Aa
Confused
I have had sores in my mouth for 7 weeks, the doctors from a dermatologist, to 5 other doctors to a ears, nose, throat say no. I was cultured three times negative but on antivirals I was given the Igm tests and teh hsv1 was pos and hsv negative. My infection disease doctor said 80 percent of people my age are positive for hsv1 the dermatologist called it apthous stomitis from a positive titer for coxsackie B2and6. This all started 4 days after I was with my new partner. I gave him oral sex but that's it. Our bodies and genitals were closed but never entered. He tested negative with all tests. I have been miserable the last 8 weeks. The sores continue and the doctors say its just a course. they did put me on antivirals for the coxsackie. I am not convinced it is coxsackie and not herpes. I initially ran a temp, and felt just tired and had some abdominal pain. this has been a long haul and I am tired of feeling sick. Any advice?
Thanks, I miss my life and everyday I hurt. I am mentally and physically stressed. Chronic pain gets the best of you... I want someone in my life and with herpes and the constant outbreaks and anxiety, It changed my entire life.
You have been dealing with this since at least since May which I am sure in it's self is very stressful. After numerous tests,swabs, specialists, doctor's visits then to only see mounting medical bills resulting from all of this not answers only compounds the stress level you must be feeling.
As a nurse you know that sometimes medical professionals do not have the answers right away. We are people too. With that in mind-take a step back. You have had the tests done more then once by more then one professional. They all came back negative for herpes. Now it doesn't mean everything is okay down there-it just means you don't have herpes.
As far as your former partner-you will have to let it go. That's right. Let it go. You have asked and he has told you. What you are doing to him now could be considered harassment.
Weight gain is not a common side effect of your antivirals. A quick med search will tell you that.
I agree with other posters in that you are dwelling on this and allowing it to control your life. While you search for the right answer-consider getting some therapy to go along with this. Having someone to talk to that is able to take an objective view to things will be a great help.
As a nurse you know that sometimes medical professionals do not have the answers right away. We are people too. With that in mind-take a step back. You have had the tests done more then once by more then one professional. They all came back negative for herpes. Now it doesn't mean everything is okay down there-it just means you don't have herpes.
As far as your former partner-you will have to let it go. That's right. Let it go. You have asked and he has told you. What you are doing to him now could be considered harassment.
Weight gain is not a common side effect of your antivirals. A quick med search will tell you that.
I agree with other posters in that you are dwelling on this and allowing it to control your life. While you search for the right answer-consider getting some therapy to go along with this. Having someone to talk to that is able to take an objective view to things will be a great help.
I had gone off the antivirals for about 4 days got anal itching, bleeding flecks and mouth sores 5-6 at least. It starts in my mouth, then the next day it's my anus. How fair is it to have outbreaks every week in both places. It is physically causing terrible pain from my mouth to my groin to my anus. This goes on every 5-6 days for sure if not more. The breakouts are continuous and affect my life. I have pain everywhere This isn't fair, I didn't even have intercourse with him and he tests negative and here I sit with all the bills. I am loosing my home due to the medical bills. It is herpes. Terri, suggested he get the hsv1 western blot. I know he is positive. I just regret that night and am so physically and mentally miserable. I break out on meds and off... sad this is a poor quality of life and I am working so hard to be a np and love my job in the ICU. This virus destroys you physically and mentally.
Do these antivirals cause weight gain. have put on 10 lbs since this started......is it the ativan, antivirals, or both or depression from herpes?
honestly I'd stop all herpes antivirals and every time you get fresh symptoms, be seen for herpes lesion cultures to try to confirm your status for once and for all - just my 2 cents.
Since I am positive for hsv 1 somewhere should I continue the valtrex daily. Someday if I want a relationship, I would never want someone to go through herpes. What is your opinion please. I continue it and still have mouth sores and occasional anal sores or what ever it is. If my mouth isn't broke out my anus is and I never had any of this before this guy. Go figure. I am not an ignorant person at all. No groin pain, no mouth issues, no anal and vaginal issues.. hello... everyone... it is........
Went to Mayo today, minnesota saw an ob-gyn specialist who stated this could be herpes genitally due to the groin pain on a constant basis, he said it is not the high percentage but he said hsv 1 can cause groin pain like this on a almost constant basis with a small percentage of women. He said to, no culture positive so only the hsv 1 which is igg positive and that is probably the cause of the continuous mouth ulcers and genital discomfort but no swab confirms it. He is leaning toward it with no proof but symptoms.
fem dophilus is the probiotic I talk about a lot. It replaces the "good" bacteria in the urogenital tract of females. It doesn't effect the ph.
rephresh is an otc product that is supposed to balance your vaginal ph.
rephresh is an otc product that is supposed to balance your vaginal ph.
Grace, I remember somewhere that you take something to normalize the ph of your vaginal area. I think it started with a "F" What is it.
Thanks.
Thanks.
I'm sorry but this post has got to end at this point. we've answered your questions the best we can and now you are asking the same ones over and over again.
grace
grace
I just don't want this guy infecting others. if he needs the wb please let me know and i need to call him
From: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Confusiion-over-other-IgM-Herpes-posts/show/248394
From Doctor HHH: "...In theory, the body produces immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies first, to a variety of infections, and immunoglobuin G (IgG) antibodies later. Over time, IgM antibodies tend to stop being produced entirely. Therefore, a test for IgM antibody to any particular infection may be positive before a test that detects IgG antibody. And in a person infected a long time previously, IgM antibody is absent but IgG persists.
That's the theory. In general, it holds up pretty well in young children, but sometimes not so well in adults. In adults with new HSV infection, IgM antibody against the virus doesn't actually get produced all that much faster than IgG antibody. And many people with longstanding HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection continue to produce IgM, especially when they have a new symptomatic outbreak. Thus, for HSV, IgM doesn't necessarily mean a new infection; and absence of IgM doesn't necessarily mean a longstanding infection.
On top of that, there are 2 other main problems with IgM testing for HSV. First, false positive tests are common--that is, apparent IgM antibody that simply isn't present at all, despite what the test says. This is NOT generally due to cross reaction with related viruses, i.e. HSV-1, varicella (herpes) zoster, and the like. It has to do mostly with the physical chemistry of the test.
Second, there are no type-specific IgM tests on the market--nary a one. Any true-positive IgM test for HSV is detecting antibody to HSV-1, HSV-2, or both, and can never distinguish between them.
Bottom lines: Sometimes a new HSV infection in an adult indeed will be positive by IgM before IgG. But this is pretty infrequent, and it outweighed by the downsides: high risk of false positive result; and even when truly positive, there is no distinction between HSV-1 and HSV-2, which is pretty important to most patients and providers.
HHH, MD "
Your provider can get more info on testing from the ASHA Site (American Sexual Health Association) that will give the PCP some good information. You can have your provider go to:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_testing.cfm
Also if your provider is concerned about the IgM testing you should have your provider look over the CDC 2010 Herpes guidelines for testing. You will note IgM is not part of the testing the IgG is. Time to move past and move on. Nothing further can be added to this long thread until you have a positive lesion culture.
From Doctor HHH: "...In theory, the body produces immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies first, to a variety of infections, and immunoglobuin G (IgG) antibodies later. Over time, IgM antibodies tend to stop being produced entirely. Therefore, a test for IgM antibody to any particular infection may be positive before a test that detects IgG antibody. And in a person infected a long time previously, IgM antibody is absent but IgG persists.
That's the theory. In general, it holds up pretty well in young children, but sometimes not so well in adults. In adults with new HSV infection, IgM antibody against the virus doesn't actually get produced all that much faster than IgG antibody. And many people with longstanding HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection continue to produce IgM, especially when they have a new symptomatic outbreak. Thus, for HSV, IgM doesn't necessarily mean a new infection; and absence of IgM doesn't necessarily mean a longstanding infection.
On top of that, there are 2 other main problems with IgM testing for HSV. First, false positive tests are common--that is, apparent IgM antibody that simply isn't present at all, despite what the test says. This is NOT generally due to cross reaction with related viruses, i.e. HSV-1, varicella (herpes) zoster, and the like. It has to do mostly with the physical chemistry of the test.
Second, there are no type-specific IgM tests on the market--nary a one. Any true-positive IgM test for HSV is detecting antibody to HSV-1, HSV-2, or both, and can never distinguish between them.
Bottom lines: Sometimes a new HSV infection in an adult indeed will be positive by IgM before IgG. But this is pretty infrequent, and it outweighed by the downsides: high risk of false positive result; and even when truly positive, there is no distinction between HSV-1 and HSV-2, which is pretty important to most patients and providers.
HHH, MD "
Your provider can get more info on testing from the ASHA Site (American Sexual Health Association) that will give the PCP some good information. You can have your provider go to:
http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_testing.cfm
Also if your provider is concerned about the IgM testing you should have your provider look over the CDC 2010 Herpes guidelines for testing. You will note IgM is not part of the testing the IgG is. Time to move past and move on. Nothing further can be added to this long thread until you have a positive lesion culture.
Hi grace, i am moving forward with this and doing as you have advised.. I was talking to my pcp today and if I may ask, they would like to know why there is such a difference in igm on me. They are concerned about which lab they should send specimens to because mine was somehow sent to 2 different ones
June 16
Mayo clinic igg for 1 pos igg for 2 neg igm neg (nonreactive) they said if it comes back reactive they break it down and get a number
Iowa city igg for 1 2.89 igg for 2 0.2 igm 6.887
She was wondering if they should just not run the igm's anymore since obviously there is a huge difference.. reference range is 1.1 for iowa city so my igm is really high she said but neg with mayo She is very appreciative of all the info I have gotten from this website for help and she admits she is really not very good at interpreting the numbers as many other physicians here aren't. She said my partner is negative but was wondering about a false negative with the hsv 1 for him since all this started after him. Also that hsv 1 is not passed on genitally often and I have had alot of symptoms around my anal area and flecks of blood.
thanks grace and I will put this to rest but I am learning a ton from you guys and really you have kept me going through this all whether i have been freaked or not which I have. thanks
June 16
Mayo clinic igg for 1 pos igg for 2 neg igm neg (nonreactive) they said if it comes back reactive they break it down and get a number
Iowa city igg for 1 2.89 igg for 2 0.2 igm 6.887
She was wondering if they should just not run the igm's anymore since obviously there is a huge difference.. reference range is 1.1 for iowa city so my igm is really high she said but neg with mayo She is very appreciative of all the info I have gotten from this website for help and she admits she is really not very good at interpreting the numbers as many other physicians here aren't. She said my partner is negative but was wondering about a false negative with the hsv 1 for him since all this started after him. Also that hsv 1 is not passed on genitally often and I have had alot of symptoms around my anal area and flecks of blood.
thanks grace and I will put this to rest but I am learning a ton from you guys and really you have kept me going through this all whether i have been freaked or not which I have. thanks
unless you get a + lesion culture for herpes, no reason to ask this partner to do anything else.
Grace i will stop the valtrex but i read that half of the people seroconvert by 2-3 weeks so my exposure was 24the of March and my labs were drawn 11th of april. s/s april 1st, i did one place where DR. HHH said he saw one person convert at 10 days. My partner was negative for 1. but could he be one that is the 1 out of 10 with hsv 1. if i get a positive culture then i know that he was the one and I just want him to know for sure so this doesn't affect someone else. Should I ask him to do the western blot just to make sure. he said he has never had a sore ever but i don't see him anymore. i can contact him. where would one get the western blot and what is the process. I talked to the er doc that admitted me yesterday and she is the one that feels strongly with no doubt i had herpes and all my cultures were after on antivirals. she said this was herpes, she has seen it alot. I just want to protect others. i believe my hsv2 is negative and very happy about that since there is very little chance of error. I just haven't felt right since him and some other doctors keep saying its herpes and I am willing to do it your way. but just touch on this subject and I will do as you say. What are the possibilities that the one was not an old infection. if it was i would've had immunity to 1. makes sense right.
you haven't asked any new questions that haven't already been answered several times now. I've given you all the advice I can possibly give. if you aren't willing to stop valtrex and be seen when you have new symptoms for lesion cultures, nothing else I could possibly recommend to you.
Look at my comment to Terri in her forum
TEST RESULTS WHAT DO YOU THINK, CAN i FINALLY BE HAPPY, IS 3 MONTHS GOOD OR SHOULD i REPEAT MY TESTS. NO 2 YEAH... READ MY LABS YOU WILL FIND A VERY INTERESTING THING..
PLEASE ALSO ADDRESS THE QUESTION i ASKED tERRI, ABOUT THE TIME FRAME MY IGG COULD HAVE TURNED POSTIVE FOR ONE OR DID I HAVE ONE FOR ALONG TIME...
CAN WE CELEBRATE
i STILL BURN DOWN BELOW AND FEEL SO MUCH PELVIC PAIN, ITS HARD TO WORK
TEST RESULTS WHAT DO YOU THINK, CAN i FINALLY BE HAPPY, IS 3 MONTHS GOOD OR SHOULD i REPEAT MY TESTS. NO 2 YEAH... READ MY LABS YOU WILL FIND A VERY INTERESTING THING..
PLEASE ALSO ADDRESS THE QUESTION i ASKED tERRI, ABOUT THE TIME FRAME MY IGG COULD HAVE TURNED POSTIVE FOR ONE OR DID I HAVE ONE FOR ALONG TIME...
CAN WE CELEBRATE
i STILL BURN DOWN BELOW AND FEEL SO MUCH PELVIC PAIN, ITS HARD TO WORK
I feel exactly the same, honestly. It is the most horrible time ever! I was certain my igg would have been positive but it was negative for both type 1 and 2. So then I thought that I am just one of the rare people who don't test positive, and somedays i still think that, but mostly now I am telling myself that I really only get a few days or a week were things are 'ok', not perfect, but ok, so i think this is too constant and frequent for it to be herpes.
I often still believe I have herpes when I get all the horrible painful symptoms and think back to how terribly sick i was at the time i got infection. That was so horrible, I will never forget who ill and sore i was, and i'm usually fit and healthy. Plus it is the only std that fits the majority of the symptoms i have and the one std that is difficult to diagnose, not like the others that are an accurate swab or blood test, so that's why a lot of the time i think it is herpes - cause it can't be anything else!
On days when I try to convince myself it can't be herpes I list the following over and over in my head- my mouth symptoms don't come like a coldsore on the edge of the lip. My vaginal symptoms don't have blisters around the genital area, as it is cuts, redness, rash, discharge, itching, burning and internal swelling and pain mainly. The spots that appear on my bum after it burns and stings for a day are inches apart or on both buttocks so not clustered on one small area on one side. My igg was negative after 4 months. My symptoms are so frequent and constant that it must be an infection that needs treatment rather than a viral thing like herpes that comes and goes infrequently. That being said, i'm at a loss as to what other std it could be. Maybe it is a really bad fungal infection that i haven't treated properly yet.
Good luck in finding out what is causing this if your igg comes back negative, which I hope it will for you.
I often still believe I have herpes when I get all the horrible painful symptoms and think back to how terribly sick i was at the time i got infection. That was so horrible, I will never forget who ill and sore i was, and i'm usually fit and healthy. Plus it is the only std that fits the majority of the symptoms i have and the one std that is difficult to diagnose, not like the others that are an accurate swab or blood test, so that's why a lot of the time i think it is herpes - cause it can't be anything else!
On days when I try to convince myself it can't be herpes I list the following over and over in my head- my mouth symptoms don't come like a coldsore on the edge of the lip. My vaginal symptoms don't have blisters around the genital area, as it is cuts, redness, rash, discharge, itching, burning and internal swelling and pain mainly. The spots that appear on my bum after it burns and stings for a day are inches apart or on both buttocks so not clustered on one small area on one side. My igg was negative after 4 months. My symptoms are so frequent and constant that it must be an infection that needs treatment rather than a viral thing like herpes that comes and goes infrequently. That being said, i'm at a loss as to what other std it could be. Maybe it is a really bad fungal infection that i haven't treated properly yet.
Good luck in finding out what is causing this if your igg comes back negative, which I hope it will for you.
I have been tested for everything the docs say. Been to every kind of doctor available. i still believe my 3 month test will be positive and if it is and this is what herpes is, i'm afraid i can't live like this. constant pain everyday and in so many places. Maybe you are one that tests are false negative, have you had the western blot. did you see your partners' tests? did he test positive or negative? Maybe i am the one that will always test false negative. if hell is like this, i don't want to go, never did.. i am a good person and i wish i would never have slept with him that night. my life was so fulfilling and good. and happy. now i am in physical pain daily and in many places.
I understand how you are feeling. I have similar symptoms but not totally the same. It is HORRIBLE and understand why you are freaking out. I was totally convinced that I had herpes, but now I think I am moving away from that simply because my symptoms are SO bad and SO constant. I know FOR SURE that I caught something from this guy. I haven't been the same since and it has changed my life, at the minute for the worse but I'm hoping this will turn good in the end and will have learnt some good lessons which I'll look back on and be glad this has happened (I can't believe I'm at the place to be saying that now, cause for 7 months I've thought I've been in hell). Even though you are sure it is herpes, can I suggest that you take advice and accept any tests for anything else as there is always a chance this isn't herpes and you wouldn't want to miss what this is because you are fixed on proving it is herpes. I'm started to think that maybe whatever I got is never going to be diagnosed and i'll just have to live with it. But then I hate the idea of passing this on. There are loads on people on different forums listing all our symptoms but not linking them to sex or herpes, so maybe there is something else out there we don't know about yet!?!? Anyways, just wanted to let you know you're not on your own and i'll keep an eye on your thread to see what your final outcome is. Good luck. (the way I get through it now is saying, that yes, this is horrible and I wish I wasn't going through it, but I've been tested for all stds including the serious ones, and they are negative, so that is good news, so whatever this is it will be ok in the end)
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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.
