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Herpes Community
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Severe recurrence?
by fidgetoz, Jul 04, 2008 07:03AM
I have had HSV2 for about 10 years now. My outbreaks were limited to 2 a year at the most with a lesion in one spot on the labia and very minor. About 4 months ago I had an outbreak on my buttock - brand new spot. I didn't realize at the time that it can occur in a new spot - now I know.
This past Monday (It is now Friday) I started feeling some itching in several places on my buttocks. Nothing deep or severe. I have what I think is an anal fissure that is right at the base of my spine - no blister just a small tear in the skin. I have gotten these before and I did not associate them with an outbreak. Yesterday (Thursday) I noticed a small bump on the buttocks near the anus and I think it must be a lesion. I still have some itching in other spots but nothing significant yet.
While reading up on this, I found that sciatic pain can be the beginning of an outbreak. I never realized this and I had that kind of pain two weeks before all this started. I have had disk problems in the past so I never connected that pain with an outbreak.
After six months with a partner, we had unprotected anal sex a week ago today and also Sunday night. As far as I knew I had no signs so I thought I was OK. Once I started feeling the itching on Monday, we went right back to condoms. We have had sex only once since.
I think I can break this down into four questions:
1. Could viral shedding been going on since the sciatic pain thereby exposing my partner for two weeks?
2. Is it possible that the shedding did not start until Monday when i felt the first itching?
3. Could having anal sex make the virus recur on the buttocks where it hadn't been before. We have pretty rigorous anal and vaginal sex.
4. Does the severity of the outbreak indicate a higher rate of shedding?
One more thing - in between these outbreaks, I had a breast infection. Unusual for a woman my age (I am 53) but does happen. With all of this put together could my immune system be compromised for some reason?
This past Monday (It is now Friday) I started feeling some itching in several places on my buttocks. Nothing deep or severe. I have what I think is an anal fissure that is right at the base of my spine - no blister just a small tear in the skin. I have gotten these before and I did not associate them with an outbreak. Yesterday (Thursday) I noticed a small bump on the buttocks near the anus and I think it must be a lesion. I still have some itching in other spots but nothing significant yet.
While reading up on this, I found that sciatic pain can be the beginning of an outbreak. I never realized this and I had that kind of pain two weeks before all this started. I have had disk problems in the past so I never connected that pain with an outbreak.
After six months with a partner, we had unprotected anal sex a week ago today and also Sunday night. As far as I knew I had no signs so I thought I was OK. Once I started feeling the itching on Monday, we went right back to condoms. We have had sex only once since.
I think I can break this down into four questions:
1. Could viral shedding been going on since the sciatic pain thereby exposing my partner for two weeks?
2. Is it possible that the shedding did not start until Monday when i felt the first itching?
3. Could having anal sex make the virus recur on the buttocks where it hadn't been before. We have pretty rigorous anal and vaginal sex.
4. Does the severity of the outbreak indicate a higher rate of shedding?
One more thing - in between these outbreaks, I had a breast infection. Unusual for a woman my age (I am 53) but does happen. With all of this put together could my immune system be compromised for some reason?
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No the more severe the recurrence doesn't mean more shedding. Studies have shown that we shed just as much virus during asymptomatic shedding as we do during obvious lesions.
If you are in a discordant relationship and don't want to use condoms consistantly - have you talked about you taking daily suppressive therapy?
grace
What about the anal sex? I have been reading some things about it that indicate it can bring an outbreak on and that it can cause it to appear on the buttocks.
A few months ago was the first time I had an outbreak on the buttocks - it surprised me!
As far as the relationship goes, we have been trying to be in a more serious relationship which is why we decided to have sex without condoms. I felt totally fine - no signs whatsoever (Of course except for the sciatic pain two weeks before but I didn't realize that was a sign!) He has been fine so far. We had unprotected anal sex last Sunday night and protected vaginal sex Tuesday night. I will feel much better after another week or so.
Thanks Grace for your help. You are so vigiliant on these boards and I don't know if people realize how much time you put into it.
It is very much appreciated.
Robin
Anal sex wouldn't necessarily cause an ob in a new place, but it can trigger an ob, especially if there's a lot of friction if you didn't use a ton of lube. The breast infection might have triggered all this, too.
It sounds like the virus is traveling a new nerve pathway and you might be having some residual pain from that. That should calm down soon.
If you decided to stop using condoms, you both should be tested for other stds just to be sure.
Aj