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Genital Warts Treatment: My Experience Part 3
It has been exactly 3 weeks since my first treatment of TCA was applied. In an interesting turn of events, I went back to the doctor today. After examining, he was still baffled as to whether this was HPV or mollescum. So he decided to do a biopsy. I wish he would have just done that initially, but at least this will give me a definitive answer. I am supposed to find out Thursday.
If it is HPV, which seems most likely to me, he suggested a couple of take home treatments. Aldera and something else. I asked him what method seems to have the best response rate...he claims TCA. The only downside to TCA is that a doctor has to apply this every couple of weeks at the office. After thinking about it for 2 seconds, I made it known that I would prefer the TCA route. While it is annoying to go back to the doctor, I would rather just get this over with...and having a professional examine the area every 2 weeks gives me a little bit of peace of mind that it is getting treated properly...versus my clumsy attempts at home.
If it is mollescum, the doc said the best way to treat it...is to not treat it. In other words, it will eventually go away. Hmm. That doesn't sound fun. From all of my reading up on the topic, I thought I read somewhere that mollescum could be treated with TCA as well? Guess I won't worry about that until I get an official diagnosis.
If it is HPV, which seems most likely to me, he suggested a couple of take home treatments. Aldera and something else. I asked him what method seems to have the best response rate...he claims TCA. The only downside to TCA is that a doctor has to apply this every couple of weeks at the office. After thinking about it for 2 seconds, I made it known that I would prefer the TCA route. While it is annoying to go back to the doctor, I would rather just get this over with...and having a professional examine the area every 2 weeks gives me a little bit of peace of mind that it is getting treated properly...versus my clumsy attempts at home.
If it is mollescum, the doc said the best way to treat it...is to not treat it. In other words, it will eventually go away. Hmm. That doesn't sound fun. From all of my reading up on the topic, I thought I read somewhere that mollescum could be treated with TCA as well? Guess I won't worry about that until I get an official diagnosis.
Use the aldara it works. I used it and I believe it clear the virus or helped my immune system because I haven't seem a wart in 5 years. Give it a go!
Did you have only one bump? I'm kind of going through the same thing. An RN said that my three bumps look like warts, but I have skin tags elsewhere on my body, and they look like the skin tags, so I'm confused.
She offered to do TCA, but I balked, not knowing what the treatment would be like. Now a P.A. wants to do a surgical procedure...I'm not too keen on that.
Your GYN did the biopsy on the lesion? I'm thinking maybe I should just call my GYN. I want to know if this is HPV or a skin tag. It's driving me crazy. Like you, I'm not very sexually active; it's been 8 months for me since I last had sex.
She offered to do TCA, but I balked, not knowing what the treatment would be like. Now a P.A. wants to do a surgical procedure...I'm not too keen on that.
Your GYN did the biopsy on the lesion? I'm thinking maybe I should just call my GYN. I want to know if this is HPV or a skin tag. It's driving me crazy. Like you, I'm not very sexually active; it's been 8 months for me since I last had sex.
If you think you have a genital wart, or something else related, I urge you to visit a doctor. If you still think that the doctor may be misdiagnosing you...go get a second opinion.
Here's my update:
January---- I notice a new bump coming in on my labia. I freak out for nearly a month, insanely researching all the possibilities. Convinced it's HPV genital wart.
February----- Finally go to my ob/gyn. He suspects it's a genital wart or possibly molluscum. No official diagnosis at this point. I am completely confused because my last unprotected sexual encounter had been nearly 2.5 years prior. That was with a monogamous bf. My last sexual encounter that was protected happened nearly 6-months prior to my initial finding. But as studies show, HPV can creep up from years and years ago. You just never know.
March---------- Back to the OB/GYN for a follow up. He is still baffled. Decides to do a biopsy on the lesion. Three days later, I get a phone call from the doc's office telling me the biopsy shows that it is NOT a wart. From there they refer me to a dermatologist.
Today-------------- Visit the dermatologist. They review my history and the biopsy results. Dermatologists examines the area for perhaps 10 seconds...and definitively proclaims it is definitely NOT HPV, molluscum, or anything STD related. He states that it is a Pearly Papule, basically a skin tag. Nothing that I got from anyone, and nothing that I can give to anyone.
So, moral of the story...I spent 2.5 months fretting over this. Turns out it is nothing. I am quite thankful for the outcome. But if I could pass on one lesson that I learned throughout this: When in doubt, get a second opinion. I don't blame my ob/gyn for assuming it was an STD...that is what they are trained to look for. I am thankful that they took the initiative and did a biopsy and then referred me to a specialist.
Here's my update:
January---- I notice a new bump coming in on my labia. I freak out for nearly a month, insanely researching all the possibilities. Convinced it's HPV genital wart.
February----- Finally go to my ob/gyn. He suspects it's a genital wart or possibly molluscum. No official diagnosis at this point. I am completely confused because my last unprotected sexual encounter had been nearly 2.5 years prior. That was with a monogamous bf. My last sexual encounter that was protected happened nearly 6-months prior to my initial finding. But as studies show, HPV can creep up from years and years ago. You just never know.
March---------- Back to the OB/GYN for a follow up. He is still baffled. Decides to do a biopsy on the lesion. Three days later, I get a phone call from the doc's office telling me the biopsy shows that it is NOT a wart. From there they refer me to a dermatologist.
Today-------------- Visit the dermatologist. They review my history and the biopsy results. Dermatologists examines the area for perhaps 10 seconds...and definitively proclaims it is definitely NOT HPV, molluscum, or anything STD related. He states that it is a Pearly Papule, basically a skin tag. Nothing that I got from anyone, and nothing that I can give to anyone.
So, moral of the story...I spent 2.5 months fretting over this. Turns out it is nothing. I am quite thankful for the outcome. But if I could pass on one lesson that I learned throughout this: When in doubt, get a second opinion. I don't blame my ob/gyn for assuming it was an STD...that is what they are trained to look for. I am thankful that they took the initiative and did a biopsy and then referred me to a specialist.
Mini Update:
This whole experience has been a bit of a whirlwind. I noticed a bump back in early January. Finally gained enough courage to visit my gyno on 2/14. He wasn't 100% sure what it was...but applied TCA to the "warts" or whatever they are. Anyway that seemed to work somewhat. Just went back for a follow up this past Tuesday. I asked the doc what the hpv test came back? He said he didn't take a sample of the "wart" because it seemed to match the criteria of a wart. He did take a swab of my cervix to check for the high risk, which that turned out fine...no hpv on the cervix.
So he took a look at everything again, and then was still baffled. So he decided to take a biopsy. He was still thinking it was a wart or molluscum. Just got a call from the docs office today and they said the biopsy confirmed that it was NOT a wart. So they referred me to a dermatologist. I go there on Wednesday.
Basically I am confused. And from all of the reading I have done, I have heard other people go through this back and forth of opinions. One doc says its molluscum, the other says wart, and so forth.
Whatever it is, I just want it to GO AWAY!
I did ask the doc some questions as we were awkwardly waiting for the nurse to bring in the biopsy material, which were:
- How often do you see genital warts? His response: Often. Then he elaborated a bit with stats I already knew, because of my obsessive googling. LOL. It was nice to hear that he treats them often, because well, it's just nice to hear that I am not some freak of nature sitting in the waiting room filled with happy pregnant couples awaiting their ultrasounds. I sit there in the waiting room wondering if I am the token genital wart patient of the month or something. LOL.
- What's the best treatment for warts? His response: There are take home creams, and then there is the TCA which has to be applied by a doctor. In more stubborn cases, surgery can be performed to cut them out. I asked what seems to be the most effective in his experience? His response: TCA, although it can be burdensome on the patient to continue to come back for an office visit. I said, for future reference...I want the TCA.
- How easily does it transmit? His response: Sexual contact, genital to genital. Stuff I already know...I don't think he understood what my real question was. Then the nurse came back with the biopsy stuff and mentioned something about numbing the area...so naturally I was more concerned with the matter at hand.
More updates to come after my dermatologist visit on Wednesday.
This whole experience has been a bit of a whirlwind. I noticed a bump back in early January. Finally gained enough courage to visit my gyno on 2/14. He wasn't 100% sure what it was...but applied TCA to the "warts" or whatever they are. Anyway that seemed to work somewhat. Just went back for a follow up this past Tuesday. I asked the doc what the hpv test came back? He said he didn't take a sample of the "wart" because it seemed to match the criteria of a wart. He did take a swab of my cervix to check for the high risk, which that turned out fine...no hpv on the cervix.
So he took a look at everything again, and then was still baffled. So he decided to take a biopsy. He was still thinking it was a wart or molluscum. Just got a call from the docs office today and they said the biopsy confirmed that it was NOT a wart. So they referred me to a dermatologist. I go there on Wednesday.
Basically I am confused. And from all of the reading I have done, I have heard other people go through this back and forth of opinions. One doc says its molluscum, the other says wart, and so forth.
Whatever it is, I just want it to GO AWAY!
I did ask the doc some questions as we were awkwardly waiting for the nurse to bring in the biopsy material, which were:
- How often do you see genital warts? His response: Often. Then he elaborated a bit with stats I already knew, because of my obsessive googling. LOL. It was nice to hear that he treats them often, because well, it's just nice to hear that I am not some freak of nature sitting in the waiting room filled with happy pregnant couples awaiting their ultrasounds. I sit there in the waiting room wondering if I am the token genital wart patient of the month or something. LOL.
- What's the best treatment for warts? His response: There are take home creams, and then there is the TCA which has to be applied by a doctor. In more stubborn cases, surgery can be performed to cut them out. I asked what seems to be the most effective in his experience? His response: TCA, although it can be burdensome on the patient to continue to come back for an office visit. I said, for future reference...I want the TCA.
- How easily does it transmit? His response: Sexual contact, genital to genital. Stuff I already know...I don't think he understood what my real question was. Then the nurse came back with the biopsy stuff and mentioned something about numbing the area...so naturally I was more concerned with the matter at hand.
More updates to come after my dermatologist visit on Wednesday.
You are reading content posted in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
