[mranonymous]

Good morning Terri,

I believe I have a couple of questions still, and an update, so I may as well ask your input.

My partner in this encounter was able to get tested, and contacted me with the results. She tested positive for HSV-1 (I didn’t get the number) and positive for HSV-2, 4.93. She said that Quest labs performed the test and she made sure to ask for IGG as I had asked her to do. She said that her last encounter before me was about 9 weeks prior to ours (10/21). She said that as she thought about it more, she did have some tingling/irritation in her vaginal area on 10/21 before our encounter, but didn’t think anything of it, and didn’t see any sores then, but said she has had a few bumps she thought was acne or some irritation in her groin before.

I pressed her to ask if she thought that if perhaps she had touched/fingered herself before putting the condom on before giving me oral, and she said yes she had, and may have wiped some fluid on my penis before putting it on. Like I said, the oral was rough, and if rubbing it into skin is a way to get it, then her performance would fit the bill (I was sore afterward, definitely needs to work on her technique!)

1. So, as I understand it, 4.93 is pretty high on her part, so she likely has it. Given this information, do you think that changes my chance of having picked this up? I haven’t had another outbreak on my penis, but I have had persistent itching/burning in my groin and the sensation of crawling under my skin since then, and lower back aches. Some small sores have appeared on my butt and lower back over the weekend, but are mild. I got tested for bacterial STDs last week, all negative. I had some burning sensations around my mouth, but no lesions or sores.

2. Lastly, I stopped taking valtrex on 11/9 to start building antibodies. I know the testing window is at least 12 weeks, but should I wait at least 12 from the initial encounter on 10/21 for 11/9?

And thanks again for your help!

[mranonymous]

Thanks Terri, I try to always to find humor in any situation. I may look into becoming a patient especially when I am ready to pursue a WB.

That said, I had two more questions, so I went ahead and paid again.

1. If a person becomes newly infected with an HSV virus, does getting on suppressive therapy as soon as possible reduce the number of overall nerves that the virus is able to infect before the body is able to generate antibodies to fight the infection? I’ve been taking 1000 mg of Valtrex each day since the lesions showed up, and while I know that I have to stop in order to get accurate testing, I am worried to have another outbreak while I am traveling for work, and I am wondering if staying on meds for a month or two until my immune system responds might reduce overall outbreaks long term, if I did pick up type 2.

2. In those rare cases when a person has both types genitally, how does having both affect shedding rates & outbreaks?

Thanks so much!!

[mranonymous]

Thanks for your reply Terri.

I believe I have GHSV1 because I had an initial outbreak of small fluid filled painful blisters on my glans after that initial oral encounter 8 yrs ago. They recur rarely on my penis, but do sometimes. And I know that without a positive Swab test in hand that isn’t “proven”, but I did have another outbreak of a cluster of painful, watery blisters that appeared on my upper thigh 2 years ago. They crusted over, scabbed and healed about 10-14 days later. That bunch of lesions looked just like the photos I’ve seen on dermatology sites, but was 4 years past that initial exposure so I figured it was type 1 and I’ve had 2 WB tests since that only showed type 1. The smaller outbreaks I get on my butt/legs often follow tingling/itching. I know it isnt “proof” but they are definitely recurring and really happen a lot if I eat nuts and chocolate. But any way, let me ask you this:
let’s say I do have GHSV1, and that I did get GHSV2.
Is there any info (or your clinical experience) on simultaneous types infecting the genital tract? I’m worried what that would be like, outbreak and shedding wise. I’m still taking my meds (1000 to 1500 mg/day) as I am traveling for work the next couple of weeks and can’t afford to have symptoms. I plan to let up after Thanksgiving to see what happens,and persue testing. That said, I am having prodrom symptoms (like burning/irritation like that first experience), and it seems to ebb and flow after taking meds (I take 500 mg/ 8 or 12 hrs)

I looked up balantis, and it kind of looked like that but the bumps were definitely full of fluid, and have almost disappeared in the last week on the meds.

I kinda hate to ask this, but do you accept photos to see what’s going on? I’m sure you get that alot, and even though you are a medical professional and have probably seen more wieners than Oscar Meyer you’re still a lady so I don’t want to cross a line.

This forum probably would be great for a pervy pic collector!

[mranonymous]

Update: I am experiencing urethra irritation now, and the lesions are still present; I can’t recall urethra irritation since that initial HSV1 outbreak.

Also, thinking it over, she did touch herself before putting the condom on, and she struggled to put the condom on me (it was a little too small, not bragging I think I’m average). What I am worried about is that she might have gotten some vaginal fluid on my penis, and the tight condom rubbed it into my skin. She was a little rough in performing the oral. That said, this doesn’t look like a friction irritation, and it showed up 4 days later.

Sorry for the addendum, I just want to give you a clear picture.

Thanks again!

[mranonymous]

Okay. I think that you are getting hung up on my pointing out my frustrations; I probably should leave my venting out of these kinds of forums. Let me just simply ask it like this:

Which is more likely: That I am undergoing a rare retro-conversion/physical change that is causing just the HSV1 that I do have to not be detected by the test, in which case I can go ahead and rule out HSV2?

Or: That the test was somehow botched, and that since it did’t register the HSV1 that I do carry, I can’t rule out HSV2 as well? If the two are evaluated separately, and just reported at the same time, then maybe I can believe the test. I mean, in your experience, how often does something like this happen? I’m guessing not often, but I would like to know what typically happens in this kind of situation.

I am trying to decide if it is worth my while to pay for a side by side comparison, I’m not sure what exactly that will tell me, or to wait a while, and retest again. It is extremely difficult for me to get away from work long enough to have these lesions/blisters looked at and possibly swabbed, so that I why I have been pursuing blood testing.

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