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Weird Genital Herpes Symptoms? Or something else?
Well hello. 23 year old homosexual male here. I have major depression, anxiety disorder, a lot of stress, ADD, ADHD, Hypochondria and/or Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and panic disorder (or paranoia).
Here's my sexual history so far.
- My last sexual contact was on May 5th, 2010 (or somewhere around there).
- May 12th, 2010: Tested positive on both HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG and IgM.
- I had a RPR, HIV-1/2 Anti-Body, and Hep C RNA test ran on July 28th, 2010, all 3 were negative.
- I went to a health department on the August 2nd, 2010, and they ran a Syphilis IgG and another HIV-1/2 Anti-Body test (the HIV test was complimentary with the Syphilis IgG, as it was protocol to run both at the same time), and both came back negative.
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test ran on July 8th, 2010, both were negative.
- The only "STD" I have ever been diagnosed to be infected with is HSV-2, aka Genital Herpes.
Stress and anxiety levels are sky high at the present time, and I believe I am in constant outbreak, however, that is just speculation, because I haven't been diagnosed this by a doctor or anything. I don't have the classic outbreaks of genital herpes like I have read that everyone else gets. I don't get fever blisters or cold sores on around my penis. (However, I have been told I have Pearly Penile Papules). I was told by my previous Primary Care Physician that my outbreaks present when I get sores inside my urethra which is called "herpetic urethritis", which causes dysuria, aka urethra discomfort/pain, which has only once or twice been accompanied by discharge out of all of the countless outbreaks, and I was told the discharge was mucoid, which I was told means that my discharge is probably not being caused by bacteria. (And the tests ran on me confirm this, my previous Urine Samples are completely free of bacteria)
So, anyways, I experienced some weird testicle pain today in my right testicle...it came and it went, but the pain attacks happened about 3 times, I believe, the 3rd happening as I was typing this. I've tried checking my testes to see if one is bigger than the other or swollen, and at first one seemed bigger than the other, but I think I was just being crazy and I checked them again and they are pretty much the same size, it seems (but still I am not sure of this). The 1st pain attack was bad but ignorable, the 2nd was pretty bad (that was when I thought I noticed swelling), and the 3rd was some pain, not bad, and went away pretty fast (within 60 to 120 seconds). At some points during these pain attacks, my lower right abdomen hurt a bit as well, and I could feel it shooting up from my pelvis. Within the past couple of days, I've also had some urethra discomfort and pain that normally accompanies the Genital Herpes outbreaks. No discharge, or VERY little if any (I didn't notice any). Tests were ran back then and there were no Urinary Track Infections, and my doc did conclude that the discharge was also coming from the Herpes infection.
So, on to the question, ladies and gentlemen. Can Genital Herpes or any Herpes infection in general cause testicle pain? Or is this something else? Maybe psychological Prostasis from all of the anxiety? I have never had my current doctor look at Prostasis as a possibility, or is it possible this is just plain stress causing this?
Thanks for reading that huge wall of text there...thanks to anyone in advance who replies :)
Here's my sexual history so far.
- My last sexual contact was on May 5th, 2010 (or somewhere around there).
- May 12th, 2010: Tested positive on both HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG and IgM.
- I had a RPR, HIV-1/2 Anti-Body, and Hep C RNA test ran on July 28th, 2010, all 3 were negative.
- I went to a health department on the August 2nd, 2010, and they ran a Syphilis IgG and another HIV-1/2 Anti-Body test (the HIV test was complimentary with the Syphilis IgG, as it was protocol to run both at the same time), and both came back negative.
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test ran on July 8th, 2010, both were negative.
- The only "STD" I have ever been diagnosed to be infected with is HSV-2, aka Genital Herpes.
Stress and anxiety levels are sky high at the present time, and I believe I am in constant outbreak, however, that is just speculation, because I haven't been diagnosed this by a doctor or anything. I don't have the classic outbreaks of genital herpes like I have read that everyone else gets. I don't get fever blisters or cold sores on around my penis. (However, I have been told I have Pearly Penile Papules). I was told by my previous Primary Care Physician that my outbreaks present when I get sores inside my urethra which is called "herpetic urethritis", which causes dysuria, aka urethra discomfort/pain, which has only once or twice been accompanied by discharge out of all of the countless outbreaks, and I was told the discharge was mucoid, which I was told means that my discharge is probably not being caused by bacteria. (And the tests ran on me confirm this, my previous Urine Samples are completely free of bacteria)
So, anyways, I experienced some weird testicle pain today in my right testicle...it came and it went, but the pain attacks happened about 3 times, I believe, the 3rd happening as I was typing this. I've tried checking my testes to see if one is bigger than the other or swollen, and at first one seemed bigger than the other, but I think I was just being crazy and I checked them again and they are pretty much the same size, it seems (but still I am not sure of this). The 1st pain attack was bad but ignorable, the 2nd was pretty bad (that was when I thought I noticed swelling), and the 3rd was some pain, not bad, and went away pretty fast (within 60 to 120 seconds). At some points during these pain attacks, my lower right abdomen hurt a bit as well, and I could feel it shooting up from my pelvis. Within the past couple of days, I've also had some urethra discomfort and pain that normally accompanies the Genital Herpes outbreaks. No discharge, or VERY little if any (I didn't notice any). Tests were ran back then and there were no Urinary Track Infections, and my doc did conclude that the discharge was also coming from the Herpes infection.
So, on to the question, ladies and gentlemen. Can Genital Herpes or any Herpes infection in general cause testicle pain? Or is this something else? Maybe psychological Prostasis from all of the anxiety? I have never had my current doctor look at Prostasis as a possibility, or is it possible this is just plain stress causing this?
Thanks for reading that huge wall of text there...thanks to anyone in advance who replies :)
Best Answer
I suffer the same testicle problem but i just start feeling pain when i found out i might been exsposed to the genital herpes virus i had sex eith the person one month ago im oi scared plz help me plz
Did you finally figured out what was wrong? Im going through the exact same problem.
Nevermind...I tried typing in something different and found your answer here:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/can-i-get-gential-HSV-1-if-i-already-have-oral-HSV-1/show/204709
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/can-i-get-gential-HSV-1-if-i-already-have-oral-HSV-1/show/204709
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I have read on here or a site similar to this that once someone is infected with HSV-1 with coldsores on lips and such (aka orally), that having HSV-1 genital herpes will not be a factor (if at all), because when the HSV virus recurs or reactivates when it has been acquired orally, it outbreaks at the initial infection site, and that's where it stays.
I just need this tiny bit of information in case my doctor tries to suggest to me that I have a genital HSV-1 infection when I go in to see her Monday morning.
Thanks.
I just need this tiny bit of information in case my doctor tries to suggest to me that I have a genital HSV-1 infection when I go in to see her Monday morning.
Thanks.
pcr is preferred for lesion cultures. it's not helpful as a blood test ( just to clarify for others reading this post ).
definitely time to follow up on non-herpes causes of your symptoms correct.
definitely time to follow up on non-herpes causes of your symptoms correct.
I was actually trying to find out if it was PCR method they used to test me for HSV, or something else, because I have been made aware that PCR is a worthless test.
But I just barely found out that my doctor actually didn't order the PCR test, as I tried calling just for kicks and giggles a half-hour ago to see if I could get a hold of anyone this morning.
She actually ordered an HSV Type-Specific Immunoblot test ran by LabCorp.
As stated before, Immunoblot has HSV-1 as positive and HSV-2 as negative.
So it seems as though May's test for HSV-2 was in fact a false positive. I have stopped the Valtrex like you have suggested.
My interpretation is that I do not presently have HSV-2, and that the symptoms in my urethra that have been occurring since late of last year are not being caused by the HSV-2 virus. Would you concur with this?
But I just barely found out that my doctor actually didn't order the PCR test, as I tried calling just for kicks and giggles a half-hour ago to see if I could get a hold of anyone this morning.
She actually ordered an HSV Type-Specific Immunoblot test ran by LabCorp.
As stated before, Immunoblot has HSV-1 as positive and HSV-2 as negative.
So it seems as though May's test for HSV-2 was in fact a false positive. I have stopped the Valtrex like you have suggested.
My interpretation is that I do not presently have HSV-2, and that the symptoms in my urethra that have been occurring since late of last year are not being caused by the HSV-2 virus. Would you concur with this?
focus uses the captia igg test.
are you looking at results or a billing statement?
are you looking at results or a billing statement?
Indeed blood PCR for herpes is worthless - it's not a blood born illness.
As we had said, confirmatory testing for herpes is specific: Western Blot or Biokit. The Western Blot is sent to U of W - here's the info: http://depts.washington.edu/herpes/faq.php
As we had said, confirmatory testing for herpes is specific: Western Blot or Biokit. The Western Blot is sent to U of W - here's the info: http://depts.washington.edu/herpes/faq.php
You know what, you're right. I went and looked through it more, and my test was sent in a Red-top tube or gel-barrier tube (or a vial of blood or something, it was drawn from my arm), and according to the test menu at LabCorp (where my tests were sent), the PCR tests done at LabCorp only allow amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, vesicle swab, or tissue.
So any blood drawn from the arm sent in a gel-barrier or red-top tube into LabCorp for AN HSV-1/2 type specific test that isn't a screen would be for an IgG test.
Would you concur with that statement?
So any blood drawn from the arm sent in a gel-barrier or red-top tube into LabCorp for AN HSV-1/2 type specific test that isn't a screen would be for an IgG test.
Would you concur with that statement?
I believe the test was "Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Types I/II, DNA PCR". I was then told it was type specific. HSV-1 positive, HSV-2 negative. My doctor wants me to come in on Monday and talk to me about it. Now I'm reading the HSV DNA PCR tests are worthless. I'm getting freaking anxious again. I'm so lost. :(
Flow,
Great news on the test results!
The symptoms you describe above can definitely be caused by anxiety and all the focus you have placed on your genital region.
Now that you can put HSV out of your mind, I would recommend see if you can get a referral to see a therapist for Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.
One way to tell if it may be CPPS is to take an extremely hot bath the next time you have the pain in your urethral area. If after the bath the symptoms seem to relax, chances are you have muscles that are extremely tense that may be causing your issues.
Once again, congrats on the results!
I'm hoping for a similar result next week.
Cheers,
Borat
Great news on the test results!
The symptoms you describe above can definitely be caused by anxiety and all the focus you have placed on your genital region.
Now that you can put HSV out of your mind, I would recommend see if you can get a referral to see a therapist for Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.
One way to tell if it may be CPPS is to take an extremely hot bath the next time you have the pain in your urethral area. If after the bath the symptoms seem to relax, chances are you have muscles that are extremely tense that may be causing your issues.
Once again, congrats on the results!
I'm hoping for a similar result next week.
Cheers,
Borat
no you didn't have pcr blood testing done. pcr is for lesion culture and fluid samples, not blood testing for herpes. herpes is not blood borne so it won't be detected via pcr via routine screening.
no need for a urethral swab for herpes either. You know your hsv1 is oral. the odds of it now being genital also and causing you these sorts of symptoms is far too low to risk the further irritation of an urethral swab for it.
grace
no need for a urethral swab for herpes either. You know your hsv1 is oral. the odds of it now being genital also and causing you these sorts of symptoms is far too low to risk the further irritation of an urethral swab for it.
grace
This following message is for Grace, and all of the participants of this thread.
The doctor called with my results.
Ureaplasma and the Mycoplasma tests were negative. I had type-specific HSV tests done. HSV-1 was positive (It was expected, I had coldsores all the time as a kid).
But most importantly, HSV-2 WAS NEGATIVE. I believe the HSV-1 and HSV-2 test were done by PCR method. (Hopefully this is accurate? Because I have been told it should be.) So yes, it seems though that my HSV-2 screen was a false positive. All other STDs and such have been ruled out.
I will deliver more specifics in this thread on Monday. We will probably run a urethral swab on Monday to make sure that it isn't a HSV-1 urethral infection (this could be possible, but not likely, Grace probably has some input on this). Also we will check that I don't have a Urinary Tract Infection, and to make sure that there is nothing wrong with my prostate like CPPS.
To Grace and Petal, thank you so much for helping me out with the fact that I might have a false positive. At first, I didn't really believe anything, but once I sat down and looked at the big picture, it started to make some sort of crazy sense...I would always slip into phases of thinking my test was a false positive. Even the moment I got the results of the screen in May, I questioned it, but doctors told me I was crazy.
The doctor called with my results.
Ureaplasma and the Mycoplasma tests were negative. I had type-specific HSV tests done. HSV-1 was positive (It was expected, I had coldsores all the time as a kid).
But most importantly, HSV-2 WAS NEGATIVE. I believe the HSV-1 and HSV-2 test were done by PCR method. (Hopefully this is accurate? Because I have been told it should be.) So yes, it seems though that my HSV-2 screen was a false positive. All other STDs and such have been ruled out.
I will deliver more specifics in this thread on Monday. We will probably run a urethral swab on Monday to make sure that it isn't a HSV-1 urethral infection (this could be possible, but not likely, Grace probably has some input on this). Also we will check that I don't have a Urinary Tract Infection, and to make sure that there is nothing wrong with my prostate like CPPS.
To Grace and Petal, thank you so much for helping me out with the fact that I might have a false positive. At first, I didn't really believe anything, but once I sat down and looked at the big picture, it started to make some sort of crazy sense...I would always slip into phases of thinking my test was a false positive. Even the moment I got the results of the screen in May, I questioned it, but doctors told me I was crazy.
I know, I just thought it would be an interesting read and it would help others with the same issue out a bit.
your hsv2 igg is still a low positive so that really doesn't change any advice I've already given one bit.
Hey, I have something for you. I inquired the medical facility that tested me and treated me for my "initial outbreak" to get all of my labs I have done with them in the past year. The HSV lab was included with my results. I was really surprised when I read them.
When I talked to the facility that tested me about a week ago, they said the IgG did not have a number. Turns out it does, and it is 1.72. The Herpes IgM they ran on me was just "herpes", it didn't look for type 1 or type 2. That came back 1.52.
I scanned the paper with the results and uploaded it to MedHelp if you wish to examine it.
http://www.medhelp.org/user_photos/show/158570
I will know the confirmatory results within the next 2 hours, or tomorrow.
The funny thing is, is when I called the central lab that talked about it, they said "Oh yes, the tests for HSV here at the lab are type-specific and can distinguish between the two", but as you will see on the photo I have uploaded, there is a line in the lab results that says "Crossreactivity can exist between Type I and Type II HSV antibody".
When I talked to the facility that tested me about a week ago, they said the IgG did not have a number. Turns out it does, and it is 1.72. The Herpes IgM they ran on me was just "herpes", it didn't look for type 1 or type 2. That came back 1.52.
I scanned the paper with the results and uploaded it to MedHelp if you wish to examine it.
http://www.medhelp.org/user_photos/show/158570
I will know the confirmatory results within the next 2 hours, or tomorrow.
The funny thing is, is when I called the central lab that talked about it, they said "Oh yes, the tests for HSV here at the lab are type-specific and can distinguish between the two", but as you will see on the photo I have uploaded, there is a line in the lab results that says "Crossreactivity can exist between Type I and Type II HSV antibody".
Me and my doctor are experimenting with Doxycycline at the present moment, and seeing if that eliminates my urethritis and other symptoms. 1 100MG tablet twice a day for the next 10 days. We are rechecking for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia and doing a complete Urinalysis to make sure. She is also looking into testing for Mycoplasma genitalium, and Ureaplasma should be knocked out with Doxycycline if I have it. I would assume that would come up on a Urinalysis anyways, but I'm not entirely sure.
I think we have forgot to look over one more STD that could be causing the issue. This one is pretty new, but I'm not sure of how doctors even test for it in today's world, or how it's ruled out. It's called "Mycoplasma genitalium", and according to a website, "M genitalium appears to be detected with the highest prevalence in men with Chlamydia trachomatis negative NGU (NCNGU)." There may also be something called "Ureaplasma", but this one is the most confusing to research on to me, because the more I read about it, the less I understand.
STD Clinics, including the one Dr. HHH from this website runs, doesn't even run tests for Mycoplasma Genitalium. I'm not fully educated on this bacterium, but I believe painful urination and/or ejaculation might be involved. I would also think that a Urinalysis would be able to detect it. But from what I've read, it's one of the bacterium with the smallest genome to develop in the body.
Mycoplasma Genitalium could trigger reactive arthritis (mostly in men), which in turn can trigger prostasis. Conjunctivitis also occurs with reactive arthritis, and I've had that happen to me quite a lot in the past year.
STD Clinics, including the one Dr. HHH from this website runs, doesn't even run tests for Mycoplasma Genitalium. I'm not fully educated on this bacterium, but I believe painful urination and/or ejaculation might be involved. I would also think that a Urinalysis would be able to detect it. But from what I've read, it's one of the bacterium with the smallest genome to develop in the body.
Mycoplasma Genitalium could trigger reactive arthritis (mostly in men), which in turn can trigger prostasis. Conjunctivitis also occurs with reactive arthritis, and I've had that happen to me quite a lot in the past year.
Flow,
I hope your doing well. Thanks for your post on my ongoing thread, "Urethral Herpes?"
Hopefully you will get a Western Blot test done soon and it will come back negative.
I thought I was good to go with my 11 week HerpeSelect test coming back negative, but as you read on my post, the HSV 2 IgG test I just did a year after came back positive.
If you get a negative confirmation, I recommend you buy "A Headache in the Pelvis." Even if you are positive, I think it will help you alot. I think most of my symptoms that I had, that are very simular to yours, was caused by mental stress and anxiety over HSV 2. Up until I this last week, I had gone from having long lasting pains in my urethra to being 95 % back to normal. It's been a long weekend, but tomorrow I should have the IgG count and what test was used this last time. I'm going to have the Western Blot done, so I can know for sure what my status is.
I recommend you do the same, as knowing for sure is the first part of recovery.
By the way, I thought herpetic urethritis was pretty rare. Also, if you are having that, it would hurt extremely bad especially when urinating.
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, AKA Prostatitus is not as painful, but lasts much longer.
This sounds a bit more like your symptoms.
Good luck and let me know how things are goind.
Borat.
I hope your doing well. Thanks for your post on my ongoing thread, "Urethral Herpes?"
Hopefully you will get a Western Blot test done soon and it will come back negative.
I thought I was good to go with my 11 week HerpeSelect test coming back negative, but as you read on my post, the HSV 2 IgG test I just did a year after came back positive.
If you get a negative confirmation, I recommend you buy "A Headache in the Pelvis." Even if you are positive, I think it will help you alot. I think most of my symptoms that I had, that are very simular to yours, was caused by mental stress and anxiety over HSV 2. Up until I this last week, I had gone from having long lasting pains in my urethra to being 95 % back to normal. It's been a long weekend, but tomorrow I should have the IgG count and what test was used this last time. I'm going to have the Western Blot done, so I can know for sure what my status is.
I recommend you do the same, as knowing for sure is the first part of recovery.
By the way, I thought herpetic urethritis was pretty rare. Also, if you are having that, it would hurt extremely bad especially when urinating.
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, AKA Prostatitus is not as painful, but lasts much longer.
This sounds a bit more like your symptoms.
Good luck and let me know how things are goind.
Borat.
Indeed it is very frustrating! It's a joke, too. No one should have to do stuff like this, and I'm seeing it happen on here quite a lot as well as some other places I have looked on the internet.
Also need to document this, but I had a rather sharp pain inside of my urethra today near the exit/tip of my penis after I made my last post, but it went away in 2 hours or so, and it came back and the pain is sporadic. Definitely feels like it's inside. This definitely seems like Prostasis the more I research. I think receptive Anal Sex in the past could be to blame, but more likely than anything, it's just stress. From what I've read, herpetic urethritis happens to 35% of people on their first genital outbreak, and it shouldn't recur like this.
Also need to document this, but I had a rather sharp pain inside of my urethra today near the exit/tip of my penis after I made my last post, but it went away in 2 hours or so, and it came back and the pain is sporadic. Definitely feels like it's inside. This definitely seems like Prostasis the more I research. I think receptive Anal Sex in the past could be to blame, but more likely than anything, it's just stress. From what I've read, herpetic urethritis happens to 35% of people on their first genital outbreak, and it shouldn't recur like this.
almost all our herpes tests are ELISA tests. focus diagnostics has worked hard to tweak their herpeselect so that the incidence of false positives is much lower than it was before. My theory on it is, if you haven't had symptoms, always confirm your status with a 2nd test for hsv2 ( hsv1 being + is pretty normal and really not too many reasons to doubt it ). Your doctor would never diagnose you as having cancer with 1 test, to me it's the same with confirming a + herpes igg less than 5 if you haven't had very obvious symptoms and/or a lesion culture to back up your status.
odd how the lab gives numeric results for igm but not igg.
I'd definitely go for the herpes WB if you can get it to confirm your status.
it is incredibly frustrating to have to do your own research like this and follow up on things like this :(
grace
odd how the lab gives numeric results for igm but not igg.
I'd definitely go for the herpes WB if you can get it to confirm your status.
it is incredibly frustrating to have to do your own research like this and follow up on things like this :(
grace
Ha! This is all VERY maddening to me. It's maddening how flawed this ELISA method test is, and how labs know this, and the company who made it also knows it, but yet, they still conduct it and spit out false positives from 40 to 50 percent of people with low false positives.
I have basically lived the last 3 and a half months of my life in psychological distress because of everything that has happened. It's a bit comforting, but at the same time very stressing that I might have a false positive, and that I've been living under an assumption, not a "diagnosis", and I'm taking these damn pills that I might not even need.
My Primary Care Physician has not offered to do follow up testing, but that's because she thought the testing method was probably done by PCR by default, because that was how it was supposed to be done through the lab I had my blood work done, but this was NOT the case, and when I gave her a printout of my results I got from the facility seeing me, and she accessed IHC's database to see my results to make sure, it didn't say the method used, which explains A LOT.
Intermountain Healthcare, the company my insurance is ran through, and the company that did my testing, when they put my HSV test results into their computers, the facility I was seen called "Instacare" that read the results (which is also an Intermountain Healthcare ran facility), had NO IDEA what method was used to test me as well. They had to put me hold to find out, and even then, they couldn't find out. I had to call the Intermountain Healthcare Central Lab in Murray, Utah to find out for sure, and it was IN FACT ELISA. Talk about an inefficient and irresponsible way to practice medicine.
So, to clear up any confusion you had earlier, like I said, I called the Instacare facility that saw me and drew my blood, and I acquired the exact results of my test done in May. The exact results are as follows.
HSV-1 IgG: Abnormal/Positive (No Numerical Result Included) HSV-2 IgG: Abnormal/Positive (No Numerical Result Included)
HSV-2 IgM: Abnormal (5.01) HSV-2 IgM: Abnormal: (1.72)
Note: I was told the other day it was 1.52, but I was told this morning by the facility that it was in fact 1.72.
I then told them I needed confirmatory testing because it was ran ELISA and the anti-bodies can't be distinguished from one another in such tests and it is flawed, and the nurse then got a tone with me and said "but they're both positive, [insert my name here]", and the tone used sounded like she thought I was a freaking crazy person. She then said I needed to follow up with my Primary Care Physician, which will happen this week.
Thanks for all of your advice and information, Grace. I'm sorry if all of this has been such a long read from me, but I feel it is VERY important to have very thorough documentation of all of this, for anyone else who comes on this site and reads this regarding false positives, and for those who are querying the methods of how Intermountain Healthcare conducts their work so poorly (and as of today, unprofessionally as well).
I will post results in this thread of my type-specific HSV test when I am informed of the results. This probably won't be for 8 to 10 days, or possibly more.
I have basically lived the last 3 and a half months of my life in psychological distress because of everything that has happened. It's a bit comforting, but at the same time very stressing that I might have a false positive, and that I've been living under an assumption, not a "diagnosis", and I'm taking these damn pills that I might not even need.
My Primary Care Physician has not offered to do follow up testing, but that's because she thought the testing method was probably done by PCR by default, because that was how it was supposed to be done through the lab I had my blood work done, but this was NOT the case, and when I gave her a printout of my results I got from the facility seeing me, and she accessed IHC's database to see my results to make sure, it didn't say the method used, which explains A LOT.
Intermountain Healthcare, the company my insurance is ran through, and the company that did my testing, when they put my HSV test results into their computers, the facility I was seen called "Instacare" that read the results (which is also an Intermountain Healthcare ran facility), had NO IDEA what method was used to test me as well. They had to put me hold to find out, and even then, they couldn't find out. I had to call the Intermountain Healthcare Central Lab in Murray, Utah to find out for sure, and it was IN FACT ELISA. Talk about an inefficient and irresponsible way to practice medicine.
So, to clear up any confusion you had earlier, like I said, I called the Instacare facility that saw me and drew my blood, and I acquired the exact results of my test done in May. The exact results are as follows.
HSV-1 IgG: Abnormal/Positive (No Numerical Result Included) HSV-2 IgG: Abnormal/Positive (No Numerical Result Included)
HSV-2 IgM: Abnormal (5.01) HSV-2 IgM: Abnormal: (1.72)
Note: I was told the other day it was 1.52, but I was told this morning by the facility that it was in fact 1.72.
I then told them I needed confirmatory testing because it was ran ELISA and the anti-bodies can't be distinguished from one another in such tests and it is flawed, and the nurse then got a tone with me and said "but they're both positive, [insert my name here]", and the tone used sounded like she thought I was a freaking crazy person. She then said I needed to follow up with my Primary Care Physician, which will happen this week.
Thanks for all of your advice and information, Grace. I'm sorry if all of this has been such a long read from me, but I feel it is VERY important to have very thorough documentation of all of this, for anyone else who comes on this site and reads this regarding false positives, and for those who are querying the methods of how Intermountain Healthcare conducts their work so poorly (and as of today, unprofessionally as well).
I will post results in this thread of my type-specific HSV test when I am informed of the results. This probably won't be for 8 to 10 days, or possibly more.
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
the herpes igm test is a flawed test and we never recommend its use to diagnose herpes. not sure if your post you just typed igm when you meant igg or not.
you certainly do not have hsv2 on multiple body parts if you even have it at all. I'd stop antivirals and even though it's a pain to do so , follow up every time you have symptoms both orally and genitally for a proper diagnosis.