herpes negative result at 3 months but still symptomatic of something!!

[seh71]

for past month and three days i have had different symptoms of minor discomfort each day. 9 weeks after a sketchy sexual encounter, i experienced strong tenderness in the perineal area, lower buttocks, and pubic bone. that pain has decreased, but i still have discomfort in my groin (right along V shape of vagina and towards the mons tissues, which feel slightly swollen). in past month i've experienced each of the following: feeling of pressure on my vagina, lower abdominal pain/tightness, sharp radiating stabbing pain up my vagina that comes suddenly and disappears almost immediately (but really excruciating, this has happened 3 times), pain during bowel movement, quick pinprick burning pains outside vagina, a pulsating tingling in vagina, itchiness/ feeling like my pubic hair is being pulled out, burning along bikini line, mild irritation, general discomfort. after risky encounter, got tested at 8 weeks for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea all negative. treated for a yeast infection. my newer vaginal discomforts began a couple days after taking the oral antibiotic for that yeast infection.i went back to see a new gyno and she found nothing of interest and the one bump i had was just an ingrown hair. this past week, 3 months and 3 days after the encounter, i took a type-specific IgG test for herpes2 that came out in the negative range. are my results completely conclusive?? i've had cold sores in the past so would hsv1 mean that my antibodies show up after 3 months?? whatever symptoms i'm having are definitely not related to a herpetic infection?? can i finally put this all behind me or is there anything else i should be getting tested for?? i still have a feeling of painful fullness in my vagina almost all the time. could this be vulvodynia or somehow related to that one yeast infection?? WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You've also seen that on this website we really do not encourage use of the antibody test in efforts to diagnose HSV. My advice woul be to continue to work with your doctor to get this sorted out. EWH

[seh71]

thanks for your response! i guess the whole time frame of this experience seems a little too coincidental....i have a bad encounter, get a yeast infection one month later, the proceeded by a month+ of almost daily pain and discomfort in some form or another. seems logical that they would be somehow related but i'm not sure how. i'll follow up with a gyno and see if we can pinpoint the problem. are there any other stds that i should be tested for, i got a swab culture of cervix cells so i'm guessing they would've checked those for HPV as well and i dont have that to worry about?? and i'm just wondering if i should receive a herpes test again at 4 months just in case?? in other parts of this website i've read 4 months for conclusiveness so i'm just wondering. thanks again for the information

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our forum. I see that you've already discussed this to some degree on the International STD Forum. My answers will not be too different but may amplify some of what has been said.  

The evidence is substantial that this is not herpes.  Herpes symptoms typically have lesions associated with them and the symptoms of HSV rarely last more than 2 weeks- 3 weeks at the outside. In that this has been going on 5+ weeks is strong evidence that this is not HSV.  Your negative HSV blood test supports the evidence mentioned above that this is not herpes.  My advice would not to worry about HSV- it just does not fit and the evidence suggests that it is not the problem.

Given your examination findings with your doctor and negative other tests, I also think you can be comfortable that this is not an STD acquired at your earlier encounter.

So, what might this be.  Hard to say.  The symptoms you describe need to be considered together and over time.  More often than we'd like to determine the origin of problems such as these you need to be seen repeatedly by the same health care provider who can work with you to systematically evaluate the problem.  Vulvodynia is a diagnosis of exclusion.  As suggested on the International Forum, I think you need to address this with a health care provider who will work with you to address what is causing your symptoms.  In the meanwhile however, there is no evidence that this might be an STD or any reason to worry that it might be.

I hope this provides some direction. EWH