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STDs (Expert Forum)
Herpes Infection likely?
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
Herpes Infection likely?
by mortified905, Apr 25, 2009 10:46AM
Hi,
In mid march, had unprotected sex with a woman. we had protected sex a few more times between mid-march and end of march. then 1st week of apr, she went in for STD testing and was told her IGM test came back with low postive for HSV2. She says she has never had any symptoms of anything. She says her visual exam was ok according to her doctors. At that time, I noticed a little irrtitation at the tip of my penis. I thought it was due to the condom or somthing...then noticed some pain in my groin area, nothing severe.This seems to come and go. Then my whole body I felt started to itch...legs, arms, chest, back. Now, i have burning sensation in both legs, calves, thighs, pain in both hands, headache. Some very slight itching on scrotum/penis but nothing severe. I also felt some throbbing type pain in the penis but only like a couple times a day. I feel like I have sciatia like pain because I do feel a pain in my left buttock/thigh. It seems worse when I'm trying to sleep. Also, i'm feeling muscle twitches in arms, legs and penis. These all seem like signs of infection to me. Two days ago, she went to a different doctor who tested her IGG for HSV 1 and 2 and they both came back 0.21 negative. She says she has not had sex with anyone in 6 months (other than me) and that her doctor told her that she doens't have it and that she shouldn't be worried. I went to the doctor and visually the saw nothing that looked like herpes,. I am very concerned and I think it has raised my blood pressure. I am now waitng on my blood test results. I have not experienced any blisters or sores.
Questions I have.
1. Could my symptoms be caused by anxiety or be psychosamtic?
2. Is it likely in the scenario I described that I have contracted it from her?
3. Why would her IGM say low postive, then IGG say negative?
4. If this is HSV2, when will these symptoms subside?
5. If not herpes, what could be causing this?
6. Have I tested too soon for results to be reliable?
In mid march, had unprotected sex with a woman. we had protected sex a few more times between mid-march and end of march. then 1st week of apr, she went in for STD testing and was told her IGM test came back with low postive for HSV2. She says she has never had any symptoms of anything. She says her visual exam was ok according to her doctors. At that time, I noticed a little irrtitation at the tip of my penis. I thought it was due to the condom or somthing...then noticed some pain in my groin area, nothing severe.This seems to come and go. Then my whole body I felt started to itch...legs, arms, chest, back. Now, i have burning sensation in both legs, calves, thighs, pain in both hands, headache. Some very slight itching on scrotum/penis but nothing severe. I also felt some throbbing type pain in the penis but only like a couple times a day. I feel like I have sciatia like pain because I do feel a pain in my left buttock/thigh. It seems worse when I'm trying to sleep. Also, i'm feeling muscle twitches in arms, legs and penis. These all seem like signs of infection to me. Two days ago, she went to a different doctor who tested her IGG for HSV 1 and 2 and they both came back 0.21 negative. She says she has not had sex with anyone in 6 months (other than me) and that her doctor told her that she doens't have it and that she shouldn't be worried. I went to the doctor and visually the saw nothing that looked like herpes,. I am very concerned and I think it has raised my blood pressure. I am now waitng on my blood test results. I have not experienced any blisters or sores.
Questions I have.
1. Could my symptoms be caused by anxiety or be psychosamtic?
2. Is it likely in the scenario I described that I have contracted it from her?
3. Why would her IGM say low postive, then IGG say negative?
4. If this is HSV2, when will these symptoms subside?
5. If not herpes, what could be causing this?
6. Have I tested too soon for results to be reliable?
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Apr 25, 2009 11:17AM
, Apr 25, 2009 11:17AM
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help. The bottom line is that your partner probably doesn't have herpes and almost certainly you do not either.
Most likely you didn't read the "Disclaimer - Please Read before Posting" message and/or you didn't heed its advice to look for other questions like yours. You would have learned that IgM HSV antibody testing is useless and that your partner's positive result is meaningless. If she also had an IgG HSV-2 blood test that was negative, then definitely she is not infected. Use the search link and enter "herpes diagnosis" and/or "IgM" for many discussions on this.
And your symptoms do not suggest genital herpes. Not even close. You probably have read that HSV can cause tingling, burning, itching, etc. When those things occur with herpes, they occur in the immediate area of overt, easily visible herpes skin lesions -- otherwise they do not occur at all; and HSV does not cause any body-wide symptoms like you describe. To the specific questions:
1) Your symptoms sound very consistent with an emtoional or psychological origin. And whenever someone suggests his or her own symptoms have such a cause, usually s/he is correct.
2) No. Your partner doesn't have HSV-2.
3) False positive IgM results are mostly related to the biology and chemistry of the test itself, not anything unusual in the blood specimen.
4,5) The most likely cause was discussed above. I cannot say when the symptoms will subside. Maybe right away, if you become convinced you don't have HSV-2.
6) If you had been exposed, having a negative blood test only a month later doesn't mean much; some newly infected people have positive results by then, but it usually takes 6 weeks and sometimes 3-4 months. But you shouldn't spend your money, time, or emotional energy on another test. You were not exposed to HSV-2 and there is no chance it explains your symptoms.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Most likely you didn't read the "Disclaimer - Please Read before Posting" message and/or you didn't heed its advice to look for other questions like yours. You would have learned that IgM HSV antibody testing is useless and that your partner's positive result is meaningless. If she also had an IgG HSV-2 blood test that was negative, then definitely she is not infected. Use the search link and enter "herpes diagnosis" and/or "IgM" for many discussions on this.
And your symptoms do not suggest genital herpes. Not even close. You probably have read that HSV can cause tingling, burning, itching, etc. When those things occur with herpes, they occur in the immediate area of overt, easily visible herpes skin lesions -- otherwise they do not occur at all; and HSV does not cause any body-wide symptoms like you describe. To the specific questions:
1) Your symptoms sound very consistent with an emtoional or psychological origin. And whenever someone suggests his or her own symptoms have such a cause, usually s/he is correct.
2) No. Your partner doesn't have HSV-2.
3) False positive IgM results are mostly related to the biology and chemistry of the test itself, not anything unusual in the blood specimen.
4,5) The most likely cause was discussed above. I cannot say when the symptoms will subside. Maybe right away, if you become convinced you don't have HSV-2.
6) If you had been exposed, having a negative blood test only a month later doesn't mean much; some newly infected people have positive results by then, but it usually takes 6 weeks and sometimes 3-4 months. But you shouldn't spend your money, time, or emotional energy on another test. You were not exposed to HSV-2 and there is no chance it explains your symptoms.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
