Can I trust my blot?

[atticusfinch44]

Hi Terri! I recently obtained a Western Blot which indicated negative for HSV-1 and 2. But I am wondering if the antivirals I was taking at the time might have resulted in a false negative.

I had GHSV symptoms about 3 years ago. I don’t recall taking any sort of medication or antiviral then. Kinda forgot about it in the interim.

Fast forward to this year, I began taking daily acyclovir 800MG/day starting in July because I tested equivocal from an igg test. I got my blood drawn and sent my Western Blot to UW in October, all while still taking acyclovir. At that point, I’d been on acyclovir for almost 3 months. Also, there are no other concerning sexual encounters to consider during this time frame.

1.) Given this information, do you think being on acyclovir for 3 months before and while taking the blot might have tampered with my results? Can I trust my blot results?

2.) I’m truly unsure if I took any sort of meds 3 years ago when I thought I experienced symptoms first. Probably blocked it out due to being spooked cause I don’t remember much. But in case I did take a short course of antivirals 3 years ago as episodic treatment, would that have affected my immune system’s response in a way that would affect my blot results from this year?

Apologies if the second question in particular is incoherent. I think it’s because I fundamentally don’t understand how antivirals can tamper with blood tests. Is it because the meds slow the formation of antibodies and make them harder to detect?

Thank you.

[Terri Warren]

1.) Given this information, do you think being on acyclovir for 3 months before and while taking the blot might have tampered with my results? Can I trust my blot results?
It all depends upon when you last had sex in relationship to the taking of acyclovir and the running of the blot

2.) I’m truly unsure if I took any sort of meds 3 years ago when I thought I experienced symptoms first. Probably blocked it out due to being spooked cause I don’t remember much. But in case I did take a short course of antivirals 3 years ago as episodic treatment, would that have affected my immune system’s response in a way that would affect my blot results from this year?
If your last concerning sexual encounter was 3 years ago, the antiviral medicine that you’ve taken will have zero impact on the testing.

Apologies if the second question in particular is incoherent. I think it’s because I fundamentally don’t understand how antivirals can tamper with blood tests. Is it because the meds slow the formation of antibodies and make them harder to detect

Your interpretation of how they impact testing is correct, but only applies when someone is first infected.

Terri

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