Could this be herpes or something else?

[1020304050]

Hello. Four years ago I had unprotected sex with at least ten different men. I have had chlamydia and HPV. A month ago my vulva started itching. I thought that it was a yeast infection. The itching became more severe to the point that i couldn’t sleep. My vulva was not red just itching. My discharge was normal, but there was a layer of white stuff covering my labia. I used canesten but it did not help. A week later I noticed a 1-2 cm long paper cut like tear on my labia. Then the day after more paper cuts came including one on my perineum. The cuts healed in 1-2 days. I went to the doctor but the cuts had already healed, so she couldn’t swab test them. She said it was a yeast infection and gave me a prescription for Diclucan capsules. I took the capsules and in one week the itching and the white stuff was gone. But then the cut on the perineum reappeared. It took 3 days to heal. I went to the doctor again but she didnt want to take a swab test of the cut because she said it came from the yeast infection. During this month I also felt cold chills in my buttocks and something that felt like crawling on my labia. Now it has been 2 weeks since the cuts disappeared. I sometimes still feel some itching down there. I went to a new doctor and she took a culture of my vaginal discharge, but it came back negative for yeast. I have been thinking about herpes non stop this past month and I am starting to get really depressed about this as I am so scared that this was herpes.

Do you think I have herpes or was it a yeast infection or both?
Is paper cuts most normal to see with a yeast infection or with genital herpes?
Was the chills and crawling feeling I felt a prodromal symptom that lasted for a month?
The cuts were 1-2 cm and they were linear and bled. Is this a symptom of genital herpes or could it be yeast?

[Terri Warren]

Do you think I have herpes or was it a yeast infection or both?

I think you probably have only yeast based on your symptoms but you could potentially have herpes

Is paper cuts most normal to see with a yeast infection or with genital herpes?

More coming with yeast

Was the chills and crawling feeling I felt a prodromal symptom that lasted for a month?

And this could certainly be due to your yeast infection

The cuts were 1-2 cm and they were linear and bled. Is this a symptom of genital herpes or could it be yeast

Again, certainly more consistent with yeast. If you’re so worried that you have herpes you may wish to consider obtaining an IgG test to help settle your mind

Terri

[1020304050]

Thank you for the answers. Today (a little over a month since I first started to have symptoms) I startet itching again. It is only my clitoris and some areas on the right side of my labia that is itching. I do not have the white discharge that comes with yeast.

– Is this a symptom of herpes? I am really scared that it is herpes since I have taken pills for yeast infection but they don’t seem to have worked since the itching comes back.

A few questions about the paper cuts that come with herpes:
– Are they usually small or long?
– Do they usually bleed or not?
– Is it normal that they heal in a day or does it take longer time to heal when it is herpes?

– I also have a red area under the entrance to the vagina but over the perineum, is this a symptom of herpes?

– Considering all of my symptoms do you think I have herpes?

– How likely am I to have herpes considering I have slept with ten different men unprotected?

[Terri Warren]

The cut looking lesions vary greatly in their presentation but they normally do not bleed,no. They usually take 5-7 days to heal but could heal as quickly as three days. A simple red area if not a sign of herpes.
Have you taken an IgG antibody test for herpes to rule out that your symptoms are related to herpes?

Terri

[1020304050]

I have taken the blood test and am now waiting for my result. I just have a quetion:
– My labia itches sometimes, it comes and goes and I have now symptoms of vulvodynia with a burning pain at the entrance. I also have had chills in my groin coming and going as well as a crawling feeling in my labia for over a month now. There are still no blisters. Do you think I have herpes? All of the doctors I have seen say that to have herpes you have to have blisters and they dont seem to really know a lot about herpes and they have all said is yeast even though my culture for yeast was negative. I am so scared that I am misdiagnosed and that I really do have herpes. What do you think? Does herpes behave this way?

[Terri Warren]

Given that 80% of those infected with HSV 2 don’t know it, clearly not everyone has the classic painful blisters.
Let me know the results of your testing. And you need to tie this in with the timing of your last sexual encounter. When you report the results to me, you want to do that, please let me know the exact timing of your most recent sexual contact and whether condoms were used again.
I’m not sure what you mean by chills in the genital area.

This is your final post on this subscription. If you have more questions, feel free to renew

Terri

[1020304050]

Hi. I just got the results from the blood test. The IgG was negative but the IgM was uncertain. What does this mean? The last time I had sex was 4 years ago. If this is my first outbreak could it take this long to produce antibodies for IgG or would my body produce antibodies that would show up on IgG even though I never had an outbreak before now?

[1020304050]

I forgot to add: If I had been infected with herpes 4 years ago but only now had my first outbreak 2 weeks ago would the IgG be negative now and positive later or does it only take 12 weeks to produce IgG antibodies and lets say even though I never had an outbreak would I still be positive for IgG since I had been infected with herpes?

[Terri Warren]

If the last time you had sex was four years ago, nothing happening now would be a new infection. And the negative IgG for HSV 2 should be counted upon as accurate with 92% certainty, compared to the gold standard western blot. If you were infected four years ago, the antibody test would be positive within 12 weeks, even if you had never had an outbreak. The test reflects INFECTIONS, not outbreaks. Forget the IgM – it is just notorious for the false positives and the CDC says never to order it.

Terri

[1020304050]

Thank you. I was also wondering. In the past I have had what I believe is cold sores on the roof of my mouth (I have never had a cold sore on the lips). I don’t know if those were cold sores, do you think they were? Can HSV orally only present itself on the roof of the mouth and not on the lips? I am scared they were cold sores. I know that the IgG misses about 30% of HSV-1 infections, but assuming that I in fact do have HSV-I orally and the IgG was negative for both HSV-I and HSV-II, is it in your opinion/experience more likely that the negative IgG for HSV-II would be a false negative since the IgG for HSV-I also possibly is a false negative or is there no correlation like this?

[Terri Warren]

In order to know if these are caused by herpes, you would need a swab test of the lesions when they are present.
There is no correlation between false negative HSV 2 and false negative HSV 1 results, no.

This is your final post on this subscription. If you have more questions, feel free to renew

Terri

[1020304050]

For almost two months now I have had cold flashes in my groin area coming and going as well as a feeling that bugs are crawling under my skin in the groin area. Could this have something to do with a genital herpes infection? I have not had blisters but I did have the paper cuts over a month ago. My IgG for both HSV-I and HSV-II was negative (the test did not distinguish between the two). I have never before had this feeling of cold flashes and the crawling sensation. It lasts only for some seconds but I experience it at least 50 times throughout the day and have been so for the last two months. Should I be worried that I actually have herpes? Do you think I have genital herpes? Have you heard of someone with genital herpes who have the same symptoms as me? If it is not genital herpes do you have any idea of what it could be? What should I do?

[Terri Warren]

I cannot say based on your symptoms if you have herpes or not. The crude antigen test that you had done is not great – what you want is a type specific antibody test but even then, the IgG test misses 30% of HSV 1 and 8% of HSV 2, compared to the gold standard herpes western blot. I don’t know what else this could be unless you are really just over observing your genital area – what do you think?

Terri

[1020304050]

How accurate is the non type spesific HSV blood test in percentage?

[Terri Warren]

Sorry, we don’t have that data at all, that I am aware of. So unusual that someone would still be using it!

Terri

[1020304050]

Hi. I still experience paper cuts on my perineum and anus. I have had these paper cuts since september 2018, and they always reappear almost in the same spot. They heal in a couple of days, and then reappear in a couple of days. I don’t have sex so the cuts are not because of that. Does this sound like herpes? I tested negative for yeast. I don’t know what else than herpes this could be. Can herpes act this way, because if this is indeed genital herpes that means that I have outbreaks all the time, several times a month for over half a year. Please shed some light on this.

[Terri Warren]

No, this does not sound like herpes to me. I suggest that you have swabbing done of the paper cuts when they are present. Bacterial and viral cultures as well.

This is your final post on this subscription.

Terri

[1020304050]

Ever since september 2018 I have had recurrent fissures/paper cuts on my perineum and near my anus. I have spent countless hours googling my symptoms, and I always end up on genital herpes. I have a very risky sexual past, and I have pretty much lost almost all hope that this isn’t herpes. I have a recurrent fissure maybe 1 o’clock on between my perineum and anus. The last doctor I saw, said that it likely is herpes because it´s not much else it could be. So she basically told me I have genital herpes. The fissure had almost healed when she saw it, so she couldn’t swab it. I live in Europe, and in my country apparently the health care system don’t care much for herpes blood tests. I have been to several doctors and I have asked them all to take a blood test, and every time they order the standard herpes simplex serology which is “HSV 1/2 IgG and IgM”. The test does not differentiate between type 1 and 2, so it’s a so called “non-type-spesific” blood test. The laboratories have either used CLIA or EIA method. They say that they will only order the type-specific blood test in “special cases”. I have read that it is very common for herpes to present atypically (fissures/paper cuts). I only get 1 paper cut/fissure, but it is recurring every single month. It recurs in different areas of the perineum/near the anus. I don’t have sex, so it can’t be trauma because of that. When the fissure is near my anus, it will sometimes reopen when I have been to the bathroom with a bowel movement. It will bleed.

1)Do you think that I have herpes? If not, what could it be? (It is not yeast, I tested)
2)If genital herpes is like paper cuts/fissures, can you describe them? Are they more oval/round or more straight? Do they bleed? Can they reopen once they almost have healed? Is it usually more than one or is it usually just one? Anything else?
3)Is the non-type specific blood test less accurate than the type-specific blood test? (I have a negative blood test). Is EIA/CLIA like ELISA?

[Terri Warren]

1)Do you think that I have herpes? If not, what could it be? (It is not yeast, I tested)

I don’t know what is going on with you so sorry. Herpes should be ruled out, however.

2)If genital herpes is like paper cuts/fissures, can you describe them? Are they more oval/round or more straight? Do they bleed? Can they reopen once they almost have healed? Is it usually more than one or is it usually just one? Anything else?

The fissures can be linear or oval. They usually don’t bleed and they can re-open,yes

3)Is the non-type specific blood test less accurate than the type-specific blood test? (I have a negative blood test). Is EIA/CLIA like ELISA?

OMG, night and day.
The type specific antibody test picks up 70% of HSV 1 and 92% of HSV 2, compared to the gold standard herpes western blot. And yes, EIA is like an ELISA but it needs to be type specific.

Terri

[1020304050]

I really want to do the western blot. I live in Europe. Do I need someone to draw my blood? And then send it in the mail to the USA? Does it need to be packed in a special way, like in a cooling bag or something like that? How much will the cost be in total?

[1020304050]

I was also wondering: When I have this fissure/paper cut, it is very dry. I have tried to swab it a couple of times but there is very little fluid. If I am kind of rough and stretch it, it will start to bleed. Will the blood from the fissure contain some virus so that I can swab that and that will give me an accurate result? The swabs so far have been negative.

[Terri Warren]

you can send samples from Europe but you need a lab requisition from a clinician to get the test. We can do that via video conferencing together or perhaps you can find a physician in Europe you will fill out the lab requisition for you. You could contact UW and ask them for instructions about shipping and also ask them to send you a blank lab requisition for your own clinician to fill out, if you want to work with someone in Europe. 206-685-6066

I don’t know if the blood would interfere with the test or not but I don’t think so. The blood will not include virus, no, unless it is just picked up from the surrounding skin

This is your final post on this subscription. If you have further questions, feel free to renew.

Terri

• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Terri Warren.

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