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Avatar universal

herpes? ???

Hi, 27 yr old male. I am very confused about what is going on. 20 days ago i had protected sex with an escort.  2 weeks later i started having a sore throat (upper part, near palate of mouth, maybe tonsils). This turned to sharp, GERD like stomach pains overnight, which have lasted for a week (getting better), and moved throughout my stomach and under the solar plexus. The doctor said i did not have a stomach flu (no nausea, diarrhea). 4 days ago i noticed a handful of tiny red dots on my glans, and the next day they turned to a red irritated patch, not especially blistery looking, but now they have tiny red scabs on them. (all very very small, like 1mm).  I also noticed what might have been one larger, pimple sized blister on the scrotum, it looked like it was already broken (watery looking), and the area on the scrotum around it was a little itchy. that is healed over now.  what is confusing me is my scrotum is extremely itchy, all red, and inflamed looking.  My gf 4 yrs ago got cold sores, is this an old HSV1 due to stress, or a new HSV2? When i was with that girlfriend i did notice once an inch sized patch of redness on the penis shaft that went away in around 2 days, so i never figured it was herpes. university doctor and he said he couldnt test the spots on the glans because they werent clearly blistering, and ive been tested for chlamydia and gonorrea and syphillis and gotten negative results.  Before I got the sore throat my lymph nodes were a little sore, and i thought it might be due to pollen allergies, since i feel fatigued a lot this time of year. I also have a throbbing pain in my kneecap that is totally foreign to me as well as an achy lower back. When i had the G.I. problems worst my whole body was pretty achy, especially in the joints. Is it possible that the symptoms are all due to allergies? Oh and the sore throat did not feel at all like a GERD throat, it was way up in my throat and came with a headache. thanks
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55646 tn?1263660809
There is so much misinformation and misues of the IgM test.  I wish they drop off the face of the earth.  You can certainly retest at any point into the 3 month period  and its three months from exposure, not symptoms.

I think we've covered all the possibilties here, this will be the last post on this thread.

Terri
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well the dermatologist did not see the rash on my penis, but said that the spot on my eye could be an allergic reaction. at least from what i can tell, the two were similar in a lot of ways. they both showed up and went away quickly, both had tiny 2mm blisters, both looked like a slightly raised inflammation that was sore to the touch.  The only thing still throwing me off is the IgM test.  I took the type specific IgM twice, and that came back negative twice.  The non-specific IgM was I guess positive enough for the lady at aboutmyhealth.com to think that i had a recent infection, se said it was not "overwhemingly positive" but enough to suspect.  Is this probably bogus? I dont know what the reliability of either of these IgM tests is supposed to be.  do i really have to wait 3 months until i take the IgG? is that 3 months from the day of possible exposure, or from the day of symptoms? Does the fact that the 2 types specific IgMs came back negative mean anything? The school doctor sounded convinced that the negative result was accurate, she said the type specific IgM would have picked up antibodies if the exposure was 20 days ago.
Helpful - 0
55646 tn?1263660809
I don't have any additional input, no, but if a dermatologist saw you and said it looks like an allergic reaction, then maybe that's what it is.

Terri
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Avatar universal
So I spoke to my dad who is a cardiologist and his friend who is a dermatologist, and they both say its just an allergic reaction to antibiotics or to something else. Yesterday I developed a little blistery rashy patch (tiny fluid filled blisters, about 1mm ) above my eye, and a similar soreness inside my finger where i accidentally cut myself a few months ago and is now healed.  The patches on my eye and penis and mouth all were very similar, and all went away within 2-3 days. My upper eyelid was a little irritated as a whole too, and my eyes burned a bit yesterday.  I stil have a bit of a yeats infection on my scrotum and whiteness on the tongue. Apparently this can all be due to an allegic reaction and a reduction of good bacteria. I'm not worried that its herpes anymore, although ill have the doctor check me out again, and do the test in 3 months. Im sure that IgM test that doesnt differentiate was just picking up something from whatever bug i got recently, or maybe i have HSV1 in my system from years ago and my body was making antibodies to fight it as i got sick.  this is my theory anyway, but everyone seems pretty positive the physical symptoms are not herpes. if you have any input let me know, if not thanks for your help
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Avatar universal
I did not get an IgG because I figured it was too soon to get one anyway. The lab where I got my HIV PCR test said they have a herpes blood PCR test. I guess its not offered frequently, but i figured it might be accurate in this situation. What was on my glans really seemed different from the yeast business, it was the only place where it was sore and hurt and had tiny little scabs, my scrotum is just itchy and red.  My girlfriend is now saying her lips are burning, i guess i can bet that i did either contract some sort of herpes or that is is a remnant from my past relationship that just now showed up.  If my gf gets blisters i'll tell her to go get them swabbed.  can they tell between the two types with swabbing?  I wanted to get swabbed but i guess none of what i had was enough of a lesion to get anything from. I really hope this is type 1 from my ex girlfriend and not something i got from my recent indiscretion. i guess i deserve it if it is, im just pissed because i used a condom, i thought that was supposed to keep me safe.  thanks for your help, if you have any other advice let me know. im still considering getting this PCR blood test, if you have any info on it let me know, i dont know if i can wait four months.
Helpful - 0
55646 tn?1263660809
The IgM test is not ever recommended, and I'm not clear why it was done for you.  The only reliable test is the IgG test.  You need to wait 4 months from a possible exposure to have a very accurate result.  Was an IgG test done?  If not, you can't rely on these test results,

The herpes PCR test is for swabbing lesions not generally testing of any sort.  If you have a specific genital lesion or sore, this is the test that you want.  

I'm really sad that you got the wrong blood test done.

Terri
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
also do you know anything about the herpes PCR test? is it accurate? they offer it online, i know its expensive, but waiting to know what this is is killing me and the money isnt really an issue for me.  i just want to know if it would tell me what i have.
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Avatar universal
so i had the test done and got the results. i got two IgM tests, one testing for specific types and one thats just to see if i recently got exposed. the specific one ( i actually go tthis one done twice by accident) came back al negative both times.  The othe IgM came back positive (they said not overwhelmingly, but positive nonethless).  I know i have a yeast infection on my scrotum and in my mouth (i took antibiotics for 3 days whn my stomach hurt, my doc and my dad who is a doc both said this is the cause).  So do i have herpes? I guess according to that test i was exposed recently. Why did i get it on my glans and on my lip, when i had a condom on and didnt kiss?  my lip did tingle and feel hot in the way that people say happens with cold sores before i got the red spot.  what was on my penis looked more like a really mild version of the herpes pics ive seen than the yeast i have on my scrotum or the white dots you sent in that photo. it was all in one little dime sized area, and was quite sore.  i am very depressed, i dont know how to tell if its HSV1 or 2, and i feel like this is going to affect my sexua life forever.  i feel so stupid and dirty, and i still dont really know whats going on. is it more likely that i got 1 or 2 from the escort?  i definitely didnt get a recent exposure from my GF, because we hadnt had any sex in more than a month.  did i spread the herpes from my penis to my lip with my hand? i definitely didnt kiss the escort, her tongue may have been on my scrotum though, and i guess her vaginal fluids as well. this sucks. i am not so worried about my own symptoms, because they were so mild, but i feel like i can never have sex with who i want to again.
Helpful - 0
55646 tn?1263660809
All of your symptoms on your lips are very non-specific.  I can't help you know what this is on the computer.  The scrotum sounds very much like a fungal infection that many men experience.  Have you tried treating this with anything like an antifungal cream?  I'm curious about why you aren't going in to have these symptoms tested by a clinician?  And have you yet had an antibody test?

Terri
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Avatar universal
Also, tonight my scrotum remains inflamed, very itchy (a kind of burning itch), and red/shiny. it is especially so in one specific area. I think that when i was looking at it there was even some small clear liquid spots. Is this indicative of genital herpes? could this be HSV1 presenting in a non typical way down there? I was under the impression that with herpes this all happened at once, not in different splotches.  also, if it is candidasis or something, could that show up in the lips?
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Avatar universal
It didnt look especially like that, but not dissimilar. there werent any white spots, just small red dots at first and then a slightly red raised area and then tiny scabbed dots.  Im also pretty sure there is a cold sore on my mouth, my lips got incredibly dry and a bit flaky the 3rd day i had the spot on my glans (I never have dry lips), and last night i noticed a little red patch in the corner of my mouth that looks like a really mild cold sore.  Im pretty sure this is herpes, my question is this: is it possible that I got herpes on my glans and on my lips from the encounter with the escort? i don't think she touched either of those spots with anything more than a graze, could i have spread it from the testes or the penis to the mouth myself? Or can one have an initial reaction years after one first gets herpes? my ex gf (3 yrs ago now) had cold sores on her mouth quite frequently.  So at this moment Ive experienced a) a very sore throat and headache followed by stomach upset b) a small spot on the glans, and c) a mild cold sore d) achy joints and lower back and e) general fatigue.  All of these began about 2 weeks after the protected encounter. The encounter also stressed me out a fair bit though, is it possible i would have all these typically "initial" symptoms years later from my ex?
Helpful - 0
55646 tn?1263660809
You've jumped to the conclusion that this is herpes, and I'm not sure that's the place to go with this.  Have you looked on line at pictures of candida balanitis?  try this, is yours similar? http://www.ihmf.org/OnLineLearningZone/Images/Atlas13.gif.

You could certainly get a herpes antibody test now and see what your present status is and then repeat the test in 4 months.

I think it is not likely that you contracted HSV 2 at a one time encounter with a commercial sex worker, wearing a condom.  It isn't impossible, but not so likely.

Terri
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Avatar universal
SO I went to the clinic and they said that the red and itchy scrotum is probably not related to whatever was on the glans.  They said that the tiny scabs that are no on the glans don't look like a typical herpes reaction, but that if they were to guess at anything it would be herpes. I took a benadryl in the early am because of the itching and it seemed to help, and now my scrotum is less red and less itchy.  anxiety? pollen? i havent been using any new products. Do you think its likely that i contracted a new herpes (HSV2) from the sex worker 20 days ago (i used a condom, and the herpes-like symptoms were on the glans), or do you think this  is from my girlfriend 4 years ago who got cold sores? I'd like to know whether i have HSV1 or HSV2, at least for my current girlfriends sake, but i guess the antibody IgG test wouldnt be conclusive after only 20 days anyway right? the doc said its definitely not HPV.
Helpful - 0
55646 tn?1263660809
Your symptoms don't suggest herpes to me.  Have you had an antibody test done?  If not, you want an IgG antibody test.  What did your university doctor think about your red scrotum?  

Terri
Helpful - 0

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