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RPR nonreactive but have a sore
I was with a woman and had oral, vaginal and anal sex during a one night stand. 5 weeks later I had what I thought was the start of a pimple at the base of me penis where the scrotum starts. I squeezed it and nothing came out and thought it wasn't ready yet. Three days later it turned into an open sore about and eight of an inch round. I went to my doctor and the PA gave me valtrex to take. I took a dose and the next morning my right side groin lymph nodes were swollen and a little painful. The next day, I went for the STD blood tests. I think she called it a seven panel test. The test was done 6 weeks post possible infection. Everything was negative or nonreactive. The sore healed in about 2 weeks. What could I have had?
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Oh sweet lord, I'm sorry for the care you've received.
What tests were on the 7 panel test?
Even if the RPR was negative, this could still be syphilis, though it doesn't fit it perfectly. Healing in 2 weeks would be on the short side, but developing at 5 weeks is in the proper time frame. Most people will test positive by 6 weeks, but some can take longer, up to 90 days.
Have you googled syphilis chancre sores to see if yours looks like them?
It could be herpes, but again, it doesn't sound like it. Herpes sores are blisters, not really "open sores", and don't start out as anything that resembles a pimple. I'm not sure that herpes was included in your blood work, but look for something that says, "hsv1 hsv2 IgG", or something similar. It can take up to 4 months to test positive for herpes.
Was any of your encounter protected?
Did your doctor culture the sore? That would have been the best way to determine the cause, since it could have been an infected hair follicle, a staph infection, or a variety of other things.
What tests were on the 7 panel test?
Even if the RPR was negative, this could still be syphilis, though it doesn't fit it perfectly. Healing in 2 weeks would be on the short side, but developing at 5 weeks is in the proper time frame. Most people will test positive by 6 weeks, but some can take longer, up to 90 days.
Have you googled syphilis chancre sores to see if yours looks like them?
It could be herpes, but again, it doesn't sound like it. Herpes sores are blisters, not really "open sores", and don't start out as anything that resembles a pimple. I'm not sure that herpes was included in your blood work, but look for something that says, "hsv1 hsv2 IgG", or something similar. It can take up to 4 months to test positive for herpes.
Was any of your encounter protected?
Did your doctor culture the sore? That would have been the best way to determine the cause, since it could have been an infected hair follicle, a staph infection, or a variety of other things.
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All sorts of tests were done. She said it looked like a cold sore but down there, not in my mouth. I thought it looked like a chanker but she said it was too small and syphilis is too rare for it to be that. Unprotected drunk sex. She swabbed the sore and nothing was show on the swab. I see on here 6 weeks is conclusive for a RPR test, especially since the sore was there a week.
And the possible infection date was 19 weeks ago and I haven't noticed anything since the sore. The PA doesn't seem concerned.
6 weeks is when most people will test positive, but it can take longer.
If they swabbed it, and nothing was shown, I'm guessing they just swabbed it for herpes. I wish they had done a wound culture to see if it was bacterial. You don't just get an open sore and have it test negative for anything at all - something has to be causing it.
Your doctor is right - syphilis isn't common at all. Since you had the sore, you'd have probably tested positive, but that's not definitive. But really, trust your doctor on this one - she saw the sore.
It could have been a pimple, an infected hair follicle, or something else along those lines. Since you haven't developed a secondary syphilis rash at 19 weeks, you can rule syphilis out (in case you hadn't already).
At this point, I'd go with pimple or something along those lines. If it recurs, see your doctor, and ask for a wound culture.
If they swabbed it, and nothing was shown, I'm guessing they just swabbed it for herpes. I wish they had done a wound culture to see if it was bacterial. You don't just get an open sore and have it test negative for anything at all - something has to be causing it.
Your doctor is right - syphilis isn't common at all. Since you had the sore, you'd have probably tested positive, but that's not definitive. But really, trust your doctor on this one - she saw the sore.
It could have been a pimple, an infected hair follicle, or something else along those lines. Since you haven't developed a secondary syphilis rash at 19 weeks, you can rule syphilis out (in case you hadn't already).
At this point, I'd go with pimple or something along those lines. If it recurs, see your doctor, and ask for a wound culture.
I'm looking for some kind of closure since this was a pretty scary situation.
The swab results said it wasn't multiple things. Strep was One of them.
Oh good, so they did look for other things. It's odd that it came up with nothing, though.
I'd write it off as a pimple or an infected hair follicle. I know that's so easy for me to say when I didn't have the sore, but with your negative tests, and total lack of other symptoms since, I don't think it's an STD.
I'd write it off as a pimple or an infected hair follicle. I know that's so easy for me to say when I didn't have the sore, but with your negative tests, and total lack of other symptoms since, I don't think it's an STD.
I hope that's all it is
Would valtrex interfere with any tests?
It might interfere with a herpes blood test, depending on how long you've been on it. If you only took it for a few days, it wouldn't. If you've been taking it daily since the sore appeared, it might. It can delay the production of antibodies a bit.
If you've been on it daily, you might want to take another herpes IgG type specific blood test now.
If you've been on it daily, you might want to take another herpes IgG type specific blood test now.
I took one dose, next morning I took the second dose. The blood test was done the next morning.
No, it wouldn't interfere, but testing at 6 weeks is still not totally conclusive. About 70% will test positive by then. If you want closure on it, take another test now.
I see the Doctor answers on here say 6 weeks, or 3 days after an appearance of a sore. The charts I was able to find looks like about 96% at 6 weeks.
Which charts are those?
And 3 days after the appearance of a sore - when I got herpes, I got a sore 2 or 3 days later. That's not nearly enough time to develop antibodies. I tested negative on my first IgG blood test (taken on the 4th day), positive on an IgG blood test at 2 weeks, which is fairly early. Where did you see this?
In any case, if you are concerned, why not just retest and end this? I understand - I'm not good with the unknown at all, and would want to know.
And 3 days after the appearance of a sore - when I got herpes, I got a sore 2 or 3 days later. That's not nearly enough time to develop antibodies. I tested negative on my first IgG blood test (taken on the 4th day), positive on an IgG blood test at 2 weeks, which is fairly early. Where did you see this?
In any case, if you are concerned, why not just retest and end this? I understand - I'm not good with the unknown at all, and would want to know.
I was referring to the RPR test
Ohhh my bad. I was referring to herpes, clearly lol.
Okay - Valtrex won't affect the RPR test at all.
Yes, the RPR is about 96% accurate at 6 weeks. I would absolutely say your RPR was conclusive.
Okay - Valtrex won't affect the RPR test at all.
Yes, the RPR is about 96% accurate at 6 weeks. I would absolutely say your RPR was conclusive.
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs 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.
