herpes and the eyes

[terrybrown]

hi

i have posted a number of times, i have other symptoms, but i want to focus on my eyes
i am curently waiting to go back to se my eye specialist, i had extreme eye pains, red eyes, photophobia, the whites of my eyes seemed inflamed also wrinkled slightly for 6 months, it simply just happened out the blue, i had been placed on anti inflatrory drops and anti biotics for the eye, i was told it could be chronic conjunctivitis, anyways im due to see my optician in a few weeks from now, the pains had gone,photophobia too, just my eyes are red,bloodshot and the whites of my eyes are still inflamed slightly.

since its gone on for soo long, could this be due to herpes? as i am suspecting herpes from my previous symptoms,will make this point to my optician.

could a herpes flare up come straight after unprotected sex just limiting to constant penis burining, leg,back,testicular and bum pains?

i did go to my local GUI clinic, due to my recent sexual encounter, my symptoms are on and off of prostratitis, they wouldnt test me for herpes, saying when i have a flare up then come to them, does that mean flareups mean sores/ulcers and blisters or can flareups be different for each person?

if so the who can i go to for this test?

whats the best blood test i can do for this?

im from the uk
thanks

[norainbow]

It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. Believe me, reading all of this stuff online can make anyone paranoid. I recently contracted HSV 2 and have been on Valtrex for two weeks, so far it has healed well. My eyes started watering and getting red 3-4 times during the last two weeks which concerned me a lot, and it is possible that I infected my eyes, (rubbed them, towel, who knows) I went to the eye doctor and they ran a bunch of tests, said everything looks fine. They said it was possibly due to dry eye or even a reaction to Valtrex which is actually listed as one of the side effects if you read the entire list. I still feel I have something going on with my eyes, so I'm going to go back to the eye doctor in about a week or so for a follow up. My doctor also told me that even if there is a mild infection that Valtrex would be the prescription to resolve it unless I had a 'bad' infection then they would give me anti-viral drops as well. I'm hoping since I have HSV2 and not HSV1 that I don't have ocular herpes and if I do I hope it doesn't return since it isn't the preferred host site.

[elsacapz1]

What happened in the end???

[norainbow]

I did not have a herpes infection of the eye. It was extreme dry eyes that were blood shot red, watering, burning etc. Why? Because the HSV2 caused all kinds of sensory issues with my body including neurapathy in my limbs that lasted for 2 months. Basically, I had no idea my apartment thermostat was set to 85 degrees because I couldn't feel that it was 85 degrees. Hence, dry eyes.  I had night sweats as well, loss of bladder control, it was a nightmare what happened to my central nervous system from the inflammation of the HSV2 in my spinal cord. At one point I could barely move my arms due to the neuropathy. I had shortness of breath for almost a year after infection due to the damage to the mylan sheath in my spinal cord (c5 ) caused by the HSV2 inflammation right at the c5 vertebrae. Fast foward 5 plus years. Everything is fine except occasional shortness of breath when an outbreak is heading to my lower lip as the virus travels up my spinal cord. I was infected above and below the belt. Other than that I rarely get outbreaks and have none of the issues noted above. It took my body years to repair itself from the central nervous system damage and build up my immune system. I rarely take valtrex, maybe 3 to 6 pills a year. The medication works but it is very hard on the liver and kidneys. Best of luck to everyone!

[auntiejessi]

Wow - so glad you are feeling better now!

The only thing I'd like to add is that Valtrex is not hard on the liver at all - even those with existing liver disease don't need to alter the dose. It can be hard on the kidneys in those with existing kidney disease or the elderly, and those people should absolutely talk to their doctors to see if Valtrex is the right medication for them.

https://www.rxlist.com/valtrex-drug.htm#indications

[elsacapz1]

Holy crap!! How do you know HSV-2 caused all those issues you mentioned?? Did you have thorough tests done? I ask because Doctors don't seem to want to be thorough when it comes to diagnosing and treating HSV-2. I don't understand why they keep saying that Herpes is just a skin disease and that it's not a big deal; apparently it is!!! Far more than they would like to admit!

The issues you developed, are they typical? Or do you have another condition that made your body react adversely to HSV-2??

How did you heal yourself? Did you do anything in particular??

[gracefromHHP]

the dye isn't for glaucoma  - that's what the puff of air in the eye is for.  the dye and the lamp is usually how they do test for herpes in the eyes. don't hesitate to call the eye clinic and ask the provider to call you back and have a list of questions ready so you can get the reassurance you need.  

don't underestimate dry eye. it's very painful/annoying.  I'd had it at different times in my life too due to allergies.  


you have yourself halfway to the grave already!!!  Good grief!!!  if you have genital herpes no it isn't the reason behind everything going on in your body and doesn't mean you HAVE to have ocular herpes!!  you don't have herpes encephalitis either!!

grace

[terrybrown]

hi, just somthing very imprtant i remembered,  4 years ago while i was with my ex, few months later in the relationship, (having unprotected sex) i got this 2 -3 bumps on my penis, i did go drs he didnt do anything apart from, saying " youre girl friend is sleeping around" he should have taken swabs or refered me, anyways these blister like bumps cleared up in a week or 2

recently 3 weeks ago i had sex, i had pains after it,  again i forgot to mention i didnt realise, i have a red spot  2 weeks after sex next to my upper thigh and pelvis fold, which has become a scar now after 6 days of having it

it realy does seem like i have herpes, which would almost confirm ocular herpes, since its also affected me mentally,brainfog,weakness,lower back pains too.

i will show this bump scar i have today to the gui clinic, if i am positive for herpes, do i goto my dr or the GUI clinic? and will they deal with oular herpes or is that for the optician only?

can i have had  the mild form of encephalitis herpes simplex too? as no one tested me for anything for 8 - 9 months i had been suffering from altered conciousnes,stil am but its getting better slowly,?

anyways, once i get the results,if they are positive, i need to look into ocular herpes and encephalitis herpes simplex


thanks

everyones been great on here

[terrybrown]

thanks for the reply, true say, shouldn't really think about it as what happens will happen, what won't happen won't happen lol, i know what you're saying. Just it all happened so instantly 9 -10 months just woke up and my body was weak and my eye symptoms began a few days after.

I hope its simple as dry eyes, but again there is a cause behind dry eyes too.
i'm not sure what you mean by proper exam of the eyes, but they did look into my eyes with a light and also used a blue dye to check for gucoma.

i have a repeat appointment in 6 weeks from now, which is ever soo long, aslong as the pain, photophobia, burning doesn't come back i can handle it, even though i get a slight burn constantly and the whites of the eyes look wrikkled, bloodshot.

so the herpes blood test is fine, just the swab is not needed.

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

You had an eye exam. if they had suspected herpes at all they would've tested for it.  It appears from your post you did have a proper exam done.

I wouldn't bother with the eye swab.  Your eye doctor can better test for it by exam at this point.

Honestly dry eye presents far different from occular herpes.  Don't let your paranoia and anxiety get the better of you.

grace

[terrybrown]

hi
i comtacted a private clinic, not too far fro where i live, was advised the charge is £125, and each swab test costs £25 each, so will request for a eye swab test too
will be goin in tomorrow, i was advised the swab test results take 2 days but the blood test type specific herpes igg will give me the results the next day, is that possible?
the  government non private clinic i went to last week, take 2 - 3 weeks for blood and swab test results? apart from herpes tests they dont do.

[terrybrown]

hi

no they never tested for herpes in my eyes, i only started thinking about it since a dr from the eye health on here suggested somthing like it, my burning has stopped
adter i was on anti biotics and anti inflamory drops, ive been off them and the pain and burning is slowly comming back, eyes are still red, they were burning constantly, needed icepacks on them, but water did make them worse

[kaoticblue87]

You basically described similar symptoms I am experiencing with my eyes. I was told by my eye dr that it is "dry spots." Though, the burning seems to be unbareable when it gets wet. I'm guesing those "wrinkled" spots are the dry spots, at least on my own eyes. However, I also have this bump looking thing on my eye far in the corner that I do not think the eye dr has been able to see since she wanted me to look str8 ahead lol.  Does your burning happen when they get wet?

[gracefromHHP]

I thought in a post on the eye forum you said they had did testing for herpes in your eyes and it was negative?

in the Uk, you need to go to a private clinic for type specific herpes igg blood testing. The gum clinics evidently only do lesion cultures of active symptoms from what posters over the years have mentioned.

grace

[terrybrown]

2  question about flareups:

how long can they last?

i have had burning of the penis, testicles and pains in the back,thighs and frequent urination for nrearly 2 weeks, urinating infact lessens the burning can this be defined as a herpes flareup?