Is it possible to receive a false positive HSV-2 culture test? Help!!

Question

Help! I feel like I am going crazy and I need answers;( Two weeks ago I had intercourse with a new partner and like a jack *** I used victoria secret hand lotion as a lubricant. Between one and two days later, I broke out in blisters where my perineum is located. They were very painful, I felt pain inside my vagina as well. I did not have any other symptoms. It did not burn when I urinated, nor was it itchy or any of the other symptoms associated with the herpes virus. It literally just felt like a painful rash. The only thing that would help the pain was to sit in a hot bath. I didn't know what was going on. My best friend informed me that she used scented hand lotion as a lubricant as well in the past and had a terrible vaginal infection. She indicated that it felt like "glass" was inside her vagina. That is exactly what I experianced so I figured it was an infection from the lotion. Well I became very paranoid so decided to go to my obgyn. She did a culture on the blisters. Three days later she called me and told me that my HSV-2 test came back positive. I freaked out and called the guy that I hooked up with and told him. He then went to the hospital and was tested, everything came back negative??? I am just so confused. I have been diagnosed with HSV-1 in the past through a blood test due to cold sores. Is it possible that the "blisters" were indeed a severe reaction to the lotion or is it herpes? Should I get an HSV-2 blood test to be sure or is it pointless? I was told that after being infected with the virus you should wait two months to take a blood test. Is this true?

gracefromHHP · Answer

no, your symptoms now are unrelated.  Flu like symptoms from a newly acquired infection would've shown up before this.  

grace

Lalabombshell · Answer

I am now experiancing flu like symptoms;( my throat hurts and last night while sleeping I was experiancing cold chills. I have been very tired and weak as well, along with SEVER neck pain. Would this have any association with testing positive for HSV-2 last week? I am becoming very depressed. Am I going to experiance these horrible flu like symptoms each time I have an outbreak? I don't know if I can live like this. How am I going to deal with this the rest of my life?

gracefromHHP · Answer

Probably the scented lotion on your delicate private parts irritated the skin enough for you to have an obvious enough recurrence to take notice finally.  

It's not likely your lesion culture is wrong.

grace

Lalabombshell · Answer

I was diagnosed with HSV-1 five years ago so I have always known that I have had the virus. I also tend to get cold sores once a year. I have had other sexual partners between the time of hsv-1 diagonses and the latest sexual partner that tested negative on hsv-1 and hsv-2. He recently had both blood test done and both came back negative. That is why I am so confused right now. I have never had any kind of genital herpes out breaks or symptoms until the victoria secret lotion inncodent. I just think it is really odd how I used a lot of strong scented lotion for lubrication and then one day later break out in blisters! Then three days later get a positive HSV-2 test via culture! Today I decided to get an HSV-2 blood test to see what those results indicate. If the blood test comes back negative should I rely on that result or continue relying on the culture and just accept the fact that I have genital herpes? I am so confused;(

gracefromHHP · Answer

Any idea how your partner was tested for herpes?

If he really is hsv2 negative and your culture is hsv2+, odds are you had hsv2 prior to meeting him and just never knew it.    Had you had any other partners since you last had a herpes blood test done?

grace