IGG Timing?

[YaddaYadda]

I have had a somewhat shocking IGG HSV2 result of 1.69 through Quest.

I have never had a rash, sore, outbreak, or anything that would have lead me to believe that I had some level of HSV2. However, I have been what you’d call “symptomatic” for years because I have had prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain, pain at the tip of the penis which is a known prostate issue, inflammation of the pelvis etc, all diagnosed by my urologist. Stress tends to show up in my body in that area and has for years. I have also experienced some level of nerve pain in my hips and thighs which I’ve since learned is a known prodrome symptom. A sense of heat in the abdomen and front of thighs is most common, but was never a huge cause for concern..

My last full sexual encounter was on May 28th of this year. My STD panel was completed on September 23rd. Approximately 115+ days later.

***Would antibodies normally be higher in that amount of time if definitively positive? My initial test fell in the 12-16 week range from last exposure.

[Terri Warren]

Your positive value is in what we call the low positive range – the CDC says anyone who tests positive with an index value of 1.1 to 3.5 needs a confirmatory test as half of the positives in this range are false positives. At 1.69, there is about an 80% chance that this is a false positive. You need a herpes western blot to confirm or deny that this is a true positive.

Terri

[YaddaYadda]

Thanks so much- I’m hoping for the best! I’ve seen some patient’s report indexes way up in the 5’s, 10’s, and 20+ range so I wasn’t sure how to interpret that 1.69 at the post 12 week mark. Re-taking the IGG doesn’t make much sense from what I’ve read. Hence the Western Blot which you confirmed.

Final questions:

At the exact moment I received my index scores, my heart rate raced, mini-panic attack, and my pelvis immediately inflamed. All my focus was on “man-land” below the belt. No blisters or sores. I was suddenly afraid I had been mis-diagnosed for years even though I’d had many prostate checks and diagnosis.

****Have you ever experienced a patient who thought they experienced an outbreak when it was all in their head as confirmed by Western Blot?

Think: “anxiety”. The sudden onset panic made it seem so real- almost the only thing you could focus on. I’d never experienced anything like that before. (Again, it could’ve been real- hence needing the WB).

****What positive IGG index value is common post 12 weeks? Why are some 3.5 and others are seemingly much higher?

Many thanks!

[YaddaYadda]

***I stay in fairly constant discomfort in the pelvic region as well. Pain/heat moves around different parts of my body. Testicle, Glute, hips, abdomen, etc. Always different. Herpes symptoms tend to come and go. Somewhat of a fair assessment? Or are symptoms always noticeable for weeks, months, or years on end?

[Terri Warren]

I have definitely seen people who get a positive result all of a sudden experience odd sensations in the genital area. I’ll tell you it’s all in your head, honestly.
People who really have herpes more often have higher index values. People who really did contract herpes will start with lower numbers and go up over time.
The symptoms you describe are almost certainly not related to herpes. You need to try to stop noticing every symptom now. It’s normal, but can become an obsession. A positive test wouldn’t mean you just got infected, you know, even if it is a true positive. If you were infected in May, you would have noticed symptoms in May, most likely, not the day of a positive test.

Terri

[scared1222]

Hello, did you ever find out if this was a false positive?

[Terri Warren]

Please don’t post on other’s people’s threads

Terri

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