Herpes infection?

[cal86]

Hoping someone can help, I had unprotected vaginal sex with a female a week ago when drunk, very stupid first time ever, almost immediately a couple days later and since felt burning and tingling all over my body, arms, hands, legs, face, head, it's very distressing, I've had no blisters or sores, the female didn't have sores and claims not have been infected previously. Does this sound like Herpes 2? I'm devastated and very scared. I also have a young son, could I pass it to him through normal day to day contact?

[jjohnson1958]

Sounds like the infamous "Herpes Anxiety Disease".  If you look close enough, you will start to see lesions that come and go within minutes. lol.  It's amazing to me 5 months after my own nervous breakdown, that every single person on here goes through the exact same thing.  No classical blisters.  Pain in the lower back, burning pain on the penis, pain in the buttocks, thighs and calves... all with negative blood tests.  I would bet that there are more people without herpes with these symptoms than those who do have herpes with these symptoms.  I would love to hear the actual statistic of how many people with negative blood tests at 3 months, who have no blisters but have pains, actually turn out to have herpes.  You see these symptoms all over the internet as symptoms of herpes but these are all people who have had it for years.  None of them describe their first outbreak ever as just backpain with no blisters and negative blood tests.  I know exactly what everyone is going through as I am still going through it but with each passing day, the earlier advice i got that i quickly dismissed is starting to look more and more plausible.  Why are we all doubting experts and doctors?  Why are we all convinced we have something that nothing else seems to confirm?  This is like being convinced that a night after heavy drinking, you have a brain tumor because you have a headache.  Sure a brain tumor can cause a headache but so can drinking and a hangover.  I do believe that the pains are a prodrome symptom but if you are having a prodrome symptom, wouldn't you eventually have an actual outbreak???  You don't just have prodromes forever.  I'm just trying to throw in my two cents as someone who was suicidal after a month and dismissive of 10 highly qualified doctors' opinions AND dismissive of blood tests that clearly show negative.  You're not even equivocal man and don't have a single symptom of an initial herpes outbreak.  Could you be 1 out of a thousand?  Sure.  I seriously doubt it.

[whiteshadowcgb]

Any update?

[cal86]

Thanks for your help JJ that's much appreciated, the odds do seem to be in our favour, you could say we would be extremely unlucky to have caught it after a single encounter. I just know I haven't had this pain and burning after any previous intercourse, I could cry, oh I do all the time. I guess it's a waiting game now, four weeks until next testing or if any lesions occur before then. I'll let you know how things go

[jjohnson1958]

Any type of nerve pain at all always comes up as herpes in a search.  Also, any type of rash on the genitals always comes up as herpes in a search.  There are also 1000 other things that cause the same thing.  The statistics that made me feel a little more at ease are the following.... .90% of people with an initial OB have a classic one.  90% of people from one encounter do not contract herpes.  Over 90% of people seroconvert and show antibodies after 10 weeks (i think HSV2 is 95% at 10 weeks).  If you add up all these 90%'s you get something close to 99% that you don't have herpes.  Just saying.  Grace, please tell me if I'm accurate here since I've been throwing this around. lol  I'm just trying to help people who are where i was 3 months ago.

[gracefromHHP]

just breathing within 3 feet of people can transmit many common infections too. really, sometimes it really is just coincidence.

[cal86]

Hi Grace thanks for asking, I didn't I'm still working through other possibilities with my doctor, checking for Lyme disease and EBV, although this started two days after unprotected sex so I'm sure it's the cause, although hope it isn't
Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

grace drinks heavily is how she does it ;)  ( jk....I think...he he he )

really, don't fixate on  herpes. it really is not the root of all evil in folks who have sex!!!  did you ever get your neurology consult like I suggested?

[collegekid94]

I'm right there with y'all! Had very drunken sex back in February and got a red rash on my pubic area and groin 2 days after. I was so worried that it was herpes. Even though all 5 doctor visits they have told me that there is no way that it is! And a blood test told me that I only had HSV-1, not 2 (even though I've never gotten a noticable coldsore.) Nothing ever popped or blistered, just redness and some small red bumps. I was very worried that it was and that'd I have to make some very big changes in my life. But I'm not too concerned anymore because I don't think a primary herpes break would last 7 weeks! I just really want to get rid of this rash and live my life.

[cal86]

Thanks, it's good to know I'm not alone, and sorry to hear about your diagnosis, the symptoms you've explained are identical to mine, tingling and burning everywhere, I've been stressed in the past and not experienced anything like this so am sure I'm not making it up, feels extremely distressing. I had no idea this could happen and last so long. Did you tell your partner what had happened? I've been avoiding contact with my children out of fear I'll pass something on, it's the worst

[Thighguy]

Hi Cal86,

I am in the same boat as you and nine million other posters on this forum. How does Grace do it? I had a drunken lap dance in October, (a long one that I am not proud of). I am married, two kids, and extremely guilty and remorseful of my actions. I too immediately panicked and went into full blow symptoms of HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis, you name it, my mind thought it.
I have had non stop tingling of the thighs, buttocks, scrotum, anus, fingers, feet, face, scalp and burning sensations in the groin and thighs. Pimples on my thighs and buttocks constantly. I went to the STD Clinic 4 times and was told to stop coming if I did not have a lesion to sample. My GP finally gave me blood tests and urine tests for all known STDs and I was clear except that my Herpes Simplex Test was postive, but could not tell me whether it is North or South or 1 or 2. I have never had cold sores but that doesn't mean I don't have HSV1 since my whole family has had cold sores.
I have read many times that you can't have constant symptoms of Herpes. Well, this is six months straight so it must be in my head or fungal or something else. I too was suicidal and wrought with emotional pain, but it has passed and eased with each day. Now I would rather just know what it is that is bugging me.

If it is Herpes, then it is herpes, I will deal with it. If it is something else then it is that. Nothing I have experienced has been painful, just annoying.

Hang in there.

[cal86]

Hi JJ thanks for getting in touch, really appreciate the viewpoint and talking to. I read your posts and sounds like we're having a similar nightmare. I just can't ignore the symptoms my body is giving me which started straight after the encounter, and whenever i look them up it comes back as herpes. I've read that in some cases people don't build antibodies for four or six months, or there can be reliability issues with the tests. I would give you everything i own if you could prove I don't have it. I have also felt suicidal and been thinking how I might do it. My symptoms are burning buttocks and thighs, mainly left leg and into my left calf, burning lips, mouth and face, chronic fatigue, clammy wrinkly penis skin, white tongue, even burning prickly hands and arms, I did have a small pimple on my penis at the start that went away after ten days, didn't ulcerate, but also read it doesn't ulcerate all the time. I truly hope you are right, I have two very young children I would hate myself forever if I passed it on to, anxiety is killing me

[cal86]

Hi Grace I'm still very worried that this could be genital HSV, I've read that the classic prodrome symptoms are burning tingling down one leg and in the buttocks, I continue to have this very frequently, also that the classic lesions don't always present. I read so many other posts of people with these symptoms, and it all started after the exposure so I believe the two must be linked. I'm thinking my body hasn't produced antibodies to be picked up yet and this test is a false negative. Can that be possible?
Thanks kindly

[gracefromHHP]

nope

[cal86]

Sorry Grace, one more question, I took a 4 day course of Acyclovir in the first week, could that have stopped the virus reproducing and delayed my body building antibodies? So I could be infected but have no antibodies yet?
Thanks

[cal86]

Thanks Grace you are super, I'll let you know how it goes

[gracefromHHP]

I wouldn't bother with any more herpes testing. just not worth it since your symptoms don't sound like herpes and you tested negative at 11 weeks.

continued to be seen regularly for your symptoms and hopefully you get better answers soon so you can get relief finally!!!

[cal86]

an update grace, another set of bloods and swabs returned negative at 11 weeks HSV1 0.358, HSV2 0.178, however I still have all the same symptoms, burning left leg, buttocks, burning lips, weight loss chronic fatigue, strange spots on thighs. I'm going to retest in another month, could seroconversion be delayed, what do you think?
Thanks

[cal86]

Hi Grace, that is reassuring, it certainly is lasting a long time, nine weeks and counting, I really hope it gets better soon. I've never felt anything like these sensations which began a day after the unprotected sex, which itself was the first time in about twenty years, i'm generally very careful, I will speak to my doctor about a referral to a neurologist, thanks for the suggestion.

And you're right it could be something else at this stage, I'm only comparing the symptoms I'm experiencing to how other people have described them but who knows, without a blister to swab I guess it's a waiting game until 12 or even 16 weeks for bloods. So weird this burning down my whole left thigh and everything else.

Just want to say another thanks and a what a wonderful person you are for providing this support and advice to strangers

Best wishes

[gracefromHHP]

the neurologist will be helpful to rule out nerve injuries causing your symptoms hence why I suggested a consult.

no, getting it orally and genitally would not cause a shock to your system and cause these symptoms nor would they last for this long.  really, not everything is herpes!!!

[cal86]

Hi Grace many thanks for getting back to me, I've been to to see a doctor on two occasions who has inspected my penis and taken my blood tests. He didn't think it was herpes on my skin but said it may not show up as some people are asymptomatic. The problem is all the burning and tingling feelings in my leg, buttocks and penis never go away, and the fatigue and aching muscles are crippling, I'm living one day at a time. I also saw my regular doctor who has run blood tests on liver function, thyroid, kidneys, diabetes and vitamin B12, all passed fine. I've read a few people on forums describing herpes infection as extremely tiring, with constant prodrome but no lesions, but not sure if that's always the case or a minority. I just wonder if I've got it both on my mouth and genitals in one go which has caused a massive shock to my system from which I'm not recovering. I feel nauseous and lost my appetite for nine weeks so far. I have a date for the next blood test in mid April to repeat HIV, Hep and HSV.
Thank you again for your help

[gracefromHHP]

are you being seen regularly or just ordering up testing?  

your symptoms don't sound std related.  I'd see a neurologist for your pains too.

[cal86]

Hi, thanks for your comments, an update 9 weeks later, i'm still experiencing the same symptoms, constant pain in my left buttock, a hot feeling in my left calf, burning in my left thigh, also a burning icy tip of my penis, slight pain urinating, prickly pain on the top and bottom of my penis, itching in my pubic area, strange burning feeling around my anus. I haven't had classic blisters but two small pimple like blisters on the shaft of my penis that came and went in about ten days, I've had lots itchy spots on both buttocks and thighs. Painful burning lips round my mouth, lots of strange tiny white spots in my lips. Constant incredible fatigue, loss of appetite, lost a lot of weight,  frequent urination, extremely sore tongue, occasional burning in my left arm, facial twitching round my eyes, also slight numbness in my hands and feet, it's terrifying. Prior to this sexual encounter I was a fit healthy male, no history of any medical issues. Now I feel like a shell of my self, completely ill, changed.

From reading websites and other testimonials here I'm sure I've contracted HSV 2 and maybe 1. The female I had sex with claims she has had no prior symptoms although I don't know her well.  

So far I've tested negative at 4 and 8 weeks for HIV dual test, HSV negative with IgG type specific:
Week 4 - HSV1 0.480, HSV2 0.128
Week 8 - HSV1 0.380, HSV2 0.180

Negative Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea tested three times, negative Hep B and C at six weeks. I am going to repeat all testing at three months, am abstaining from sex.

Can anyone help with thoughts, does it sound like genital herpes could cause all these symptoms or a mixture of other complaints

Thanks

[gracefromHHP]

herpes doesn't cause these sorts of symptoms all over your body.

since you had unprotected sex, you need to cover your bases with proper testing at the proper times., you can get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trich and ngu after 1 week post encounter. syphilis after 6 weeks. herpes, hiv and hepatitis after 3 months.

grace

[StressedandDistressed]

I could be wrong, but it doesn't sound like herpes. Herpes are blisters you get on your genital area that crust over. My advice to you is always use protection when you have sex with someone you don't necessarily know. It's better to be safe than sorry. Hope you feel better.