skin to skin contact with the virus and heat and friction to work its way in. Not sure about your palms but if it comes back on the palm be seen within 24-48hrs and have them cultured as well so we can know for sure.
The virus infects the nerves that are supplied to the skin in that area. So yes you can have an outbreak anywhere in the "boxer shorts" region.
Have your partner get a blood test so you know what his status is as well. Make sure it is a type specific igg test. He may need to request that test specifically from the doctor or just ask the doctor which test he will run. Do not use the IgM testing.
The virus can infect other parts of the body such as the hand/feet/face/back/neck etc. We don't typically see it on the hand/palms because the skin is thicker and more tough than that of our genitals. But it can be transmitted with skin to skin contact with the virus and heat and friction to work its way in. Not sure about your palms but if it comes back on the palm be seen within 24-48hrs and have them cultured as well so we can know for sure.
The virus infects the nerves that are supplied to the skin in that area. So yes you can have an outbreak anywhere in the "boxer shorts" region.
Have your partner get a blood test so you know what his status is as well. Make sure it is a type specific igg test. He may need to request that test specifically from the doctor or just ask the doctor which test he will run. Do not use the IgM testing.
Forgot to ask...if he has never had an outbreak would it still t turn up in blood work and would it show whether he has had it a while or if it was contracted recently
So even though I have never had it in my genitals that is still how I got it? And even though my significant other has never had symptoms he could have it and given it to me? And finally, wouldn't it have presented genitally first? He will get tested soon. Oh and should I too have a blood test or is the culture accurate enough. Thank you so much for taking time to respond. This news has been both confusing and devastating.
well at this point, your partner will need to get a type specific herpes igg blood test to see what their status is. If they are hsv2+ also, not an issue. If they are negative, then it means that you contracted hsv2 prior to them. if your partner is negative, when you have ob's on the legs, you should also avoid sex as well as keep the ob covered. You have genital herpes , just the virus is presenting with obvious lesions on the leg , instead of the genitals. you still shed the virus from the anogenital area both with recurrences on the legs as well as periodically in between. Same as if you get a recurrence on your hand, keep that covered too until it heals.
keep asking questions!
keep asking questions!
has your current partner been tested yet to know their status?
did you have a culture of the symptoms on the leg that came back as hsv2+?
grace
did you have a culture of the symptoms on the leg that came back as hsv2+?
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.
