Misdiagnosed with herpes?

[soloma]

About 3 weeks ago I started to get a rash and sores on my inner thigh/vulva, not on the actual genitals, but very very close, and back towards the anal. The rash was itchy and painful. I went to the doctor and she said it was jock itch and gave me antifungal cream. After a few more days it did not get better and painful blisters started to appear. It just got more and more painfull so a few days later I went to another doctor. This doctor immediately said it was Herpes. They took a blood test and sent it in for all STD's including Herpes. All tests came back Negative including the IGG test for Herpes. He said the the IGM test would take a few days longer, and when it came back it came back postive. The doctor explained that the IGG was for previous exposure and the IGM was for recent exposure.

Here is what I don't understand: I have only slept with my boyfriend for the past 4 months before the rash appeared, and he does not have Herpes (100 percent sure, he got tested and it was negative). I tried to explain this to the doctor, but he reacted like he didn't believe me and concluded with that I have Herpes. How can I have herpes when the IGG was negative? Can I have been infected 4 months ago without it showing on the IGG? Someone suggested it to be shingles, and that the herpes zoster virus could turn out positive on a IGM test, is this correct? I suggested this to the doctor, but his respons was that it was highly unlikely since the rash was in an area not common for shingles to occur.
Do I have Herpes, or what could the rash have been??

The rash lasted for about 2 weeks from beginning to end, the blisters lasted for about 5 days and appeared about 4 days after the rash initially started. It was only on my right side, and it was extremely painful.

[soloma]

Did you get blisters?

[MrDonut]

Severe jock itch is no fun. I had the worst case I've ever had about 3 months ago. My dermatologist gave me an allergy patch test on my back. The same day a prescription cream for the jock itch was given to me. The cream caused the jock itch to become inflamed and it became very weepy. I had an allergic reaction to the prescription. Intervention the next day brought healing by a different prescription, etc.  All this is to lay the background for what can cause jock itch to really flare up:  the allergy patch test showed an allergy to Cinnamon. Not the type in food but the type that is found in tooth paste, etc., and specifically the prescription that was first prescribed for jock itch. If the topical treatment of the jock itch causes it to flare up look carefully at the paper work for the presence of the Cinnamon related chemical.  Also, consider having a patch test.  

[soloma]

Thank you!!! :)

[gracefromHHP]

you can have external and internal yeast infections at the same time which I believe is probably what she really meant to explain to you. we really only use the term jock itch for males, not females.  sometimes providers over simplify things so much that they do us a disservice!  some providers explain it as adult diaper rash instead of giving us credit and telling what it really is!

the herpes igm test is a very flawed test and has a high false positive rate. current cdc recmomendations are that it not be drawn on adults for the  purpose of diagnosing herpes.

[soloma]

Oh, okay. She explained it as I had 2 things, yeast infection and what she called tinea cruris (jock itch).

Anyway, if I understood correctly the IgM can not differ between Herpes simplex or other viruses in the same virus family as herpes zoster, but can it turn out positive even if there is no virus infection at all? That it is completely false? Or is it for sure that it is some kind of virus going on, but it just cant tell which one?
The doctor said the levels of IgM were very high.

The rash is gone now.. but I would really like to know what it was.

Thank you!!

[gracefromHHP]

jock itch and yeast infection are the same thing :)

yeast infections can cause some nasty looking rashes sometimes indeed.

if this doesn't clear up, return to be seen again.

[soloma]

Thank you so much.

As far as I know the doctor tested me only for STD's -clamydia, syphillis, HIV and herpes is what he mentioned. I don't think there were any tests done for yeast or bacterial infection (the doctor seemed pretty sure from the beginning that I had an STD, not even willing to concider anything else). However, the rash was not on the actual genitals though or in my vagina, it was right outside.
Also, the first doctor I saw gave me pills for yeast infection as she thougt it was jock itch and a yeast infection at the same time (forgot to mention that in first post).
Can a yeast infection cause blisters? What is a bacterial infection? What are the symptoms and cause of that?

Thank you again

[gracefromHHP]

the igm test for herpes is a very flawed test and we never recommend its use. Current cdc recommendations are that it not be drawn on adults to help detect herpes infection.   The provider you saw erred greatly in getting the herpes igm on you, they should've did a lesion culture of your symptoms instead.

shingles in the genital area on someone in their 20's isn't likely.

at this point if the rash is gone, nothing you can do but you and your partner repeat your herpes igg blood testing in a few months. should it reoccur, be seen promptly for further evaluation. did they test you for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally at any of your appointments?

grace