how long does a first outbreak last?

after a day and a 1/2 of having some burning and finding very very small red dots one with a white head, i now have no burning and discomfort.  the dots are still there.  it would be my first outbreak if it is indeed herpes.  so how long does a normal outbreak last for?  how long does it normally take for the red dots to turn into sores? or maybe i don't have herpes? i'm praying i don't have herpes and think some of my symptoms might be psychosematic.  but if not herpes, what else could little read dots with white heads be on the underside of my penis be? pls help!

[gracefromHHP]

if you read our read before posting post on this forum you'll see that it's easiest for us to reply to your particular situation If you just keep adding new questions to your original post. thank you for your future cooperation with this.

This really doesn't sound at all like herpes. follow up with your provider for more accurate answers.

grace

[michael279]

now i'm confused.  just got results of an IgM test.  i'm living outside the u.s. and it was the only test the said they could give me.  but for hsv i was: .70 and for hsv ii: .76. they said equal to 1.00 or above is considered positive.  i've been reading the posts and it sounds like the IgM test isn't that accurate.  but it appears it gives more false positives than false negatives. given it was fingering someone with herpes that has me worried, i feel like i can take this that i don't have it.  but a dr looked at me and said that while he didn't think i had it, he would prescribe some cream because there was some red dots. help!

[gracefromHHP]

The igm herpes test is a crappy test in general but yours came back negative anyways.

A lesion culture would've been more helpful but it sounds like you've had symptoms too long for that to be accurate too.

Follow up on this with another provider if the cream doesn't work.

grace

[michael279]

so the cream the hospital prescribed doesn't seem to be doing much.  and yesterday i got what felt like a heat rash all over my body--like itchiness everywhere but it faded after a little while.  it didn't seem to leave any bumps or permanent presence.  is this a sign? but i still have the small zit like bumps on the underside of my penis.  they're small, and don't seem to get any bigger or turning into blisters etc.  but they do seem to be separate red dots, at least some of them--not all along a single patch of red. can you pls clarify the form of the red dots?  i tested negative on the igm 15 days after exposure.  i'm considering going back to get another one or an igg. or maybe seeing another provider. the dr i saw was very reassuring that the virus antibodies would have shown up after 15 days. help! and thanks. i'm also wondering whether this all might be related to poison oak of all things.  i had a horrible case last year, it essentially went systemic.  i know it can pop up after sometimes.  but given exposure via fingering from someone how had herpes, and red dots on my penis i got worried. thanks!

[gracefromHHP]

genital herpes won't cause a rash all over the body.

You'd have to wait and repeat the igg blood test 4 months after the last time you had sex prior to this to get accurate answers.  Once again, the igm test is bad - http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/248394  is a good prior post by HHH that further explains this.

if you have new symptoms or a worsening of symptoms, follow up again with your provider.

grace

[auntiejessi]

We can't tell you what the red dots are, but they sound more fungal than herpetic.

As Grace told you a week ago, if the cream doesn't work, see your provider.

[michael279]

it's been a week and the cream isn't working, so i'm going to go to my provider again.  i know igg is best after 4 months.  my exposure was feb 7.  with my negative igm results, any piece of mind in getting an igg now? according to a post by grace it seems like after two weeks 50% of people will show antibodies then. i know it's not fool proof. but with the red dots still here, the idea of waiting until june is excruciating.  thanks for all that you folks do--for those of use without easy access to health care it's really helpful!

[gracefromHHP]

Do not even waste your money retesting again now. Your symptoms do not sound like herpes.  Return to your provider for further evaluation if the cream isn't working.

grace