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Is it herpes?
Dearc doctor, I don't know what it is.
4.5 months ago, I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a girl, but just for around 10 minutes in total. After 19 days, I felt something in my penis, and when I pulled the foreskin I could see some redness right under my gland (left side), like ring shapped. It covered a little bit of the side of the gland as well. It stayed like that for 3 or 4 days, and it went away. But after a few days it came back, same red ring on the right side of my gland. It kept coming and going, some times covering other parts of the gland, or also the skin right under the gland on the right side. It was not really itchy, just some mild burning coming and going (the redness doesn't need to be there to feel the burning). I cheched pictures and the redness looked like balanitis.
After almost one month of coming and going redness, I went to the doctor. That day the redness was worse than ever (just a coincidence). He saw it, took a swab (viral culture I assume), and said that it was probably herpes, otherwise candidiasis. The result came back negative, so I used the cream for fungal infection for one month. He tested other stds with a uribe test and they found chlamydia. I took the pills as well. Although I did not have any bad 'redness outbreak' during that next month, the red ring on the side of my gland never really went away. This is like the nucleous, the origin of the infection for what I see.
I went to a second doctor one day that i had quite a bit of redness, and he said he thought it was and allergy. He gave some meds for the allergy, but when I asked 'and if it doesn't work?', he said that then it might be herpes, but that it could be another infection such as HIV or HBV supressing the herpes symptoms, not allowing them to show properly ( he said it was unlikely though). That scared me, so I took a blood test for HIV, HBV and both iGG antibody test for HSV1 and 2, and all came back negative. Specifically, both HSV results were 1.2 ( <16 = negative, it said). Note that the blood test was 13 weeks after the only risk of exposure. However, aparently I still had Chlamydia infection.
While using the meds for the allergy, the 4th day I had some redness in both sides of my gland, but then it went away. I kept using the meds for 10 days, and the last 6 I had no redness, although still on and off mild burning sensation.
After 8 days of no redness and 2 days of no meds for allergy, I had something I never had before. It was the same day I took the meds for chlamydia (I did not take them right after I knew the blood test results). Some redness appeared where always, and in few hours I had what looked like begining of blisters, with clear liquit inside. A bit painful if i touched them. I had them for maybe less than 12 hours, and after there were just
sores/ulcers. For me, it really looked like herpes. Note that this 'oubreak was after 3 months of coming and going redness. I went to the
doctor next morning to take a swab. After explaining him all the story and that he saw the lesion (just ulcer then) he said he thought it was not herpes, just resisten chlamydia. He took one urethral swab to check what kind of antobiotics and needed for my chlamydia, and I asked for a PCR for the possible herpes. But he did not take that swab from the sore, but also from inside the urethra. The results came back negative for herpes, but I don' t think I can trust those results since it was not taken from the sore. For the chlamydia, after the results he said I should be fine taking what I was taking, azithromicin. After this biggest outbreak, the sores healed in 8 days, and I have been now 17 days with no redness, which is really wierd. However, I think I still feel some mild burning from time to time, but I don't know if it's just my mind or if it's real.
I think it is important to say that, after 6 weeks of the start of the first rednesses, i started to have joint pains, like artritis. First knees and ankle, and after shoulders, elbows and lower back. When the biggest outbreak happened, the lower back worsen. Now I still have this artritis, although less sever.
Note that i never had flu-like symptoms, but I noticed that the worst 'rednesd outbreaks' and also the last one where triggered by masturbation some hours before.
So, what do think?
1. What are the odds that is herpes?
2. Could I have HIV suppresing the symptoms?
3. Could it be just a Reiter Sindrom reactive of the chlamydia, event though the redness on the genitals showed before the artritis?
Thank you so much.
4.5 months ago, I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a girl, but just for around 10 minutes in total. After 19 days, I felt something in my penis, and when I pulled the foreskin I could see some redness right under my gland (left side), like ring shapped. It covered a little bit of the side of the gland as well. It stayed like that for 3 or 4 days, and it went away. But after a few days it came back, same red ring on the right side of my gland. It kept coming and going, some times covering other parts of the gland, or also the skin right under the gland on the right side. It was not really itchy, just some mild burning coming and going (the redness doesn't need to be there to feel the burning). I cheched pictures and the redness looked like balanitis.
After almost one month of coming and going redness, I went to the doctor. That day the redness was worse than ever (just a coincidence). He saw it, took a swab (viral culture I assume), and said that it was probably herpes, otherwise candidiasis. The result came back negative, so I used the cream for fungal infection for one month. He tested other stds with a uribe test and they found chlamydia. I took the pills as well. Although I did not have any bad 'redness outbreak' during that next month, the red ring on the side of my gland never really went away. This is like the nucleous, the origin of the infection for what I see.
I went to a second doctor one day that i had quite a bit of redness, and he said he thought it was and allergy. He gave some meds for the allergy, but when I asked 'and if it doesn't work?', he said that then it might be herpes, but that it could be another infection such as HIV or HBV supressing the herpes symptoms, not allowing them to show properly ( he said it was unlikely though). That scared me, so I took a blood test for HIV, HBV and both iGG antibody test for HSV1 and 2, and all came back negative. Specifically, both HSV results were 1.2 ( <16 = negative, it said). Note that the blood test was 13 weeks after the only risk of exposure. However, aparently I still had Chlamydia infection.
While using the meds for the allergy, the 4th day I had some redness in both sides of my gland, but then it went away. I kept using the meds for 10 days, and the last 6 I had no redness, although still on and off mild burning sensation.
After 8 days of no redness and 2 days of no meds for allergy, I had something I never had before. It was the same day I took the meds for chlamydia (I did not take them right after I knew the blood test results). Some redness appeared where always, and in few hours I had what looked like begining of blisters, with clear liquit inside. A bit painful if i touched them. I had them for maybe less than 12 hours, and after there were just
sores/ulcers. For me, it really looked like herpes. Note that this 'oubreak was after 3 months of coming and going redness. I went to the
doctor next morning to take a swab. After explaining him all the story and that he saw the lesion (just ulcer then) he said he thought it was not herpes, just resisten chlamydia. He took one urethral swab to check what kind of antobiotics and needed for my chlamydia, and I asked for a PCR for the possible herpes. But he did not take that swab from the sore, but also from inside the urethra. The results came back negative for herpes, but I don' t think I can trust those results since it was not taken from the sore. For the chlamydia, after the results he said I should be fine taking what I was taking, azithromicin. After this biggest outbreak, the sores healed in 8 days, and I have been now 17 days with no redness, which is really wierd. However, I think I still feel some mild burning from time to time, but I don't know if it's just my mind or if it's real.
I think it is important to say that, after 6 weeks of the start of the first rednesses, i started to have joint pains, like artritis. First knees and ankle, and after shoulders, elbows and lower back. When the biggest outbreak happened, the lower back worsen. Now I still have this artritis, although less sever.
Note that i never had flu-like symptoms, but I noticed that the worst 'rednesd outbreaks' and also the last one where triggered by masturbation some hours before.
So, what do think?
1. What are the odds that is herpes?
2. Could I have HIV suppresing the symptoms?
3. Could it be just a Reiter Sindrom reactive of the chlamydia, event though the redness on the genitals showed before the artritis?
Thank you so much.
And by the way, just to clear up one issue, the 'blisters' i had in my last big outbreak were not like many round vesicles like the typical herpes outbreak. It was more like 3 bigger begining of blisters, clear color (i actually don't know if there was liquid inside. And I say begining because it was like they were going to show up but then in like 11 hours there were just some soreness, not ulcers (sorry). Besides, there was never crust either. I hope this helps. Thank you so so much
Ok thank you so so much. I am coming to the states in a month, so that would be 6 months after the exposure and I will get tested again. But, I heard the Western Blod is expensive isn't it? How much can it be?
But anyway, is there any chance this is all caused by the Reiter Syndrome? Because this reactive artritris is quite wierd...what I don't understand is why it took 3 months of redness coming and going until I had what looked liked herpes...I mean, this is not normal at all, right? What I think is that, if it was herpes from the begining, I would have developed antibodies to supress the first "redness outbreak" at the very begining, right? Because otherwise it would have shown as a proper outbreak. So I don't understand why after 13 weeks I had no signs of anitibodies...And also, the fact that the sores healed in just 9 days is a bit too fast for a first outbreak, isn't it? It is really wierd but I am so scared...
But anyway, is there any chance this is all caused by the Reiter Syndrome? Because this reactive artritris is quite wierd...what I don't understand is why it took 3 months of redness coming and going until I had what looked liked herpes...I mean, this is not normal at all, right? What I think is that, if it was herpes from the begining, I would have developed antibodies to supress the first "redness outbreak" at the very begining, right? Because otherwise it would have shown as a proper outbreak. So I don't understand why after 13 weeks I had no signs of anitibodies...And also, the fact that the sores healed in just 9 days is a bit too fast for a first outbreak, isn't it? It is really wierd but I am so scared...
Thanks for contacting me, Urith. I'm afraid we can't diagnose you on a public forum. Only tests can do that. Unfortunately, there are a number of possibilities that your condition could stem from, many of which your doctor has already discussed with you.
Some action items for you:
The very next time you have a blister, go before 48 hours have passed and get it swabbed for a PCR - but go to someone other than your doctor, maybe a urologist or a dermatologist, and insist. You have the right to control your health care decisions.
4.5 months after the sexual event is certainly enough time to get a reliable blood test with an accurate result. Unfortunately, some of the IgGs can be problematic - not always accurate. I'm not sure which country you live in - your IgG testing index is unusual for most labs here. However, if it's at all possible, you might ask your doctor to order the Western Blot, the gold standard of HSV blood tests, with a more than 99% accuracy.
Good luck to you!
Some action items for you:
The very next time you have a blister, go before 48 hours have passed and get it swabbed for a PCR - but go to someone other than your doctor, maybe a urologist or a dermatologist, and insist. You have the right to control your health care decisions.
4.5 months after the sexual event is certainly enough time to get a reliable blood test with an accurate result. Unfortunately, some of the IgGs can be problematic - not always accurate. I'm not sure which country you live in - your IgG testing index is unusual for most labs here. However, if it's at all possible, you might ask your doctor to order the Western Blot, the gold standard of HSV blood tests, with a more than 99% accuracy.
Good luck to you!
Hi, since you had a topical irritation issue why didnot the doctor swab it, dosent make any sense to overlook your biggest concern. Most topical issues like yours are often fungal related. You can have a blood test now to see if you have hsv or wait for another sore to develop and have it swabbed. This is the only way to know if this is infact a herpes issue.
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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.
