Hsv-2 IgM Positive Hsv-2 IgG Negative

[anonymous987]

Hi Dr, went to get some vaccine shots Hep A and B as protection and decided to get some tests which all came negative including Hsv-1 IgM, Hsv-1 IgG and Hsv-2 IgG except for Hsv-2 IgM. Have being reading on the web that this is not a reliable test and to be honest my doctor didn’t knew much how to explain why IgC-2 Negative and IgM-2 Positive, he send me Valtrex (Valaciclovir) 1000 mg twice a day for 10 days but he looks he doesn’t know what he is doing. My last Sexual partner was one month before the test with a condom and I’m now starting a relationship. I don’t present any symptoms.
my questions:
1) Do I have Herpes type 2?
2) Could it be Herpes type 1?
2) Can I pass it to my new partner?
3) Should I tell her?
4) If I have it how long could I have being having it?
5) Does it help at all to take this medicine?
6) Could this medicine cause damage to me? Thanks!

[Terri Warren]

1) Do I have Herpes type 2?

The IgM could well be a false positive but you cannot know for certain this early after another sexual contact. Good that you used a condom and while condoms do help protect against herpes, they are not 100% protective. When was your last contact before that one?
2) Could it be Herpes type 1?

Do you mean could you really have HSV 1 and not HSV 2? AGain, we don’t know that you do have HSV 2 and in fact, since your IgG was negative, it is unlikely that you do have HSV 2.
2) Can I pass it to my new partner?

See above
3) Should I tell her?

No, but you could tell her that you initial accurate test was negative (the IgG) and that there needs to be more time from your last encounter until that could be considered totally accurate.
4) If I have it how long could I have being having it?

If the IgM does represent a brand new infection, which I don’t believe it does, it would be new – within the last four months. Have you asked your most recent partner to be tested?
5) Does it help at all to take this medicine?

If you were my patient, I would not recommend that you take the medicine as it can interfere with potential antibody development.
6) Could this medicine cause damage to me? Thank

not at all – only confuse the testing, which I am certain you do NOT want to happen.

Terri

[anonymous987]

Hi Doctor Warren,

The last contacts were once 4 weeks, once 5 weeks, once 8 weeks before the test and before that in March, all with different girls.
How much time should it past till I get the new test so it can be accurate?
So will you advice me of not taking the Valtrex (valaciclovir), can you explain me a little more about this potential interfere about antibody development and confusing the test?
What should I do next?

Thank you, thank you very much Doctor Warren.

[Terri Warren]

You should wait to test at least 12 weeks after your last possible exposure.
The purpose of the medicine is reduce the amount of virus that is present in the body. That’s fine and good when someone has established infection. But if you apply that principle to someone who has new infection, the medicine will be sure there is less virus present but if there is less virus, then the immune system can’t see the virus enough to make an immune response (antibody which you are trying to find in blood). If the blood test was looking for virus, that would be different, but it isn’t, it is looking for antibody

Trri

[anonymous987]

Hi Doctor Terri,

I was saving my last response for after the 12 weeks you recommended and first of all I will like to thank you.

My test just came by and my IgM is now negative and my IgG is now Positive with 1.64.

Till the moment I haven’t got any physical symptoms and I have some questions:
1) Is it 100% Sure that i have Herpes type 2?
If I have it (next questions)
2) How long till the first outbreak or which are the possibilities I won’t have one?
3) How could I protect my partner or future partners from this?
4) I didn’t took the medicine the first time, should I take it now? Which one will you recommend me?
5) Any recommended literature I can read about this?
6) Anything else I should know?
7) Just got appendicitis and after that I have had on and off diarrhea, you think it has any relation?

Thanks a lot doctor, you have no idea the help you provide to people living in countries where doctors don’t have training in this aspects.

[Terri Warren]

Have you stopped the Valtrex yet?
The index value of 1.64 is what is called a low positive and may well be a false positive. Now you still have to wait to have further confirmatory testing done. It is possible that you are starting to make antibody from one of your sexual exposures and you have a new infection and until you wait and take the confirmatory test, we cannot know which it is. Are you living in the US so you can get a herpes western blot? If you are not we can still help you get a western blot if you want one. That is the confirmatory test that you need. At your index value of 1.64, there is a 75% chance this is a false positive. If you take herpes medicine before the testing I suggest at 16 weeks, it can certainly screw up the results.

If you have HSV 2, you may or may not get lesions, we can’t now that at this point. Taking daily antiviral therapy will reduce the risk of transmission but you should not do that until an infection is confirmed. Acyclovir works well when taken twice a day and valacyclovir works well taken once a day but is more expensive. I would suggest you read the Herpes Handbook on our website and you may wish to read my book “The Good News About the Bad News” available on Amazon or purchased through our website. The appendicitis has nothing to do with herpes.

Terri

[anonymous987]

Hi Terri,

I stopped taking the Valtrex after two days, since I read your reply on the motives not to take it (good explanation, on that the test see the antibodies, not the disease).
I am at Indonesia at the moment and I will like to take the western blot test. I have not started taking the medicine. How can we arrange getting the test?

Thanks a lot Terri, truly a light on this darkness.

[Terri Warren]

You need to have your blood drawn in a marble top tube, spun down and shipping to me via something like fed ex. Do you think you can do that? But sure to wait 16 weeks after any possible infection to avoid a false negative or if money is not a concern you can do it and repeat it if it is now negative.

Terri

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