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Possible HSV exposure or stress?
Please help! I had unprotected sex 3 1/2 weeks ago with someone (Very Drunk) and 2 days later had a fever with swollen tonsils. I went to the Dr. and he diagnosed me with strep c and put me on Amoxicillin. I'm married and made the biggest mistake of my life by cheating. I started researching other things that it could be and of course Herpes popped up. The fever lasted 1 1/2 days and then the guilt really kicked in. After that I constantly felt like i had to urinate for a few days as well as no sleep. I felt a little pain it seems in my penis from time to time but I wasn't sure if that was just nerves or not. I know the mind can play some cruel games on you. The person I slept with tested negative for everything recently and had not slept with anyone 3-4 weeks prior to me. As i mention it has been 3 1/2 weeks now and I have experienced some lower back pain recently as well as around the front top of my legs and my obliques ache a little. Yesterday I noticed a red bump toward the right where my leg and the inguinal area meet but I'm hoping that it is just an ingrown hair. It isn't a blister but more like a bump growing from within. I had the dr. feel my inguinal lymph nodes as well and he didn't believe they were enlarged. He also did not think that the back of my throat looked like some sort of Herpes outbreak. Does this sound more like a possible exposure or is the guilt and stress taking it's toll on me. I don't want to lose my wife and kid but I don't want to transfer anything either. They are my life. Please help!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Urethral herpes is quite rare and in any case doesn't cause symptoms like yours; both the nature of the symptoms and the timing of their recurrence are inconsistent with herpes.
I think you're continuing to react emotionally to a sexual exposure you regret, and that you are therefore noticing otherwise inconsequential sensations. My advice is to work to put that episode behind you, with complete confidence you caught no infection of any kind.
That's definitely the end of this thread, and I suggest you not post a new question. You would learn nothing I haven't already said.
I think you're continuing to react emotionally to a sexual exposure you regret, and that you are therefore noticing otherwise inconsequential sensations. My advice is to work to put that episode behind you, with complete confidence you caught no infection of any kind.
That's definitely the end of this thread, and I suggest you not post a new question. You would learn nothing I haven't already said.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1) No reason for concern.
2) At a personal level, for sure I would not be tested for herpes in this circumstance. See the last paragraph of my initial reply about considering testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Thanks for the thanks. Glad to have helped.
2) At a personal level, for sure I would not be tested for herpes in this circumstance. See the last paragraph of my initial reply about considering testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Thanks for the thanks. Glad to have helped.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This information doesn't change my opinion or advice. If you caught herpes, obviously it was oral. If you had caught a genital infection, the symptoms would have been just as severe as your sore throat was.
You cannot stress yourself to cause prostatitis. You may have genitally focused anxiety, but that's not the same as prostatitis.
Please accept the reassurance you have had and get your mind off its unreasonable laser beam focus on herpes. You don't have it.
You cannot stress yourself to cause prostatitis. You may have genitally focused anxiety, but that's not the same as prostatitis.
Please accept the reassurance you have had and get your mind off its unreasonable laser beam focus on herpes. You don't have it.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
Just a day or two ago, I answered a question similar to yours with this opening paragraph:
Before I even read your question, I'm going to guess that you have "something else", not herpes. An important take-home message about genital herpes is that when genital herpes causes symptoms at all, usually they are very typical. "Atypical" herpes is largely a misnomer. When people have symptoms not initially recognized as herpes, usually it is because they are mild -- not because they are otherwise unusual. But people with any genital area symptoms at all, without herpes blisters/sores, usually do not have herpes. That includes people with many symptoms often listed in herpes educational materials, like tingling, skin burning, red rashes, and so on. If herpes blisters/sores have never been observed, herpes is unlikely. Also, herpes never causes ongoing symptoms for any length of time. Symptoms rarely last more than 1-2 weeks, especially for recurrent outbreaks; outbreaks never occur more often than once every 4-6 weeks; and between outbreaks there are no symptoms at all.
And indeed your symptoms are not suggestive of herpes. It seems a good bet you caught your strep infection from your casual sex partner -- but even that isn't certain, since 2 days is too soon for onset of such severe symptoms. In addition, initial oral herpes usually presents with multiple painful sores in or around the mouth -- which undoubtedly is why your doctor said it didn't look like herpes. And amoxicillin has no effect on HSV or any other virus; if your pharyngitis were due to herpes, it would have persisted for at least 10 days, and your fever would have persisted for several days. In other words, the prompt improvement with amoxicillin is good evidence of a bacterial infeciton, not herpes or any other virus.
Your urinary frequency and back pain sound most like the physical manifestations of stress or anxiety, as you suggest yourself; and a pimple in the pubic area also is not a likely herpes symptom.
Given your concern about STDs and the nature of the relationship, you might speak with your doctor about testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia (which are much more likely during an exposure like yours than herpes is). You can expect negative results, in part because amoxicillin would cure many (but not all) such infections. Once you learn those negative results, you can safely resume unprotected sex with your wife.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Just a day or two ago, I answered a question similar to yours with this opening paragraph:
Before I even read your question, I'm going to guess that you have "something else", not herpes. An important take-home message about genital herpes is that when genital herpes causes symptoms at all, usually they are very typical. "Atypical" herpes is largely a misnomer. When people have symptoms not initially recognized as herpes, usually it is because they are mild -- not because they are otherwise unusual. But people with any genital area symptoms at all, without herpes blisters/sores, usually do not have herpes. That includes people with many symptoms often listed in herpes educational materials, like tingling, skin burning, red rashes, and so on. If herpes blisters/sores have never been observed, herpes is unlikely. Also, herpes never causes ongoing symptoms for any length of time. Symptoms rarely last more than 1-2 weeks, especially for recurrent outbreaks; outbreaks never occur more often than once every 4-6 weeks; and between outbreaks there are no symptoms at all.
And indeed your symptoms are not suggestive of herpes. It seems a good bet you caught your strep infection from your casual sex partner -- but even that isn't certain, since 2 days is too soon for onset of such severe symptoms. In addition, initial oral herpes usually presents with multiple painful sores in or around the mouth -- which undoubtedly is why your doctor said it didn't look like herpes. And amoxicillin has no effect on HSV or any other virus; if your pharyngitis were due to herpes, it would have persisted for at least 10 days, and your fever would have persisted for several days. In other words, the prompt improvement with amoxicillin is good evidence of a bacterial infeciton, not herpes or any other virus.
Your urinary frequency and back pain sound most like the physical manifestations of stress or anxiety, as you suggest yourself; and a pimple in the pubic area also is not a likely herpes symptom.
Given your concern about STDs and the nature of the relationship, you might speak with your doctor about testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia (which are much more likely during an exposure like yours than herpes is). You can expect negative results, in part because amoxicillin would cure many (but not all) such infections. Once you learn those negative results, you can safely resume unprotected sex with your wife.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Given your partner's test results and your diagnosis of warts and not herpes, I don't understand why herpes remains on your mind at all.
The HSV-2 test reaches maximum reliability at 3-4 months.
That's definitely the end of this discussion. You don't have HSV-2. Suck it up and move on.
The HSV-2 test reaches maximum reliability at 3-4 months.
That's definitely the end of this discussion. You don't have HSV-2. Suck it up and move on.
*UPDATE*
Hi Dr. Handsfield. I thought I would give you an update and ask two simple questions. If you choose not answer, please, please, don't erase the entire thread. So to make it quick. Girl I had one night stand tested negative for HSV-2@4 and 11 weeks. Myself @ 4,7,11 weeks negative. At 8 weeks post encounter 2 bumps a few days apart. Seen by two different dermatologists who believed possible warts, not herpes. "frozen" off with cryo. Urologist believed penis/urethral pains due to CPPS. Can having HSV1-1 slow down seroconversion if recently infected with HSV-2? Dr. Hook just listed under a new post that at 2 weeks post lesions, over 50% will have produced antibodies and by 6 months another 40% will have produced antibodies. Will I have to wait six months to have a definite answer? Your thoughts on timeframe of antibodies may just helped get over this. Please help. Thanks Dr. Handsfield. This is my last and final question.
Hi Dr. Handsfield. I thought I would give you an update and ask two simple questions. If you choose not answer, please, please, don't erase the entire thread. So to make it quick. Girl I had one night stand tested negative for HSV-2@4 and 11 weeks. Myself @ 4,7,11 weeks negative. At 8 weeks post encounter 2 bumps a few days apart. Seen by two different dermatologists who believed possible warts, not herpes. "frozen" off with cryo. Urologist believed penis/urethral pains due to CPPS. Can having HSV1-1 slow down seroconversion if recently infected with HSV-2? Dr. Hook just listed under a new post that at 2 weeks post lesions, over 50% will have produced antibodies and by 6 months another 40% will have produced antibodies. Will I have to wait six months to have a definite answer? Your thoughts on timeframe of antibodies may just helped get over this. Please help. Thanks Dr. Handsfield. This is my last and final question.
Thanks Dr. Handsfield! No need for response, but I should mention that these pains have been happening off and on from the beginning so I should therefore believe that 5 weeks of this is truly psychological and like you mentioned, it is time to move on!
Hi Dr. Handsfield. I'll be happy to pay again, if needed, for your adivce. I went to the doctor again and had my prostate checked and it seemed fine to the doctor. He did a urine culture and it was negative. I know that I have obsessed about this for going on 6 weeks now but my only symptoms that seem to still bother me is the occassional leg pain and from time to time I still feel a slight pain within my penis and testicles. No blisters or sores of course. I was just wondering if you had the time to advise me on urethral herpes. Is it still a possibility and how common is it to have? If you have the time, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks again.
Hi Dr. Handsfield. Thanks again for everything. I did have two quick questions and then I will leave you alone:)
1.The soreness from my throat went away after 2 days but the white spots stayed for 10 days or so. No blisters just white tonsils. Should I be concerned about that?
2. If you were me, would you even bother getting tested? The person I slept with had a negative HSV 2 Herpselect test done 4 weeks after the last person she slept with. She was also negative on other STD's as well.
I can live with the guilt cheating, but my biggest fear is taking something home. Thanks in advance again for everything. Your expertise is so beneficial.
1.The soreness from my throat went away after 2 days but the white spots stayed for 10 days or so. No blisters just white tonsils. Should I be concerned about that?
2. If you were me, would you even bother getting tested? The person I slept with had a negative HSV 2 Herpselect test done 4 weeks after the last person she slept with. She was also negative on other STD's as well.
I can live with the guilt cheating, but my biggest fear is taking something home. Thanks in advance again for everything. Your expertise is so beneficial.
Thanks for the quick response and the help. I have just a couple of more questions if you have the time.
1. Can the back and leg pains radiate to the testicles? They seem somewhat tender when I walk.
2. Just to clarify, it's been three and a half weeks so I should not be experiencing these symptoms if it were my first initial outbreak, correct?
3. If I'm understanding you correctly, if this were truely an outbreak I should have some sort of blisters on my penis or testicles by now right? I saw that you mentioned that in men the blisters typically appear in the areas with the most friction.
By chance, could I have stressed myself into some sort of acute prostatitis and this could be causing these symptoms as well?
Thanks again so much for your time!
1. Can the back and leg pains radiate to the testicles? They seem somewhat tender when I walk.
2. Just to clarify, it's been three and a half weeks so I should not be experiencing these symptoms if it were my first initial outbreak, correct?
3. If I'm understanding you correctly, if this were truely an outbreak I should have some sort of blisters on my penis or testicles by now right? I saw that you mentioned that in men the blisters typically appear in the areas with the most friction.
By chance, could I have stressed myself into some sort of acute prostatitis and this could be causing these symptoms as well?
Thanks again so much for your time!
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
