19 week IGG

[shn23]

prior thread here: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Herpes/positive-test-result-Or-too-early-to-tell/show/1949160#post_9126301

Was having issues with getting a Western Blot with my local Quest lab, (they wouldn't send the samples to Seattle, and they say they no longer do the WB, offered an IGG instead.) I was still searching for a doctor who would accommodate me and order/draw for the test when i began experiencing difficulty urinating. Ended up going to a urologist who diagnosed me with Prostatitis. he listened to my HSV concerns and ordered a IGG test.

results: HSV I: negative. HSV II: 3.98

So I'm assuming the Western blot is sort of a moot point now, correct? I still haven't had any classic symptoms besides a redness/irritation. this sort of bums me out, as it looks like I've somehow beaten the odds on contracting HSV II orally to genitals.

Unless some other infection has the potential to jack up these test results?...(I had the prostatitis and i believe I have a tooth that needs to come out as well.) That seems like wishful thinking at this point.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I disagree with your doctor.  I wonder if she had herpes if she would do everything she could to reduce transmission.  Sheeesh!
No new news about a prophylactic herpes vaccine, no.
Terri

[shn23]

I went to the doctor and got on 500mg valtrex....she made a comment that it "seemed like overkill to her".

*sigh* all I'm trying to do is be responsible. It's worth the pill a day to know that I'm doing everything I can to not spread this. HSV diagnosis is stressful enough without getting grief over treatment options.


Any new news about the HSV vaccine?


Thanks for everything Terri!

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Both 500 and 1000 grams are approved doses.  My usual plan is to start someone on 500 mg and if they break through bump to 1000 mg.

Terri

[shn23]

Would a 500 mg dosage be adequate for everyone regardless of weight? I see some people here on 1000mg but I assume that's for bad outbreaks.

i also read that herbs such as lemon balm/olive leaf can help?

I guess I'm nervous about this 1st year, I read that you'll shed more often than in subsequent years.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, you are almost certainly positive.  
Taking daily antiviral therapy will reduce the risk of transmission by half!  This is huge, and I think you should ask your doctor to write the script.  You can print out the article that shows this, L. Corey, New England Journal of Medicine, January, 2004, and take it with you for reinforcement if you get push back.

Terri

[shn23]

But I'm almost certainly positive, right? The others you spoke of who with values >3.5 who did not test positive via WB, the scores weren't as high as mine? (3.98) I don't really want to get my hopes up.

I have to speak with my PCP re: treatment. I'm concerned that since my OBs aren't bad, that they'll not want to put me on any antivirals. (this was the urologist's attitude) The OBs aren't my concern, it's protecting my partner. I have not been sexually active since this whole thing started, and I'd like to resume a "normal" life.

Could you give me some suggestions re: treatment? I know about the oral medication, and I've heard about the antiviral creams, but I don't know how effective they would be in helping to prevent the spread.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

That's correct.  It is not available to the labs directly.  It has to be a special order from our clinic, at least for right now.  I raised such a rucus when they decided to discontinue offering the test that they allowed me, very nicely, to keep ordering the test.

Terri

[shn23]

What happened was the woman doing the draw tried to enter the test code. the test code wasn't working. (not coming up as a valid test?)

she called her supervisor and said all they could offer me was an IGG test. She said that they did not offer the WB anymore.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Are you saying that you had our clinic place the order for the western blot for you and they refused to do it?

Terri

[shn23]

I tried option #2, I had the order in-hand from Cheryl at the clinic.my local Quest wasn't cooperative and only offered an IGG test. The person who was to do the blood draw called the local supervisor and that was all they would do for me. They weren't willing to send the samples off to seattle.

i've had this redness/irritation/swelling of the glans 3 times now, once 10 days post exposure, once at 10-12 weeks and once a couple weeks ago. if those are my outbreaks, then I guess it could be a lot worse.

The urologist didn't want to put me on antivirals due to my "outbreaks" not being severe. His advice was to avoid sexual contact for 2 weeks post outbreak & use condoms. I think that advice stinks and I'm going to see my PCP this week.

i would like to able to function somewhat normally again. if I didn't want to get my partner pregnant, I would use both condoms and birth control medication because the two together are what's most effective. I don't see why this is any different.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

You can get the western blot in one of two ways right now:

1) you or your health care provider can order a test kit directly from the Univeristy of Washington to be sent to you for blood draw and returned to them.  Easy Google.

2) you can become a patient via phone of our clinic and we can order it for you via a Quest lab near you.  We have special ordering allowances for the test right now.

Although I think it is highly unlikely you would test negative by western blot, I have had three people in the past six months who have tested at index values higher than 3.5 who did not confirm by western blot.   This is a new thing that we've not seen in the past recently.

Terri