HSV-2 possibility?

[joefran]

I am a 33 yrs old male with positive HSV 1 since I was about 20, 2 ob/yr avg. Last ob was 9/09. On 3/3 and 3/11, I had 2 encounters with two different sex workers where I gave one of them oral briefly, and the other for a while. Otherwise, intercourse was performed briefly with a condom. On Mar 13, I did a full STD blood work and tested negative for everything but positive for HSV-1 which I already know. On 3/22, I felt a tingle in my penile gland and noticed a tiny red papule inflamed. I took 3000mg l-lysine and that subsided.
On April 8, I felt the same tingle, two "papules", one reddish/purple, one pink, around 1mm in size each. I took 3000mg l-lysine & saw my dermatologist the same day. He checked closely and said it does not look like herpes but inflamed natural structures on the tip of the penis, prescribed 1% hydrocortizone creme. I did not mention last month encounters.

Symptoms: tingling pain (scale 4/10) almost constant for 72 hours, raw inside upper/lower lip. Pain/tingle subsided today. For the last three days, I took 3000 mg l-lysine, red marine alage, applied Abreva several times to papules.

Researching, I think the inflamed papules are VERY close looking to this diagnosed as penile lichen planus (I also noticed two minutia red dots on the bottom on my tongue and one wrist):
http://www.consultantlive.com/sexually-transmitted-diseases/content/article/10162/1531367pageNumber=1

I take super antioxidant (acai/mangosteen/gogi/noni) elexir extract thats in pure form daily, multivitamins,omega 3, bee pollen (twice last week). Could that have raised my immunity to develop a mild case of lichen planus?
Is it possible that I contracted HSV-2 orally? Am I having a mild first outbreak episode because I have HSV-1 and I am on l-lysinye? or is HSV-2 residing now outside its location of preference and lacks the full punch? If I have HSV-2, can it eventually travel to reside in the "preferred" location later and I would have full on HSV-2 genital outbreaks?

[joefran]

A related discussion, Follow up: HSV II AB IGG and Valtrex was started.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I'm really sorry, but trying to diagnose things over the internet is just impossible.  Red spots on the penis can be many things including fungal infections, bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, drug reactions, herpes, condom reactions, etc.  Your symptoms are just too nonspecific for me to give you much more information here.

Terri

[joefran]

I understand that you think this might be irrelated to herpes! What other similar diagnosis would this might be under, keeping in mind that those papules created a burning sensation? Could this type of reaction on penile gland be a "mild" herpes outbreak  since I already have partial immunity like you mentioned?

[joefran]

I understand that you think this might be irrelated to herpes! What other similar diagnosis would this might be under, keeping in mind that those papules created a burning sensation? Could this be a "mild" reaction to herpes since I already have partial immunity like you mentioned?

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, it is possible, though unlikely, that you acquired HSV 2 orally.  Your symptoms, however, don't sound much like herpes to me.  Also, since you have HSV 1 orally, it is a bit less likely that you will get HSV 2 orally, plus HSV 2 rarely infects the mouth.  The best way to know is to get an antibody test when four months have passed since the last risky encounter.  

There isn't any evidence that taking the various things you are taking would boost your immune response to herpes specifically.  Having said that, I don't think it would hurt either.  

When a person acquires HSV 2 after having HSV 1, the symptoms will be milder and unrecognized.  If you did acquire HSV 2 orally, it would stay in the oral area and not move to the genital area, no.

Terri

[joefran]

I forgot to mention in the first line that my outbreaks since I was 20 have always been around the lip, never genital. As of today, I can still see the papules flat not inflamed, and the pain is gone.