Is this herpes?

[scaredandanxious]

I am a 48 year old post menopausal female. I discovered the sores around my anus after having unprotected vaginal and oral sex (both ways). I did not engage in anal sex.
I had sex with a new partner twice, May 16 and May 21. A day or two after the May 16 encounter my lower left labia felt sore. I attributed this to the encounter itself as I had not had sex with anyone in the previous 6 months. By the third day I examined my vagina visually in the mirror and saw that the labia appeared swollen on the left side. I also noticed a lump lower left labia groin area while shaving in the shower with my left leg up on the tub. This is the only position I could feel the lump. I went to my gyno on May 22 and after a visual and physical exam he advised that it was my bartholins gland and that it was probably a blocked duct. He advised to monitor and take warm baths and that if it got bigger it might need to be lanced. I took the baths over next few days and everything went back to normal. I advised him of the recent sexual encounter.
By Tuesday May 26 I noticed some mild itching and soreness/pain in my anal area. I thought it may be a hemorrhoid since there was mild pain on bowel movement and tiny amount of blood after thorough wiping with baby wipes on the wipe. Wednesday the symptoms got worse and I examined my bottom in the mirror and noticed the sores. The pictures are from pre-treatment.
I went to my gyno again on Thursday May 28 and he described what he saw as ulcers and said it was likely Herpes. I was devastated. I have a limited number of sexual partners in my lifetime. I have never had any sores/ulcers like this in my life. My doctor took samples from two areas. He said he saw in ulcer between the anus and the vagina. I didn’t notice this one until I reexamined the pictures I had taken when I got home. It is not similar in appearance to the ones below my anus. It is tiny with a red center. He sent the samples to the lab and told me to call him Tuesday of next week. He prescribed valacyclovir 1 gram to be taken every 12 hours for 10 days.
Later pictures, revealed more sores closer to my anus and maybe in my anus itself. These are similar in appearance to the sores below my anus.
My questions are:
1. Do you think this is herpes?
2. If so, why are they in and around my anus when I did not have anal sex
3. I want to find out if this is herpes, did it originate with me somehow, despite me never experiencing these symptoms before as apparently I could have been asymptomatic and then experienced symptoms. If a blood test revealed a negative result would this mean that this was my first exposure? And what Blood test should I request?

Thank you in advance

[Terri Warren]

I’m so sorry, this looks very painful to me
Yes, I do believe that this is genital herpes, almost certainly. I know that you are here for real answers, and although I do not have access to the lab tests your doctor has done, I have seen enough herpes to be pretty clear that’s what is going on.
Secretions during sex go everywhere, and I see people who have never had anal sex with lesions around the anus all the time. This is not unusual, I promise. Since you had both intercourse and received oral sex, this could be either HSV 1 or HSV 2. It is VERY important that you ask your doctor to have the lab type your virus – 1 or 2. These two diseases in the genital tract are really different. I would advise that on Monday you call the office and confirm that typing has been requested. If not, it can be added but it needs to be added quickly.
Please read the Herpes Handbook on this website (it is free) and prepare yourself for test results.
Can you please let me know what the swab test finds?
Also, did you have a blood antibody test done?
If the antibody test is negative for the type that the swab test recovers, then this is first infection.
Please let me know what I can do to help.

Terri

[scaredandanxious]

Hi Terry. Thank you for your prompt response. Unfortunately you have just confirmed what I already felt was true. Devastating nonetheless. My poor judgment will cost me for the rest of my life. A painful lesson.
If by blood antibody you mean blood test, then no. There was no blood work done.
I very much would like to know if I contracted this from my partner.
Can you please tell me specifically what blood tests or other tests I can get so I can figure out if my partner gave this to me or if I potentially have exposed other people.
Thank you for your kind words.

[paranoid]

Sorry to step in here…. just wanted to give you a touch of hope. I would get something that looks like this, even before I had sex. Since I scratched it, it would become a bit more fissure-like though, but I would have spots that looked like this. We finally discovered it was occurring due to my gluten allergy – would go away if I didn’t eat gluten. My Dr said this can also be caused by such things as pinworms, yeast, fungus or just anal fissures in general. Have hope!! the only thing that was different, is mine didn’t necessarily have the white centre that yours does, which I think is sometimes characteristic with herpes (but I think that’s just white blood cells, which would probably come to the healing of any sore????

Take a look at the pic on this site, showing anal fissures. Kinda looks like what you have??

http://www.nigehban.com/gastro.html

Crossing my fingers for you, sorry again to step in.

[scaredandanxious]

Thank you Paranoid for taking the time to reach our to a stranger and offer words of encouragement and hope. Your kindness touched my heart.

[paranoid]

No problem, I know it’s scary. I’m worrying about my own situation right now as well. Have your sores gotten any better?? I really hope it’s just fissures!!

[scaredandanxious]

Terri,

I had a few other questions. I’m not sure how posting follow up questions works. Hopefully you see this and the one I posted a few days ago.

1. I have been on the anti-viral medication since last Thursday May 28 (1 dose that day as I got it late in afternoon). My symptoms in terms of pain and itching were mild and haven’t really changed since then. The sores have not crusted over yet either. Is this the normal course of treatment with herpes?

2. Can I get new blisters/sores even though I have been on the antiviral medication for 3 1/2 days? Would that be something I could expect in the future?

3. Since there was also oral sex on both sides in my 2 sexual encounters, is it possible to get blisters/sores on my lips as well? Can I get them in both locations, the anus and orally?

4. If I can get them in both locations is it customary for them to show up at the same time? My lips have been burning the last two days and I have a tiny bump on the upper lip, nearly not visible to the naked eye. Could this be a herpes blister? If so is it possible to show up 3 days after being on anti viral medication?
I have attached a picture I took using a magnifying app with a flashlight.

Thank you in advance.

[scaredandanxious]

Thank you Paranoid. My symptoms remain pretty much the same. Something new may be cropping up on the lip. I am prepared for the worst. I’m coming to terms with it and realizing it may not be the end of the world after all…

I hope that your situation has a favorable result for you too! I will keep you in my thoughts.

[Terri Warren]

I’m so sorry, but you have used up your three posts. After doing three posts, you need to renew your subscription. You would be choosing the first follow up question subscription, if you would like to have me answer those follow up questions.

terri

[scaredandanxious]

Thank you Terri. I just paid for three more follow ups. Hopefullly this doesn’t count as one!

[Terri Warren]

I would not expect you to get more lesions while on medicine, though you could. If this is HSV 2, you will likely get more lesions in the future, yes. The thing on your lip looks as though it could be herpes, could you have it swab tested? It might be negative due to treatment, though. It is possible that you could get it orally and genitally yes. While antiviral medicine can slow down viral replication, it cannot heal skin.

Did you get test results back yet?

Terri

[scaredandanxious]

Hi Terri,

I got the swab tests back. They were “not isolated” which my doctor told me means negative for herpes. Given my symptoms I was not convinced. I did confirm that the OB asked that the results be typed, which you asked me in a previous post.

I went back to my OB on June 3 because I had a discharge from my vagina that was milky looking in consistency and color and had an odor that smelled like fish. No other vaginal symptoms. My doctor took a sample of the fluid from inside of me and looked at it under a microscope and told me I had bacterial vaginosis. She also sent whatever she took out of me for multiple lab tests. She said I should have the results of these tests by the end of next week.

I requested that she do the antibody test. She did both the IgG and IgM.

The sores have pretty much healed in my anus area. What was odd was that there was a thin red line where the sores were. It was there for about one day before it disappeared. There also appears to be healing scabs in the area, though the sores never actually scabbed over in my opinion.
The tiny dot on my lip persists. Unfortunately I did not get your response before I went to the dr. yesterday so I did not have the lip swabbed.

1. What is your opinion on the negative herpes swab?
2. If this is herpes and there is a recurrence, will the sores return to the same area?
3. Can herpes cause bacterial vaginosis?
4. What do you recommend I do next?

Thank you

[paranoid]

I’m sorry, I want to step in again. Scaredandanxious don’t reply to me as I don’t want you to waste a response.

These lesions (fissure things) I SWEAR I had identical (and still do get) sores to these long before I had sex, so couldn’t be herpes. Upon healing, I get these red mark lines as well. they eventually turn into a white scar. I’ve had this crap for so long – for me, it’s a mess of scars/red marks there. These “sores” come open because it’s so itchy, so when we scratch or wipe hard, my Dr says it’s just the skin breaking open.. If you put polysporin or neosporin on it overnight, I bet it would almost completely heal by the next morning, as mine do. Then, I get itchy again, scratch, and the cycle continues and I keep getting these fissures. It’s chronic for me… has been for 10+ years. Can’t be herpes as it’s literally every day.

Of course, I’m not an expert – just speaking from my symptoms, which are almost identical to yours. Honestly, if I sent you pics, you’d be amazed. My dr can’t figure out if the itching is from bacteria or fungus.

All in all, ang again, I’m not an expert, but your negative herpes test didn’t surprise me but you never know. Whatever you have, I think I have too. Hopefully we both figure it out!!

Just trying to give some more hope (again, I had what appears to identical to what you have YEARS before sex) that it may not be herpes. The pics look worse than it actually is, right? I usually look with a mirror and then a magnifying mirror, then take a pic with my phone and it looks so much bigger and worse!

Anyway, just my 2 cents. I’ll leave the expertise to Terri but I had to give you more on my story. I know I would want the words of hope too. Please post the outcome and I will keep you updated on me too and maybe we will figure it out.

XO

[paranoid]

Also want to make sure Terri doesn’t miss this due to my posting. Terri – pls see above for scaredandaxious’ query. 🙂

[Terri Warren]

1. What is your opinion on the negative herpes swab?

I don’t know if your test was a PCR or a culture, do you? Culture misses 75% of positives, compared to PCR. If it says not isolated, I’m quite sure it was a culture.

2. If this is herpes and there is a recurrence, will the sores return to the same area?

Somewhere in the boxer shorts area, yes. I forget – was an antibody blood test performed?

3. Can herpes cause bacterial vaginosis?
No

4. What do you recommend I do next?

I think you need an antibody test if one was not done and then another at 16 weeks post lesions, or sooner if you wish. It might not be herpes, but I’m pretty clear that it likely is though I have been wrong before. If you get another lesion, be sure to be seen right away, OK? And if you can get a PCR swab test vs. a culture, that would be far better.

Terri

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