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Oral Herpes
Dr. H... i am 32 year old male. I posted here this time last year having been diagnosed with oral HSV1. I had a severe initial outbreak of herpetic gingivostomatitis. Since then I have had on average 1 to 2 outbreaks per month. Sometimes overlapping. One time may be a small blister on lip other time may be swelling and inflammation on gum, usually in the same spot. The outbreaks arent severe but they are all the time. I feel like i'm going crazy. My doctor put me on valtrex 1 gram a day for three months then said to taper down to 500mg day in hopes to eventually taper down to none. Outbreaks still occurred. I have been instructed this week to take 1 gram Valtrex twice a day for 45 days. Then go back to once a day for 45 days. Is this normal? Is this safe? Am I the only one this happens to? I keep reading how rare it is to have recurrent outbreaks on gums. But it is happening. Is so much valtrex safe? Will my body become resistant to the Valtrex? Am I a rare case? Should I see an infectious disease specialist? Should I be put on other medication? Do you think this will subside with time? I feel like I am a walking infectious being. The mental strain has become extremely unbearable. My everyday motivation is gone. I worry about infecting my girlfriend. It seems I am telling her 3 out of 4 weeks I cant kiss her,.... Any help in explanation and answers would be greatly appreciated. HELP!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The biopsy result showed normal tissue.
So let me see if I have this right: you know that you have HSV 1 because your antibody titers are high and that has been confirmed. You don't know if you have it orally or genitally because the swab from your lip lesion was negative.
You might ask your provider for PCR swab test kits to take home. When you get symptoms that you think might be herpes, you can gather the swabs yourself and return them to your provider's office to send to the lab. I don't think you need any more biopsies. PCR swab tests are the best to detect virus.
Terri
So let me see if I have this right: you know that you have HSV 1 because your antibody titers are high and that has been confirmed. You don't know if you have it orally or genitally because the swab from your lip lesion was negative.
You might ask your provider for PCR swab test kits to take home. When you get symptoms that you think might be herpes, you can gather the swabs yourself and return them to your provider's office to send to the lab. I don't think you need any more biopsies. PCR swab tests are the best to detect virus.
Terri
Also, if what I am experiencing is a papilloma... why does it go away on its own in less than 12 days. I thought a papilloma would remain until it was removed. Plus small area on lip is firm raised bump. No fluid and no scabbing. Just forms and regresses. Also the number of recurrences is really troubling me. Area on hard pallet is never raised. It is flat, painful, and usually is affected by hydrogen peroxide.
After numerous "outbreaks" of bump on my lip and area on hard pallet. I went to an oral surgeon who looked at the lesion on my hard pallet and biopsied it. The results came back as benign pappiloma? I was actually given this news by a secretary and my follow up with surgeon is not till end of next week. I dont know what to think. Secretary said biopsy was not herpetic. Can you give me our thoughts? I am very concerned at this point.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Things on the gums are most often canker sores, not herpes.
Terri
Terri
Hmm, I thought if herpes occured in the mouth that it usually occurs on the gums like he describes or the roof of the mouth? The tongue I though was unsual for herpes to recur on.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
So your diagnosis is accurate, but still, that doesn't mean that your current symptoms are due to HSV 1. I would encourage you to have the gum area swab tested to see if the symptoms that you are having now are due to herpes. Just because you once got sores on your gum, this doesn't mean that everything on the gum is herpes, because that is an unusual place for an outbreak, especially as often as it is occurring for you in spite of treatment.
Terri
Terri
I had a typical primary infection of herpetic gingivostomatitis, diagnosed by a local doctor. Blood test taken that day came back negative across the board. Blood test taken just one week later came back positive for HSV1 negative HSV2. I was just over titer of 1. I have had a few blood tests since, all with titer levels higher than the next. I am now over 6. I have not had my gums swabbed. I have had a blister on my lip swabbed. Funny thing... test came back positive. Then I actually got a call from my doctor yesterday saying that the result was a mistake and it was negative. I then called the testing center and they apologized over and over saying it was a clerical error. The spots area on my lip never looks like a typical blister. It is never bigger than the blunt end of a pen, never fluid filled, and never scabs over. It simply grows then shrinks. But its happening ofetn, never severe, but often
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Tell me again how you were diagnosed with HSV 1.
And tell me again how you KNOW that these gum inflammations are due to HSV 1?
I doubt that you will become resistant to Valtrex on these doses.
I would encourage you to have someone swab test the lesions to be certain they are herpes before you do anything else here.
Terri
And tell me again how you KNOW that these gum inflammations are due to HSV 1?
I doubt that you will become resistant to Valtrex on these doses.
I would encourage you to have someone swab test the lesions to be certain they are herpes before you do anything else here.
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.
