misdiagnosis?

my Dr. just diagnosed me with herpes without testing me, but i am concerned she may have misdiagnosed me.  To start with, i have not had sex in 3 months, and have had no symptoms before these.  2 days ago my vagina felt abnormally dry and raw, so i looked in a mirror and saw blotchy dark brown and some black spots covering my vagina.  by the end of that day the blotchyness was going away and where it had been there was now something like ulcers, not blisters,  but asymetric small paperclip sized sores.  they are very painful and on the inside of my labia minor.  and up around my clitoris is itchy.  My Dr. started me on valtrex and said if i have another outbreak to come back and she'll do a culture, but that i may not ever have another outbreak - am i supposed to assume i have herpes but never really know?

[BillinAmerica]

no not at all Sarah, you doctor may have misdiagnosed you. You NEED to have a herpes select IGG test from your doctor or clinic so you can know for sure. Just visual inspection without taking a culture of a present lesion is not going to cut it for me or anyone else readying your story. You may very well not have herpes at all a lot of other things cause those symptoms. But you may just as well have genital herpes and just not know it since around 20% of the population has genital herpes and 90% dont know about it. Therefore you could have genital herpes and have it without symptoms (asymptomatic)  and have a complete different problem your doctor was actually looking at. The only way to sort it out is to have a blood test to know 100% for sure as long as its been 12-16 weeks since your last exposure.

[SarahL1987]

  I have no way of knowing how long it has been since my last exposure, my doctor said she thinks i got it from shaking someones hand and then going to the bathroom!?!? why werent we told as kids to wash our hands before going, i mean, ive just never heard of that.  Has anyone heard of the blotchy dark brown and black spots with herpes? i cant find anything in my research online with those symptoms at all.
  By the way, can something be done about this doctor? She told me i have herpes, wrote a perscription and sent me on my way. I was sobbing, in tears, thinking about how my life is over and she showed me the door.  No pamphlets, no, "its going to be ok", no nothing.  And this isnt the first time this Dr. has done something like this to me, i feel like i have been paying her for 4 years to listen to my symptoms, laugh them off, and then i go home, do research and take action on my own.  I am obviousely not going back to her, but i just wish something could be done about her.

[Rae1]

your doctor is terrible, see another one. Most specialists (dermatologists especially) CAN diagnose herpes during an outbreak on your skin. I'd suggest seeing one.

[Rae1]

further, herpes is not the end of anyone's life. It's simply a pesky virus that can easily be controlled and gets better the longer you have it. Most of the population already has herpes, orally. A LOT of folks have it genitally as well. It's not a death sentence and, in my opinion, should NOT be associated with such a negative stigma it currently has.

[DaynaJ]

I have had Herpes for over 33 years.  I'm o.k., it is aggravating sometimes, but you live with it, just like a pimple.  or a cold sore, you don't kiss with cold sores.  I am 55 & still alive, have always had an active sex life.  You just be careful.  But you need to find out for sure, it's the not knowing sometimes that is the scariest.  Definitely ditch the doctor.  
God Bless, Prayers & I cares to you.

[SarahL1987]

i didnt mean to offend anyone about the end of my life thing, i know its not, and i have prepared myself for the worst . . . that i do have herpes, and im ok with it. well, not ok, but dealing with it

[lucie332]

I have certainly never heard of the brown spots thing... anyway, ditch that doctor, and see a specialist instead of just a general practitioner.
Some doctors are amazing... i had a dentist who screamed at me for grimacing during a filling.
Please try to stay positive and don't beat yourself up about it. An enormous amount of people have herpes - it's just something they don't talk about!

[justgotitithink]

Have you used contraceptives for all that time?  

is that how it has been ok with you?  I think i just got it and the test I took was within 10 days of being exposed... so it came up as a 0.90 –

I was ok with that (hoping) … but now I realize that it takes a few weeks for the antibodies to build up for an accurate test result.

I also feel as if my life (as I know it) is over.

[waringblender]

Get over it, people. Living with herpes is very manageable and won't change your life all that much. The Iraqis we've bombed into oblivion who have survived have lost limbs. They've also lost family members, their homes, and their country. Maybe you'd rather trade places with them. Perspective.

[confused424]

what are the other things it could be? i have had herpes like symptoms but negative tests almost 6 months later.  the doctors are sure what it could be.