How did I aquire HSV2 and why is my body breaking down?

[confusedperson1000]

In a monogomous relationship with my husband of 9 years.  Late July I had a bad viral illness where I could hardly walk, ran a temp of 101 for days, had canker sore in mouth, fatigue all over, and started to have sinus pressure and pain.  Went to doctor.  Examined. I also thought I had a vaginal yeast infection.  Doc determined I had a virus.  Later on that night I realized that I had vaginal sores.  Went to walk in clinic and was told herpes but culture neg. Went next day obgyn who also said herpes and did culture which came back negative.  Husband and I both went to testing place and did the Igg test for HSV1 and HSV2 and both came back negative.  I got better but prodromal symptoms and a sore came back with next period.  Back to doc who did another blood test which came back just barely positive as HSV2, so new case.  Husband tested blood again and is still negative for both.  So how did I aquire this virus?  I was previously negative for both types of HSV and my husband still is negative for both.  I have been with no other person.  Two choices:  One week before flulike symptoms I had an iui (trying to get pregnant).  Could some of the equipment used (internal ultrasound, metal device he inserts into vagina,etc...) have been contaminated by a previous patient?  The only other possibility is I had a new bathing suit that had been in my closet for over a month.  The day before the flulike symptoms I decided to wear this bathing suit and it had a plastic protector strip in the crotch.  For some unknown reason I wore the bathing suit with hygienic protector still in place. Could the virus have been living on plastic protector for over a month?  These are my only two possibilities.  I am going crazy trying to figure out how I got HSV2?
Since then I have had face tingling, fatigue, weak left foot and arm,  another sinus infection, waking up in panic attack, pain on my left side and across my lower back. Neurologist thinks this is post viral syndrome.      

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I have a third alternative- you may not have had HSV and your weakly positive HSV blood test was falsely positive.  I presume that you were tested with one of the newer, HSV-specific gG assays such as the HerpeSelect (the name of the test is important) and that the numerical value of your test was low.  As it turns out, among persons with the so-called "low positive" tests, the results are falsely positive over half the time.  Thus you may have had some other process- yeast, dermatological condition, etc at the time you were diagnosed clinically with HSV. That the cultures were negative on two occasions is consistent with this.

I can tell you that it would be most unusual for you to get HSV from a contaminated medical instrument and there is simply no way that HSV would survive on the plastic protector for a month.

My advice would be to find out what blood test for HSV was done.  Let me know the name and the value and consider having it repeated.  (BTW, if you do repeat the test, DO NOT get an IgM test, they are worthless).  Once you have these answers I can comment further as part of this thread.

Take care. EWH

[confusedperson1000]

The test was performed by solstas labs.  I do not have the info at my fingertips, but my husband says my Igg was just barely positive at .85 for type 2 HSV.  I will try to find out more definite information.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Great.  thetype of test done by the lab is more important than the lab itself.  IgG levels for HSV-2 at the value you mention are falsely positive more than 80% of the time.  EWH

[confusedperson1000]

My first blood test was for IgG, and again I don't know the type of test, but it was .02 to the 3rd power.  It was performed at a different facility about 5 weeks before the .85 result.  I will post again when I know the actual names of the tests.    I guess it is a big jump from the .02 to the 3rd up to .85.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The term IgG describes the type (class) of antibodies being tested for.  You do want to be tested for IgG an not for another class, calle IgM.  

For your next test, please find out the the manufacturer of the test.  The most widely use test is the HerpeSelect.  The jump in values really makes no difference.

There will be no more answers until your next test results are available.  EWH