slowly climbing?

[worried2104]

Dear Terri,

I am a 45 year old male that has been with a woman that was confirmed HSV+ for 1 and 2. I have had discomfort in the genital area that included a small painful bump bellow the head of my penis about the size of a pin head that lasted about 3 weeks and went away. (It was neither a blister or a sore) I visited two doctors and neither said it looked like herpes. Was given the usual treatment for bacterial stds. Had a little burning sensation when urinating after given the drugs but only lasted a day or two.

So far I have tested the following.

Had Trinity Captiva test 7 weeks post encounter.

IGG type 1 was 0.04
IGG type 2 was 0.06

Same test at 13 weeks

IGG type 1 came back 0.40
IGG type 2 came back 0.20

Is it slowly climbing?? Is that normal to have it jump up? In your expertise are both trending?

🙁

[Terri Warren]

The thing about the test is that it is compared each time to a control. If the control that is run on that particular day is a little higher than the last time, all the values are going to be a little higher. You are still certainly negative at 13 weeks. And no, I would not say you are trending upwards. I think if you were infected, these values would be quite a bit higher at 13 weeks post possible infection. The variation in the index values is completely and totally normal.

Are you going to test again at 16 weeks?

You should also know that the test for HSV 1 misses about 1-2 out of 10 infections, but 56% of the population has HSV 1, between the ages of 14 and 49, so it would not be surprising if you were infected with HSV 1.

Terri

[worried2104]

Terri,

Thanks for the quick reply 🙂

Yes, I will re-test at 16 weeks.

I am not as worried about HSV-1 for the reasons you stated. My concern is HSV-2.

Could having HSV 1, and part of that 1-2 out of 10 that test don’t pick up, delay the body producing HSV-2 antibodies??

If so how reliable would having an HSV -2 IGG at .20 at 13 weeks be??

Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving,

🙂

[Terri Warren]

Being HSV 1 positive could delay the development of HSV 2 a little. Not very much, though.
At 13 weeks, I would suspect this to be about 90% accurate.

Terri

[worried2104]

HI Terri,

Just to update you on week 16 test results. Not the best of news here but it might help see how this testing works. I was exposed to all this on August 29th, 2014.

Had Trinity Captiva test 7 weeks post encounter.

IGG type 1 was 0.04
IGG type 2 was 0.06

Same test at 13 weeks

IGG type 1 came back 0.40
IGG type 2 came back 0.20

At 16 weeks the results are as following.

IGG type 1 came back 0.80
IGG type 2 came back 0.50

AS you can see these are jumps double each time. Looks like the perfect case of slow seroconversion. Do you agree??

Since I fully expected to seroconvert I started antivirals after the week 16 test, I do not suffer from blisters (maybe thick skin) but have a red rash on both sides of the scrotum. NO liquid filled tears but I guess sores. I do have sore throat but only mildly itchy. and it goes away. I had what seemed to be a cold sore but it was gone in an hour and then my lips would have burning sensataions but never developed into a cold sore (s). for the last week I have no more burning lips but the itchy thoat comes and goes.

My Penis had a small bump near the under side close to the head that was painfull for about three weeks that apeared about two weeks after last encounter. Once again no blister, no liquid filled or sores. It went away but my doctor felt it was a best to have it removed. Since then has ever come back. Have felt slight burning in the area but it seems the problem moved to the sides of my scrotum as I mentioned with the rash and small sores. I have applied hydrogen peroxide and i guett some white film as a reaction. Finaly I have had some anal itching that I sussupect has to do with the virus looking for a place to come out to the skin where it wont find me spraying hydrogen peroxide.

I am a very logical person and I figure this is what it is. Not sure if I have both in which location. I live in a central american country so its rare to see people with cold sores on their lips. I guess I aquired both in one shot.

Since then I have taken all the precautions to not pass this on to either of my children by abstaining from kissing and keeping all personal items such as towels and bathing in seperate bedrooms. Unfourtunaly nothing is 100% certain. I am so down.

Could you give me an honest opinion on this? If I guett off the antivirals I guett flue like simptoms , sore throat, itching on both sides of my scrotum and some anal itching. its like they take turns once the malaise in head and throat goes the lower body starts. I stayed off them to get typed but I feeel that at this slow pace I am placing my family in risk just to get it typed (and it seems like its both either way)

I am just scarred to pass this on to my kids. BIGGEST mistake in my life and I really am scarred to have passed this on indirectly. I have abstained from kissing my children in fear of giving them this since I have no idea if I have 1/2 in the oral cavity. I practice incredible hygine with the lower part.

Worried2104

[Terri Warren]

If you have a genital infection, you will not infect your children! TAke that worry off your plate.
Whether you have genital infection or not is unclear to me. However, starting antiviral therapy is an error. It can impact the antibody test. How long have you taken it? It looks to me like you already know this. The antivirals would be very unlikely to impact the symptoms you are talking about having but you seem hell bent on taking them. A 0.5 is still negative.

Terri

[worried2104]

Hi Terri,

during the 16 week period I only took antivirals for three days once (valtrex 500mg twice daily for 3 days) around week 8 and it aliviated the malaise. I stopped because I read they effected the test results. I then did nothing until after my week 13 result. I figured it would show by then and I took two days more but stoppped when I got the test results back. I stayed off them untill week 16. figured Iwould take lysine and some vitamin C and zinc . until te week 16 test to help with the malaise. After the week 16 test I figured this time it would show so I started since day 19 until yesterday (one week). This is my current status. Terri, I am just scared to pass this on and while I know it might not been the best judgment call I was doing it out of fear. I just wish the test would not take this long to register. in total up to the week 16 test I was only on antivirals for 5 days. Now after the week 16 test added a week. I am just so lost in this.

Worried2104

[Terri Warren]

OK, antivirals for five days would not impact the antibody test results.
Given that you are still concerned about your test results, I would suggest that you contact the clinic and arrange for us to send you a packet to get blood drawn there and ship it back to us to send to the University of Washington for a herpes western blot. It is going to be expensive, given where you live, but I’m not sure how else you are going to feel settled about this. You still have a negative ELISA at this point.

Terri

[worried2104]

Ok, I just called but have no idea whom to talk to to ask for this information. Is there a particular person on the phone key list I should talk to ?

Thanks,

[Terri Warren]

You can ask for Roger to help you with this but he is out of the office for the long holiday weekend. You will need to call Monday after 9 am pacific time.

Teri

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