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Igm tested positive twice for hsv2 is this my final answer?
Hi Grace,
Two weeks ago I had blood tests done 4 days after recent exposure (unprotected sex) it came back positive for Igg for hsv1 which I wasn't surprised about in high school and as a kid I would sometimes get cold sores and had chicken pox. However the dr. Told me for igg hsv2 I was negative, but for igm which was hsv2 specific I was "weak" positive. I have never felt so sick in my entire life. She told me it was pretty definite I had contracted hsv2, she told me I could come in again in a week to retest. So I went again one week later and yesterday she tells me my results were exactly the same as before igm weak positive. She said I definitely had hsv2 but if I wanted to continue testing she could look into it. Also I want to mention I have been freaking out about everything I had a couple of red dots on my butt that looks like follicles and would normally think nothing of and I had them cultured they came back negative. I have been examining myself everyday looking for anything. The dr put me on valtrex after my first test came back and I had some back pain when I started taking it at my tailbone. Also started taking a lot of vitamins. The other weird feeling I have is this tingling feeling like I have to pee. I thought I might have had a bladder infection because I get them often but the test came back negative for both. I have been going to the bathroom like 10 times a day feeling like I have to pee but then hardly anything. I had this once before and thought it was a bladder infection but it wasn't and then I got my period and felt better. I also need to mention I haven't had my period for almost 2 months. I took a pregnancy test blood test and I'm not pregnant. I also took the morning after pill after my unprotected sex. This has completely consumed me I am so utterly depressed I can't eat I can't sleep. They told me it is recent also and I keep going back in my mind and thinking of being itchy in the past or seeing a bump near my but or area. I told my dr. I wanted to do more testing over time but I just can't stop thinking about how she sounded on the phone like it was judgement day and this was my final verdict. I have never felt so much stress and anxiety in my entire life. And I can't stand this feeling like I need to pee all the time. Please help. I feel so lost and alone.
Two weeks ago I had blood tests done 4 days after recent exposure (unprotected sex) it came back positive for Igg for hsv1 which I wasn't surprised about in high school and as a kid I would sometimes get cold sores and had chicken pox. However the dr. Told me for igg hsv2 I was negative, but for igm which was hsv2 specific I was "weak" positive. I have never felt so sick in my entire life. She told me it was pretty definite I had contracted hsv2, she told me I could come in again in a week to retest. So I went again one week later and yesterday she tells me my results were exactly the same as before igm weak positive. She said I definitely had hsv2 but if I wanted to continue testing she could look into it. Also I want to mention I have been freaking out about everything I had a couple of red dots on my butt that looks like follicles and would normally think nothing of and I had them cultured they came back negative. I have been examining myself everyday looking for anything. The dr put me on valtrex after my first test came back and I had some back pain when I started taking it at my tailbone. Also started taking a lot of vitamins. The other weird feeling I have is this tingling feeling like I have to pee. I thought I might have had a bladder infection because I get them often but the test came back negative for both. I have been going to the bathroom like 10 times a day feeling like I have to pee but then hardly anything. I had this once before and thought it was a bladder infection but it wasn't and then I got my period and felt better. I also need to mention I haven't had my period for almost 2 months. I took a pregnancy test blood test and I'm not pregnant. I also took the morning after pill after my unprotected sex. This has completely consumed me I am so utterly depressed I can't eat I can't sleep. They told me it is recent also and I keep going back in my mind and thinking of being itchy in the past or seeing a bump near my but or area. I told my dr. I wanted to do more testing over time but I just can't stop thinking about how she sounded on the phone like it was judgement day and this was my final verdict. I have never felt so much stress and anxiety in my entire life. And I can't stand this feeling like I need to pee all the time. Please help. I feel so lost and alone.
Meant to day test for bladder/ uti and yeast infection came back negative however urge to pee feeling has gotten worse since than which was last week
your provider needs to update their herpes testing knowledge!!!
herpes igm testing is not recommended for adults. there was no reason to tell you that you had herpes based on a + igm nor was there a reason to start you on valtrex.
testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trich was ok at the 4 day mark. it was far too early to test for anything else. at this point, stop all valtrex and wait until 3 months post encounter and seek out a type specific herpes igg blood test to see what your hsv2 status is.
grace
herpes igm testing is not recommended for adults. there was no reason to tell you that you had herpes based on a + igm nor was there a reason to start you on valtrex.
testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trich was ok at the 4 day mark. it was far too early to test for anything else. at this point, stop all valtrex and wait until 3 months post encounter and seek out a type specific herpes igg blood test to see what your hsv2 status is.
grace
Thanks for your response Grace! I don't want to give myself false hope but is it possible to not have recently contracted hsv2 and be positive for igm testing? I have read a lot of bad things about the test but when I told my dr. this, she argued that the igm was indeed type 2 specific and she was convinced I had just contracted it. I told her I read the test could not differentiate between 1 and 2 and she said I'm wrong. This is so scary also feeling a lot of shooting pain in my body in back legs and arms not sure if this from valtrex or not because I heard valtrex only stays in your system for 2-3 hours. Is there anything you make of my other symptom- feeling like I have a bladder infection and not getting my period? Any additional views you could provide would be greatly appreciated this is really weighing down heavy on me. Thank you
Also wanted to re-clarify I had two tests done where igg was negative and igm was "weak"positive twice. That was why my dr.seemed so sure it was not 2 false positives.
One more question about valtrex, if she started me a week and a half after exposure could that completely have prevented me from having a primary outbreak if I was infected?
they do have type specific herpes igm tests but they still have the same false positive issues which is why they also aren't recommended. it's actually malpractice at this point to tell someone they have herpes based on a + igm.
yes you could've had a much milder ob if you started valtrex early but it's not likely you even have herpes.
plan b can cause some messed up hormone issues too.
yes you could've had a much milder ob if you started valtrex early but it's not likely you even have herpes.
plan b can cause some messed up hormone issues too.
Is shooting pain up and down your back / legs/ arms normal with hsv2? I keep having these pains, and then today and yesterday I noticed my knuckles on my hands were a blue/grey color. It's so hard to wait to retest, I think I may split it up and retest at 5 weeks and then again at 2 months, and then 3 months. This is making me feel absolutely crazy. My bladder has seemed to subside slightly though, but these jabbing pains are awful.
Thanks for all of your support/wisdom Grace, I really hope you are right and this IGM is just madness.
Thanks for all of your support/wisdom Grace, I really hope you are right and this IGM is just madness.
no reason for so much testing. all it does is waste money.
see your provider for all your symptoms.
see your provider for all your symptoms.
Just wondering can anyone tell me what the muscle pains are like, or how common they are with hsv2? And do a lot of women get them? I just got my period so I would like to attribute these pains to that but I'm not sure. It is really hard waiting and waiting to take this test again wondering about the igm..
Hi Grace/ Anyone else who can help,
So it is almost a month now since my last exposure. I am planning on going to the Dr. 5 weeks from exp. for another test. I am really wondering about the pains associated with HSV2 though. I really haven't had any symptoms (knock on wood) besides having sharp "stabbing" pains. I get them at my butt, down my legs to my feet, mostly on the right side. (Sometimes I get the sharp pains in other spots like my hip, back or chest). I read that a lot of people have groin pain and inflamed groins. I don't really have this, but when I apply pressure to my stomach and bladder it sort of ignites the pain in my back. Is this the sort of pain people have with HSV2 or could it be something else? (I have a lot of neck/nerve problems also- it just seems so coincidental to be getting this now 3 weeks after doctor told me about my test) I have been on Valtrex for 3 weeks now, I am wondering if this has anything to do with it. How long does the hsv2 pain usually last for people? This pain keeps coming and going sharply lasting seconds at a time.
So it is almost a month now since my last exposure. I am planning on going to the Dr. 5 weeks from exp. for another test. I am really wondering about the pains associated with HSV2 though. I really haven't had any symptoms (knock on wood) besides having sharp "stabbing" pains. I get them at my butt, down my legs to my feet, mostly on the right side. (Sometimes I get the sharp pains in other spots like my hip, back or chest). I read that a lot of people have groin pain and inflamed groins. I don't really have this, but when I apply pressure to my stomach and bladder it sort of ignites the pain in my back. Is this the sort of pain people have with HSV2 or could it be something else? (I have a lot of neck/nerve problems also- it just seems so coincidental to be getting this now 3 weeks after doctor told me about my test) I have been on Valtrex for 3 weeks now, I am wondering if this has anything to do with it. How long does the hsv2 pain usually last for people? This pain keeps coming and going sharply lasting seconds at a time.
these would only occur a day or two before you had obvious lesions.
if you are having pain, be seen for a proper exam.
honestly I'd stop the valtrex. no reason to be on it and if you really did contract herpes from the encounter in question it could interfere with getting accurate blood testing 3 months post encounter.
if you are having pain, be seen for a proper exam.
honestly I'd stop the valtrex. no reason to be on it and if you really did contract herpes from the encounter in question it could interfere with getting accurate blood testing 3 months post encounter.
I have the pain for about a week, no lesions so far. Do people usually have pain like that? Would it be more of an ache or is it sharp pains? I hate obsessing about everything because of this. Normally I would just associate this with working hard or my neck problems, but ow I am associating everything to hsv2.
no they do not.
stop obsessing. stop the valtrex. encourage your provider to update their herpes testing knowledge so that they aren't adding to your anxiety.
stop obsessing. stop the valtrex. encourage your provider to update their herpes testing knowledge so that they aren't adding to your anxiety.
Hi Grace,
One more question for you. I know I am supposed to stop obsessing but.. I am going to make a dr.s appt for tomorrow because the bladder thing is back, can't empty bladder fully, and lower back pain. I tested negative for Chlamydia 4 days after exposure and then a week and half after exposure. Should I get retested for this? The lower back pain and the bladder thing are freaking me out that I might have this. Please let me know. Thank you so much!!
One more question for you. I know I am supposed to stop obsessing but.. I am going to make a dr.s appt for tomorrow because the bladder thing is back, can't empty bladder fully, and lower back pain. I tested negative for Chlamydia 4 days after exposure and then a week and half after exposure. Should I get retested for this? The lower back pain and the bladder thing are freaking me out that I might have this. Please let me know. Thank you so much!!
going to be seen again for these symptoms if the best course of action at this point. they can do some basic urine testing right there in the office and based on results, can decide if it's worth repeating testing or not.
So I went to the Dr. today ( had to go to urgent care at a different office bc my insurance changed). They tested for some stds again, but not hsv. She did a urine culture and told me just by looking at it she could tell there was white blood cells. But then when she did the UTI test she said there were white blood cells, but not a lot of them. She told me she was treating me for a UTI and put me on antibiotics. Now I will just wait for the other tests. She also did a cervical exam to see if I had PID, which she said I didn't. I am just very nervous about these pains. My lower back hurts and my stomach under and above my belly button hurt with any pressure. And I am still getting shots of pain in my legs, ribs, upper back, arms, feet, hands. I just hope this is not an STD. This is so scary. I wish I never had sex.
when they did your exam, did they test for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally too?
I'm pretty sure she tested for bacterial, but I don't think she did yeast. Don't have too many of the yeast symptoms. I was doing a lot of research last night on HSV2 and how it can affect your nerves and it makes me wonder if that's what could be causing these shooting, pinching pains? I also did a lot of research on anxiety which does some amazingly scary things like this as well (even bladder issues). The other thing I have been doing is taking a lot of different vitamins everyday which I am going to stop because I think this could be causing some issues as well. Still no lesions, off of Valtrex for 5 days, just have these shocks of pain, and some upper and lower back pain. Last night and today I had a metal taste in my mouth but I think it was from my antibiotic and taking it with my vitamins. I also had a lot of pins and needles in my hands and feet (which could be a side effect from antibiotic- it is listed). I hate waiting, I just want this to be over. I feel like I have the plague or something. I have become absolutely terrified of acquiring a disease. Honestly I don't know how I am going to go on living everyday like this, it is a nightmare.
Also feel like there is a lot of gas/air in my stomach and having some bowel issues (diarrhea) not going to the bathroom every hour or anything, but still.
Not sure if this is again from the vitamins/ antibiotics or what. I haven't been eating a lot so I know it's not from something I ate. Also both times I had it, I had the metal taste in my mouth.
Not sure if this is again from the vitamins/ antibiotics or what. I haven't been eating a lot so I know it's not from something I ate. Also both times I had it, I had the metal taste in my mouth.
this is a side effect of being on antibiotics.
continue to be seen for your other symptoms.
continue to be seen for your other symptoms.
Update:
Dr. called me this week and told me my Urine Culture came back positive for a UTI and negative culture for ghon/chlamyd. Still on antibiotics, Nitrofurantoin. Had blood tests done on Monday night for syphili, hsv, and hiv, and some other stuff too. Igg cam back positive for hsv type 1, and negative for hsv type 2. Everything else was negative/normal. This was after for weeks and a day or two. I know it is still early, but I am dying her. Does this mean it is less likely that I have hsv2. I am still scared. But I feel like if the igm test had an validity as my dr. said (although I know better now, thnx Grace) wouldn't the igg show up sooner, because the igm showed up only 4 days after exposure? I will continue to get tested for this, but I hope 4 weeks and negative is a good sign. Still have these pains, and will go back to Dr. this weekend if they persist or worsen to check my kidney. As always thanks for your support Grace, you and this forum have given me hope and good advice/answers. If I didn't have that I would have just assumed my Dr. was right and I have hsv2, which hopefully isn't so.
Dr. called me this week and told me my Urine Culture came back positive for a UTI and negative culture for ghon/chlamyd. Still on antibiotics, Nitrofurantoin. Had blood tests done on Monday night for syphili, hsv, and hiv, and some other stuff too. Igg cam back positive for hsv type 1, and negative for hsv type 2. Everything else was negative/normal. This was after for weeks and a day or two. I know it is still early, but I am dying her. Does this mean it is less likely that I have hsv2. I am still scared. But I feel like if the igm test had an validity as my dr. said (although I know better now, thnx Grace) wouldn't the igg show up sooner, because the igm showed up only 4 days after exposure? I will continue to get tested for this, but I hope 4 weeks and negative is a good sign. Still have these pains, and will go back to Dr. this weekend if they persist or worsen to check my kidney. As always thanks for your support Grace, you and this forum have given me hope and good advice/answers. If I didn't have that I would have just assumed my Dr. was right and I have hsv2, which hopefully isn't so.
*Meant to write blood tests were done Monday after 4 weeks and a day or 2 from exposure*
Hi Grace,
I have another question. I looked at my dates again and I only took the valtrex for about 9 days. I had taken it a week and a half after exposure. And then stopped taking it. Will this definitely affect the outcome of my blood tests??
Also noticed the bumps on my butt, keep coming back, they are red and look like they are folliculitis or something with the follicle. They don't hurt, and they don't look like classic hsv2. Except there are a few that are near eachother, and I started freaking out that it was a cluster or something. But they don't look like blisters. I am still on the antibiotic for my bladder, but I started taking probiotics on top of that which has helped a little. This will be week 6 of this nightmare. I would really like to re-test week 7 or 8. This is driving me crazy.
I have another question. I looked at my dates again and I only took the valtrex for about 9 days. I had taken it a week and a half after exposure. And then stopped taking it. Will this definitely affect the outcome of my blood tests??
Also noticed the bumps on my butt, keep coming back, they are red and look like they are folliculitis or something with the follicle. They don't hurt, and they don't look like classic hsv2. Except there are a few that are near eachother, and I started freaking out that it was a cluster or something. But they don't look like blisters. I am still on the antibiotic for my bladder, but I started taking probiotics on top of that which has helped a little. This will be week 6 of this nightmare. I would really like to re-test week 7 or 8. This is driving me crazy.
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