Is This Herpes Initial Outbreak?

[worriedsick2010]

About 3 weeks ago I had protected vaginal sex with a high risk Female (I am male). 4 days after that, I felt the flu-like sickness that I have read about but could easily attribute that to my guilty conscience. I felt fine the next 2-3 days but one night while trying to sleep I woke up to an extremely itchy buttocks and burning thighs, I checked for blisters but found none. I was convinced something was wrong. The next night was worse, I woke up with a feeling that I can best describe as the herpes/virus trying to come out of  the sides of the head of my penis, like a severe throbbing pain in the head, I've heard about aborted outbreaks, but can that happen for an initial outbreak? Also, during that night, I felt a strange abdominal pressure that hurt very bad, that really freaked me out, not sure what that was either. Next was the back pain, I have not done anything athletic in awhile so I don't know where it came from, then it radiated to my buttocks, its been a dull ache for the last 2 weeks on both sides, this is when I really started to believe I had herpes, because it will not go away, is this common? Remember, I still have no lesions. Now, for the last 5 days I have felt a pain near the opening of my penis, doesn't hurt when I urinate, just constant discomfort, almost like its irritated. All these symptoms have pretty much lingered for 2-3 weeks, does this sound like herpes or maybe guilt induced anxiety? I plan on getting a baseline test done this week, which would be four weeks from the encounter, thanks. I've also read that some people have no symptoms, does that mean they don't have ANY symptoms, or they just don't recognize them to be herpes related? What I want to know is can these symptoms be overlooked by some people, and then the outbreak hits later and they are surprised because they didn't pay attention to the warning signs? Or either you have symptoms or you don't with herpes? Thanks.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, it is possible.  Is it likely, no.

Terri

[worriedsick2010]

I plan on getting tested today, just to be sure. Is it possible to have the pains associated with herpes without having the lesions? Thanks.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

While those could be symptoms of herpes in a person known to have herpes, I think without any kind of genital lesions, the chances that these symptoms are related to a new infection is rare.  You don't, however, have any idea of you've had herpes for years and may simply be reactivating virus.  I think you should get your testing now and see where you stand.  You would need to see a provider for sorting out these symptoms, but again, without lesions, I wouldn't jump to herpes as my first diagnosis.

Terri

[worriedsick2010]

Thanks for the reply, I will wait to get my testing done. In the mean time, can you please help me understand my symptoms? Would herpes cause my buttocks to be sore for 2-3 weeks? It actually started in my back, went to my buttocks, and now I feel it in the back of my thighs. Also, the first symptoms I described, are those typical of herpes? The itchy buttocks, the burning thighs, and the slight irritation in the tip of my penis? What does it sound like? Thank you so much for your help.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Yes, sometimes people misinterpret their symptoms or miss them when they actually have herpes.  But your symptoms certainly don't sound like typical herpes.  It would be a good idea to get an antibody test to clear up your questions, but doing a test four weeks after a potential exposure is not really a baseline test.  A baseline test would happen immediately after the encounter.  At four weeks after exposure, greater than 50% of people who were going to become positive were already positive.  So if your antibody test is positive a month out, you won't know if your infection is new or old.  Does that make sense to you?

Terri