herpes bumps?

[karina1212]

I have these bumps on the right labia majora where the pubic hair grows. There are about 6-8 of them in number. They are almost flesh-colored, maybe slightly red especially after touching it. They are almost shiny-looking when I pick up the skin to look at it closer. They do not hurt or itch. They have been there for about 11 days now. I also have a pimple/blister looking bump on my right inner thigh. Along with the bumps on the labia, I've also had 2-3 of these pimple/blister looking bump on my inner buttocks (the little cheeks under my vagina, next to my perineum). These have somewhat dried up and improved, but can still feel bumps when I feel with my fingers. I have gone to Planned Parenthood to have these bumps checked and the NP said they didn't look like any STDs to her, possibly just an irritation. I went to a doctor who's an ob gyn today and he said that the bumps on my right labia majora could be herpes, but the blister/pimple on my inner thigh is just a pimple. He also took a smear from my vaginal discharge and saw no yeast, trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis, but said there were white blood cells present. He said this could be due to the bumps that I have that could be herpes. He said he could not culture these bumps and wait until they break open so I can have them cultured at Planned Parenthood since it will be cheaper there. I tried to pop some of these bumps. One bled a lot, one had a hard white stuff come out (similar to white heads on face), and one had some clear with a little bit of blood come out of it. I have tested positive with HSV 1 in February of this year after getting my first ever cold sore on lip, but tested negative for HSV 2. I have been losing sleep and appetite over this. Which of these two health professionals should I believe? Please someone help me! Grace, if you have an answer, I'd really appreciate it.

[gracefromHHP]

It's unfortunate that the gyn you saw today was clueless and dropped the ball.  You don't want them to pop and then culture them - he should've popped one in the office and cultured it.  11 days of symptoms it's likely to be a false negative anyways.  

Do you have a regular partner?  If so then I recommend they get tested for herpes if they haven't bee recently. See what their status is.  Otherwise you should continue following up at PP if you don't have insurance to try to figure out what is going on.  When was the last time you had sex?

grace

[karina1212]

Thanks for the reply, Grace.

I was in a longterm relationship for 5 years total (we just recently broke up), but had a breakup last fall and unfortunately had a protected sexual encounter 2x within 3 weeks with a guy I didn't know. He used a condom both times and no oral sex involved, but he did use his saliva as lubricant each time. Both times were in the dark, which now looking back bothers me so much, thinking he might've had something to hide.

My ex also tested for herpes after I tested positive for HSV1 after my first cold sore experience. His results were negative for HSV2 but said have been "exposed" to HSV1. He has never had cold sores in the past and still doesn't show any signs or symptoms. We have alwasy had unprotected intercourse and oral sex in our relationship after we were both tested in our first year for STDs and HIV, but never herpes from my knowledge. Does exposed and positive mean the same thing?

These bumps are only on the right side where the pubic hair grows. The pimple/blister-like bump is again on the right side of my inner thigh. Could you have contact dermatitis only on one side? Can herpes bumps remain for 11 days without breaking open on its own? They don't itch or hurt. The gyno saw white blood cells in my discharge but no yeast, BV, or trich. PP also saw WBC in the smear when I went for my annual pap in Dec. I was tested for chlamydia and gonnorhea because of that and was negative as a result. Could the WBC be from my possible herpes bumps? I've been sick and lost my voice for 4 days now. Could the WBC in the discharge be from me being sick, a possibility from a throat infection? What are the possobilities of one having both oral HSV1 and genital HSV1? PP said it didn't look like any bumps due to STD and that was 3 days after I noticed them. Now this obgyn is saying they could be herpes after they've been there for 11 days. Who's right and who's wrong? Should I test again for HSV1 and 2? It's been 6 mos. since my encounter with the guy I didn't know and my ex was only positive for HSV1. By the way, last time I had sex was with my ex and it was a week ago. These bumps were already present and didn't stop us since PP said it doesn't look like any STD.

I am so stressed and depressed over this that I have lost so much weight since my first oral OB, especially since showing I was HSV1 +. Now with the possibility of me having it genitally as well makes me just want to die! I'd really appreciate more info. from you, Grace. Thanks again!

[waringblender]

If the last time you had sex was last fall, go get a type specific herpes blood test. Having HSV makes you want to "die?" Really? It's that traumatic to you? Wow.

[gracefromHHP]

There's no such thing as being exposed to herpes showing up on a blood test. You either have it or you don't.  The vast majority of folks who have hsv1 don't get obvious cold sores to know that they are infected but since the majority of adults have hsv1 orally - not many of us make it thru life without it.  Why are you letting cold sores bother you like this?  Why let a very common and very pesky virus control you like this? It's time to educate yourself better on hsv1 orally and turn the tables on it and take back control.  It's just herpes and don't let yourself believe anything differently!!!

Sometimes recurrences of hsv2 don't follow the book but yes it would be unusual for a recurrence to last 11 days without changing.  That's why I recommended continued follow up with PP to find out what is going on.  Usually an increase in white blood cells in the vaginal secretions is due to cervicitis. did the gyn mention that your cervix looked red and irritated or anything?   It also can signal an allergic reaction going on too if there aren't any signs of infection.  There really are just so many things that can be going on in our bodies that have absolutely nothing to do with herpes!

I think you need the peace of mind of a follow up herpes hsv2 igg blood test. It's up to you.  sex 2x with a condom with that one partner was very low risk.  

grace

[karina1212]

Thanks for the reply, guys.

The gyn didn't mention that my cervix looked red/irritated/inflamed, but did see WBC. He said everything looked fine inside. He's thinking bumps are due to herpes because it's limited to the RIGHT side only and the WBC may be from my herpes infection. He also said that this may already be a recurrance and could be the reason for it being mild and I may not have noticed my OBs before. I do remember having redness between the inner fold of my LEFT labia major and minora in Dec. and Jan. There was a fissure-like cut where the redness was and PP cultured it, but result was invalid, NP saying the lab couldn't grow anything from it. Come to find out the specimen container they used was no longer accepted by that lab and they offered to culture me again in the future, if needed, free of charge. I don't know if this fissure was due to me checking/stretching the skin there all the time since my 2x encounter with that other partner.

I am affected by oral HSV1 b/c i have a child who loves to kiss on the mouth. My child is very close and affectionate with me, esp. since I'm a single parent. I wouldn't want to infect him at such a young age. No one in my whole family has had cold sores and now for the first time ever, I get it -- along with these unusual bumps down there that I've never had before. I've only had 3 partners -- 2 were longterm and 1 was with that stranger, which I regret so much. Since the stranger, I got all these weird symptoms both orally and genitally.

I have asked for a 2nd HSV1 and 2 igg blood test, but PP said it's not recommended and might just be a waste of money. I will ask for it again for peace of mind. Is there a possibility of me having both oral and genital HSV1 with these bumps down there? Replies would be greatly appreciated.

[waringblender]

More likely than not the kid will pick up HSV sooner or later, whether from you, another relative, or a child at school. It's not a big deal. Just because your "family members" haven't had obvious cold sores doesn't mean they are negative for HSV. This is why grace is recommending you get educated. Because so many people have this, it's really common, and having a meltdown about it isn't really appropriate.

The genital symptoms  need to be cultured to know if it is HSV1. That's the only way to know if you have it genitally.

[karina1212]

PP first saw the genital bumps on the 2nd or 3rd day after I noticed them, but did not culture it and just said it doesn't look like an STD. Now a private practice gyn is saying it could be herpes but said could not culture it and have them cultured at PP after they break open, when they've been there for 11 days! I just want to know what's going on with me and it's very frustrating that none of these 2 health prof. didn't culture these bumps just to make sure, especially after reading that you can have atypical symptoms with herpes and everyone's OB could be different.

[karina1212]

I spoke with the NP at PP yesterday and told her what happened at my gyn visit about these bumps. Told her about the WBC gyn saw in my vaginal discharge. Told her the gyn is suspecting herpes OB on the genital. NP said from what she recalls, the bumps looked more like folliculitis and WBC could mean my cervix is red/inflammed/irritated. But the gyn said my cervix looked fine and I told the NP this as well.

Grace or anyone --
Could you please give me some info. on what a mild herpes OB on the genital looks and feels like? Is it limited to one side or both? Can it be painless or without any itchy feeling? Are herpes bumps fragile especially when shaved over on the skin? My next appointment at PP is not until 3 weeks from now and I am really worried and losing sleep over this. These bumps still have not broken open but do not look as bad as it did at one point, probably have shrunken in size by somewhat flattening and shrinking. Just a reminder, these bumps are on the RIGHT labia major, also 2 on the inner Right side of buttocks next to perinuem, and one pimple-like bump on Right inner thigh. I must note here that found a little reddish bump on LEFT labia minora yesterday, it doesn't hurt or itch either even when touched. Looking close, I saw a white dot on it's tip, squuezed it and came out, but now looking a bit larger and redder after I did that. What can this be? I know folliculitis can only happen on skin where hair grows and I know hair never grows on the labia minora. What are these bumps? Pls... any ideas?

Grace,
You seem very knowledgeable about herpes. Could you pls. find out for me, if you can, about WBC in vaginal discharge and herpes? I tried to search online about this, but couldn't really find anything. WBC showed up on my wet mount smear in Dec. at PP and was given antibiotics to treat chlamydia, but my later result showed negative for it. I have not changed partner since then so I'm thinking chlamydia is most definitely out of the question. I just wanna know what could be going on with me, esp. since I have no other vaginal infections detected by gyn (yeast, bacterial vaginosis, trich.). You think this could be a sign that I really might have genital herpes caused by HSV1? Is there anyay I can be tested for herpes from vaginal secretion since there's nothing they can culture right now even with those bumps? I'd really appreciate some info. Thanks in advance.

[gracefromHHP]

There really isn't anything else we can help you with at this point unfortunately. You need exams done and we can' t do those here.  You are going to follow up with PP in a few weeks so they can take another good look at things then.  I know that's awhile to wait for better answers but there's nothing else we can do for you.  Even though both exams you've had recently have had conflicting opinions - they are still better than what we can do here. We'd just be guessing at this point.  

grace

[karina1212]

Thanks for the response, Grace.

I was hoping to get some  few ideas of what hsv1 genital herpes symptoms could be or look like since pictures online only show worst cases and mostly caused by hsv2. It's just that it seems there's a great possibility that these bumps would be gone in 3 weeks and they would have nothing to look at, other than just repeat the tests and I have had no new partners. I just want to be able to have some peace of mind since this is really causing me anxiety.

If anyone could give me some ideas based on their own experience/knowledge of signs and symptoms of genital hsv1, I'd really appreciate it. God bless everyone and thanks again.

[waringblender]

Symptoms vary from person to person, but a cold sore is a cold sore.

[waringblender]

Some of us heathens would rather skip the blessing, but thanks anyway.

[gracefromHHP]

hsv1 genitally looks the same as hsv2. You already have hsv1 orally so it's doubtful you now have hsv1 genitally too.  

As I said - at this point the best you can do is to continue following up with a provider for this. If you aren't comfortable waiting a few more weeks for your return then make another appointment to be seen sooner.  There really isn't much else we can do for you at this point.  You need actual exams - not us guessing or even looking at pictures on the internet.  This isn't something you can self diagnose at home accurately.

grace

[karina1212]

Grace,

"Unless you get an obvious cold sore - there's no easy way to know if you also have hsv1 orally. According to the few studies done on it - at least 1/4 of folks who contract hsv1 genitally also contract it orally around the same time.  I think it's best to err on the side of caution and discuss that possibilty with partners when having your "talk" about your herpes and all other std's."  

I read the above as one of your replies to a post I came across with. The bumps that I've talked about in my recent posts are barely there after applying some cortisone cream on it for 3 days. The NP at PP said it wouldn't hurt to put cortisone on it since to her it doesn't look like an STD, but the obgyn, on the other hand, said to leave it alone and it should resolve on its own/break open. Do herpes bumps react well to cortisone topical creams. The kind I used is fluocinonide, which I think is generic for Lidex, and I use this when I get my mild eczema breakout on my eyelids.

Since I've never had cold sores ever in my life, and now have after kissing and intercourse with the stranger who i had 2 encounters with, is it possible that I contracted the hsv1 virus from him? My regular partner of 5 years never had an oral OB of cold sores or any genital OB for the whole time we've known each other, but since my cold sore and testing + for hsv1 after that, he got tested and also testes + for hsv1. Could it be a possibilty, after reading your post that I've pasted above, that I contracted hsv1 orally and genitally at the same time from my 2x encounter with the stranger? He used his saliva each time for lubrication with the condom. How long do herpes symtoms appear after exposure? My cold sore came out in February and my encounter with the stranger was in end of September and 3 weeks after in October.

An additional info. on this would help a lot since I can't be seen sooner at PP and the genital bumps are now barely there. Thanks again.

[gracefromHHP]

Don't drive yourself nuts trying to figure out who you got hsv1 from. You'll probably never figure it out.  Statistically 1 out of every 2-3 people you've ever kissed in a lifetime has hsv1 and you even could've picked it up as a child and not remembered it.

Try to stop worrying that this HAS to be herpes.  You are already covering your bases the best you can.  Just keep following up with your provider and go from there.

grace