False Negative caused my Valtrex?

[negBCofVal]

My ex tested positive for herpes but never showed any symptoms. After sleeping together for the first time, I developed around a dozen red bumps scattered around my penis and lower abdomen and inner thigh. I had been tested immediately before starting the relationship and tested neg (<.9 IGG) for HSV2. After her positive test result, we just assumed that my symptoms were caused by hsv2, and my PCP agreed, though the bumps/lesions healed before he was able to visually confirm or take a swab. (I also developed a rash composed of bug bit looking bumps ranging from my thighs to upper torso, which stopped about 2 months after my initial exposure)
All of this happened last Feb (~7 months ago). I began taking Valtrex in order to prevent any future outbreaks. I haven't had an outbreak since (except another red bump a week ago that took 4-5 days to heal). I've had what I assume are prodromal symptoms (burning sensations, slight itching). After the relationship ended in June(3 months ago), I continued to take Valtrex in case of future outbreaks. To put my mind at rest, I decided to get tested last week. I tested negative for HSV2 (0.10). It was an IGG test for both type 2 and type 1 (0.08 for HSV1),
-Could it be that I am one of the rare people that do not develop antibodies? I definitely remember getting red bumps 5 days after initial exposure and strep-throat like bumps on my tonsils about 2 weeks after initial exposure. My initial outbreak was mild from everything I've heard.
-Do people who do not develop antibodies tend to be symptomatic or asymptomatic?
-Could the Valtrex be the cause of my negative blood work?
-Would a Western Blot test be more conclusive?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This negative test result is confusing, and I'm starting to doubt that my symptoms are evidence of herpes; however, I'm afraid to get too excited and just be let down.

Thank you in advance

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I think there is little reason for her to get another ELISA test done, she needs a western blot test.  If her score is positive and near this level (1.4) this says nothing about you and what you should do because a score like that is still unclear.  You just pursue your own course of action of stopping medicine and testing later.

Terri

[negBCofVal]

I will absolutely pursue this course of action. My doctor recommended the same thing. My ex also found out that her score for her test taken in Feb was a 1.4 and that her previous two partners were negative. She will retest to see if her score has gone up in the last seven months or to see if it's possible it was a false negative. If her score comes back positive, should I go a month without Valtrex before getting retested? If I do not have an ob to have a culture done in that period, how reliable will my blood test results be? Also, what I've been labeling as my first ob did not have any blisters. Are culture tests less reliable when ob do not consist of blisters, but just red bumps.
If her test results come back negative, I will pursue the same course of action, because I suppose i could have contracted hsv from previous partners (would have been over a year ago). Is it unlikely that I would have hsv2 in the latter case?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I would recommend that you completely stop the Valtrex at this point.  See what happens.  If you get another lesion, have it swab tested for herpes right away - don't waste any time doing that.  If you don't, that should be enough time for any impact that Valtrex had to be gone, and the antibody test will be correct.  From the symptoms that you describe, it may or may not be herpes, hard to say.  Whether you develop antibody or not has not much to do with having symptoms or not.  And at this point, I don't think that the western blot would be much more help than the traditional ELISA.  Since you've never had any testing since this all started happening, you are basically in the dark to a great extent.  I hope you will pursue this course of action to find out exactly what your status is.

Terri