Aa
where to go from here
Hey Doc,
I've read a ton of forum posts here and saw lots of people freaking out...
Oct 31 - Unprotected vaginal sex
12 days post-exposure - terrible irrition in penis, possibly some fatigue before this.
16 days post-exposure - genitals flush red all over
17 days post-exposure - dark red bumps clustered on red irritated skin appears on penis shaft. Test positive for chlamydia and take 1G Azithromycin. Also have diarrhea, low back pain, and very sore lymph nodes in groin.
18 days post-exposure - more dark red bumps appear, this time on head of penis. They possibly have a tiny little center. Take a bath and it stings like the dickens in the water.
19 days post-exposure - Talk to partner, says she has genital herpes too, has no idea what HSV1 or 2 is. She says I can't get it unless she's having an outbreak. Said last boyfriend had sex a lot and never caught it until she was having an outbreak, and then he only had little red bumps and never another outbreak. The correlation here seems like too much of a coincidence. Two people with the same partner with the same atypical symptoms?
27 days post-exposure - Red bumps disappear on their own with no blistering or scabbing. Irritation and redness persists. It looks puffy at times, but then not at others. Blood vessels are also very enlarged at times, then shrivelled at others.
I've read a ton of forum posts here and saw lots of people freaking out...
Oct 31 - Unprotected vaginal sex
12 days post-exposure - terrible irrition in penis, possibly some fatigue before this.
16 days post-exposure - genitals flush red all over
17 days post-exposure - dark red bumps clustered on red irritated skin appears on penis shaft. Test positive for chlamydia and take 1G Azithromycin. Also have diarrhea, low back pain, and very sore lymph nodes in groin.
18 days post-exposure - more dark red bumps appear, this time on head of penis. They possibly have a tiny little center. Take a bath and it stings like the dickens in the water.
19 days post-exposure - Talk to partner, says she has genital herpes too, has no idea what HSV1 or 2 is. She says I can't get it unless she's having an outbreak. Said last boyfriend had sex a lot and never caught it until she was having an outbreak, and then he only had little red bumps and never another outbreak. The correlation here seems like too much of a coincidence. Two people with the same partner with the same atypical symptoms?
27 days post-exposure - Red bumps disappear on their own with no blistering or scabbing. Irritation and redness persists. It looks puffy at times, but then not at others. Blood vessels are also very enlarged at times, then shrivelled at others.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You're hair-splitting and this doesn't change my opinion or advice. I gave several reasons why the lesions were not herpes; it is inappropriate to focus on a very small part of my reply.
You need to work to get off your obsession with herpes. As I offered, I will be happy to comment once again after you have been professionally evaluated by a dermatologist. Until then, I will not help you speculate about improbable outcomes like herpes.
You need to work to get off your obsession with herpes. As I offered, I will be happy to comment once again after you have been professionally evaluated by a dermatologist. Until then, I will not help you speculate about improbable outcomes like herpes.
Thank you!
When you say "progress to pimples", what do you mean by that? They did look like very dark red pimples with a tiny dot center, but never were blisters or open sores. They didn't scab over, they just sort of disappeared after almost two weeks.
I know at 3 months the HerpeSelect is 93% reliable given the U of W study way back when. I also know there were a few people in the study that never became positive by HerpeSelect, even after 167 days. My immune system is awesome, so I'd hope to be in the 93% if it was indeed herpes.
Given the dark red pimples with a tiny dot center on red irritated skin, would seeking a BioKit be overkill? I saw a dermatologist when it was simply at the irritation phase, he didn't really have an answer.
When you say "progress to pimples", what do you mean by that? They did look like very dark red pimples with a tiny dot center, but never were blisters or open sores. They didn't scab over, they just sort of disappeared after almost two weeks.
I know at 3 months the HerpeSelect is 93% reliable given the U of W study way back when. I also know there were a few people in the study that never became positive by HerpeSelect, even after 167 days. My immune system is awesome, so I'd hope to be in the 93% if it was indeed herpes.
Given the dark red pimples with a tiny dot center on red irritated skin, would seeking a BioKit be overkill? I saw a dermatologist when it was simply at the irritation phase, he didn't really have an answer.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the compressed version.
You do not describe symptoms that are suggestive of herpes. Red bumps of the penis, that do not progress to blisters, pimples, open sores, and healing with scabbing, are obviously something else. And the HSV blood tests, like HerpeSelect and Captia at 3 months or later after exposure or onset of symptoms, are highly reliable. The combination of both -- no typical symptoms, negative blood tests -- come to absolute certainty that you don't have gential herpes. So you definitely are "out of the woods" with respect to herpes.
As for other explanations, I have no clear answer. I recommend you see a dermatologist; if anything is abnormal, the diagnosis probably will be obvious to a dermatologist, perhaps without any testing other than visual examination. I disagree that your description of the variable color of your penile skin, or the timing, indicates you have a sexually transmitted condition. There is no STD that causes symptoms like you describe. In fact, the large majority of genital rashes are not due to STD.
I will be happy to comment further if you would like to report the outcome after you have seen a dermatologist. But for now, I am certain you don't have herpes and equally confident you don't have any other STD.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You do not describe symptoms that are suggestive of herpes. Red bumps of the penis, that do not progress to blisters, pimples, open sores, and healing with scabbing, are obviously something else. And the HSV blood tests, like HerpeSelect and Captia at 3 months or later after exposure or onset of symptoms, are highly reliable. The combination of both -- no typical symptoms, negative blood tests -- come to absolute certainty that you don't have gential herpes. So you definitely are "out of the woods" with respect to herpes.
As for other explanations, I have no clear answer. I recommend you see a dermatologist; if anything is abnormal, the diagnosis probably will be obvious to a dermatologist, perhaps without any testing other than visual examination. I disagree that your description of the variable color of your penile skin, or the timing, indicates you have a sexually transmitted condition. There is no STD that causes symptoms like you describe. In fact, the large majority of genital rashes are not due to STD.
I will be happy to comment further if you would like to report the outcome after you have seen a dermatologist. But for now, I am certain you don't have herpes and equally confident you don't have any other STD.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Ok, thanks...
Oct 31 - Exposed to herpes
Nov 11 - Terrible irritation in penis
Nov 15 - Genitals flush red all over and become very raw, dark red bumps on red irritated skin appear on shaft. Red bumps have tiny little center, did not look like pictures of molluscum contagiusm or herpes really. Bathing hurts like crazy.
Nov 17- Test positive for chlamydia, take 1G Azithromycin, more red bumps appear on penis head. Also get diarrhea, very sore lymph nodes in groin, and sore back. Partner mentions she has herpes, says last boyfriend only caught it during an outbreak and only got little red bumps.
Nov 27ish - Red bumps disappear on their own, but terrible irritation and redness remain.
13 weeks post exposure - take Captia HSV1 and 2 IgG test - negative
Also did HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorhea, etc, all negative
14 weeks post exposure - take HerpeSelect HSV1 and 2 IgG test - negative
Meds given
1G Azithromycin
500mg Levaquin 2x day for 5 days
ZPack Azithromycin 500mg 2x for 5 days
Fluconizonle
2G Metradinazole
Metradinazole was the only one that seemed to help a bit.
With a negative at 14 weeks on the HerpeSelect, am I out of the woods for herpes even given the dark red bumps clustered on irritated skin and partner with confirmed herpes?
If so, what other things could this be? It's obviously sexually transmitted if her previous partner got it as well. I'll wake up at 3am and my penis head will be flush red and irritated and by morning it looks normal again with a just some redness here and there. It sometimes burns when urinating. This has lasted 3 months and I don't know if it's related to the initial red spots that only lasted about a week or so.
Oct 31 - Exposed to herpes
Nov 11 - Terrible irritation in penis
Nov 15 - Genitals flush red all over and become very raw, dark red bumps on red irritated skin appear on shaft. Red bumps have tiny little center, did not look like pictures of molluscum contagiusm or herpes really. Bathing hurts like crazy.
Nov 17- Test positive for chlamydia, take 1G Azithromycin, more red bumps appear on penis head. Also get diarrhea, very sore lymph nodes in groin, and sore back. Partner mentions she has herpes, says last boyfriend only caught it during an outbreak and only got little red bumps.
Nov 27ish - Red bumps disappear on their own, but terrible irritation and redness remain.
13 weeks post exposure - take Captia HSV1 and 2 IgG test - negative
Also did HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorhea, etc, all negative
14 weeks post exposure - take HerpeSelect HSV1 and 2 IgG test - negative
Meds given
1G Azithromycin
500mg Levaquin 2x day for 5 days
ZPack Azithromycin 500mg 2x for 5 days
Fluconizonle
2G Metradinazole
Metradinazole was the only one that seemed to help a bit.
With a negative at 14 weeks on the HerpeSelect, am I out of the woods for herpes even given the dark red bumps clustered on irritated skin and partner with confirmed herpes?
If so, what other things could this be? It's obviously sexually transmitted if her previous partner got it as well. I'll wake up at 3am and my penis head will be flush red and irritated and by morning it looks normal again with a just some redness here and there. It sometimes burns when urinating. This has lasted 3 months and I don't know if it's related to the initial red spots that only lasted about a week or so.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The reason for the 2,000 character limit (about 400 words) is to require the entire question to be posted in the initial window. The moderators have neither the time nor inclination to read such long essays, and there has never been a question on any forum that could not be adequately expressed within the limit. Please compress your question to that limit (try for 1,000 characters, which actually is usually sufficient) and post it in a new comment window, and then I will respond.
HHH, MD
HHH, MD
Meds
17 days post-exposure - 1G Azithromycin
42 days post-exposure - 500mg Levaquin 2x day for 5 days and corticosteroid/nystatin ointment
55 days post-exposure - Z-pack Azithromycin (500mg 2x day 5 days) and Desinade ointment
72 days post-exposure - Nystatin powder and fluconizole
82 days post-esposure - 2G Metrodinazole
Tests (I know most of these were a waste of money given symptoms)
22 days post-exposure - Full 10 panel STD test from stdalert.com (includes Captia HSV1 and 2) - All negative but chlamydia
8 weeks post-exposure - same test, all negative this time
13 weeks post-exposure - same test, all negative this time
14 weeks post-exposure - do tstd.com test through Quest to get HerpeSelect vs Captia, all negative again
Can I lay the herpes scare to rest testing negative at 14 weeks post-exposure even given the red bumps clustered on irritated red skin and the partner who claimed to have genital herpes?
What else could this be? The irritation and pain are driving me crazy. I've researched every other possible STD and the meds I've taken should have cleared them. Additionally, a fungal infection should have cleared. I'll wake up in the middle of the night with the head of my penis burning red, and in the morning it looks normal again with only a spot or two. All the while the pain will persist.
42 days post-exposure - see urologist. He says he can see it's irritated, but has nothing besides maybe some balantitis or fungus. Gives me 500mg Levaquin 2x day for 5 days plus some corticosteroid /nystatin ointment. Neither helps.
55 days post-exposure - see dermatologist. He says he can see it's irritated. Gives me desinade and tells me to put diaper rash cream on it, also Zpack azithromycin. Neither helps.
72 days post-exposure - see primary care doc. He says he can see it's irritated and thinks it may be a low grade fungal infection. Gives me fluconizole and nystatin powder. Neither really does anything.
82 days post-exposure - With nothing else to blame, try meds for trichomoniasis. This definitely relieves irritation in penis and need to urinate, but not completely.
100 days (14 weeks) post-exposure - Still crazy irritation and blotchy rash on head of penis. Sometimes burning while urinating but I think that's more when the skin is irritated. Realistically it feels as if I have a constant sunburn.
55 days post-exposure - see dermatologist. He says he can see it's irritated. Gives me desinade and tells me to put diaper rash cream on it, also Zpack azithromycin. Neither helps.
72 days post-exposure - see primary care doc. He says he can see it's irritated and thinks it may be a low grade fungal infection. Gives me fluconizole and nystatin powder. Neither really does anything.
82 days post-exposure - With nothing else to blame, try meds for trichomoniasis. This definitely relieves irritation in penis and need to urinate, but not completely.
100 days (14 weeks) post-exposure - Still crazy irritation and blotchy rash on head of penis. Sometimes burning while urinating but I think that's more when the skin is irritated. Realistically it feels as if I have a constant sunburn.
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.
