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HSV 1 on penis?
I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a girl about 10 months ago (kissed her on lips too). I got tested for everything at 2 and 4 weeks and show positive for HSV1. Around week 2, I started getting an incredible burning on the tip of my penis. No blisters that I could see, just a light redness. I went to the clinic and the physician said she could see a very small blister near my urethra and it was herpes. She prescribed 1 month's supply of valtrex. The pain and redness continued the entire month. No blisters formed, but the redness moved from near my urethra to patches around the head of the penis (circumcised). Very tiny red bumps were within the rash sometimes, and the head of my penis started looking pretty wrinkled. After one month, I picked a top rated dermatologist. He took one look at me and said he didn't see anything wrong with me and that the redness was normal. He thought I was washing too much and said steroid cream should help with the redness. I insisted about the burning and the previous herpes diagnosis. Just to be sure, he prescribed six months of 1g valtrex. The pain and redness never went away. When the pain subsided a bit, the redness and wrinkly look remained. No blisters. (I've never had a cold sore on my lips either). Sometimes I took two Valtex pills a day. After six months, I went back to the dermatologist and told him I am still very much in pain. He says he can't see anything wrong with me and gave me a clean bill of health. I can't continue living like this. The head of my penis has had a red rash for months that has never been there in my life. The dermatologist thought it was normal, but I know it's not. And the area has burned almost continuously for the whole ten months. The burning has completely changed my life (anti-social, angry, etc.) Desperately, I've been trying anti-fungal creams with limited success. I can't tell if it's working or if this is just a week of mild reduction in pain, redness.
A related discussion, HSV 1 on penis was started.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
Your story contains both support for the possibility of genital herpes (likely due to HSV-1) and against it. On balance, I am inclined to believe you don't have it. If you do, it is not the likely cause of your ongoing symptoms.
The majority new HSV infections cause symptoms within a week, usually 3-5 days, after exposure. The two week delay thus is atypical. Second, herpes doesn't cause the more or less continuing or very frequent symptoms you seem to have. Herpes outbreaks never occur more often than every several weeks, and are much rarer than that for most people with HSV-1; each outbreak lasts no more than 1-2 weeks; and between outbreaks there are no symptoms at all. And at present, it would appear your genital examination is normal. (I trust your doctor's judgment that your urethra looks normal more than your belief it appears more red than normal.) Further, it is not plausible that herpes symptoms would continue despite a month of taking valacyclovir (Valtrex). Finally, most people with postive HSV-1 blood tests have been infected for many years; most infections are oral, acquired in childhood, often without symptoms of recurrent oral herpes.
Those issues generally argue against genital herpes. That said, a physician's diagnosis -- and belief you had a lesion consistent with herpes. But really, that's the only part of your story that's really consistent with genital herpes, which is why I believe you don't have it -- and if you do, that it isn't the cause of your ongoing symptoms.
The thread below provides more detailed information about genital herpes due to HSV-1. Please read it; the information should be reassuring.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Recently-diagnosed-with-Genital-Herpes-HSV1/show/969931
At this point, my advice is to stop anti-HSV treatment entirely and stay off it for at least a few months. During that time, keep your eyes open for a more typical herpes outbreak, i.e. overt (easily visible) blisters/sores of the penis. If such lesions appear, get examined promptly in order to have a viral test (culture or PCR) from the lesions. In the meantime, I think you need to work with your doctor about other postential causes of your symptoms.
I hope this helps a bit. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Your story contains both support for the possibility of genital herpes (likely due to HSV-1) and against it. On balance, I am inclined to believe you don't have it. If you do, it is not the likely cause of your ongoing symptoms.
The majority new HSV infections cause symptoms within a week, usually 3-5 days, after exposure. The two week delay thus is atypical. Second, herpes doesn't cause the more or less continuing or very frequent symptoms you seem to have. Herpes outbreaks never occur more often than every several weeks, and are much rarer than that for most people with HSV-1; each outbreak lasts no more than 1-2 weeks; and between outbreaks there are no symptoms at all. And at present, it would appear your genital examination is normal. (I trust your doctor's judgment that your urethra looks normal more than your belief it appears more red than normal.) Further, it is not plausible that herpes symptoms would continue despite a month of taking valacyclovir (Valtrex). Finally, most people with postive HSV-1 blood tests have been infected for many years; most infections are oral, acquired in childhood, often without symptoms of recurrent oral herpes.
Those issues generally argue against genital herpes. That said, a physician's diagnosis -- and belief you had a lesion consistent with herpes. But really, that's the only part of your story that's really consistent with genital herpes, which is why I believe you don't have it -- and if you do, that it isn't the cause of your ongoing symptoms.
The thread below provides more detailed information about genital herpes due to HSV-1. Please read it; the information should be reassuring.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Recently-diagnosed-with-Genital-Herpes-HSV1/show/969931
At this point, my advice is to stop anti-HSV treatment entirely and stay off it for at least a few months. During that time, keep your eyes open for a more typical herpes outbreak, i.e. overt (easily visible) blisters/sores of the penis. If such lesions appear, get examined promptly in order to have a viral test (culture or PCR) from the lesions. In the meantime, I think you need to work with your doctor about other postential causes of your symptoms.
I hope this helps a bit. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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.
