Herpes Question

I posted last week and received some great feedback - I have some additional questions or concerns that I am hoping you can help me with.  Just to recap I had an umprotected oral encounter with a commecial sex worker, I gave and received.  I then had covered (condom) sex but also had plenty of genital to genital grinding.  The exposure was on 11/15, on 11/22 I started experiencing a burning sensation in the head of my penis, not when I urinated, just all the time.  It lasted for a day and a half.  On 11/23 I went to my urologist who gave me tests for chlam, gon, syhp, and herpes.  I took a blood test, urine sample and a urethra swab.My urologist also gave me a powdered 500mg dose of Zithromax.  Things cleared up for a few days and I received my results on 12/1, that all of the std tests were negative with the exception of herpes.  The herpes test was not type specific and was only a week and only two weeks after exposure, so I assume this has to be that I was infected previously? I thought it took a minimum of 6 weeks to show a positive result.  I am hoping that this is an HSV1 exposure.
Since then, starting on 12/2 - 17 days since exposure I have alot of discomfort on the tip of my penis, I do not see any blisters but there could be a red spot and the smallest of white bumps, not sure if this is really there or me just being paranoid.  Wouldn't the blisters have shown previiously? Could this discomfort be a genital HSV infection? I did have a bad pimple on my butt and popped it, before reading it could have been an outbreak. This pimple was painful for one day but popped easily and has not bothered me since. Does that sound like a herpes OB?  I am so consumed in fear since I am married and cannot imagine telling my wife of 10 years. I know I need a herpes select test but I think I have to wait several weeks, how do I know if these symptoms are psychosematic or real. I have not had any contact with my wife in fear of this and I feel paralyzed and depressed. Please help and let me know if this sounds like herpes.  My penis discomfort is on the head around the foreskin area, might be read, but no blisters. What can it be?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Wow--20+ comments before I got to respond. I haven't read them all, but quick scan suggests most people are reassuring you.  I will do the same.  Your symptoms do not suggest herpes.  If they persist, recheck with your urologist.  But the most likely explanation is that they are anxiety-related, not reflecting any kind of infection.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[meth]

Thanks for the positive feedback, if it weren't for the redness - a little purple on one side of the head and the 2 or 3 little bumps on my penis head I might feel better. They are very small - maybe the size of a pencil tip. one is white and 2 red, so I am not sure if these are the start of blisters or not. They are in the foreskin area and when I stretch the skin back they disappear. I would assume that a blister could not disappear but would just be more evident by pulling the skin tight?  I am just in constant discomfort on the head area

[ryn21]

Little bumps the size of a pencil head sound like papules rather than herpes or any other STD.  IMDUMB is correct in saying that you can make yourself believe that things are wrong with you, even feelings of pain and stinging.  Its anxiety caused.  Your description does not resemble an std. Your doctor has examined you and found nothing wrong. A "pimple on the butt" is probably just that or folliculitis which is common in that area.  I would stop worrying about the symptoms you described being that your overall risk was extremely low.  You wore a condom, a very smart move!  All I can say is relax, enjoy the upcoming weekend.  You could get tested at 6 weeks to relieve your anxiety further, but in my opinion its probably not necessary.  Good luck to you.

[meth]

Thanks for your feedback, however the condom was only worn for the actual intercourse, not for the oral and not for the genital to genital grinding that resulted in secretions being rubbed on.  I will try and put the discomfort out of my mind for now, and wait to see what the doc says.  All of your feedback is somewhat comforting. I need to stop looking at it, I am in the bathroom literally every hour obsessing to see if anything "new" is there.  I cannot put off contact with my wife much longer since she is already very suspicious. Thanks

[Jake24]

One more thing to add...
I was doing the same thing, constantly staring at myself looking for something, and finally realzed that if you sit and stare at yourself long enough you will find something to scare the hell out of yourself.  I certainly did.

When you go to use the bathroom, make sure that you do not look down so as to keep yourself from freaking out about something that is probably not there.  Once I got in the routine of forcing myself NOT to look, I started feeling much better.

Just a tip that worked for me.

[aloha37]

You had sex.  So what?  It's ok.  Move on.  If you feel that bad about it all you can do is decide from now on to do things differently.  You didn't know it would feel like this, now you do.  Have sex with your wife too.  It doesn't make you a bad person.  You're taking too much responsibility at this point.  You've done what you can.  It seems like you're tying to make sure you get caught.

[meth]

Since you guys are so supportive and knowledgeable and really are making me feel somewhat better, can I just ask one more question to help ease my mind?  The large pimple(hopefully) that I had on my buttock was very painful, to the point where I couldn't sit.  Believe it or not, my wife popped it. She said it was hard, but mostly blood and some yellow stuff came out of it. I know its gross but I couldn't do it myself.  My question is that after popping it i had almost immediate relief and no pain at all since, if it were a herpes outbreak would it have healed and provided such immediate relief like a normal pimple does? Or would it have still remained open and painful like many of the blisters I have read about? I would hate to think that I exposed her to the live virus by popping it, however I never thought thats would it could be at the time.
Again, once popped it never gave me any discomfort again.

[Jake24]

Sounds like you are good to go on that one.  Obviously not a doctor here, but from what I have heard/read that was nothing to lose sleep over.  No Worries.

BTW, I hope I am not the only one that found it amusing that your wife is popping pimples on your butt.

Take care.

[moet]

I also had one night of regret. Anyway, I took a HerpeSelect at 3 weeks and both HSV 1 and 2 IgG were negative and then again recently at 6 weeks, which the HSV 1 was 1.37 (positive genitals). So I can be POSITIVE that exposure was it. So you may want to do same with the HerpeSelect to be certain if that exposure changed anything from now (which will be too soon and give you a basis) and then 6 weeks out and see if there is a difference. But, you shouldn't sleep with the wife until then.

[Imdumb]

What were your symptoms?

[moet]

no symptons...just fear and got tested for everything (including HIV/Syph) which at 10 weeks got neg results yesterday ;)  I just got spooked after I slept with a guy I was dating a few times unprotected and he did *** in me. Then slept with him a few more times protected but something about him spooked me...kind of the metro sexual type. Anyway, got tested for everything. I also had a culture come back positive for herpes (although I never felt or saw anything unusual), so certain it is HSV 1 genitally. And not looking forward to my first outbreak ;( or any subsequent conversations with a new partner etc...Oh, he did admit he had cold sores once a year. So, even if I used a condom that one night, seems like it wouldn't have mattered. Probably got from oral sex, correct?

[BLUESOLDIER]

MY QUESTION TO YOU MOET IS DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A ONE TIME EXPOSURE OR DO YOU THINK IT WAS DUE TO REPEATED ENCOUNTERS. I HAD A HSV2 AT 4 WEEKS AND IT WAS NEGATIVE. I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT TAKES 4-6 WEEKS FOR THE ANTIBODIES TO PRODUCE. MY HSV1 WAS 10.01 AND MY HSV2 WAS .52. I TOLD WAS BY MY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER I WAS OK. WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF HERPES, IS LOWER BACK PAIN ONE OF THEM. I'VE BEEN TESTED 3 TIMES FOR STD'S URINE AND SWABS, ALL NEGATIVE I WAS ALSO BEEN PRESCRIBED Z-MAX AND FLAGYL. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GENITAL HERPES, WOULD I GET IT FROM A ONE TIME ENCOUNTER. IT HAS BEEN 2 MONTHS SINCE THEN AND I HAVE RELAXED SOME BUT I'M STILL WORRIED.THE YOUNG LADY SAYS SHE HAS NEVER HAD AN STD, BUT SHE HAS HAD FEVER BLISTERS WE ONLY HAD THAT ONE ENCOUNTER OF UNPROTECTED SEX AND IT WAS FOR 5 MINUTES.I'M STILL PARANOID BECAUSE HERPES DOESN'T HAVE SYMPTOMS SOMETIMES, HELP ME OUT WITH THIS.

[Imdumb]

I looked at your post from a few days ago.  You need to relax and NOT let this ruin your life.  

Again, read what the Dr. said..your risk was VERY LOW.  He said you had a theoretical risk for HSV-1 and a very low risk for gonnorrea.  Nothing else.  You tested negative fo gonnorrea and if you are positive for hsv-1 (as 80% of the people are) you didn't get it from the exposure you decribe.  The test would have been to early to show a positive for that, and if you were positive for HSV-1 before the exposure, you can't get it again.  If you have it, you will never know where it came from.

As I rwad your post from 11/26, it is clear you are freaked.  You looked at ever little freckle as a possibe STD.  Even vague skin variations you thought were maybe warts.  

You symptoms certainly do not suggest herpes and you have been tested for the other stuff.  Lets see what the Dr. has to say, but I hope you can get past this and learn from it and live an awesome life with your wife and kids from here on out.  Don't let one mistake needlessly ruin it for everyone.  

BTW - I think your doc doesn't sound to knowledgable to say "you probably got an STD" - if you want more STD doc visits, got to an STD clinic.  

I think you are fine.  Relax and move on.

[moet]

Yes, you need to test at 6 weeks. My 3 weeks was negative. Sounds like you already have HSV1 and HSV2 will or will not show up at 6 weeks and then 12 weeks to be 100%.

No sense asking questions a million ways, just get tested to be sure. Unlikely is not good enough for me and sure not for you as well!!

Unlucky to catch anything with one exposure but it happens for sure, so I say SAFE sex ALWAYS!!

[meth]

Imdumb, I really want to thank you for your assurances.  Yes I am freaked, actually more than freaked.  I have SO MUCH to lose its ridiculous, I really couldn't ask for a better family situation and hope to not have ruined that with one night of stupidity.  What makes it worse is thinking about finding out during the holidays.  My wife is nagging for sex everyday and I have used every excuse I can think of to put her off. We never have used condoms therefore I cannot even suggest one now.  I am trying to relax the best that I can, I may have to have a few scotches!  Anyhow the redness, discomfort and what may be the beginnings of blisters are still there, I can't help but to look! Besides I am urinating way more frequently than I normally do.  I wonder of this could be an NGU infection that the Dr mentioned in my previous post.  Maybe the Zithro was not enough to treat it?

Thank you again for your support, I am trying to figure out in my mind if I should get the select test done or not.  I may not want to know the results and it would probably just torture me more.  

Please God let me be fine!  One thing for sure is I will help others deal with issues in this forum and elsewhere since I now see the extreme value in it.

[meth]

One last thing, I am not sure I tested positive for HSV1 since the test my Dr did was not a select test. She could only tell me it showed positive for Herpes and thats it.  I have never had an outbreak orally or genitally

[Imdumb]

Well - wait to see what Dr. HHH has to say.  But I have read that IF those spots are to become blisters of HSV, they would do so within 24-48 hours.  If they stay the same or go away, then it is probably not herpes. They way I understand it, you don't even know if they are anything that hasn't there before.  Also, hepres is not white heads or puss filled. It is clear fluid filled blisters that break and become open painful sore.
Also, the Dr here has said that any type of herpes testing that is not type specific is highly unreliable and worthless.


You really need that scotch and a to get past the guilt. My take it is this is 100% anxiety brought on by guilt and realizing what you risked.

[meth]

are you saying that they would turn to blisters 24-48 hours from original exposure or from the time they are noticed?  If its the latter I would have to wait until the end of the weekend and watch them.  Your right, it may be in my head but the discomfort seems real and 2 of the spots are not puss filled, but instead red and "pimple like" What makes it hard to tell is that they are in the foreskin area.

Can't wait to end this.  Thanks again!

[Imdumb]

Relax. I think given your very low risk encounter and negative tests you are home free as far as the wife is concerned. If you have HSV is is HSV 1 and you probably have had it for years. As I understand, a non type specic test is worthless and yours was too soon to show anything anyway. From expeience I too have has "pain at the tip" of the penis after a very low risk condom protected event. It went away after I got back my negative results and put it out of my mind. You are find and now put it behind you.

[meth]

Thanks imdumb, but can my mind be playing tricks on me?  The pain sure feels real. And I have never looked at my penis so much so I do not know if the red areas that I see are normal or not, I see a little bumps in the foreskin, when I stretch it back they go away so I assume these are not blisters?  I have had no sexual contact or masturbating or anything since the possible exposure on 11/15.  Also at the urethra opening it appears a little red there as well. I am physically sick over this in an attempt to hide from my wife and not infect her. She unfortunately is not that understanding and if I have a genital outbreak or infect her she will leave, along with my 2 beautiful children, all from one dumbass mistake of a night.

[Jake24]

For what it's worth, I had a similar situation a few months back and literally worried myself sick over it.  I was convinced that something was wrong because I had similar problems that you do now.  I got back my type specific herpes test and everything was negative.
Moral of the story, the mind is incredibly powerful.  I was so full of guilt/anxiety that I actually started to produce physical symptoms and in the end it turned out to be nothing.
Obviously I dont know your exact history but from my experience, if you think your "symptoms" might be related to anxiety, they probably are.
Good luck, I'm sure you are fine.

[Imdumb]

Yes, your mind can do this to you. Stop and look at the facts. You had no realistic risk of infection to begin with. You keep looking and poking at yourself. You have tested negative for anything that could possible cause your "symptoms". You have no symptoms of herpes. You DO have extreme guilt and stress over this. You need to deal with that, not STDs. Trust me, I have been there. The sooner you get it out of your head, the better. You are fine.

[Imdumb]

24-48 from when the spots are noticed.  But I might regret telling you that since you will obsess on it all weekend.

YOU ARE FINE!!!

[worriedsick608]

Can we get a day count here for 6 weeks and 12 weeks?  If at say 78 to 80 days (close to 12 weeks) your negative should you have a repeat test at 160 days (6 months)??  I'm freaking out because i'm not sure if i met the 12 week requirement.  I'm still very confused about how to determine weeks since from website to website it varies.  (some say 6 weeks, others 12 weeks and the day counts on each are totally different)

[meth]

I am sorry but one more comment please - The discomfort in the tip of my penis is still there today, however there has been no change to what I "thought" were the start of blisters, so that is a good sign.

The only change today is that I have a break out on my buttocks, not blisters but red dots all over at least half of my buttock.  They are "measle like" in appearance.  Is this a herpes symptom?

Doc, is it possible this is an NGU infection? Do you really think I have nothing to worry about here? Should I resume relations with my wife?

[ryn21]

Measle like spots on the buttocks, doesnt sound like herpes, again. It sounds like a mild rash or more likely folliculitis.  You can visit a dermatologist or your GP for treatment options.  Folliculitis can be cleared up with an over the counter anti-fungal cream.