Aa
Mouth HSV2
I’ve been diagnosed as positive for HSV2 and negative for HSV1. Three months later I had some mouth sores appear and had a culture taken that came back as “No Virus Isolated”. I was told the culture checked for viruses but not for bacteria.
Since all this started, I don’t know if I’ve had what I think have been three different outbreaks or just one continuous outbreak with maybe one week break in between the three periods of times I noticed or think I had symptoms. Every couple of weeks since first time getting the mouth sores I’ve been getting some kind of mouth lesion. The first couple of times they looked like canker sores and and now they appear to be blood blisters that that range from very tiny to somewhat larger blood blisters. They mostly heal in one or two days, three days at the most and all been either inside the lower lip or inside the cheeks and never on the same spot; and never on the tongue, gums, or the palate.
This last time before the last blood blisters appeared, for about two weeks I had been having a slight itch around my face from the sides of my eyes down through the sides of my cheeks, down to my chin. Also, the same day the initial mouth sores appeared I started to smell some kind of foul smell when I would breathe in and sometimes even feel as if could swallow whatever it was I was breathing in. Two different doctors told me that the smell was in my sinuses.
1. Can anyone tell me how all of this ties in. Is it that I’m just stressed out to the limit and causing all of this; is it herpes; is it caused by some type of nasal fungal or bacterial infection; or is it simply something else?
2. Assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that in the case of mouth HSV2 since the virus has a preference for the genital area it does not have the tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak in my mouth.
Since all this started, I don’t know if I’ve had what I think have been three different outbreaks or just one continuous outbreak with maybe one week break in between the three periods of times I noticed or think I had symptoms. Every couple of weeks since first time getting the mouth sores I’ve been getting some kind of mouth lesion. The first couple of times they looked like canker sores and and now they appear to be blood blisters that that range from very tiny to somewhat larger blood blisters. They mostly heal in one or two days, three days at the most and all been either inside the lower lip or inside the cheeks and never on the same spot; and never on the tongue, gums, or the palate.
This last time before the last blood blisters appeared, for about two weeks I had been having a slight itch around my face from the sides of my eyes down through the sides of my cheeks, down to my chin. Also, the same day the initial mouth sores appeared I started to smell some kind of foul smell when I would breathe in and sometimes even feel as if could swallow whatever it was I was breathing in. Two different doctors told me that the smell was in my sinuses.
1. Can anyone tell me how all of this ties in. Is it that I’m just stressed out to the limit and causing all of this; is it herpes; is it caused by some type of nasal fungal or bacterial infection; or is it simply something else?
2. Assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that in the case of mouth HSV2 since the virus has a preference for the genital area it does not have the tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak in my mouth.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1. Can you tell me how all of this ties in. Is it that I’m just stressed out to the limit and causing all of this, is it herpes, is it caused by some type of nasal fungal or bacterial infection, or is it simply something else?
I think the facial/sinus stuff has nothing to do with your HSV 2. infection.
2. Since I’ve come back negative for HSV1 and positive for HSV2 and have never had any symptoms in my genitals other than when I was told I had folliculitis, and assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that the HSV2 virus prefers the genital area and that in the case of mouth HSV2 it does not have a tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak around my mouth and face.
I seriously doubt that your HSV 2 is oral. None of your symptoms sounds sound like herpes. But the folliculitis could have been herpes, misdiagnosed. Or you may not have any genital herpes symptoms.
3. I’ve already had folliculitis which can be caused by a Staph infection. Now can you tell me what I’ve described around my face could be symptoms of Herpes or is it possible that some kind of Staph infection can be the cause of either mouth lesions, the chemical smell, or the itch and the cuts on my face.
Answered above
4. What is the best medication to take (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) and what dosage to take when one is having an actual outbreak vise suppressive therapy.
Im not at all clear that you are having outbreaks.
5. Can one use a combination of medications (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) for either an actual outbreak or suppressive therapy.
Use one medicine only, not a combination.
6. What can you tell me about the Dyshidrosis and the bouncing back pains, two conditions that according to what I’ve read can be caused by stress.
I''m not going to address those issues, only those having to do with herpes, and I don't think either of these have anything to do with you HSV 2 status, honestly.
Terri
I think the facial/sinus stuff has nothing to do with your HSV 2. infection.
2. Since I’ve come back negative for HSV1 and positive for HSV2 and have never had any symptoms in my genitals other than when I was told I had folliculitis, and assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that the HSV2 virus prefers the genital area and that in the case of mouth HSV2 it does not have a tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak around my mouth and face.
I seriously doubt that your HSV 2 is oral. None of your symptoms sounds sound like herpes. But the folliculitis could have been herpes, misdiagnosed. Or you may not have any genital herpes symptoms.
3. I’ve already had folliculitis which can be caused by a Staph infection. Now can you tell me what I’ve described around my face could be symptoms of Herpes or is it possible that some kind of Staph infection can be the cause of either mouth lesions, the chemical smell, or the itch and the cuts on my face.
Answered above
4. What is the best medication to take (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) and what dosage to take when one is having an actual outbreak vise suppressive therapy.
Im not at all clear that you are having outbreaks.
5. Can one use a combination of medications (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) for either an actual outbreak or suppressive therapy.
Use one medicine only, not a combination.
6. What can you tell me about the Dyshidrosis and the bouncing back pains, two conditions that according to what I’ve read can be caused by stress.
I''m not going to address those issues, only those having to do with herpes, and I don't think either of these have anything to do with you HSV 2 status, honestly.
Terri
I have already posted this here before but still have many concerns so I added some additional details and questions. If you could please take the time to read this post again and answer the additional questions that I have.
I had a skin rash that eventually was diagnosed as folliculitis which can be caused by among other things a Staph infection. At the time I was afraid it was Herpes so I insisted I’d be checked for herpes to have peace of mind and to my horror I was told that based on the numbers on the test results that I was positive for HSV2 (>5) and negative for HSV1 (0.17). I had never had an outbreak of any kind so the doctor told me that until I had blood blisters I did not have herpes.
I went into a deep depression for a period of time and lost about 20 pounds not being able to sleeps or eat due to the uncertainty. During that time I started to itch on my arms and hands and was told by a doctor that it was Dyshidrosis and that it was triggered by stress.
Sometime later I noticed I had some mouth sores and at that very moment I started feeling back pains and to this day they have not gone away. Maybe a day or two will go by with no back pain but they always seem to come back. The thing about the back pain is that it seems to float around. Sometimes it’s On the Upper back to the right side, sometimes the upper back to the left side, and other tomes straight in the center. Other times it could be the lower back on either side or in the mid back to either side. At this time I don’t know what to think about the back pains because I’ve read that stress can cause back pains that bounce around..
Immediately after the mouth sores appeared I went to my primary care clinic to be checked. I asked to have a culture taken but I was refused to have a culture taken because they claimed that my insurance would not pay for it, but they wrote me a prescription to go to a lab and have it taken there. I went to a nationally recognized lab and was told at the lab that it would be too much of an invasive procedure so they would not take the culture either, but that I could have my doctor take it at the clinic and that I could bring it in, and again for the same reason I was refused to have a culture taken at my doctor’s office for me to take back to the lab.
Two weeks went by and I had two more lesions appear inside my mouth and I went back to my primary care doctor and at that time a culture was taken. After a couple of weeks the results came back with “No Virus Isolated” and I was told the culture checked for viruses but not for bacteria.
The mouth lesions first appeared in early April 2009 and since that time I don’t know if what I’ve been having are three different outbreaks or just one continuous outbreak with maybe one week break in between the three periods of times that I had or think I’ve had some kind of symptoms. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been so stressed out, but every couple of weeks since first time getting the mouth sores I’ve been getting some kind of mouth lesion. The first couple of time they looked like canker sores and took close to a week for them to heal and now they appear to be blood blisters that that range from very tiny to somewhat larger blood blisters. They mostly healed in one or two days, three days at the most, and all have been either on the inside of the lower lip or inside the cheeks; never on the same spot; and never on the tongue, gums, or the palate.
It’s now mid July 2009 and the last time before the last blood blisters appeared, for about two weeks I had been having a slight itch around my face from the sides of my eyes down through the sides of my cheeks, down to my chin. Not a constant itch or a burning itch, but the kind you get every now and then, the ones you feel like something is crawling on your skin and you have to scratch it, and every now and then I feel some kind of numbness in the area of my chin. Now the itch has increased in intensity and I’ve noticed that when I shave there are some spots around my mouth, cheeks and nose that appear to be razor cuts but bleed more than the usual razor cuts and are there every time I shave. They do not seem to scab over either and one could not tell I have anything by just looking at me. I’ve also noticed that in some of the spots that itch I have what look like either very tiny scratches or cuts, and again no scab and not noticeable by just looking at me.
Also, the same day the initial mouth sores appeared (Early April 2009) I noticed some kind of foul smell when I would breathe in and sometimes even feel as if I could swallow whatever it was I was breathing in. I can’t tell what it smells or taste like but the only thing I can compare it to is some kind of chemical smell. Two different doctors told me that the smell was in my sinuses and I believed it since I suffered from severe allergies all my life. I was put on antibiotics twice and after the second time on antibiotics the smell went away for maybe two weeks. Then the smell and more mouth lesions appeared again on the same day.
Then went to an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor and had both MRI and CT scan taken and was told that I had accumulation of bacteria in my sinuses and again was put on antibiotics and steroids but the smell has not gone away. I asked the Ear-Nose-Throat doctor if it was possible for a sinus bacterial infection to cause the mouth lesions and did not get a straight answer.
My mouth has been free of any lesions for about a week now but after months I can still smell that chemical smell in my sinuses when I breathe in, and in two more days scheduled to have surgery in my sinuses, but I’m not sure that’s the cause of the chemical smell or the mouth lesions.
I’m on suppressive therapy with Valtrex 500 mg one per day and I’m also taking the following vitamins: L-Lysine 1000 mg, Vitamins E 1000 mg, Vitamin C 1000 mg, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin B-12 1000 mg, Zinc 30 mg, and Garlic 1250 mg. I'm not sure if taking all of this is doing me any good but I'm hoping that it will start to work soon
I’ve made an appointment with an infectious disease doctor but he’s out of town and my appointment is not until July 23’d, which leads me to the following questions:
1. Can you tell me how all of this ties in. Is it that I’m just stressed out to the limit and causing all of this, is it herpes, is it caused by some type of nasal fungal or bacterial infection, or is it simply something else?
2. Since I’ve come back negative for HSV1 and positive for HSV2 and have never had any symptoms in my genitals other than when I was told I had folliculitis, and assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that the HSV2 virus prefers the genital area and that in the case of mouth HSV2 it does not have a tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak around my mouth and face.
3. I’ve already had folliculitis which can be caused by a Staph infection. Now can you tell me what I’ve described around my face could be symptoms of Herpes or is it possible that some kind of Staph infection can be the cause of either mouth lesions, the chemical smell, or the itch and the cuts on my face.
4. What is the best medication to take (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) and what dosage to take when one is having an actual outbreak vise suppressive therapy.
5. Can one use a combination of medications (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) for either an actual outbreak or suppressive therapy.
6. What can you tell me about the Dyshidrosis and the bouncing back pains, two conditions that according to what I’ve read can be caused by stress.
I had a skin rash that eventually was diagnosed as folliculitis which can be caused by among other things a Staph infection. At the time I was afraid it was Herpes so I insisted I’d be checked for herpes to have peace of mind and to my horror I was told that based on the numbers on the test results that I was positive for HSV2 (>5) and negative for HSV1 (0.17). I had never had an outbreak of any kind so the doctor told me that until I had blood blisters I did not have herpes.
I went into a deep depression for a period of time and lost about 20 pounds not being able to sleeps or eat due to the uncertainty. During that time I started to itch on my arms and hands and was told by a doctor that it was Dyshidrosis and that it was triggered by stress.
Sometime later I noticed I had some mouth sores and at that very moment I started feeling back pains and to this day they have not gone away. Maybe a day or two will go by with no back pain but they always seem to come back. The thing about the back pain is that it seems to float around. Sometimes it’s On the Upper back to the right side, sometimes the upper back to the left side, and other tomes straight in the center. Other times it could be the lower back on either side or in the mid back to either side. At this time I don’t know what to think about the back pains because I’ve read that stress can cause back pains that bounce around..
Immediately after the mouth sores appeared I went to my primary care clinic to be checked. I asked to have a culture taken but I was refused to have a culture taken because they claimed that my insurance would not pay for it, but they wrote me a prescription to go to a lab and have it taken there. I went to a nationally recognized lab and was told at the lab that it would be too much of an invasive procedure so they would not take the culture either, but that I could have my doctor take it at the clinic and that I could bring it in, and again for the same reason I was refused to have a culture taken at my doctor’s office for me to take back to the lab.
Two weeks went by and I had two more lesions appear inside my mouth and I went back to my primary care doctor and at that time a culture was taken. After a couple of weeks the results came back with “No Virus Isolated” and I was told the culture checked for viruses but not for bacteria.
The mouth lesions first appeared in early April 2009 and since that time I don’t know if what I’ve been having are three different outbreaks or just one continuous outbreak with maybe one week break in between the three periods of times that I had or think I’ve had some kind of symptoms. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been so stressed out, but every couple of weeks since first time getting the mouth sores I’ve been getting some kind of mouth lesion. The first couple of time they looked like canker sores and took close to a week for them to heal and now they appear to be blood blisters that that range from very tiny to somewhat larger blood blisters. They mostly healed in one or two days, three days at the most, and all have been either on the inside of the lower lip or inside the cheeks; never on the same spot; and never on the tongue, gums, or the palate.
It’s now mid July 2009 and the last time before the last blood blisters appeared, for about two weeks I had been having a slight itch around my face from the sides of my eyes down through the sides of my cheeks, down to my chin. Not a constant itch or a burning itch, but the kind you get every now and then, the ones you feel like something is crawling on your skin and you have to scratch it, and every now and then I feel some kind of numbness in the area of my chin. Now the itch has increased in intensity and I’ve noticed that when I shave there are some spots around my mouth, cheeks and nose that appear to be razor cuts but bleed more than the usual razor cuts and are there every time I shave. They do not seem to scab over either and one could not tell I have anything by just looking at me. I’ve also noticed that in some of the spots that itch I have what look like either very tiny scratches or cuts, and again no scab and not noticeable by just looking at me.
Also, the same day the initial mouth sores appeared (Early April 2009) I noticed some kind of foul smell when I would breathe in and sometimes even feel as if I could swallow whatever it was I was breathing in. I can’t tell what it smells or taste like but the only thing I can compare it to is some kind of chemical smell. Two different doctors told me that the smell was in my sinuses and I believed it since I suffered from severe allergies all my life. I was put on antibiotics twice and after the second time on antibiotics the smell went away for maybe two weeks. Then the smell and more mouth lesions appeared again on the same day.
Then went to an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor and had both MRI and CT scan taken and was told that I had accumulation of bacteria in my sinuses and again was put on antibiotics and steroids but the smell has not gone away. I asked the Ear-Nose-Throat doctor if it was possible for a sinus bacterial infection to cause the mouth lesions and did not get a straight answer.
My mouth has been free of any lesions for about a week now but after months I can still smell that chemical smell in my sinuses when I breathe in, and in two more days scheduled to have surgery in my sinuses, but I’m not sure that’s the cause of the chemical smell or the mouth lesions.
I’m on suppressive therapy with Valtrex 500 mg one per day and I’m also taking the following vitamins: L-Lysine 1000 mg, Vitamins E 1000 mg, Vitamin C 1000 mg, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin B-12 1000 mg, Zinc 30 mg, and Garlic 1250 mg. I'm not sure if taking all of this is doing me any good but I'm hoping that it will start to work soon
I’ve made an appointment with an infectious disease doctor but he’s out of town and my appointment is not until July 23’d, which leads me to the following questions:
1. Can you tell me how all of this ties in. Is it that I’m just stressed out to the limit and causing all of this, is it herpes, is it caused by some type of nasal fungal or bacterial infection, or is it simply something else?
2. Since I’ve come back negative for HSV1 and positive for HSV2 and have never had any symptoms in my genitals other than when I was told I had folliculitis, and assuming what’s going on in my mouth is HSV2; is it true that the HSV2 virus prefers the genital area and that in the case of mouth HSV2 it does not have a tendency of recurring; and if so, why have I had what appears to be a three month or longer continuous outbreak around my mouth and face.
3. I’ve already had folliculitis which can be caused by a Staph infection. Now can you tell me what I’ve described around my face could be symptoms of Herpes or is it possible that some kind of Staph infection can be the cause of either mouth lesions, the chemical smell, or the itch and the cuts on my face.
4. What is the best medication to take (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) and what dosage to take when one is having an actual outbreak vise suppressive therapy.
5. Can one use a combination of medications (Valtrex, Famciclovir, Acyclovir) for either an actual outbreak or suppressive therapy.
6. What can you tell me about the Dyshidrosis and the bouncing back pains, two conditions that according to what I’ve read can be caused by stress.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
A value of >5 is a firm positive, but your infection is very unlikely to be oral, even though that's the location where you are having symptoms. You should be on the look-out for any symptoms in the genital area, the entire boxer shorts area. As for your oral symptoms, you should see your dentist or internal medicine provider.
Terri
Terri
I've been having other issues but the ask the Doctor Forum would not allow me to post more than 2000 characters. I've posted a more detailed description in the Herpes Forum if you'd like to take a look at it.
Yes, and if I'm not mistaken the HSV2 count was above 5
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Were you diagnosed with a blood antibody test? If yes, can you tell me what the numeric value of your positive test result was? It is correct that HSV 2 rarely recurs orally, it certainly wouldn't be something that would recur constantly as you describe. Almost everyone who tests truly positive for HSV 2 has genital infection, at least (some have it orally as well but the clinical significance is minor.
Terri
Terri
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
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.
