Side Effects of Aldara mistaken for herpes?

[frustratedinny]

I was diagnosed with HPV last year in April.  This December I had a tiny, flesh colored flat wart on my outerr vaginal lip. My doctor prescribed me a 24 pack of Aldara cream.  Afetr about a week of using the cream I called him and aske him if I could stop using the cream or do I need to finish it all. He told me to finish using until all gone.  I continued using the cream and around the second week of using i developed a sever rash.  They were bumps that were really red and itchy.  I thought that perhaps I just had gotten more warts (even though they didn;t look like warts) because i read that it was possibe to develop more warts with use of Aldara.  After a whole week of having this constant itch and burn and continuing to use the Aldara I went back to my Dr.  He scared me so bad because he sai "these aren't the bumps you had before, how old is your boyfriend and do you only have sex with him?" I answered yes and that I knew.  He did a culture and a blood test and told me to call him in a week because it looks like I have herpes.  I started crying on the spot.  He prescribed me  Herpes meds a cream and pills. I'm scared to use the herpes meds beacuse I'm afraid that if I don't have herpes then what side effects will I have.  I'm really worried about taking meds if I really don't have to and I just want to know if anyone else has had these side effects from Aldara where they were told they may have herpes.  I have never had any other STd's in my life.  I get tested often and so does my boyfriend and he's never had anything either. I just need some type of reassurance because i have to wait a whole week to find out if I have herpes.  

[gracefromHHP]

aldara is very irritating to the skin sometimes.  Your doctor thinking it could be herpes is a very common thing.  Better to err on the side of caution though.

You've both been tested for herpes before so the chances of this being genital herpes is very low. Not sure if either of you tested + for hsv1 or not on your testing you had done. We will gladly look at both ofyour herpes blood tests from back when you were tested if youw ant a 2nd opinion on them too.

Hang in there - I know it's really easy for us to say this probably isn't herpes but from the aldara and hard for you to relax about it.  We'd be the same way even with all we know if we were going thru it ourselves!

grace

[frustratedinny]

As a matter of fact both of us were tested for herpes and every other STD and HIV last March.  Yeah I think that I will not use the cream I should have read this website first before I paid for the cream.  But thank you for your response.

[auntiejessi]

You can use the pills without any worry of side effects, but I'd skip the cream.  You have enough going on without adding any other goop to it, right?

It is entirely possible that the symptoms you have now are from the Aldara, and its not herpes, but its also possible that you have herpes.  Your test results will help prove that.

My suggestion would be to take the pills, and have your bf test for herpes.  If he doesn't have it, you couldn't have gotten it from him, right?    I'd also bet that neither of you have tested for herpes before - its not usually included.

Since you have had a reaction to aldara, or might have, next time you get a wart, just go to an std clinic and get it frozen or burned off.  It sounds a lot more painful than it really is, and you won't have to deal with the aldara all the time.

Aj