I'm an 18 year old white female. I've never had the "typical" clustered blister outbreaks characteristic of HSV-2. The last genital acquisition date would have been June of 2010, if my partner lied about his virginity status.
In September 2010, I began developing a progressive undiagnosed autoimmune disorder. I've had a few yeast infections in the past months, likely due to prednisone and weekly doses of methotrexate, or prolonged high doses of antibiotics for an infection while I was immunosuppressed.
Each (2 or 3) yeast infection (itchiness, redness) went away within a week of antifungal treatment, but I can't be 100% sure if these weren't some form of subtle outbreak.
A small area of abrasion from unintentional friction in my labial sulcus caught my eye in November 2011, and off to the Ob/Gyn I went, 2 days later. It was indeed (now-healed over) abrasion, but she'd blood test me for HSV-1 and 2 to be sure.
As for other non-specific symptoms like fatigue, headache, nerve tingling/pain, and muscle pain, I have had them tack on one by one since coming down with my mystery illness, along with a soup of many, many others.
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Here are my somewhat puzzling test results from over the months:
11/30/11
HSV-1 IgG 0.10
HSV-1 IgM <0.80
HSV-2 IgG 0.06
[*HSV-2 IgM 0.89 EQUIVOCAL*]
HSV-2 IgM IFA Not Detected
1/10/12
HSV-1 IgG 0.05
HSV-1 IgM <0.80
HSV-2 IgG 0.19
[*HSV-2 IgM 1.40 POSITIVE*]
HSV-2 IgM IFA Not Detected
2/27/12
HSV-1 IgG 0.03
HSV-2 IgG 0.04
[*HSV-2 IgM 2.45 POSITIVE*]
[*HSV-2 IgM IFA DETECTED*]
HSV-2 Cervical Culture (no symptoms present, looked normal) Negative
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So, in a span of 3 months, my IgG levels have stayed negative for both HSV-1 and 2. HSV-2 IgM level has steadily risen. The IgM IFA is now showing as detected where it previously had not.
So my question is: What do you make of this?
Are the results suggestive of being in the IgG-negative, but infected with HSV-2 group?
Why did the IgM consistently rise and the IFA change from not detected to detected?
Should I press for a Western Blot test to sort this out?
Is my immune system and production of autoantibodies potentially causing cross-reactivity?
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Again, my last possible genital exposure would have been 6/2010 from giving/receiving oral. Less likely exposure, but possible, I kissed my boyfriend who I was not sexually involved with in 1/2012. Both claim they are virgins.
I have heard cross-reactivity exists with the IgM testing. I had chickenpox (VZV) and mono (EBV) during childhood.
However, I also know 5-10% of those infected with HSV-2 have IgG-negative serology, despite symptoms. I have no other STDs.
My rheumatoid factor is non-reactive, I have had a more in-depth CBC and Complement test come back with somewhat abnormal results:
6/9/11
Red Cell Distribution Width - Standard Deviation (RDW-SD) [L] 38.0
Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) [H] 11.2
Monocytes (MONO%) [H] 10.3%
Immature Granuloctyes (IG%) [H] 0.7%
C4 [L] 14.0
really, no reason to be thinking herpes. given your history, much more likely related to your disease or even the treatments from it. find a dermatologist to work with you and your rheumatologist to try to get to the bottom of it all. best of luck :)