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Is it safe to not take medication?
Hello,
I was recently diagnosed with genital hsv-1. My GYN cultured one of the two sores I had. She also sent me for a blood test for HSV-2 only on that same day, rather than test me for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. She started me on 500mg Valtrex 2X day for 5 days. On the day of the visit, I gave her some background that I thought was pretty relevant should I be experiencing a Herpes outbreak. Namely, I have a back condition for which I had been recently prescribed methylprednisolone. I stopped taking it two days short of finishing it, because I knew it wasn't helping. My GYN told me this was irrelevant information, and wouldn't affect my outbreak. All information I have found regarding taking any kind of corticosteroids point to exacerbation of symptoms, rather than "no effect".
I called the next week to get my test results. She informed me that the sore culture tested positive for HSrV-1, and the blood test for HSV-2 was too low to be a positive result (I do not have these results in hand, nor did she give me a numerical value). I told her I had developed more blisters since I was last in, even though I'd been taking the Valtrex. She told me to use the refill she had allowed. So I refilled it and continued to 10 days. Before the last two days of treatment, I was still developing more blisters, now they were moving inside my genitals, as opposed to just being on the outside areas. I called my doctor around 4PM and explained to her what was happening. She said I caught her on the road and she'd call me back for my pharmacy #. She called back around 10:30 that night and told me she'd call in some more Valtrex, and I asked her if maybe we should try something else due to the fact that the outbreak seemed to be getting more widespread on the Valtrex than it had been initially. She said she'd call something in for me and was not specific what it would be. That was last Friday evening. Now it's Tuesday, and I've called her service and her office and no RX has been called in for me. I'm wondering if it's safe to just let it go. I'm not pleased that my doc hasn't responded to me, but I do realize that Doctors have lives too. My question is this: Am I doing any harm to myself by not medicating during my primary outbreak? It started with prodome symptoms around June 22, I got the Valtrex on July 7, finished it on July 18, and it is now July 21 and I have lots of blisters still. Will this go away on it's own? Can my immune system shut this down without more drugs? I'm exploring other GYN options, but everyone has long waits to see someone and this information would be really helpful to me in the interim. Thanks for your time.
I was recently diagnosed with genital hsv-1. My GYN cultured one of the two sores I had. She also sent me for a blood test for HSV-2 only on that same day, rather than test me for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. She started me on 500mg Valtrex 2X day for 5 days. On the day of the visit, I gave her some background that I thought was pretty relevant should I be experiencing a Herpes outbreak. Namely, I have a back condition for which I had been recently prescribed methylprednisolone. I stopped taking it two days short of finishing it, because I knew it wasn't helping. My GYN told me this was irrelevant information, and wouldn't affect my outbreak. All information I have found regarding taking any kind of corticosteroids point to exacerbation of symptoms, rather than "no effect".
I called the next week to get my test results. She informed me that the sore culture tested positive for HSrV-1, and the blood test for HSV-2 was too low to be a positive result (I do not have these results in hand, nor did she give me a numerical value). I told her I had developed more blisters since I was last in, even though I'd been taking the Valtrex. She told me to use the refill she had allowed. So I refilled it and continued to 10 days. Before the last two days of treatment, I was still developing more blisters, now they were moving inside my genitals, as opposed to just being on the outside areas. I called my doctor around 4PM and explained to her what was happening. She said I caught her on the road and she'd call me back for my pharmacy #. She called back around 10:30 that night and told me she'd call in some more Valtrex, and I asked her if maybe we should try something else due to the fact that the outbreak seemed to be getting more widespread on the Valtrex than it had been initially. She said she'd call something in for me and was not specific what it would be. That was last Friday evening. Now it's Tuesday, and I've called her service and her office and no RX has been called in for me. I'm wondering if it's safe to just let it go. I'm not pleased that my doc hasn't responded to me, but I do realize that Doctors have lives too. My question is this: Am I doing any harm to myself by not medicating during my primary outbreak? It started with prodome symptoms around June 22, I got the Valtrex on July 7, finished it on July 18, and it is now July 21 and I have lots of blisters still. Will this go away on it's own? Can my immune system shut this down without more drugs? I'm exploring other GYN options, but everyone has long waits to see someone and this information would be really helpful to me in the interim. Thanks for your time.
Since you haven't had sex for 1 year then this is a recurrence even though you don't recall ever having the 1st ob. In us gals, you can have ob's on the cervix and unless you are at your doctor and up in stirrups, you'll never know. It's fairly common for the 1st ob to present there and recurrences to show up in more obvious places.
Since it would be a recurrence then it's valtrex 500mg 2x/day for 3 days. The 5 days dose is a much older recommendation that has since been shown to be not any more effective than just the 3 day dose.
Definitely go back and be seen again and get the basics tested for again. Probably you are just having a humdinger of a vaginitis going on keeping things lasting so long :( Sometimes it just really suck s to be female :(
grace
Since it would be a recurrence then it's valtrex 500mg 2x/day for 3 days. The 5 days dose is a much older recommendation that has since been shown to be not any more effective than just the 3 day dose.
Definitely go back and be seen again and get the basics tested for again. Probably you are just having a humdinger of a vaginitis going on keeping things lasting so long :( Sometimes it just really suck s to be female :(
grace
Hi Grace,
I have actually been completely celibate for more than a year. I have had no sexual contact whatsoever for that period of time. This outbreak has come completely out of nowhere. I'm currently still in the devastated phase of this experience, and am having a hard time keeping all my facts straight. It seems so strange that this virus would start happening during this time of my life, why not right after I contracted it? I have to get used to things not making sense I suppose.
My GYN did initially give me an rx for diflucan on the same day she told me to start Valtrex, albiet a different dosage than you have posted here. At this point, I have no symptoms beyond blisters. I'm no longer experiencing any nerve pain or burning, so I'm going to try and find a good doctor that will see me relatively soon, because I still have not heard from my current doctor.
Thank you for putting my mind at ease re: meds for this current outbreak. I intend to follow up with a doc as soon as possible.
My warmest regards for your time and attention.
I have actually been completely celibate for more than a year. I have had no sexual contact whatsoever for that period of time. This outbreak has come completely out of nowhere. I'm currently still in the devastated phase of this experience, and am having a hard time keeping all my facts straight. It seems so strange that this virus would start happening during this time of my life, why not right after I contracted it? I have to get used to things not making sense I suppose.
My GYN did initially give me an rx for diflucan on the same day she told me to start Valtrex, albiet a different dosage than you have posted here. At this point, I have no symptoms beyond blisters. I'm no longer experiencing any nerve pain or burning, so I'm going to try and find a good doctor that will see me relatively soon, because I still have not heard from my current doctor.
Thank you for putting my mind at ease re: meds for this current outbreak. I intend to follow up with a doc as soon as possible.
My warmest regards for your time and attention.
You never ever have to treat your herpes - it only helps to speed healing when you treat it.
I encourage you to go and be seen again and get examined again. You should also be tested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally too. Both can be going on too and helping to prolong healing.
Your lesion culture was hsv1+ so you know you have hsv1 genitally. Had you received oral sex anytime within the last 3 weeks of your symptoms starting?
The dose of valtrex you should've been given was 1gm 2x/day for 7-10 days. At this point, more valtrex probably isn't going to do much though so I recommend going to be examined again and have more testing done to see what all is going on. Just because you have hsv1 genitally, doesn't mean it's the only thing going on.
grace
I encourage you to go and be seen again and get examined again. You should also be tested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally too. Both can be going on too and helping to prolong healing.
Your lesion culture was hsv1+ so you know you have hsv1 genitally. Had you received oral sex anytime within the last 3 weeks of your symptoms starting?
The dose of valtrex you should've been given was 1gm 2x/day for 7-10 days. At this point, more valtrex probably isn't going to do much though so I recommend going to be examined again and have more testing done to see what all is going on. Just because you have hsv1 genitally, doesn't mean it's the only thing going on.
grace
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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.
