Immune to Valtrex?

[Immune to meds]

I have had HSV2 for 27 years. My first few years were almost a constant battle with OBs. As the years have passed I had very few OBs and was never on medication. Since early Feb 2015, I have had almost constant OBs. I went to GYN first of March and she put me on valcyclovir – 500mg/daily. OB would last about 5-7 days and I would feel good for a few days then get the tingling all over again and the cycle would repeat itself. After 3 weeks I increased the doseage to 1000mg but it didn’t seem to make a difference. After 2 months of the same cycle of OBs I stopped the meds and started Lysine, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Luaracedin. I still had the OBs but they seemed less intense. I became concerned about taking so much Lysine (1 – 3 g/day) so I have started the valcyclovir again (and stopped the Lysine). After 3 days OB seems more intense although it doesn’t hurt. Also, I have now been getting tiny bumps that tingle inside my lips and on my tongue. One will go away in about 1 – 3 days but another will pop up in another place and the cycle has continued for about 1 1/2 months. I really don’t know what to do at this point. Would switching to acyclovir or famvir be advisable or just stop all meds? Also, in reading other posts, it seems like swabbing might be another option but I’m unsure how to go about it. I have been unable to find any specialists in the area that I can consult with (although I live in Houston). I think my GYN just consults the internet when I come in. Any help is most appreciated.

[Terri Warren]

My first instinct is to wonder if what you are experiencing are really herpes outbreaks. I think swabbing to be certain is the very firsts step. I would be unusual to have herpes for year and all of sudden start to have a big chance in the outbreak pattern. Sometimes in my clinic I see patients who have your situation and almost always, the thing that is causing the near constant outbreaks, as they describe them, are not herpes but something else entirely. This may not be the case with you but it is worth thinking about. In terms of the swabbing, you could talk with your doctor to see if she would give you PCR swabs to gather at home and return to her office to send to the lab. That would be the easiest. If that won’t work, our clinic has the ability to send you swabs, you return them to us and we send them to the lab. If you have insurance, we can ask for the lab to bill your insurance for the swab testing or you can pay with a credit card. Since the medicines aren’t really working, I think you should consider stopping the medication while you are swabbing, just so the medicine doesn’t influence the testing. You don’t have to stop the supplements as they have little or no impact on herpes virus.

Terri

[Immune to meds]

How does the swabbing work; i.e. daily, weekly, and how long a period between my last med can swabbing begin to be most accurate? I have a high deductible – is PCR pricey? Not that it matters, – I really need some answers.

Thank you

[Terri Warren]

Each PCR is $75.
You can do swabbing in a couple of different ways – you can swab everyday and combine 7 swabs in one vial. If the vial is positive, you can only know that you shed during that 7 day period – not how often in the 7 days. Or you can swab what you feel pretty certain are herpes lesions and send those singly. I would recommend you being off meds for 5 days before beginning to swab.

Terri

[Author]

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