HSV Side Effects ?

Eight years ago a bad sunburn resulted in a Zoster outbreak on my forehead. No tests were made but subsequent testing showed HSV1 was excessively positive & HSV2 was weakly positive, the latter probably due to cross binding. Strangely, until last week, I never had any oral or genital outbreaks in my life.  The 1999

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

There's a lot of mixed information in there.  First, from your description I agree it is uncertain whether that original problem was shingles or an HSV-1 infection.  HSV-1 seems more likely, but your own doc's opinion about this probably is more reliable than mine.

You don't provide enough information for me to judge whether you also have HSV-2.  If your blood test was the Focus company's HerpeSelect test, and if your HSV-1 ELISA ratio was below 3.5 (and especially if it was below 2.0), the odds are 50:50 it's a false positive, as your provider apparently has told you.  The way to know for sure whether you have HSV-2 (in addition to HSV-1) is to have a confirmatory Western blot test; that is the gold standard.  You might discuss this with your provider.

All the rest seems irrelevant with respect to HSV.  None of the "spells", bowel symptoms, the skin symptoms you describe, "exploding nerve junctions" (whatever the heck that means), or narcolepsy have anything to do with HSV of either type or, varicella zoster virus (the cause of shingles) or, to my knowledge, with any other herpes group viruses.

Having said all that, my expertise is limited to STDs, and your questions go well beyond that area.  You might want to check out the HSV-2 possibility with a Western blot test, but whether positive or negative, it won't have any bearing on the symptoms you describe.

I hope this helps. Happy holidays-- HHH, MD

[Englishman]

I'm not an expert but would have thought that there might be a link between HSV and neurological problems in a minority of people. Or that there are lots of people who have neurological symptoms misdiagnosed as something other than HSV. I only know this from being in the unfortunate position of having a relative suffer very severely from Herpetic encephalitis. As a non-expert is it reasonable to assume that a spectrum of neurological effects might exist between nothing, headaches, narcolepsy and severe brain damage? This is just hypothesizing but it seems plausible.

[HHH,MD]

Such beliefs and hypothetical concerns about HSV have been made repeatedly for decades, because it is a neurotropic virus that causes certain well defined neurological problems.  It is often impossible to prove a negative, and nobody can say HSV cannot cause sirius777's symptoms.  But there is no evidence for it. Equally important, to my knowledge there is no obvious biological mechanism for such symptoms, based on what is known about HSV and how it behaves in the body.  So your reasoning seems logical on the surface, but it doesn't follow scientifically that a virus causing a particular set of symptoms necessarily causes other, entirely different manifestations.

HHH, MD

[crookyt]

how early should I submit a question? I've been trying to submit a question for the last 3 days, but everyday this website tells me that it has reached its daily limit for questions. I really need my question answered. Anyone know how early?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The start time for the daily limit varies randomly over 24 hours, to permit equally fair access across all time zones worldwide.  The message limit is reduced until January 8, and no questions will be accepted Dec 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1.  The answers to most questions can be found by searching existing threads and archives on this forum or the HIV/Safe Sex Forum.

Happy Holidays to all--   HHH, MD