I am very confused HSV1? HSV2? Over reacting?

[Not Sure?]

Thank you for answering my question. I have been going thru the roller coaster of emotions for the past few days and I am pretty freaked out that I may have caught herpes or already had herpies.  I am a 30 year old male and over the past week I had a sexual encounters with another man.  It did not involve any anal sex but did involve oral sex/kissing/genital touching.  About three days after the last encounter I noticed a tiny blister/pimple on my upper chin below my lip.  I really thought nothing of it as it seemed like something I had got before.  However, it began to crack and crust over more so than anything I can remember.  I also began to get a "cold" flu like symptoms that lasted a few days.  The pimple on my chin got progressively worse until it became a noticable sore just beneath my lip that continued to crack and crust over.  Again not really overly concerned thinking it was a bad pimple.  However, three-four days after I noticed the sore under my lip I began to notice the back of my left upper thigh/lower buttocks became really itchy and four clusters of large red bumps that going down my thigh and as far up as my lower buttocks appeared.  They have not blistered and look like large red bug bites. I have no marks near or on my penis or anus.  It has been about 5 days since I first noticed the sore on my lip, it has almost healed.  The bumps on my thigh are still visiable and itchy but not blistering.  With the rash and the bad cold sore under my lip I got concerned and looked at a bunch of research on line, after which there were too many coincedences not to be worried that I may have got herpes. 1) cold sore 2) flu-like symptoms 3)rash around my upper thigh/lower buttocks (only on one-side.)  So I am now worried that I have herpies but am really confused about what kind and what to do?  Am I naive to think that it could all just be a coincidence? I am confused because possible syptoms are both below the waist and above the waist at the same time.  Is that possible?  With the cold sore as the most noticable and severe would imply HSV1 correct? However the rash below the waste implies gential herpes(HSV2)?  Could they ne unrelated? What would be your expert guess on what I have? Is it HSV1 or HSV2?  Is this likely an initial outbreak or a recurring outbreak/relapse? Is it possible I already had HSV I/HSV II? I am so confused and nervous, can you help me sort thru these symtoms and tell me what you think I have and what that exactly means for me in terms or treatment and likely future outbreaks below and above the waist?  Any advice on what to do next?     Thanks for your help and advice

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It is obvious you do not have herpes.  Maybe yeast.  IgM is meaningless.  Check with your doctor.  No further questions here (thread jump).  Feel free to start a new thread if you want more information.

HHH, MD

[garyyates]

I got these red colored bumps on the shaft of my penis on the 7th of Aug 2006 and did not get any other symptom exept maybe I felt like feverish and lazy.

Now after about 15 days I have wetness there and peeling of skin over the shaft n also some itchiness. I also get burning when I wash it with water.

How long does it take for shedding of Herpes??

[t1234]

IGM positive does not mean you have Herpes.

Only the IGG anti-body has any meaning.

To me, it doesn't sound like you have herpes

[garyyates]

I have been tested Positive for HSV (Genital Herpes) IgM Positive and IgG negative I got small red rashes on the head of my Penis for about 12 days now. They are not going after a course od acyclovir 400mg TID for 10 days.

What is the normal tome for the symptome to go away. This is the first time I got it.

[t1234]

I noticed you mentioned recent research which found oral HSV-2
infections more common than previously thought.

Do you know where I can find the study or get a copy of it?

I appreciate.

[ebro]

does anyone know if peeling skin on the head of the penis could be herpes?

[Not Sure?]

Thank you for answering my question.  It is good to see I am not the only one with confusion about the symptons.  What is the best way to get tested?  It seems that in many postings you recomend waiting for few month to allow for antibodies to develop for a blood test.  Is a blood test in a few months the best way of knowing?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

See a provider right away and follow his advice.  But one approach is to be tested now and, if negative for either or both HSV-1 and -2, a repeat test in 3-4 months to see if it becomes positive.  If you wait for 3-4 months and thenare positive for either virus, you will not know when you got it or whether your recent symptoms were due to herpes.

HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Lots of questions embedded in there. My assessment of your risks for herpes is mixed.  Some of your symptoms sound like possible herpes (the lesion near your lip) but not others (the buttocks lesions).  The wide distribution of skin lesions in a few days is not at all like herpes.  But you had sex with another man, and on average at least 50-70% of gay men have HSV-2; and 40-50% of all Americans have HSV-1.  So you could have been exposed, or you could already be infected.  If you did acquire HSV during the exposure you describe, HSV-1 is more likely than HSV-2. However, recent research shows that oral infection with HSV-2 is more common than previously believed, especially in men who have sex with men.

So the bottom line is that I cannot accurately judge the likelihood that you have either initial or recurrent herpes.  On statistical grounds, the odds are that you indeed have HSV-1 or HSV-2, since more than half the population has one or the other.  But if so, it might have nothing to do with the symptoms you describe.  You need to see a health care provider knowledgeable about herpes and other STDs.  If not sure about your primary provider's expertise, your local health department STD clinic would be a good place to start.

Good luck--  HHH, MD