Valtrex during primary infection

Does anyone know if it's safer to start valtrex early during a primary infection for genital herpes
OR
is it better in the long run to ride the infection out so that you can make sufficient antibodies so that FUTURE outbreaks won't be as severe???

Please help!!!

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

actually it makes no difference in the long run whether you treat herpes or not when newly acquired. herpes antivirals do not interfere with your body making an immune response at all. all the antivirals do is speed healing of lesions, nothing more.

you have a prior post with Dr Hook that he has ended. they will delete your last post there once they get on and see it because once they say thread over, it is over.  just letting you know how their forum works.

valtrex would not make your symptoms better within a dose or two as you've noted has occurred when you take it on the expert forum. It really sounds more like the placebo effect than anything to be honest. A newly acquired genital herpes infection actually doesn't get quick resolution from antivirals and your symptoms would stay the same for several days after starting valtrex to be honest.

you really have no reason to think this is herpes related at this point. be seen monday for further exam and more urine testing.

grace

[dav242]

Wow, grace. Thank you so much for responding. I just wanetd to make sure that I wouldn't be developing more severe outbreaks later by taking the Valtrex now.

I will definitely have to seek further testing, but I'm currently not covered by insurance and have already paid out of pocket for my initial testing.

Could you offer some insight on my new symptoms though? That's what's scaring me the most.

I've started to have discharge (clear), and I've noticed new skin lesions popping up in my pubic area that are otherwise unexplainable. Two black lesions and various itching annular dry skin spots, where the borders are outlined such that it seems like a blister will soon form in between the borders.

I've also felt generalized malaise and fatigue. Last night, I also felt this dizziness when I would wake up in the middle of the night, almost as if I were falling out of bed. Is this a sequelae of the virus invading my nerves roots?

I continue to have dysuria and urgency, but this is improved now that I've been on valtrex for a few days.

I've read that herpes can take on a number of skin manifestations, and is often misdiagnosed for something else.

Given the full clinical picture, with the dysuria, tingling, and now skin lesions and malaise, isn't there a possiblity of herpes?

i also asked the awful person who I had this oral sexual encounter with, and he "admitted" to getting sores in his mouth "after eating foods he's allergic to" - which to me seems like an admission of at least HSV-1.

this guy, unfortunately, is not a trustworthy person and i feel duped into thinking he was "clean" when all along, he was prob hiding his herpes status.

Please - any insight or input would help me out. I'm at my wit's end.

[gracefromHHP]

call your local health department to see what your local low cost/no cost options are for following up on your symptoms.

this doesn't sound like herpes. be seen while symptoms are present for exam and testing.

sores in the mouth are usually canker sores which are not contagious.  they are common after many foods.