Everlasting Herpes Outbreak and Neg Tests

[Born]

I wrote back on 9/29/06 regarding possible herpes. A recap: I had unprotected sex with a hsv2 woman, approx 20 times. On August 11th, I noticed a burning sensation at the tip of my urethra and it was slightly red at the tip. The burning is constant and has been for the past 3 months straight(13 weeeks). It stings basically 24/7. For about 6 weeks early on my scrotum would burn even worse, and where thigh meets groin would also burn. I have been to 3 primary care doctors, 3 dermatologists, 2 urologists and 3 STD nurse practioners over the past 3 months. They all say it doesn't look like herpes or act like herpes. No blisters or lesions. They all said have blood test to be sure. Had all STD test done, all Neg.

Symptoms: The first few weeks I thought I noticed tiny, tiny cuts, maybe 2 on the underside of penis. I used a magnifying glass to view. I was inspecting my penis 50 times a day early on. About 2 weeks into it, I noticed and oval shaped area on shaft of penis, same color as flesh, but definitely outlined with an oval and skin appeared thinner with some slight burning there. This oval shape is still there, has been there for about 10 weeks, and one tiny area of it still feels sensitive, kind of raw. Aprroximately 6 weeks into this I noticed a tiny, tiny single whitehead pimple on shaft. Not a gland. I popped it, white puss and redness was gone in 2 days, stung a little.  Approximately 9 weeks into this nightmare, I felt a burning sensation on right side of penis, lasted about 4 days. No blisters, but with a magnifying glass it looked like a small line, maybe a 1/2 long where skin was definitely irritated and stinging. I've also noticed an area on shaft at same time that was slightly red and uncomfortable, not burning, but just uncomfortable, for about 4 days. Also experience almost constant tingle in left foot, toes and sometimes right foot and fingers, but mostly left toes, almost constant for 3 months. One new frightening symptom appeared 4 weeks ago, a slightly raised bump just over my top lip. Not attached to lip, just above, no blister. It is the same color as skin, almost like hard scar tissue, about 1/4" long x 3/16" wide, but it just appeared out of nowhere. It remained unchanged for about 3 weeks. Dermatologist gave me hydrocortisone 2 weeks into it, it seemed to help and with regular shaving and picking at it its almost gone now.

Doctors said ok to have sex,use a condom. I've been having sex maybe once every 10 days over the past 2 months, with a condom.

Week 1 : IGG and IGM blood test - Negative

Week 7 : Herpeselect Blood test - Negative

Week 11: Herpeselect Blood test - Negative

I'm totally stressed out over this, going thru divorce and business is crazy, extremely stressful time in my life. I plan on having another Herpeselect test at 13 weeks, tomorrow. If this test comes back negative, can I put this to rest? Does this sound like herpes or stressing out too much? The worrying is consumimg my life.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I stopped reading after your description of all the health care providers you have seen.  If they did not come up with an explanation for your symptoms, no online provider can do so.  There is no such thing as an "everlasting herpes outbreak", and your blood test results prove you don't hqave an HSV infection.  (I then went back and read the rest of your message.  It didn't change my opinion.)

Your symptoms are most consistent with anxiety, plus various variations on normal genital area skin.  Discuss the anxiety possibility with your provider; you might benefit from a professional mental health evaluation.  I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism.  In the meantime, you can be 100% confident you do not have herpes, any other STD, or anything else that will ever harm you or a sex partner.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[who_dis]

Maybe Dr. HHH will correct me, but I don't think this sounds even remotely like herpes.  Plus you've had 3 negative tests.

[Englishman]

"I was inspecting my penis 50 times a day early on"

Mate, you will develop an OCD (obsessive conpulsive disorder) if you carry on with that game -  I know, I almost developed one myself! If you inspect penile skin closely all the time (especially with a magnifying glass), you will notice all sorts of changes because skin goes through natural changes anyway. It is best not to look too close but get anything reasonably obvious checked out.

Leave the magniying glass to the dermatologists or take up entomology to keep you from looking at your own penis all the time!

Good luck.

[Englishman]

"One new ******** frightening ************** symptom appeared 4 weeks ago, a slightly raised bump just over my top lip."

This is about as frightening as Ghost Busters 1.

Sounds like it is all psychosomatic to me. Best of luck.

[Born]

Thanks Doc and Who Dis and Englishman. Everyone says its in my head, but man, it is the hardest thing to try and convince myself this isn't herpes. Red tip, constant burning and various "symptoms" that come and go. I know I'm completely obsessed...pretty scary what the mind is capable of I guess.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You are fixated on herpes because of your partner's diagnosis, but herpes simply does not cause the symptoms you describe, period; and the test results are definitive.  Anybody who acknowledges "I know I'm completely obsessed" needs to see a mental health professional.

HHH, MD

[Englishman]

It sounds like your stress and divorce are having an effect on your mental well-being (which is to be expected). I'm not a psychologist, but know where obsessive behaviour can lead. There may be psychological aspects to your life that you are not even aware of but play into your emotions. I wish you well.

[Born]

Got my results back - Positive for both H1 and H2.

Here's an interesting twist. I was having sex with another woman at the same time as confirmed H2 woman. This 2nd lady said she recently tested negative for H1 and H2 on August 18th, one week after my first symptoms. Due to my situation, I suggested shge get tested again. She tested on October 31st with following results:

Herpeselect IGG  H1: 4.51    H2: 4.32   (positive for both)

AB IGM  Antibody Not Detected

Does this indicate an older infection? She assumes I infected her since she has never had symptoms until I brought up the fact that she may have been infected, and now she feels tingling sensations in butt and on face.

[Born]

Sorry, got HER results back (2nd lady), not mine yet!

[Born]

Do you think this second lady has a recent or older infection for H1 and H2. She said she tested neg recently, in August.

[ron101114]

Born- do yo have your test results back? How has your situation done over the past couple of weeks? I am going through a similar long-lasting episode and have a concern I may have Herpes. It has been 7+ weeks for me, but I would like to wait 3 months to get the Herpselect test done, just to be sure. It's a tough wait. =) But even if I got a test done now, and it was negative, I would probably doubt the results....since it isn't 100% positive until 12+ weeks.
I would be curious to hear how you are doing though...
Ron

[Born]

I got results back for a 14 week Herpeselect test - Negative again.

I'm confident I'm one of the few that takes longer to seroconvert. New red mark on penis this past week, kind of split lesion. I've been taking Valtrex for 3 weeks, 500mg 2x day. Seems like pain is probaly 50% reduced. Also, old bump above lip is gone (lasted 5 weeks) and 3 weeks ago a new bump between lip and touching nostril appeared, very noticeable. This has lasted 3 weeks so far and thats with Valtrex.

Very Frustrating!! Do you have atypical symptoms?

[ron101114]

Yes, the signs/symptoms I am feeling are very unusual. I was "exposed" 8 weeks ago tomorrow. Since that day I have been feeling pain and discomfort in my penis. It started with a red "puffy" area on the left side of the opening to my urethra, with a raised inflamed line that runs from under my glans up beside the opening. There are two red "sores" that are still there. Some days they are more red, some days less. The area under the tip was very red, sore looking, and painful (sometimes it felt like a bee-sting for hours at a time) for the first 3-4 weeks. The past several weeks I have felt a "cold burning" type sensation in the left part of my glans, and in the fleshy, foldy skin under the tip. There almost seem to be a couple areas of "thin" skin that I first thought were going to develop into ulcers, but didn't. One area has a long "cut" almost...if I spread out the skin it looks like a crater in the skin of my penis...not an open sore, but like there is skin missing. Its hard to tell where the pain comes from, but it could be this "sore" or very close to it. Sometimes I noticed red pin-sized sores on the area around the tip (corona). Sometimes the skin on the head looks very thin, and almost like there are tiny cracks in it. Once after masturbation I saw an open cut, that bled a tiny amount. That same night it had healed up, and disappeared the next day. Once I thought I saw some tiny bumps on one side of the head when I had an erection. I would say in the past 8 weeks I have had only several pain-free days...each time I think "OK, Im finally past this!" the pain returns the next day.
Yes, it is frustrating....very discouraging....and an STD clinic, a urologist, and a GP all said they didn't think they could see anything wrong. I have been on antibiotics...and used an anti-fungal cream (that I got a while back for jock itch) on the head of my penis. No real improvement...gets better, then worse. Nothing definitive. I stopped using the cream since I thought it might be irritating things, even though immediately after applying it the area feels better.
I hope to see a dermatologist in another week...so I will let you know how that goes. Again, I want to wait until 12+ weeks for my Herpselect test.
I wish I knew what was going on......
~Ronald~

[Born]

I've got all kinds of things going on too. A new red "cut" on foreskin, red indent but not all the way through cut. I'm going for another test next week, 4 month mark. And another bump just under nostril. Good luck.

[ron101114]

Born- Good luck with everything, I can relate...having atypical symptoms of anything is very frustrating, and stressful. Would you post the results of your 16-week test when you get them? I am curious to hear. If the thread is closed, please send me an email... my address is the same as my username here (ron101114) and it is a yahoo email address.
Thanks!
-Ron-

[Born]

18 week Herpeselect test came back Negative for H1 and H2. Also had HIV test again, negative.

I know I should be 100% convinced I don't have herpes, but I'm not. The 2nd woman tested positive for H1 and H2 after testing negative 10 weeks earlier and I'm the only person she's been with in 5 years. I still have burning at tip and redness, although its not nearly as bad. Tingling is very slight and not constant. I don't know. I might get tested again in a few months.