› Forums › Herpes Questions › Can IGG antibodies drop to negative levels if HSV-2 is latent long enough? › Reply To: Can IGG antibodies drop to negative levels if HSV-2 is latent long enough?
I would like to emphasize (as indicative of a primary infection):
1) All my blood samples were mailed to the same lab for analysis and reviewed by the same doctor.
2) My IGG antibodies spiked roughly 40% (if not far more) over a 3-day period that coincided with my 3-week mark from my confirmed exposure to HSV-2; I’ve read after 3 weeks 50% of infected people accumulate enough detectable IGG antibodies to test positive, 70% after 6 weeks, and 92% after 12 weeks.
3) This spike also coincided with severe lesions and clustered, pus-filled blisters on my penis that took 6 weeks to heal. I had a flu, muscle soreness, and burning during urination.
My follow-up questions are:
1) Would a swab test be more reliable than a blood test?
I believe HSV-2 is on my mustache area from when I performed oral sex with a clean-shaven face. I still have outbreaks in the same area half the time I shave, especially when sunlight is present. The outbreaks are the same clustered, pus-filled blisters I had on my genitals but they are more severe. The blisters crust and scab after popping and most recently took 2 months to fully heal.
2) Can latent / dormant / hibernating HSV-2 be accompanied with a decline in IGG antibodies even when antiviral medication is not being used?
My 8-week mark without taking antiviral medication is soon approaching because I wanted to test how my IGG antibody levels would change without medication; those levels dropped 0.03 over 25 days. Maybe that variation is normal (perhaps due to dilution from different hydration levels)? FYI, I’ve abstained from sex for the last 18 months.
3) Can the Western assay generate a false negative if my IGG antibodies have dropped to just below a 0.90 index even after 8 weeks without taking antiviral medication? What makes the Western blot test the gold standard?
I’m asking my primary care physician next week to help facilitate this test and would like to pass on your info that same day when my blood is drawn.