Reply To: PCR swab timing and Acyclovir antiviral

[Hopingforanswers123]

Thank you, Terri.

I received the swab in the mail, but haven’t used it yet since I haven’t come off the antivirals.

I had two lesion swabs done at the urgent care clinic in the past few weeks (while on antivirals), both negative.

I tried to book an evisit, but the calendar had no open spots. I checked every month thru to 2024. Maybe it’s an issue with my browser? (Safari mobile)

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how a lesion could be present without viral DNA, thus causing a false negative PCR. Do antivirals really render the test completely useless, or is there some chance that they are accurate when a lesion is present? (As opposed to just swabbing skin for general “shedding”)

And the fact that these lesions just keep coming… my goodness. I’ve just increased my acyclovir dose to 800mg 4x/day, and I still have lots of prodrome tingling which comes and goes for hours every day, and tiny white blisters that come and go… some lasting a day at most, and others lasting a few days or up to a week. I also considered I’m taking too much acyclovir… so I dialed it back to 400mg 3x/day and the symptoms seemed to be worse. So I quickly increase dosage again. I’ve been trying to assume these dots are clogged pores, but I think I’m in denial. Lots of red inflamed skin around labia and anus that flares for a day or two, and feels okay for a day or two, then starts again. This has been going on for nearly 2 months now. It’s maddening 🙁

Is it possible for an initial outbreak to present this way, for this long? Even when taking antivirals from Day 1?

Thanks again for your help.