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Herpes or Anxiety?
Dear Dr. HHH,
3/1/11 I had unprotected oral and vaginal sex with a lady friend. 2 weeks later, my scrotum and penis tuned very red and burning sensation, no itching. My scrotum tingled for about a week, 1 week later I developed a rash around my anus. My FP said that I had a yeast infection. He prescribed a steroid and lamsil cream. Didn’t help, it made it burn worst. After 4 weeks, I went to the ER and the DR told to stop putting on the cream. The rash and redness disappeared after 3 days. My FP did 2 rounds of blood test, urine, all was fine. He did STD tests, but not herpes. All was negative. After 3 weeks from my exposure, I had the following symptoms:
• Fingers begin to crack/bleed, slow to heal, but I was washing hands 8 times a day with antibacterial soap.
• Inner and back of thighs had burning feeling-no redness
• Legs/feet felt cold
• Overall fatigued
• Occasional night sweats in groin area and legs
• Sharp pain behind my scrotum
I did an IgG blood test (not type specific, I live in Canada) at 11 weeks, it came back neg.
My FP insists that my symptoms are anxiety and that there is nothing wrong with me. But 5 months later I still have following:
DAILY
• Cold sweaty feeling feet during day
• Redness above genital area, scrotum, inside of thighs are showering
• Sensitivity on inner thighs
These symptoms rotate, come and go days apart
• Sensitivity on legs
• Burning on inside and backside of thighs
• Pain backside of thighs
• Burning around butt cheeks when sitting
• Sweaty legs
• Occasional tingling in scrotum 5 – 10 seconds at a time.
I have never had any of these symptoms until this time.
I had 2 small red blisters on my inner thigh, showed to my FP 2 weeks ago, he said not to worry, present for 3 days, never scabbed over, but sensitive to touch.
My questions
1. Should I have another blood test?
2. Do my current symptoms sound like herpes or anxiety?
Thank you
3/1/11 I had unprotected oral and vaginal sex with a lady friend. 2 weeks later, my scrotum and penis tuned very red and burning sensation, no itching. My scrotum tingled for about a week, 1 week later I developed a rash around my anus. My FP said that I had a yeast infection. He prescribed a steroid and lamsil cream. Didn’t help, it made it burn worst. After 4 weeks, I went to the ER and the DR told to stop putting on the cream. The rash and redness disappeared after 3 days. My FP did 2 rounds of blood test, urine, all was fine. He did STD tests, but not herpes. All was negative. After 3 weeks from my exposure, I had the following symptoms:
• Fingers begin to crack/bleed, slow to heal, but I was washing hands 8 times a day with antibacterial soap.
• Inner and back of thighs had burning feeling-no redness
• Legs/feet felt cold
• Overall fatigued
• Occasional night sweats in groin area and legs
• Sharp pain behind my scrotum
I did an IgG blood test (not type specific, I live in Canada) at 11 weeks, it came back neg.
My FP insists that my symptoms are anxiety and that there is nothing wrong with me. But 5 months later I still have following:
DAILY
• Cold sweaty feeling feet during day
• Redness above genital area, scrotum, inside of thighs are showering
• Sensitivity on inner thighs
These symptoms rotate, come and go days apart
• Sensitivity on legs
• Burning on inside and backside of thighs
• Pain backside of thighs
• Burning around butt cheeks when sitting
• Sweaty legs
• Occasional tingling in scrotum 5 – 10 seconds at a time.
I have never had any of these symptoms until this time.
I had 2 small red blisters on my inner thigh, showed to my FP 2 weeks ago, he said not to worry, present for 3 days, never scabbed over, but sensitive to touch.
My questions
1. Should I have another blood test?
2. Do my current symptoms sound like herpes or anxiety?
Thank you
Thanks Terri, you sharing your professional opinion is better than the refund. I think the more people that share with me that I should be OK, the better I feel. In the early days of this in March, I think i read to much on the internet from the wrong places and i read some stuff on blogs and took non-medical people's opinions as accurate. over the last 2-3 days, my anxiety is not perfect, but slowly decreasing each day. One last question to this my original question, do you find in alot of cases, that anxiety is the only source of the problem with some cases??? Thanks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Most assuredly, yes. Anxiety is a huge factor for people who are worrying about herpes, and often becomes more of a problem than herpes ever could be. I hope your anxiety is continuing to decrease.
Terri
Terri
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I would be happy to give you my opinion, and you can ask MedHelp for a refund if you like.
I agree that your symptoms initially sounded fungal and now sound like anxiety.
Have you considered asking your sexual partner to be tested? If she is negative, then you don't have to worry, right? I think that's what I might do in your situation. I would frame it to her that you are having these symptoms you just can't explain and you seem to be obsessing about them, and if you paid for it, would she mind terribly being tested to clear up this possibility? I would be prepared for her to say no and perhaps be offended, it varies from person to person, but my motto is to give everyone a chance to say yes to things.
I think the negative antibody test at 11 weeks strongly suggests that you are not infected, combined with symptoms that honestly, without any specific genital symptoms, don't sound herpetic to me.
I hope you have luck with either getting a refund or that this helps answer your question.
terri
I agree that your symptoms initially sounded fungal and now sound like anxiety.
Have you considered asking your sexual partner to be tested? If she is negative, then you don't have to worry, right? I think that's what I might do in your situation. I would frame it to her that you are having these symptoms you just can't explain and you seem to be obsessing about them, and if you paid for it, would she mind terribly being tested to clear up this possibility? I would be prepared for her to say no and perhaps be offended, it varies from person to person, but my motto is to give everyone a chance to say yes to things.
I think the negative antibody test at 11 weeks strongly suggests that you are not infected, combined with symptoms that honestly, without any specific genital symptoms, don't sound herpetic to me.
I hope you have luck with either getting a refund or that this helps answer your question.
terri
I paid for this question on the Herpes expert forum hopin it would be answered by Dr. HHH. I guess I didn't do my research properly. So I paid for the same question at the STD forum. No one from MEDHELP on this forum responsed to this question. How can i get a refund for this question?? Thanks
Terri, could you please give me your opinion of my symptoms, i already paid for another question on the STD forum. Thanks
Of course if there is someone on this forum that believes they can shead some light on my situation, i guess i open for that as well.
Of course i paid for this question, do i have to pay again to repost it on a different form??? Can this question be forwarded to him?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If you are trying to post to dr. Handsfield, he is at the std board, not this one. I'm sure you will find it easily.
terri
terri
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
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.
