Inconclusive IGg results.

[LookingForAlaska]

April, ’14, had what I thought was a UTI, including flu-like symptoms. Was put on bactrim. Then had many white pimple like pumps in genital area, and watery, almost bloody looking discharge. Clinic doc said it was herpes. Had taken 3 of 6 antibiotic pills when I went in. Swab test of lesions negative for both HSV 1 & 2, and all other STDs were negative. My GP insisted I have H. Took valtrex for nearly a year.
April ’15 (a year after “exposure”) asked for a blood test @ physical, which Dr didn’t even want to give. IGg results: HSV 1= 1.62 HSV2=0.12. Dr insists positive is positive and that I have HSV 1 genitally. Herpeslife forum admin says numbers are so low that may not be the case, and I could have been exposed to cold sores as a kid and never had them. Since the “OB” I have never had another recurrence of any symptom, even after stopping Valtrex in April. Do I have herpes or not? How can I get more conclusive results?

[Terri Warren]

If you took Valtrex for a year it could have definitely influenced your antibody test to make a false negative. I recommend that when people do that, that they remain off Valtrex for at least 3 months prior to retesting.
Before your April 2014 symptoms, had you received oral sex within the month prior to the symptoms? Do you recall?
The symptoms that you describe do sound suggestive of herpes, yes. How soon after the white pimple bumps did you have them swabbed, do you recall?

Terri

[LookingForAlaska]

It was maybe 48 hours. I noticed them Sun and was swabbed Tues.
I hadn’t been taking Valtrex regularly when I was retested & have had any further issues.
fairly sure I received oral prior to symptoms but not sure it was within the month. I know ppl can shed without symptoms but I have never seen a cold sore. He does have 1 recurring “bump” on the upper underside of his penis. From what I’ve read, I guess he could have HSV1 genitally, right? Also, he had slept with someone else about a month before I got sick. He has never been tested…says bc he receives regular bloodwork for diabetes & Dr “would have noticed something like that.” Ummm…no. Bc he has recently changed stories about giving it to me. What ever it is, I hadn’t been with anyone else in over 6 months & used protection with that person.

[Terri Warren]

It’s so hard to know if what you had initially was herpes but it sure could have been. We would know a whole lot more if he would agree to be tested for HSV. In addition, it would be great if when he gets the bump, he would have that swab tested as well. REgular blood work would definitely not test for herpes.
The normal time from exposure to the virus to an outbreak is about 5.5 days, until symptoms (though not everyone gets symptoms.).
If you actually do have HSV 1 infection, it could be oral or genital, without a positive swab test from either location there is just no way to know for certain where you infection is, and with the low positive confirmatory testing would likely be a good thing.

Terri

[LookingForAlaska]

Well, this is complicated bc he cheated on me (again). We are not together. I brought this up in the course of finding out what he had done. He denied infecting me with anything, where when I was first sick he wasn’t even surprised. Based on what you’ve said, what I’ve read, and my history, it seems the only person it could have been was him. I told him the only blood work that would show an STD is an STD test, and that he would have specifically had to have asked for HSV. He said the bump is razor burn, which is pretty much impossible given its location. I even told him he could solve the whole issue by getting tested and he refused. Incidentally, he told the girl he cheated with that I infected him (with an STD he claimed to not have). As you can see, it’s a total mess, and I’m on my own to figure this out. And I need to do that before I can even think about being with someone else.
I’m assuming that if I go back to my Dr and request another IGg test she can’t refuse me, right? I haven’t had any symptoms since the initial issue and not in the 4+ months I e been off Valtrex. She didn’t even want to do the last one. Or is there something else I can ask for instead? I just really need to get all my facts.

[Terri Warren]

Even if your HSV 1 antibody test is positive, there can be no way to know where that infection is on your body. If you want to rule out HSV 2, the blood test would be useful. If your doctor won’t order it for you, you can always order this online for yourself – there are many places that offer this. I often have people use http://www.healthcheckusa.com. What you want is an IgG HSV 1 and 2 antibody test if you want to know about your herpes status. Keep in mind that the HSV 1 test misses about 1 out of 4 infections.

Terri

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