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HPV-Upcoming Acid Treatment
I was recently diagnosed with HPV from my Pap smear, and upon learning this I did the ACV test at home. About a year ago, I found a smooth bump on my perinium and had it checked out immediately and asked to be tested for all STD's . I was told by two different Dr.s that it was a skin tag, and I continued to ask about it at every appt after. This seemed so odd to me because it seemed to come out of nowhere, and I don't usually get skin tags but I trusted their diagnosis. Since external HPV is diagnosed visually, and there was no biopsy--then what I thought was hard science was actually a visual estimation. So after testing positive for the cervical HPV, I used the ACV on my skin tag area, and almost immediately the skin near and around the "tag" changed and looked different. I treated myself for a few nights and it seemed that there were new developments at the base of the vaginal opening. I went back to the Dr., who dissapproved of my ACV test, but agreed that the area had changed and grown larger. There was a biopsy taken, and it was confirmed that I had both external warts, and cervical HPV. I have been extremely upset, because if this was present a year ago (although my pap was normal) then that is one whole year I could've fought this and I had better insurance then. Not to mention prevention in spreading this awful virus. If that was the case, I would not have dated this last year.
I feel that the Dr.s attitude has been blase, and now I'm scheduled for an in office acid treatment next week. How can I be sure that all the infected areas are being treated? Do they put something on the skin to help them see potential affected areas? From what I read the laser treatments are more effective, and the Dr. did not even mention that option. I do not want to find myself in and out of this office for treatment and receiving large bills for this. This has been extremely frustrating, not to mention depressing.
I feel that the Dr.s attitude has been blase, and now I'm scheduled for an in office acid treatment next week. How can I be sure that all the infected areas are being treated? Do they put something on the skin to help them see potential affected areas? From what I read the laser treatments are more effective, and the Dr. did not even mention that option. I do not want to find myself in and out of this office for treatment and receiving large bills for this. This has been extremely frustrating, not to mention depressing.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the kind words. That's why we're here. I'm glad to have helped.
Thank you again for your time. Sharing your knowledge is a generous endeavor, and much appreciated!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I really can't comment on the skin tag. I doubt it was actually a wart, but there's really no way to know for certain.
I don't think you've had a new "breakout" of warts in the past year. I suspect the areas that lit up with acid where there the whole time. Minor insults to the immune system, such as influenza, are not known to have any effect on warts. The occurrence of visitble warts appears to be random; it's pointless to try to pinpoint any particular trigger. You'll just make yourself crazy and will never have a clear answer.
Happily, genital warts are not dangerous. Do yoru best to look at this as a minor health issue, an inconvenience but not more than that.
Good luck with it; best wishes.
I don't think you've had a new "breakout" of warts in the past year. I suspect the areas that lit up with acid where there the whole time. Minor insults to the immune system, such as influenza, are not known to have any effect on warts. The occurrence of visitble warts appears to be random; it's pointless to try to pinpoint any particular trigger. You'll just make yourself crazy and will never have a clear answer.
Happily, genital warts are not dangerous. Do yoru best to look at this as a minor health issue, an inconvenience but not more than that.
Good luck with it; best wishes.
Thank you for the response. Could I ask one more question? How feasible is it that the skin tag idea was correct? I know it's futile, but I've been trying to figure out if it's possible to have only one unassuming spot that did not change for a year, then have a breakout? Wouldn't over the course of a year HPV would've grown in # or size? I had the flu recently, so it's possible that my immune system weakend and allowed for a breakout. I realize this is all speculation, I'm just trying to figure out the possibility that they were independent issues. Thank you again, can't wait till I'm through this.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
I'm not familar with the term "ACV test", but I imaging it refers to acetowhitening --- putting vinegar or acetic acid on a skin lesion in an attempt to diagnose warts. I'm sorry to tell you it's a useless urban myth. We never use it in my clinic, and I recommend that nobody every try to self-diagnose genital warts or other HPV infections in this way. Your doctor was right to "disapprove" doing the test! That you happened to luck out -- with diagnsis of warts that otherwise were missed -- doesn't change the fact that the test is often misleading.
In well trained hands, e.g. an experienced dermatologist, sometimes it can be helpful. But even then, not all HPV infected tissues turn white, and not all things that turn white are due to HPV. Virtually anything that causes thickened epidemermis (the superficial layer of skin) can do it. The main legitimate use is by a gynecologist during colposcopy for cervical biopsy or treatment for dysplasia, to highlight potentially infected parts of the cervix.
I imagine the "acid treatment" that is planned will be trichloroacetic (or bichloroacetic) acid. TCA/BCA is a standard treatment for external genital warts -- gynecologists in particuler tend to use it. This treatment is no better (and no worse) than the several other standard wart treatments: freezing, laser, imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara), podofilox (Condylox), or sinecatechins (Veregen). It will speed up clearance of the visible, diagnosed warts -- but none of these treatments eradicate HPV or treat nearby infected tissues. Think of genital warts like an iceberg -- the obvious part above water, but 90% invisible below the surface.
Since the cost of care is on your mind, you should ask your doctor for a prescription for one of the patient-applied treatments -- podofilox, imiquimod, or sinecatechins. They work a little slower than TCA/BCA but are just as effective and don't require doctor/clinic visits.
Finally, you should not blame your doctor for failing to make an earlier diagnosis. Simple visual inspection, without acetic acid, indeed is the normal "test" to diagnose warts. For the reasons above, even if your warts had been diagnosed a year earlier, only the visible spots would have been treated, without any effect on the wider infection that didn't show up. This is why treatment of warts probably makes little difference in the risk of HPV transmission.
I hope this has helped. For confirmation of these issues, you might discuss this reply with your doctor. You could print out this thread as a framework for discussion.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
I'm not familar with the term "ACV test", but I imaging it refers to acetowhitening --- putting vinegar or acetic acid on a skin lesion in an attempt to diagnose warts. I'm sorry to tell you it's a useless urban myth. We never use it in my clinic, and I recommend that nobody every try to self-diagnose genital warts or other HPV infections in this way. Your doctor was right to "disapprove" doing the test! That you happened to luck out -- with diagnsis of warts that otherwise were missed -- doesn't change the fact that the test is often misleading.
In well trained hands, e.g. an experienced dermatologist, sometimes it can be helpful. But even then, not all HPV infected tissues turn white, and not all things that turn white are due to HPV. Virtually anything that causes thickened epidemermis (the superficial layer of skin) can do it. The main legitimate use is by a gynecologist during colposcopy for cervical biopsy or treatment for dysplasia, to highlight potentially infected parts of the cervix.
I imagine the "acid treatment" that is planned will be trichloroacetic (or bichloroacetic) acid. TCA/BCA is a standard treatment for external genital warts -- gynecologists in particuler tend to use it. This treatment is no better (and no worse) than the several other standard wart treatments: freezing, laser, imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara), podofilox (Condylox), or sinecatechins (Veregen). It will speed up clearance of the visible, diagnosed warts -- but none of these treatments eradicate HPV or treat nearby infected tissues. Think of genital warts like an iceberg -- the obvious part above water, but 90% invisible below the surface.
Since the cost of care is on your mind, you should ask your doctor for a prescription for one of the patient-applied treatments -- podofilox, imiquimod, or sinecatechins. They work a little slower than TCA/BCA but are just as effective and don't require doctor/clinic visits.
Finally, you should not blame your doctor for failing to make an earlier diagnosis. Simple visual inspection, without acetic acid, indeed is the normal "test" to diagnose warts. For the reasons above, even if your warts had been diagnosed a year earlier, only the visible spots would have been treated, without any effect on the wider infection that didn't show up. This is why treatment of warts probably makes little difference in the risk of HPV transmission.
I hope this has helped. For confirmation of these issues, you might discuss this reply with your doctor. You could print out this thread as a framework for discussion.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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