Herpes blood tests negative, but...

[ken591]

I had uprotected oral sex with someone i didn't know. dumb.
withing a couple of days, i started to get some agitation on my penis. kind of burning, pinching sort of feeling. it would come and go, not always there. also the penis glans got very dry and ached. there were no obvious sores or lesions or blisters. i got tested for STI's (the usual - gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HIV etc) five days after the contact, six weeks after the contact and twelve weeks after the contact. All tests were negative, but the agitation continued right up until twelve weeks. it has mostly subsided now.
there herpes testing was all IgG blood tests (there was nothing to swab), and all were negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2.
during this time, i've felt like i've been about to get a cold sore (fever blister), but it's never broken out. i've also had agitation on my fingers (knuckles) and pads of my fingers - just prickly,  tender, warm sensations. Felt like 'something' was trying to break through the skin, but didn't. Nothing has blistered.
I have no idea what's going on, but clearly it's stressing me.
Are IgG blood tests at one, six and twelve weeks enough to reassure me it's not herpes? for some reason, I believe all the other negative test results, but am paranoid about the herpes results?

[2terrified]

That is true but many people do not experience primary outbreaks.  More so in men than women.  That is how the virus is passed so easily.  Many people are mistaken in thinking that you have to have a visible outbreak to give someone herpes.  So NOT true.  I can tell you from personal experience.  Also, it is suspected that hsv-1 is the cause of many cases of genital herpes.  And to get a true positive result before the body creates antibodies to the virus, a sample from a blister from an active outbreak must be taken.  So, either way, there could still be hsv present without knowing for sure.  

Again, this belongs in the herpes forum but I just wanted to clear that up before someone reads that and is mis-informed.

[mjbrown]

you can have another herpes test to help ease your stress. however, most herpes outbreaks occur with a week or two after exposure. if you've never had herpes before, you would have most likely noticed a first outbreak (first outbreaks tend to be severe and painful). in general, oral sex is not a very effective way of transmitting STDs. you can be confident in the negative results of your other tests. tingling in various body parts is also a classic symptom of anxiety / stress.

[2terrified]

Unfortunately, hsv antibodies do not show in testing for at least 4 months.  So, you tested too soon.  Any further questions about herpes should be posted in the herpes community.  Click on the link at the top of the page.