could this be herpes?

[Davidb90]

I am 21 year old man and I had unprotected insertive anal sex and gave and recieved oral sex 2 months ago with a man. 5 days after this I started getting cold like symptoms aching muscles tiredness and two days later swollen red painful tonsillitis. dr  prescribed penicillin v 7 days. The pain went after approx 5 days but whilst the swelling went down it didn't ever go completely down. A week after completing antibiotic I got ulcer like sores around my lips and on my cheeks which were not particularly painful. dr. suggested it might be a fungal infection due to antibiotic and gave me topical antifungal. The sores were gone within a week and didn't cause many problems. I only started to feel better after another two weeks or so.

Just over a week ago the muscle aches and tonsillitis came back and I felt shivery (all symptoms came at once) tonsils were bigger and redder than before and extremely painful. My right tonsil also had a White coating further back and is quite deformed. Dr following day gave me 10 days penicillin V and told me to get tested for glandular fever which I did  and am awaiting results. However  5 days ago I started getting small blisterlike sores on soft palate and tonsils which are difficult to see but can be felt with tongue and are patchy red and feel like burning and make it painful to swallow. I also have an ulcer on my right tonsil which looks like a normal mouth ulcer. I have not had any cold sores around my lips now or ever, however I have had a red painless rash on the top of my glans which has not been painful or itchy. A couple of days after blisters on soft palate the ulcer like blisters were again around the inside of lips, cheeks and around edge of tongue which are mildly painful. These have all but disappeared a couple of days later.

Four weeks after sex HIV,syphilis, gonorrhoea negative.Does this sound like herpes infection? If not what could it be? Are painless sores common?

Thanks David

David

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Why couldn't you get a herpes blood test if you wanted that?  
However, I do think that you don't have anything to worry about here, but without testing there is no way to know for certain.  Have you considered on-line testing services?

Terri

[Davidb90]

ok ive given up on getting diagnosed with anything, i think at this point is safe to assume that it was some sort of viral infection, probably not herpes. Was at dr. today who told me about blood test in detail. it was negative for glandular fever and it wasnt in fact showing signs of infection at all, in fact the only thing unusual was slightly high eosinophil count which im aware is involved in allergies and so im guessing could have something to do with my eczema?? or perhaps that i have a touch of hayfever... anyway im not worried about that. I also showed him tonsils he says they are visible but he doesnt think its anything to worry about as long as there is no pain as it sometimes happens to people with recurrent tonsilitis that remain much more visible hmm. anyway that only leaves my tongue symptoms which i guess could be a sign of me being generally run down which im sure ive read can happen (ie if your ill you can see it in your tongue) i will give it a couple of weeks and if that clears up i will think about this no more! I guess it was just the timing of everything and the fact it came back that panicked me but i suppose there is such a thing as coicidence! Id like to feel complete relief but i guess i would only get that from a blood test which i wont be able to get because i dont have any symptoms and so there is no reason to test! I guess if I dont have symptoms its nothing to worry about anyway! at least ive learnt my lesson and will always use protection in future!

[Davidb90]

I have one final question which Im hopeful will eliminate herpes infection, I was at the drs today and the blood test from two weeks ago (7 weeks after possible infection) showed signs of an infection - they did not say if this was viral or bacterial, but is it likely or even possible for the full blood count results to indicate an infection 7 weeks after initial infection with the herpes virus? Unfortunately it wasnt the dr i saw and the nurse i did see did not understand the results and couldnt explain anything to me other than she assumed the reason i was getting another blood  test was to see if 2nd course of antibios had worked.

Thanks

[Davidb90]

phoned my GP for test results and I have been told they show the signs of an infection but they did not tell me what kind of infection which I find worrying as they told me my full blood count was normal, and have told me to come in on thursday for another blood test to confirm if it has gone. Im now working myself up thinking its HIV even though i tested negative, it was only after 4 weeks and i know it can take up to 3 months.... wish this ordeal was over. most definitely i have learnt my lesson!

[Davidb90]

I visited the sexual health clinic again today and this time described my recurrent tonisllitis and antibiotics although didnt get a chance to mention mouth ulcers as i was being a bit hurried, the nurse practioner asked if i have skin conditions which i do have eczema on my arms hands and feet and she look at my rash. Before she'd even looked closely she told me it was balanitis so i guess it must have been a typical presentation of this and she says its common in people with eczema. She also told me it definitely wasn't sexually transmitted.  This is certainly a relief but it leaves me in the position of having to find out what my oral symptoms are.  Im going to wait for the results of my glandular fever test, and if all is negative and this persists i will go back to my GP and tell him about my tonsils which are still swollen and tongue which still has a burnt feeling....

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

No, I frankly don't have any ideas.  The ear cracking is not related to a herpes infection.  And herpes would not cause your tonsils to be enlarged for 8 weeks, that just isn't part of herpes infection either.  What does your clinician say about the blotchy rash on your penis?

Terri

[Davidb90]

Ok so quick update. Dr says full blood count is normal which I guess rules out mono even though result for that is not back, I started getting a crackling in my ear today when I touch ear or shake head the same noise as I you water in your ear and feel my hearing has been muffled over the past weeks but not obviously so. Is this relevant? I have read something about these symptoms and throat infections but don't know ifthat means bacterial or any infection. My tonsils continue to be swollen (for past 8 weeks) but are no longer painful. I have what looks like inflamed taste buds on side of Tongue which feels as if I burnt my tongue on a hot drink. That is my only current symptom othe than painless red blotchy rash on penis I have had for last 3 weeks.

Any ideas?  

[Davidb90]

Also I have had no sores on the hard palate and gums, are these not more common places for herpes sores? Would HSV2 recur in the mouth and would it recur so quickly after initial infection (and cause systemic symptoms twice) and is HSV1 likely to be caught by this sort of contact? Would gonorrhoea or chlamydia of the throat cause these symptoms other than the tonsillitis ie do they cause sores? I have also had contact with someone with glandular fever that seems to fit the time scale but I fear that is just me trying to reassure myself. My glandular fever result is due today so I will know soon about that anyway. Would you recommend a blood test for herpes and if so when?

Sorry for all the questions but understandably I am very worried.

Thanks verymuch

[Davidb90]

The sexual health nurse I saw for the sti screen was aware of sore throat and tonsillitis but took no swab however the GP was not. The sores around my lips were on the inside not the outside and were small widespread and practically painless. My genital area was not swabbed at all as the nurse said they no longer do that and only a urine test was taken. Does this sound like primary HSV1 or 2 infection? Is it not unlikely for both genital and oral to be infected at same time? My painful throat and blisters around mouth are now all but gone even though tonsils are still slightly swollen, should I still pursue this if they do not come back? Is this sort of herpes tonsillitis likely to recur frequently?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

The timing of your symptoms suggest that you may have contracted something from this partner.  It is somewhat worrisome.  Does the provider who saw you for the sore throat know about this contact?   Was your throat also swabbed for gonorrhea and chlamydia or just your genital area.  Pen VK doesn't really take care of these infections, you need a different antibiotic, which is why I ask if the provider knew about the sexual contact and the kind of contact.  The blisters in your mouth should be swabbed for herpes if they come back again.  You also said earlier that you got sores around your lips but then later seems to contradict that so I'm a little confused.  Can you clarify?

Terri