follow up to :Q: oral herpes???????? - reezereeze: 11/03/2005 ''''

[reezereeze]

doc,

follow up to:  Q: oral herpes????????? - reezereeze 11/02/2005

two days after i saw the doc, the white bump on  my tongue no longer hurts BUT it is still visible, and the cut on my lip seemed to have completely healed.

HOWEVER, I have been very tired these past two days and have slept a lot.  isn't that also another symptom of HSV1?


1)  what do u make of this new symptoms?

2)  can HSV1 manifest it self as simply a cut on the lip?

3) what about the tiredness that i'm feeling? (what if i had a mild fever and didn't even know it?

4)  what is the best doc to see for follow up?

5)  should i do blood work?

6)  what do u mean it is not important enough to get a second opinion?

7)  also u say don't tell my girl that i kissed another girl - well how else would i explain having HSV1?

8)  aren't my symptoms consistent with the INITIAL infection? (tiredness, bump no tongue, but on lip, time period)

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I have no further opinion about your symptoms.  It's not an STD, but maybe oral herpes.  If so, it doesn't matter much and I don't understand why you are so concerned about possibly having oral herpes; most people do (with or without symptoms)--which is why I said it doesn't seem important enough (to me) for you to keep visiting health care providers about a cut on your lip which may or may not be herpes.  Tiredness is unrelated, unless it is a manifestation of anxiety over all this.  See my replies to your other thread.  If you have oral herpes, you would explain it to your girlfriend (or anyone else) by telling the truth:  that you probably have had it since childhood, like most people.  No, your symptoms do not suggest initial infection.

HHH, MD

[monkeyflower]

I don't think this sounds like oral herpes, but then I'm not a doctor. Either way, though, if you do have HSV1 orally, so what. Most people do. If it makes you feel better, it's not even considered a STD. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't get tested just for this.

So I don't think you need to tell your gf that you kissed someone else. What would be the point? There'd be no reason for her to suspect anything from your having HSV1 (if you really do, which I doubt). Along those lines, if it helps to hear other people's experiences, I can tell you I'm a freak about ethical disclosure. I'm upfront about everything in my relationships, and when I talk about having STDs with my partners, I do note that I have both HSV1 and 2, just because I'm already on the subject. Yet I've kissed a zillion people and even given oral to a few, and never said a word about oral herpes. It's just not a big deal, and not worthy of special mention. Just don't give your partner oral if you have a cold sore, or feel one coming on.

Dr. Handsfield, I'm curious about the anxiety level of the posters on this board vs. real life. Do you find that your patients are as anxious about STDs?

[gracefromHHP]

Why don't you go get a lesion culture and typing done of the oral symptoms? It might give you answers quicker than waiting for a repeat blood test if it comes back +.  If your regular doc won't do it go see a different one - even planned parenthood will do a lesion culture for you even if it is on the mouth area.  

Definitely talk about this with the gal in question. Ask her if she's ever had a cold sore that she's aware of. Ask her if she's ever been tested for herpes. If she tests negative for hsv1 and your lesion culture is negative for hsv1 and you haven't kissed anyone else since your last herpes blood test 6 months ago then chances are pretty darn good that this isn't hsv1 that is causing your symptoms.

Try not to worry so much about this - over 60% of the people you know have hsv1 orally whether they know it or not. I can guarantee you that this isn't the first gal you've ever kissed in your life with hsv1 orally!  

grace

[reezereeze]

thanks for everyone support.

grace - i can't contact that girl, i don't have her contact info - it was a quick kiss and i didn't want to get to know her at the time - that sounds horrible i know.

i went to two doc today (two days after the original doc said i had herpes).

the first doc today a GP said that TODAY it doesn't look like herpes, it looks bacterial.  so he perscibed anitbiotics and said i should take them with valtrax (the medicine the first doc gave me).  he pointed out however that maybe on wed it DID look like herpes.

then today i went to yet another doc (the third this week) -  an oral surgeon.  he said he couldn't even see it and said not worry.  he also said that it doesn't look bacterial either (contradicting the doc i saw one hour before him) he did also point out that perhaps on wed it did look like herpes.

so now i'm confused.  I've got three different opinions from three different docs (1 herpes, 2 bacteria, 3 neither).

i don't know what to do.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I'm sorry, this is getting tedious.  If you want to know whether you have an HSV-1 infection, have a blood test about 3 months from now.  If it is negative, you will know your oral lesion could not have been herpes.  If it is positive, you will know that it might have been herpes, but you probably will never know for sure.  It won't matter either way.  If you remain as inappropriately anxious as you display on this forum, you should consider seeking a professional mental health assessment.  I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism.

Monkeyflower:  I infrequently see patients in the STD clinic who have the level of anxiety expressed by many who post questions here.  It happens, but much less often than implied by the frequency on this forum.  

HHH, MD

[monkeyflower]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I was just kinda curious :-)