hsv-2 or mono or something else?

[needanswers]

Hi Terri,

Have you ever seen a person develop the symptoms below when a person acquires hsv-2? My girlfriend of 3 months recently came down with the following symptoms:

– Very low energy for 7+ days
– On and off fevers for a week
– Burning throat with pain when swallowing
– Sleeping for very long periods of time (12+ hours)
– Nausea
– Diahrea
– Vomiting
– Mucous build up
– ZERO signs of blistering, cold sore or anything of that nature in or around her mouth or vagina

She went to see a general care physician and his first thought based on her symptoms was she had acquired either hsv-1 or hsv-2 orally. He recommend she get a herpes test and put her on amox-clav + a few other medications.

After a few more days, her fevers continued and her enegery levels were not increasing. She went back to see him again, and this time he thought she had mono (she never had mono before so this is a possibility) or was sick from over working and not eating enough throughout the day.

The mono test came back negative, but he also stated that it is still possible she has mono, but it may be too early to appear in the test. The hsv-1 and hsv-2 test also came back and apparently she was positive for hsv-2, but not for hsv-1. We’ve talked about this and have both stated that we’ve had some type of coldsore within our mouths at some point in our lives, but it has been years since we have last had one.

I should add we have been sexually active for about 2 months now and use condoms for intercourse, but not for oral. I have not been tested for hsv-1 or hsv-2, but haven’t displayed any type of outbreaks or heard from any prior partners that they were infected. I will be getting tested soon to clarify this.

She says she doesn’t see IgM or IgG anywhere on the test so she needs to check with the doctor to figure out what type of antibodies they were testing for. I’ll report back once she has that information. From your experience, does her case sounds like a case of hsv-2?

Thanks

[Terri Warren]

Well, if she has antibody to HSV 2 then it is unlikely that this is her first infection (or she would not yet have antibody). It would useful not only to know if she had IgG or IgM testing done (very important) but also to know the number associated with her positive test (it is called an index value).

This does not sound like a recurrence of HSV 2, no, and again, not likely to be a first infection if she has IgG antibody present. Poor baby, she does sound very ill.
I would suggest that you get an IgG antibody test as well to see where you stand.

Terri

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