Concerned about possible STD

[hills22]

Hello Dr. and thank you so much for your help.  Last Saturday, 1/27 I had sex with a girl I met that night.  It was protected until she got on top for a couple minutes, and at some point the condom came off which I noticed only after she got off of me.  The next day I noticed a some pain/irritation at the tip of my penis which I have felt before after using a condom.  However, it did not go away and got worse the next day.  At this point, it doesn't burn quite as bad but there are occasional flare ups throughout the day and I can feel slight burning on the top of the penis head. I also have this dull ache throughout my groin and yesterday for about 10 minutes I felt foggy like I was coming down with the flu, but I seriously don't know if this was psychosomatic.  There are no blisters, discharge or physical sign of irritation but I am still concerned as to what's going on down there.  You've mentioned STD symptoms usually do not appear within a day, and I could feel this when I got up the next morning.  I'm really concerned about herpes because of the wide range of symptoms that can occur, from blisters to nothing at all.  I feel like it can't be ruled out at this point, but my mind also tends to go a little crazy in situations like these.  I went to the doctor last Monday and he took a urine sample.  I'll get the results today, but regardless I will still get blood work done.  I've just noticed how knowledgeable you are on these matters and wanted to get your thoughts.  Any idea what this could be?  Thanks again.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No STD, including herpes, can cause symptoms the next day; 2-3 days is always the minimum.  Thus, whatever caused your initial symptoms, it wasn't herpes.  More important, the symptoms you describe really don't sound like herpes anyway, and I really wouldn't worry about it.  Your 'psychosomatic' comment is a clue:  when a person suspects his or her own symptoms likely have an emotional or psychological origin, s/he probably is almost always right, and the vagueness of the complaints you describe sound to me more like anxiety than anything else.  I recommend against having a blood test for herpes.  Just let the whole thing go; your symptoms probably will fade.  But of course follow your doc's advice if the problem continues.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[stressin out]

Hi Doc,
    I believe I have read once or twice in your threads where you advised somebody who did not sound as if they herpes to NOT get blood tested for herpes.  Is there any reason why you would advise that?  Wouldn't knowing be better or is it possible that lab error may occur and cause unnecessary stress/shock or something?

[stressin out]

sorry, my last thread was directed to you, DOC!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Just read the giant number of threads about equivocal or uncertain HSV blood test results.  If the risk of herpes is low, the results are more likely to be confusing than helpful.

HHH, MD

[hills22]

Hello again Dr.  I was hoping you could help me with a follow up question since my last posting.  The burning, aching and irritation has essentially gone away, except if I irritate it myself and I'll see some redness.  But this whole past week I've felt dizzy, light-headed and from what I would describe as "shaky" inside.  I first attributed this to anxiety and expected it to go away but it hasn't. I've been very stressed before but never felt like this.  No fever, swollen glands, etc, which is why I hesitate to call these "flu-like" symptoms.  I was hoping to simply ask someone about this at Planned Parenthood, but since I don't have any visible symptoms they would only do tests and I didn't see a doctor.  Do these symptoms sound typical for any STD?  I'd really like to move on from this but find it hard to do so when I continue feeling this way.  I greatly appreciate you help Dr.  

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

This sounds totally emotional, not physical, and definitely no STD.  Online sources like this are not a substitute for seeing a health care provider, so that's all I will say.  You are wrong that PP will "only do tests"; they will listen to your symptoms and make a clinical judgment.