Aa
HSV2 and peripheral neuropathy
Hi Dr. Hanesfield,
I am a 48 yr. old man who contracted HSV2 22 yrs ago when I was a 26 yr. old virgin. Thank God I have never had an outbreak around my genitals. I had oral and vaginal sex with the girl and ever since I was exposed I have suffered with an unrelenting and persistent sore throat and I know this sounds crazy but I could actually feel the virus metastasizing from below my waist upwards through my body to join the infection downward from my throat and when it did I had a horrible infection in my throat for about 3 weeks. For the past 12 yrs. or so I have suffered with severe pain under my scalp where it feels like I have an ant pile on my head and sometimes severe piercing and stabbing pains in my head. My mom is a retired RN and I asked her to check out my scalp and she said I have like little red pustule filled bumps. These things itch like crazy. A few times over the past 5 yrs I started having very bad episodes where the itching would get so intense on my scalp I thought I was being eaten alive. I started really freaking out when I would formulate a thought in my head and try to verbalize it and the words of my sentence would come out garbled and backwards. Also, lately when I formulate thoughts in my head and try to verbalize them a completely unrelated word or string of words comes out that has no relationship to what I was thinking and my short term memory has become severely impaired. I have gone to the emergency room a few times and told the medical staff that I thought I was suffering from herpes meningitis or even herpes encephalitis and they just basically laughed at me and told me that that would be acute and I would be in a coma. They always refused to prescribe me any oral drug like Valtrex or anything like that saying it would be a waste of money. My throat infection got so bad a few years ago I requested that the hospital do an ultrasound on my throat and they said it was okay. I graduated college with close to a 4.0 back in the mid 80s and entered law school a couple of years ago as a mid life career change. During my 1st semester in college the stress was so bad, it caused my throat infection to flare up and I could not speak hardly at all for about 6 straight weeks. I went to the doctor 5 times over this 6 wk period and he tried all kinds of different antibiotics but nothing helped. I suffered a severe back injury about 10 yrs ago with a severely compressed L5 nerve and had to have a double spinal fusion. I have rods and screws at the base of my spine and sometimes really bad sciatica in my right hip and right thigh. IWhile I was in law school I had to have my pain meds that I take for my lower back pain increased from Lortab to Oxycodone and Morphine. During the semester I kept noticing an intense numbness developing on the soles of both of my feet. By semester's end, I could not walk for almost one month and my toes were essentially immovable. I had a CT scan done on my back and the doctor said I was suffering with lumbar radiculopathy from my fusion. However, I also had an EMG and NCV done and a different doctor said there was no evidence of lumbar radiculopathy and instead said it was peripheral neuropathy. The doctor prescribed Lyrica and in combination with the other meds I can at least walk now. So, MY QUESTION IS, and very sorry to take so long to get to it is ... Do you think that the HSV2 which I have had for 22 yrs has progressed to the point where it is causing neurologic deficits and is the cause of the peripheral neuropathy in my feet or would it more likely be the lumbar radiculopathy? I also have the same parathesia symptoms in my hands but I attribute that to a bulging disc at c6c7. I just dont know, can HSV2 be causing the peripheral neuropathy? Thank you so much and God bless!
This discussion is related to can herpes cause nerve damage.
I am a 48 yr. old man who contracted HSV2 22 yrs ago when I was a 26 yr. old virgin. Thank God I have never had an outbreak around my genitals. I had oral and vaginal sex with the girl and ever since I was exposed I have suffered with an unrelenting and persistent sore throat and I know this sounds crazy but I could actually feel the virus metastasizing from below my waist upwards through my body to join the infection downward from my throat and when it did I had a horrible infection in my throat for about 3 weeks. For the past 12 yrs. or so I have suffered with severe pain under my scalp where it feels like I have an ant pile on my head and sometimes severe piercing and stabbing pains in my head. My mom is a retired RN and I asked her to check out my scalp and she said I have like little red pustule filled bumps. These things itch like crazy. A few times over the past 5 yrs I started having very bad episodes where the itching would get so intense on my scalp I thought I was being eaten alive. I started really freaking out when I would formulate a thought in my head and try to verbalize it and the words of my sentence would come out garbled and backwards. Also, lately when I formulate thoughts in my head and try to verbalize them a completely unrelated word or string of words comes out that has no relationship to what I was thinking and my short term memory has become severely impaired. I have gone to the emergency room a few times and told the medical staff that I thought I was suffering from herpes meningitis or even herpes encephalitis and they just basically laughed at me and told me that that would be acute and I would be in a coma. They always refused to prescribe me any oral drug like Valtrex or anything like that saying it would be a waste of money. My throat infection got so bad a few years ago I requested that the hospital do an ultrasound on my throat and they said it was okay. I graduated college with close to a 4.0 back in the mid 80s and entered law school a couple of years ago as a mid life career change. During my 1st semester in college the stress was so bad, it caused my throat infection to flare up and I could not speak hardly at all for about 6 straight weeks. I went to the doctor 5 times over this 6 wk period and he tried all kinds of different antibiotics but nothing helped. I suffered a severe back injury about 10 yrs ago with a severely compressed L5 nerve and had to have a double spinal fusion. I have rods and screws at the base of my spine and sometimes really bad sciatica in my right hip and right thigh. IWhile I was in law school I had to have my pain meds that I take for my lower back pain increased from Lortab to Oxycodone and Morphine. During the semester I kept noticing an intense numbness developing on the soles of both of my feet. By semester's end, I could not walk for almost one month and my toes were essentially immovable. I had a CT scan done on my back and the doctor said I was suffering with lumbar radiculopathy from my fusion. However, I also had an EMG and NCV done and a different doctor said there was no evidence of lumbar radiculopathy and instead said it was peripheral neuropathy. The doctor prescribed Lyrica and in combination with the other meds I can at least walk now. So, MY QUESTION IS, and very sorry to take so long to get to it is ... Do you think that the HSV2 which I have had for 22 yrs has progressed to the point where it is causing neurologic deficits and is the cause of the peripheral neuropathy in my feet or would it more likely be the lumbar radiculopathy? I also have the same parathesia symptoms in my hands but I attribute that to a bulging disc at c6c7. I just dont know, can HSV2 be causing the peripheral neuropathy? Thank you so much and God bless!
This discussion is related to can herpes cause nerve damage.
Your hsv2 won't travel from the genital area up to the scalp to cause lesions and itching as you've described. You have something else going on. No reason to suspect anything is due to herpes that isn't on your lip/nose/chin area ( for oral herpes ) or the boxer short area ( genital herpes ). You need evaluation for dermatological disorders as well as autoimmune disorders - both are intensified during periods of stress. A neurologist for all the other issues is also important. I know it's a lot of doctor's and a lot of time/money but it's well worth it. You've been walking around feeling miserable evidently for a long time now.
grace
grace
I have to run but thank you very much for taking your time to respond. I have some tasks in front of me that are very time sensitive. I'll come back later to see if you have any more to add. May God bless you and AJ abundantly! Have a lovely evening :-)
Grace, not to be rude, but do you ever have severe scalp itch and if so, would you attribute it to the hsv2 virus?
Hey Grace, I just read through your profile and it says you contracted hsv2 22 years ago also. Wow, that a really strange coincidence, same as me :-) Sorry my previous post was meant to say Do not So... and thank you very much for responding :-)
You have to pay to get HHH/EWH to look at your post.
I can save you the money though - this isn't all herpes related - either hsv1 or hsv2.
grace
I can save you the money though - this isn't all herpes related - either hsv1 or hsv2.
grace
Thank you so much for responding. I do have periodic fever blisters on my lip so I think I probably have HSV1 also. I was just hoping if the doctor could see my post and opine as to whether the peripheral neuropathy in my feet could be caused by the HSV2 with any degree of certainty. The rest I can overcome, I'm just freaking out thinking how in the world could HSV2 do that to my feet. I really think its the lumbar radiculopathy. I was just hoping for a well educated confirmation of that. I guess the only way to find out for sure is to see a neurologist.
1 Comments
My boyfriend was just diagnosed with HSV2 and he has pain in his feet.
COMMUNITY LEADER
The reason she suggested the rheumatologist is because you might have an autoimmune thing that is causing inflammation.
Just because you have tested positive for hsv2, and I might get that confirmed with newer, more accurate testing we have now, doesn't mean that all this is related to it. Ask your doc for a type specific IgG herpes blood test. I'd also wonder about your hsv1 status, as some of the older, and sometimes the newer tests can have a cross reaction.
Aj
Just because you have tested positive for hsv2, and I might get that confirmed with newer, more accurate testing we have now, doesn't mean that all this is related to it. Ask your doc for a type specific IgG herpes blood test. I'd also wonder about your hsv1 status, as some of the older, and sometimes the newer tests can have a cross reaction.
Aj
Hi, I was tested back in the early 90's by three different doctors who each had me give a blood sample that was sent off to a lab and analyzed. Each time they said that because of the elevated antibodies to HSV2 I must have been exposed. Why do I need to see a rheumatologist? I am setting up an appointment with a neurologist shortly. Thanks :-)
COMMUNITY LEADER
This isn't the doctor's forum, so Dr. H won't see this.
I do wonder, though, how do you know you have hsv2? You don't mention any testing.
Since herpes infects nerve groups, and the virus can't travel from one nerve group to another, I would suspect that this is all due to the lumbar radiculopathy, and not herpes at all.
If you've not had any herpes testing, you should get a type specific IgG blood test to find out if you even have it.
Aj
I do wonder, though, how do you know you have hsv2? You don't mention any testing.
Since herpes infects nerve groups, and the virus can't travel from one nerve group to another, I would suspect that this is all due to the lumbar radiculopathy, and not herpes at all.
If you've not had any herpes testing, you should get a type specific IgG blood test to find out if you even have it.
Aj
no this is not all related to your hsv2.
Do you see a neurologist for it? how about a rheumatologist and also a dermatologist? You need consults from all of them
How were you originally diagnosed as having hsv2? What makes you think you only have it orally?
grace
Do you see a neurologist for it? how about a rheumatologist and also a dermatologist? You need consults from all of them
How were you originally diagnosed as having hsv2? What makes you think you only have it orally?
grace
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs Community
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.
