Herpes/Anxiety/Insanity/Combination

[bowlesmuffler]

Facts: Slept with lady on average 3x per week for last yr.  Found out she is hsv2 pos from her ex.  Used condoms for 75% of time consistently.  Before I found out she was pos, slept w/her during noticeable ob on right labia area.  Discovered she had hsv2 about a week later.  No symptoms at all for 6.5 wks.  Then, had bump that approximately lined up with her ob but on my left side (lined up if I were on top of her, I guess).  Tested bump neg.  Bump lasted 2 weeks and disappeared but did scab over.  Had a IGG test 3 wks later and it was negative for HSV2.  Had no sex w/her during this time except she performed oral on me 2 or 3 days before the bump. All drs have told me I no have herpes but: I have experience for the last 4 months, on and off - penis sensitivity, penis burning, scrotal itching, penis skin sensitivity, scrotal burning, and have been on Xanax and Miller lite ever since.  Honestly, they help me either forget about the symptoms (real or not) or either alleviate them.
Please help me evaluate the chance that I have herpes 2 or 1 mathematically or otherwise.  I read if it is herpes, one experience ob in 14 days not 6.5wks.  I also read my symptoms are not consisten w/herpes?  Can they be anxiety or are they real?  How do I know the freaking difference?  This is literally driving me over the edge.

Please, please help me know if I have herpes, what to do, or else.  I am on the edge, can't sleep, eat and taking medication to survive.  Be patient with me and help, please!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Non specific means that there can be many causes and that there is no reason to assume that an itch of the sort you mention is due to HSV.  On the other hand, there are many reasons not to worry.

I do think you are OK for moving forward in another relationship.

I also think that my efforts to address your concerns are just fueling your anxiety.  Thus it is time for this thread to end. There will be no further answers and additional questions will be deleted without comment.  EWH

[bowlesmuffler]

Doctor, thanks... what do you mean scrotal itch is "non specific?"  Do you think I am ok to move into another relationship w/no more testing, etc?

I have a girl who is interested, but assuredly the sex will be well protected.

Thanks.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No change in my assessment. Scrotal itch is totally non-specfic.  The doctor who examined you was being overly conservative.  EWH

[bowlesmuffler]

Doctor Hook, I hurt my back today and had to go to an after hours clinic.  I explained to them and they agreed with you.  While I was there, I had the GP examine my private area.  He said the left side of my scrotum appeared redder than the right side.  I explained to him that the left side had been itching on and off and the right side never bothered me.  I also told him about the bump being on the left side in my pubic hair area.  

He said he felt that herpes could be responsible for the scrotal itch.  Do you agree and think I need more testing or again do you stick with your original assessment (NO HERPES)?

I am sorry for asking again but I promise this is all for me Dr. Hook.

Thank you for being so kind and helpful.

Again, happy holidays to you and yours.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

1.  The bump was not herpes.  If it was your tests would be positve.  There is little benefit to asking these sorts of "what if..." questions.
2.  See answer no. 1.
3.  It does not take a lot of material on the swab to have a positive culture.

I agree with you- it is time for this thread to end.  Take care.  I hope you can stop worrying about this.  EWH

[bowlesmuffler]

Thank you good doctor.  I am learning to manage my anxiety and you are helping.  These are my last questions.

1.  Is it possible/probable that IF the bump were herpes, there could have been enough friction to have massaged the virus into my skin in a hairy area away from my scrotum?

2.  Is it possible/probable that it would have taken the bump 6.5 weeks to manifest itself?

I had the bump cultured.  There was not a lot of liquid for the doctor go get on his swab.  Does it take a lot for herpes to be detected?


Thank you and Happy Holidays!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, the bump is of no significance.  The location was most likely coincidental and nothing more.  

85-90% of HSV lesions among heterosexual men occur on the penis.  EWH

[bowlesmuffler]

Thanks for your follow up. Does the fact that I had a bump and that it lined up approximately with the place of her outbreak have any significance?  
What pct of initial hsv2 in straight men occurs on areas other than the penis, based on your years of experirnce?

Thanks kind doctor!

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for the claification as to timing of your blood test.  At more than 8 weeks over 75% of infections would be detectable.  

Anxiety can cause these sorts of difficulties.   The combined evidence is very strong that you did not get HSV from your encounters with this partner.  I said that before and will say it again.  EWH

[bowlesmuffler]

Doc, my igg ws 3 wks after the bump culture or 9.5 wks post exposure...  Does this make a difference?  My largest concern is that I had the bump at all.  I have read that if you don't have one w/in 14 days it isn't herpes and that 90pct or better occur on the penis and not on the pubic area.  Do all these things add evidence to no herpes?  If so, can anxiety really cause me all these problems?  If so, how do I get over it or how do I know if the symptoms are real?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum. it is not unusual to have concerns such as yours when you find out that you've been exposed to a partner with HSV.  The odds are that you have not acquired infection.  Most exposures to partners with HSV do not lead to infection, even when condoms are not used and, in your situation, condoms were used as well for many of the exposures, further reducing the probability that you acquired infection.  

You did precisely the right thing in getting your bump tested when it occurred.  that it was negative is very strong evidence that it was not HSV.  Your IgG tests at 3 weeks supports but the idea that you did not get HSV but, by itself is not conclusive since while over half of infected people have positive IgG tests at 2 weeks, in some it can take up to 4 months for the test to become positive.  When all of the facts,(i.e. your negative test, your negative antibody test, your lack of a classical outbreak) are put together, they combine to make it very, very unlikely that you acquired HSV through these exposures.

So, what about your symptoms?  Sometimes after an exposure that, in retrospect, one wishes they had not had, persons tend to examine themselves and be far more attuned to genital sensations than in periods when they are not concerned.  This in turn leads to noticing what turn out to be normal sensations that might have been not noticed or ignored at other times.  I suspect this is a contributor to your situation.  

My assessment- you did not get infected.  My recommendation- stop worrying and try to move forward.  No further testing is needed.  

I hope this comment helps.  EWH