Positive HSV 2….partner is having shingles outbreak

[sholcomb1777]

On October 24, 2014 I noticed a small red bump on the lip of my vagina. It appeared to be an ingrown hair but when I mashed the bump it flowered out into what can be described as pus pockets around the hair follicle. It disappeared by October 26 however another pus filled bump popped up on my left lip. It appeared to be folliculitis or staph. My GYN said the vascular appearance resembled herpes but that he had never seen herpes with that appearance and was erring on the side of it being a bacterial infection. . Because I was in a new relationship he wanted to test for everything. Within the next few days my boyfriend had what appeared to be an ingrown hair on his waist line. I got the results of my culture back a week later and it did test positive for a viral infection. My doctor felt that I have had the virus for a very long time and must have experienced break outs before that one because it was so mild. I discussed the results with my boyfriend who by this time had the “ingrown hair” spreading across his waist line. He had his cultured and it was negative for HSV 2. Over the course of the next few days I had a red rash on my inner thighs appear and disappear. They had the appearance of chicken pox. They were not raised just red dots. My bumps have disappeared but my boyfriends hasn’t. He was recently told it was shingles. Surely these episodes are related. Could I have actually tested positive for herpes zoster?

[Terri Warren]

well, you said you tested positive for a viral infection. Did you specifically test positive for HSV 1 or HSV 2?

Terri

[sholcomb1777]

I’m assuming that I was tested specifically for HSV 2….when I received the call from my doctor he said my culture was positive for a viral infection which would indicate genital herpes. I just assumed it was a positive HSV 2. When he took the culture he didnt feel that it was herpes because there was very little sensitivity or pain. When I consulted in his office after the test results he said he believed this was an old virus and that I must have experienced breakouts before because it was so mild. I can tell you that I’ve never experienced any kind of breakout that would get my attention. I’ve rarely even had an ingrown hair. The fact that my significant other is experiencing what we now know to be shingles (for over 4 months now even after viral meds and antibiotics ) at the same time that I was experiencing these bumps has made me suspicious of my test results. I know the two viruses are unrelated but there has got to be some correlation. Also, after my initial breakout I had the red bumps on my inner thighs that looked like chicken pox. When I called my GYN and he felt like my nerves were causing an allergic reaction to my diagnosis and I needed to calm down. I thought that was stupid but didn’t question him. I now have a small patch of red bumps on my outer thigh that resembled the red ones that appeared on my inner thighs in October. Could we be passing this herpes zoster virus back and forth?

[Terri Warren]

I think you should call and ask specifically for the results of your swab test. If it does test positive for herpes simplex virus, you need to know if it is HSV 1 or HSV 2. It is an error to assume if there is a single lesion that this is an old infection. Many people with new infection do not get multiple lesions, especially if they already have HSV 1, the virus that causes most recurrent cold sores. The only way to know if this is old herpes or new herpes is to do a swab test in conjunction with an antibody test. If the antibody test is negative, for example for HSV 2 and the swab test is positive for HSV-2 that would indicate a new infection. You have a virus present on the skin but not enough time has passed to have developed antibody to HSV-2. I am assuming that no antibody testing was done because you did not listed here but that could be an error. Let me know if antibody testing was done please. Are you saying that your partner has had bumps for four months? Is that constant? Herpes would not be present for four months continuously. Do you know if any testing was done on these bumps for your partner? The bumps that you describe on your thighs do not sound like herpes to me. Herpes zoster occurs once in the healthy adults. Only 4% of people who can get an outbreak of shingles ever get a recurrence.

Terri

[sholcomb1777]

I did not do antibody testing. My partner first presented with what appeared to be an ingrown hair on his waist line within a week of what appeared to be my ingrown hair in October. While mine dissappeared very quickly his began to spread sideways across his waist line. After my GYN called me with my test results he had his lesion swabbed and an antibody test done for both HSV 1 and 2. Both came back with negative results. His doctor thought an ingrown hair was infected and put him on antibiotics. It did clear up for a few weeks….it returned a few weeks later so he was prescribed a stronger antibiotic. It cleared up for a few weeks. Now it has returned for a third time worse than ever. 3 weeks ago his doctor said it was shingles and he was prescribed antiviral meds. It still isn’t cleared up. Assuming that my bump was definitely HSV 2, could I be the reason his lesion isn’t clearing up? Could exposure to HSV 2 have caused the shingles outbreak in him? This is all very new and very confusing. We were both in long term marriages and haven’t had many partners….why would we be having these outbreaks at this point? None of it makes sense to me

[Terri Warren]

I seriously doubt that his waist lesions have anything whatsoever to do with your herpes and I also have to say I doubt it is shingles. Does it cross an imaginary line down the middle of his body? It sounds to me like a bacterial infection. Were any cultures done? The cultures would say what bacteria it was, if it was a bacteria, and what antibiotics it would respond to. Or were viral cultures done to determine if it was actually herpes zoster virus (the cause of shingles)?

However, if indeed your culture was positive for HSV 2 (remember that HSV 1 can also cause genital herpes), then he is vulnerable to your HSV 2 infection. Taking daily antiviral medicine reduces the risk of transmission by almost 50%. And it can be taken once per day. I think this is something you should discuss with your health care provider.

I’m afraid we have used up your three questions now. If you have more you would like to ask, feel free to renew your subscription.

Terri

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