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Herpes? Irritated labia on one side and bumps
Dr. Handsfield,
For the past months I've been having rough sex with a new partner. 3 weeks ago, I came down with dry mouth and thick white saliva for two days. A couple days later, I woke up scratching the area between my right labia majora/minora. It has been 13 days, and my right labia majora has been fluctuating between swollen/itchy/red to somewhat normal. There actually seems to be a LACK of discharge, which is abnormal for me.
Now onto the worst symptom. 7 days after the initial swelling of the right labia, when the swelling went down, I decided to wax and have intercourse. The next evening, 8 hard bumps appeared in my pubic hair area, 3 on the left side and 5 on the right side. The right labia majora was irritated and itchy again. I saw a NP the next day, who said she was very experienced with HSV and that this looked like molluscum. She did do a herpes culture to be sure, but I have to wait 10 days to get results. It has been 5 days, and I am unconvinced they are molluscum b/c they have all popped. Some are irritated. Yellow pus and blood came out of each, they all have a hair in the center, and look like tiny circular red/pink lesions encircled by a ring of white skin. Also, yesterday, I notice my right groin node was swollen, and that I had stringy thick white saliva again. Today it is gone.
1) Is this HSV? I'm praying that it is just a freak coincidence of folliculitis/irritation but symptoms and timeline seem to indicate otherwise
2) Can anything else cause one labia to swell and itch for a duration of more than a week? I did not have sex during this time but am guilty of trying multiple at home-remedies (hydrocortizone-which has never irritated me before, diluted tea tree oil, ACV/salt baths, AZO yeast, A&D, vaseline)
3) Is the dry mouth is related?
The waiting for results and paranoia are killing me.. Thank you for all your help Dr. I've read other posts and was very impressed by the levels of clarity and expertise in all your answers.
For the past months I've been having rough sex with a new partner. 3 weeks ago, I came down with dry mouth and thick white saliva for two days. A couple days later, I woke up scratching the area between my right labia majora/minora. It has been 13 days, and my right labia majora has been fluctuating between swollen/itchy/red to somewhat normal. There actually seems to be a LACK of discharge, which is abnormal for me.
Now onto the worst symptom. 7 days after the initial swelling of the right labia, when the swelling went down, I decided to wax and have intercourse. The next evening, 8 hard bumps appeared in my pubic hair area, 3 on the left side and 5 on the right side. The right labia majora was irritated and itchy again. I saw a NP the next day, who said she was very experienced with HSV and that this looked like molluscum. She did do a herpes culture to be sure, but I have to wait 10 days to get results. It has been 5 days, and I am unconvinced they are molluscum b/c they have all popped. Some are irritated. Yellow pus and blood came out of each, they all have a hair in the center, and look like tiny circular red/pink lesions encircled by a ring of white skin. Also, yesterday, I notice my right groin node was swollen, and that I had stringy thick white saliva again. Today it is gone.
1) Is this HSV? I'm praying that it is just a freak coincidence of folliculitis/irritation but symptoms and timeline seem to indicate otherwise
2) Can anything else cause one labia to swell and itch for a duration of more than a week? I did not have sex during this time but am guilty of trying multiple at home-remedies (hydrocortizone-which has never irritated me before, diluted tea tree oil, ACV/salt baths, AZO yeast, A&D, vaseline)
3) Is the dry mouth is related?
The waiting for results and paranoia are killing me.. Thank you for all your help Dr. I've read other posts and was very impressed by the levels of clarity and expertise in all your answers.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. Dr. Handsfield and I share the forum. You got me. FYI, the reason we share the forum is because we have worked together for nearly 30 years and while our verbiage styles vary, we have never disagreed on management strategies or advice to clients. I will comment on your questions and, I hope, provide you with some comfort. You have taken the right steps by seeking the opinion of a trained health provider and having them take a culture from your lesions (as it turns out, even experts are incorrect in their diagnosis of genital herpes about 20% of the time. As a result, there is no substitute for testing).
The symptoms you describe are not particularly worrisome for HSV. Dry mouth is not a sign of herpes infections and the lesions you describe sound more like folliculitis than anything else. The fact that there were visible hairs associate with many of the lesions is quite suggestive of folliculitis which should heal with gentle cleansing. Another possibility which can sometimes mimic herpes infections is a yeast infection. While many yeast infections are characterized by a thick white discharge, in some cases the only sign is redness, swelling at itching.
My suggestions are:
1. Stop applying local home remedies. Some of the things you are using can be irritating in their own right and could just confuse the issue. Vaseline will almost certainly not help an could make it worse.
2. Keep the area cleaned and dry. Gentle washing and drying are helpful.
3. Wait for your cultures. I anticipate they will be negative.
4. Visit your clinician once again. Sometimes having the same person take a look after the passage of time is helpful in sorting things out.
I hope these comments are helpful. EWH
The symptoms you describe are not particularly worrisome for HSV. Dry mouth is not a sign of herpes infections and the lesions you describe sound more like folliculitis than anything else. The fact that there were visible hairs associate with many of the lesions is quite suggestive of folliculitis which should heal with gentle cleansing. Another possibility which can sometimes mimic herpes infections is a yeast infection. While many yeast infections are characterized by a thick white discharge, in some cases the only sign is redness, swelling at itching.
My suggestions are:
1. Stop applying local home remedies. Some of the things you are using can be irritating in their own right and could just confuse the issue. Vaseline will almost certainly not help an could make it worse.
2. Keep the area cleaned and dry. Gentle washing and drying are helpful.
3. Wait for your cultures. I anticipate they will be negative.
4. Visit your clinician once again. Sometimes having the same person take a look after the passage of time is helpful in sorting things out.
I hope these comments are helpful. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Glad to hear it. I see no reason for an IgG. Should you get one, there is a substantial chance of a false positve result and even if it is positive, it would not necessarily mean that the sore area you had was HSV. EWH
Hi Dr. Hook,
Just wanted to let you know that your hunches were correct - my results came back negative.... =). The NP said there was no need to continue worrying unless the symptoms show up again. I'm still debating whether to get an igg in a few months, but otherwise I feel so relieved and grateful. I will not be forgetting what I've learned during this experience. Thank you so much!!
Just wanted to let you know that your hunches were correct - my results came back negative.... =). The NP said there was no need to continue worrying unless the symptoms show up again. I'm still debating whether to get an igg in a few months, but otherwise I feel so relieved and grateful. I will not be forgetting what I've learned during this experience. Thank you so much!!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes both yeast infections and other forms of local irritation can clear up without therapy.
The lesions you describe continue to sound like healing folliculitis.
Take care, your results will be back soon (perhaps before 10 days, you might want to call and check a day or two early). EWH
The lesions you describe continue to sound like healing folliculitis.
Take care, your results will be back soon (perhaps before 10 days, you might want to call and check a day or two early). EWH
Dr. Hook
Thank you so so much for your prompt response, it provides me with hope as I struggle through what feels like the hardest week of my life.
I hope you don't mind me asking a couple follow up questions. As of yesterday, the swelling and itching of my right labia seemed to have finally subsided after two weeks. Is it possible for yeast infections to clear up without treatment in that time frame?
The lesions no longer contain pus but continue to appear slightly erythematous and surrounded by a thin ring of flaky white skin. If I press down on them, I feel slight toughness beneath the skin. Does this still sound consistent with the healing process of folliculitis ?
Once again, thank you Dr. Hook, I am truly grateful for your help. Will keep you updated on my results.
Thank you so so much for your prompt response, it provides me with hope as I struggle through what feels like the hardest week of my life.
I hope you don't mind me asking a couple follow up questions. As of yesterday, the swelling and itching of my right labia seemed to have finally subsided after two weeks. Is it possible for yeast infections to clear up without treatment in that time frame?
The lesions no longer contain pus but continue to appear slightly erythematous and surrounded by a thin ring of flaky white skin. If I press down on them, I feel slight toughness beneath the skin. Does this still sound consistent with the healing process of folliculitis ?
Once again, thank you Dr. Hook, I am truly grateful for your help. Will keep you updated on my results.
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.
