Herpes follow-up

[MrClark]

Doctor - I wrote in last week, I have a question on progressing symptoms.  Last time I told you I had skin on skin contact on Dec. 31 with a virgin.  nearly four days later i got a dicharge from my penis and tingling started sometime thereafter on the tip.  Tingling stopped Last Thursday.  I had some joint pain and some type of sensation when I touched my left ankle.  Saturday night I developed a small sore, that wasn't raised but was painful to the touch on my right butt cheek.  Sunday night after scratching my right scrotum I noticed that it was really red and wet.  The redness comes and goes, but now as it seems to be healing (doesn't really hurt nor itch) the skin around it is getting somewhat flaky.  I have been spraying tinactin on it, but read jock itch doesn't usually touch the scrotum.  Does this sound like possible or probable herpes?  I never had anything wrong with the tip of my penis besides the discharge and tingling (no visible sores/lesions or non-normal redness).  Like i said before I was tested for everything a week and a half ago (4 days post encounter) and hadn't been sexually active for 4 months prior.  I may just be being paranoid, but wanted to hear your thoughts.  Thanks for all the help.  This is one of the few quality websites to come to, to get some facts.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Please stop trying to make a diagnosis of herpes based on nonspecific symptoms that atypical for that infection.  If you already were tested and negative, that should settle it for you.  But if for some reason you want to continue to worry about herpes based on a more recent sexual exposure, unless you develop more typical symptoms, the only way you're going to know is to be tested again in a few weeks.

In the meantime, there is nothing in your symptoms that suggests herpes.  If you can't stop obsessing about it, please ask your health care provider whether your anxiety indicates an emotional disorder that would benefit from professional evaluation and treatment.  I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism.

HHH, MD

[MrClark]

Just today the thing (uvula) in the back of my throat began to bother me and looks elongated.  It doesn't really hurt it is just noticably there.  Again, I am probably just a little bit too watchful of my body now, but all of these little things together are not doing well for me.

[MrClark]

So I guess my question is, could herpes cause symptoms in this order:?  penis discharge followed by tip sensitivity, then mild shooting pains, then an eczema looking thing on my scrotum, then a swollen, but not sore throat?  I saw my doctor and he said the thing on my scrotum looks like eczema, I already got the negative herpes test that would cover everyone but this latest girl/sexual encounter and it has now been 2.5 weeks since the encounter.  Also I have more noticeable than normal hemmorrhoids.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks about the forum.  But unfortunately, I probably can't help much.

Your scrotal skin rash does not sound at all like herpes.  Your other symptoms sound suggestive of an STD, conceivably herpes, although as I said in your earlier thread, the likelihood is virtually zero by contact with a virgin.  But maybe she wasn't (how sure are you?), or you might have something that goes back to some previous sex partner.  Conceivably that could be atypical recurrent herpes, but I doubt it.

As I said in your earlier thread, "For other possible explanations for your symptoms, you'll have to follow up with your own doctor."  Depending on his/her advice, you might want to have a blood test to check for HSV infection.

Good luck--  HHH, MD