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What would cause this & what meds to treat?
About a month ago I had a female give me a handjob and she lubricated me with her saliva. When then had penis/vagina sex with a condom. About a month later, I had a sensation in my urethra, and started having difficulty and frequent urination (small amounts) . Later that day I had two small spots appear on the tip of my penis. The next day I went to my doctor and he said they looked like herpes and he cultured them and gave me Valtrex. The following day I started having pain on urination, a discharge (not pus, white, green or yellow) and redness around the urethra. The discharge was almost like a pre---, but after the meds started almost had a flesh tone to it. I went and had a urine test for chlamydia and gonorrhea and they came back negative. I went back to my doctor (2 days after first visit) and he took a culture of the discharge (not back yet) and prescribed me cipro. He said it would take care of any std. From what I have read it won't. I then went to the STD clinic and got the full workup. I was given an unkown injection, 1g of Zithromax, 2g of Metronidazole and I am still taking the Valtrex. The Dr at the clinic said the sores were too small now for them to culture but they are possibly Herpes. I had a blood test for herpes in 1996 which was positive 1&2, but I have never had a known genital outbreak but have gotten them on my lip. I want to have my girlfriend treated, but have read that Cipro will not treat Chlamydia, but Azithromycin will treat both. We have not have sex since this and are wanting to use the appropriate meds. Her doctor will not give her anything until my results come back.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The distinction between purutlent and mucopurulent discharge is one of clinical descriptors and really does not make much difference to your situation. Gonorrhea discharge is classically purulent (pus) which chlamydial infection is typically more mucoid. Neither one of these generalizations however is reliable enough to bet on and does not change your mangement or my recommendations.
Regarrding herpes, the questions are beginning to wander. Briefly, your HSV tests are consistent with you haveing HSV-1, the herpes virus that casues cold sores and some but not most gential herpes. No doubt about that. Your HSV-2 tests from 96 were in the "low positve" range which are often false positive. Your follow-up tests from 97 further support that your 96 values were false positive.
In general, the topic of herpes is a complex one. The disease is common with HSV-1 being present in over 60% of adults and HSV-2 (the virus which causes most genital herpes) being present in about 1 in 5 Americans. For both infections, the majority of people who have the infections are not aware that they are infected, either because they either acquired it without knowing in the past or because they misidentified their herpes as something else. I will do my best to answer your questions but in general, many of these questions and information about herpes can be obtained by accessing excellent informational web sites such as the one run by the American Social Health Association (disclosure, Dr. Handsfield and I are both on the Board of Directors of ASHA).
No further HSV questions in this thread please. EWH
Regarrding herpes, the questions are beginning to wander. Briefly, your HSV tests are consistent with you haveing HSV-1, the herpes virus that casues cold sores and some but not most gential herpes. No doubt about that. Your HSV-2 tests from 96 were in the "low positve" range which are often false positive. Your follow-up tests from 97 further support that your 96 values were false positive.
In general, the topic of herpes is a complex one. The disease is common with HSV-1 being present in over 60% of adults and HSV-2 (the virus which causes most genital herpes) being present in about 1 in 5 Americans. For both infections, the majority of people who have the infections are not aware that they are infected, either because they either acquired it without knowing in the past or because they misidentified their herpes as something else. I will do my best to answer your questions but in general, many of these questions and information about herpes can be obtained by accessing excellent informational web sites such as the one run by the American Social Health Association (disclosure, Dr. Handsfield and I are both on the Board of Directors of ASHA).
No further HSV questions in this thread please. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your willingness to be treated (or to treat your GF) without knowing what your GF has is really not in your or her best interest). It sounds as though you are getting better since your treatment at the clinic. The approach I would suggest is as follows:
1. Your GF should go to the clinic where you received the shot. She should indicate that you have urethral discharge and that you were treated with a shot, azithromycin and metronidazole and that your test results are not back yet. She should also be aware that becasue of the intercurrent treatment you received, your tests may be negative because you were treated before you were tested at the clinic. I imagine they will treat her similarly to how you were treated.
2. Watch your own response. If you are improving,l it may take a while for things to get entirely back to normal
3. Nothing you have had suggests herpes. I would not be concerned about this and am indifferent as to whether or not you keep taking the valacyclovir. I doubt that it is having any effect. On the other hand, since you have herpes, you should know that you could give it to a partner even without ahving an outbreak., As this settles down you may want to take appropriate precautions (to learn more about HSV management, search this site or take a look at the American Social Helath web site - we wil not deal with it here)
Hope this helps. EWH
1. Your GF should go to the clinic where you received the shot. She should indicate that you have urethral discharge and that you were treated with a shot, azithromycin and metronidazole and that your test results are not back yet. She should also be aware that becasue of the intercurrent treatment you received, your tests may be negative because you were treated before you were tested at the clinic. I imagine they will treat her similarly to how you were treated.
2. Watch your own response. If you are improving,l it may take a while for things to get entirely back to normal
3. Nothing you have had suggests herpes. I would not be concerned about this and am indifferent as to whether or not you keep taking the valacyclovir. I doubt that it is having any effect. On the other hand, since you have herpes, you should know that you could give it to a partner even without ahving an outbreak., As this settles down you may want to take appropriate precautions (to learn more about HSV management, search this site or take a look at the American Social Helath web site - we wil not deal with it here)
Hope this helps. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your time line is a bit hard to follow but it sounds as though about a month ago you were masturbated by a woman and then recently you began to have problems. Since then you have been treated with valacyclovir which did not help, as well as azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone (the shot at the STD clinic), metronidazole. Let me know if I have this right.
Other information is that you have a positive blood test for HSV 1&2 but have never had a genital outbreak.
Several observations and a question or two:
Questions 1rst:
1. Have you continued to have unprotected sex with your GF?
2. What were the results of the herpes culture?
3. Has your GF been evaluated?
Observations:
1. You have now been treated for gonorrhea, chlamydia, non-gonococcal urethritis, trich and herpes. In addition, you have had negative tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Putting this together, it is safe to say that you do not have gonorrhea, chlamydia, NGU, or trich.
2. I doubt that your herpes is related. If it had, the valacyclovir would have helped
3. The fact that it took a month for the symptoms to occur make it unlikely that your problem is due to the masturbation you had a month ago, particularly given the asymptomatic interval between it and the onset of your symptoms.
While I wait for your clarifications, my preliminary thoughts are that this is not related to the hand job you received a month ago and is unlikely to be an STD. I predict that the tests you have had wil be negative. The way to be 100% sure about this is to have your GF checked. If STDs are ruled out, then there are two possible approaches - either see a dermatologist about the redness around urethra or alternatively, see a urologist.
Looking forward to hearing of your clarifications. EWH
Other information is that you have a positive blood test for HSV 1&2 but have never had a genital outbreak.
Several observations and a question or two:
Questions 1rst:
1. Have you continued to have unprotected sex with your GF?
2. What were the results of the herpes culture?
3. Has your GF been evaluated?
Observations:
1. You have now been treated for gonorrhea, chlamydia, non-gonococcal urethritis, trich and herpes. In addition, you have had negative tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Putting this together, it is safe to say that you do not have gonorrhea, chlamydia, NGU, or trich.
2. I doubt that your herpes is related. If it had, the valacyclovir would have helped
3. The fact that it took a month for the symptoms to occur make it unlikely that your problem is due to the masturbation you had a month ago, particularly given the asymptomatic interval between it and the onset of your symptoms.
While I wait for your clarifications, my preliminary thoughts are that this is not related to the hand job you received a month ago and is unlikely to be an STD. I predict that the tests you have had wil be negative. The way to be 100% sure about this is to have your GF checked. If STDs are ruled out, then there are two possible approaches - either see a dermatologist about the redness around urethra or alternatively, see a urologist.
Looking forward to hearing of your clarifications. EWH
I have a couple other questions regarding this. I have read alot about discharge issues and it is described as "purulent" "mucoid" and "mucopurulent". Can you simplify this? I am confused between pus and mucus I guess.
As a followup to my first post I went through my old medical records to get a time line as to what I had in the past. In Oct 96 my HSV viral markers were type 3.96 and type 2 was 1.92. Both AB IGM test were negative.
Sep 97, I had a slight discharge, discomfort with urination and a stinging sensation on a certain area of my penis. This time, the Viral Markers were different. Type one was 5.1 and Type 2 was .80 (point 80). Not sure if one of these were caused by a lab mix up or not. The AB IGM were both negative. The culture came back as "skin flora".
Could my present condition be the same like I had before? Thanks for your assistance.
As a followup to my first post I went through my old medical records to get a time line as to what I had in the past. In Oct 96 my HSV viral markers were type 3.96 and type 2 was 1.92. Both AB IGM test were negative.
Sep 97, I had a slight discharge, discomfort with urination and a stinging sensation on a certain area of my penis. This time, the Viral Markers were different. Type one was 5.1 and Type 2 was .80 (point 80). Not sure if one of these were caused by a lab mix up or not. The AB IGM were both negative. The culture came back as "skin flora".
Could my present condition be the same like I had before? Thanks for your assistance.
Thanks for your responses and your dedication to helping others.
First thanks for the quick response. The Herpes blood test was in 1996, and I had never had a genital outbreak. On 10-3-08 is when the female gave me the handjob and lubricated me with her saliva. Then we had sex with a condom.
On 11-2-08 is when I felt the discomfort in my urethra and saw the bumps on the top of my penis.
11-3-08, I saw my doctor and he took the culture for herpes and he gave me Valtrex (test came back negative) but the Dr said the two bumps had the appearance of Herpes.
On 11-4-08, I started noticing the discharge and had burning during urination as well as redness around the urethra. The urine test came back negative for Chlamydia & Gonorrhea.
On 11-5-08, I went back to my Dr and he took a culture of the discharge and gave me Cipro. On that same date I was still very concerned so I went to the clinic. They gave me the full workup for STDs and gave me the injection and the other medications. As of today, I still have a slight discharge and slight burning during urination.
My girlfriend and I have had unprotected sex since 10-3-08, but haven't since 11-3-08 when I noticed the discharge. She has not been tested and has not had any symptons. For safety's sake, I would like for her to take something as a precaution as my test results from my doctor and the clinic will not be back until the end of the week. What meds should she take to be safe?
On 11-2-08 is when I felt the discomfort in my urethra and saw the bumps on the top of my penis.
11-3-08, I saw my doctor and he took the culture for herpes and he gave me Valtrex (test came back negative) but the Dr said the two bumps had the appearance of Herpes.
On 11-4-08, I started noticing the discharge and had burning during urination as well as redness around the urethra. The urine test came back negative for Chlamydia & Gonorrhea.
On 11-5-08, I went back to my Dr and he took a culture of the discharge and gave me Cipro. On that same date I was still very concerned so I went to the clinic. They gave me the full workup for STDs and gave me the injection and the other medications. As of today, I still have a slight discharge and slight burning during urination.
My girlfriend and I have had unprotected sex since 10-3-08, but haven't since 11-3-08 when I noticed the discharge. She has not been tested and has not had any symptons. For safety's sake, I would like for her to take something as a precaution as my test results from my doctor and the clinic will not be back until the end of the week. What meds should she take to be safe?
I forgot to add that the culture my doctor took for herpes came back negative. I think since this has happened I have self diagnosed myself with every std there is. What are the best meds for my girlfriend to take?
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.
