high igG results hsv 1-2 need answers

[curtisrhds]

I recently received results herpes 1-2 IgG. My result was 24.3 and had alert of High on lab sheet. How high dose this test go. I am most likely latent stages acquiring hsv2 in the mid 1980s as a youth. I have never treated the viral infection. I started having psoriasis 4 years ago and believe my Tumor Necrosis Factor is the cause related to viral replication and cytokine release. I have severe neck pain and shoulder pain after starting acyclovir and now valcyclovir. Is the psoriasis related to hsv2 infection, and can it cause arthritis type osteo degeneration in neck?

[gracefromHHP]

I'm pretty sure I understand what you are asking now but I think you still aren't understanding why I'm saying what I am saying.  20 years ago a visual diagnosis usually wasn't followed up on with testing. If it was, it usually wasn't typed because it was still assumed that it was hsv2 if it was genital. The non-type specific test you had done isn't a measure of viral load, it's the igg response to being infected ( we don't measure viral load with blood work for herpes like you do for hiv for instance ). The test you had done can't differeniate between hsv1 and hsv2 infection and most adults have hsv1 whether they can recall an obvious cold sore or not ever.  Your history of ob's for only 1 year and nothing more is more likely to be hsv1 genitally if indeed if it is herpes and you should follow up on it with a type specific test to know for sure which type you have from a genital herpes standpoint.  

As for will treating your herpes reduce the chronic inflammatory response that is adding to your psoriasis issues - I personally have never seen any research on that in regards to acyclovir and psoriasis but then again, I've never looked for it.  I know there is some research out there on hsv1's effects especially on contributing to chronic inflammation in the body and adding to the risk of other diseases - especially heart disease and stroke. I"ve also read some of the research with cytokines and such with hsv2 and certainly your way of thought does make sense and trying suppressive therapy, regardless of which type you have and where, might be helpful.  I'd switch back to the acyclovir for now if you aren't tolerating the valtrex.  Give it a few more weeks and if you are still having so much pain you can try switching to famvir and see if you tolerate that better.  Usually if a side effect doesn't get better in a week or two on suppressive therapy with the herpes antivirals, it won't get any better after that unfortunately. You might also want to try lowering the dose to like 200mg once a day for a week, increase it to 200mg 2x/day for a week and then work up to 200mg 3x/day which is an alternate suppressive therapy dose with acyclovir.  If things go well then change to either the more convenient 400mg 2x/day dose with acyclovir and see how you tolerate that. Also you can cut your valtrex in half and try just 250mg daily for a week and see how that goes and then increase it to 250mg 2x/day which is also an alternative suppressive therapy dose too.  I know in myself when I first started on acyclovir back in the day I had killer headaches everytime I took it.  After about 2 weeks of suppressive therapy they were gone. Same with when I switched to valtrex - severe abdominal pain from it.  Backed off on my dose and built up to a suppressive dose gradually and I tolerated it much better.

I hope this works out for you - if nothing else at least you can say you gave it a try.

grace

[curtisrhds]

Post script I follow up with all health concerns with my m.d.s

[curtisrhds]

I'm a nurse myself grace. I had been diagnosed with genital herpes at the age of 18 I am now 43. I did not use antiviral therapies and break outs stopped after a year. Did not think I needed antiviral therapy unless I had a breakout. I had an IGg immunoassay to identify hhv 1 or 2  viral load and it was high. I recently read on the effects of the hhv viral replication process in latent infection in the neural ganglion. In this replication process it produces cytokines and this in turn increases the infected persons Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). TNF is the leading cause of all autoimmunity diseases and I have had plaque psoriasis for 4 years now and it is getting worse. I want to know if I lower my viral load of herpes, by taking valtrex or acyclovir, and reduce the replication process of herpes, will it in turn reduce amounts of TNF in my blood, and will my plaque psoriasis will get better? My rheumatoid latex turbid remains low and does not present as a problemresult in sigle digits.

[gracefromHHP]

So what testing did you have done to diagnose the hsv2?  With all your other health issues going on I wouldn't settle for a visual diagnosis if that's what you had then.

I assume you follow up on all of this with your dermatologist and a rheumatologist?

grace

[curtisrhds]

I have not had genital lesions since first acquring HSV2 in 1984. Have plaque type psoriasis in line with nerves up and down legs on back and scalp. I would like to know if this is from the hsvirus and its replication process at the ganglion of macrophage and cytokine release increasing tumor necrosing factor. Look up hsv2 effects on tnf on internet at your conveinance. 'TNF is the leading autoimmune cause of psoriasis and that is why they use enbrel and TNF inhibitors to treat psoriasis. So is the replication of hsv2 causing the psoriasis by increasing my TNF when it replicates at macrophage ganglion.

[gracefromHHP]

I believ eyou had a combined hsv blood test which was a waste of time. You need to repeat it with a type specific herpes igg blood test that gives specific results for hsv1 and hsv2.

Did you have any genital lesions that were visually diagnosed as being herpes and then you followed up with the blood test or just what that you were started on treatment for herpes?

grace