I thought it was from a yeast infection as I'd just finished antibiotics the week before. I took the OTC for the yeast and those symptoms went away but on the heels of that I developed tenderness in the anal area. I didn't think much of it at first figuring I was tender from the yeast infection. Within 24 hours I developed blisters. I went to the doctor yesterday and he confirmed my biggest fear. He took swabs and blood but said he was almost positive that was what it was. He wouldn't put me on anything until he could confirm it 100%.

I have been married for 10 years and been in a relationship with the same man for 13 years. Although I was not a virgin when we got together I'm pretty sure it wasn't me who brought the virus into our marriage. My husband had an affair almost three years ago, ending almost 2.5 years ago. We got back together, obviously. He swore up and down that he used protection. Well, he did have oral with her so that certainly isn't protective.

I did go to the doctor and explained that I wanted to be checked for STD's. I thought that included Herpes screening. I thought wrong. I found out recently that you have to not only ask but practically beg for the test unless you have symptoms. This was not explained to me by my doctor at the time.

Now I'm terrified. I have four lesions. It's painful (I'm taking 800mg of Advil but isn't helping too much). I'm terrified of it spreading to other areas. Can an open lesion in the anal area, which touches other areas, causes blisters to form in new places? Hell, I'm wearing gloves in order to do normal wiping.

My husband is asymptomatic or possibly free of the HPV if it's possible for me to have acquired it over 13 years ago and just now show signs of it. My immune system must be stellar. I asked the doctor if my husband should be tested and he said it would be pointless as we've been having sex this whole time. I'm guessing the doctor was making a diagnosis for my husband saying that he had it too regardless of taking tests. I'm confused about that too.

I go back next week to find out which one I have I or II or hell, both?

I have 9 year old at home, we have one bathroom. I'm terrified of him grabbing a towel, or ANYTHING and get it (since I just read that it can live up to 2 and 4 hours off the body).

Do lesions only come up in the SAME place very time? Or is it traveling?

Doctors says my case is mild. It doesn't feel mild. It feels like I've got road burn on my butt!

Your doctor is not following proper treatment protocol if he's visually diagnosed you as having herpes and didn't immediately prescribe medication. Waiting for laboratory confirmation of herpes is not in his patients best interest and can actually be interpreted as malpractice. Proper protocol is to treat all suspected cases of genital herpes - the longer you wait to start antivirals - the longer it will take to heal and the less helpful they are. He is not doing his patients much good if this is his standard of practice. ( this comes directly from the CDC's std treatment guidelines if you need something to back you when you call - http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2-2002TG.htm- Health-care providers often must treat patients before test results are available because early treatment decreases the possibility of ongoing transmission and because successful treatment of genital herpes depends upon prompt initiation of therapy. In this circumstance, the clinician should treat for the diagnosis considered most likely on the basis of clinical presentation and epidemiologic circumstances. Sometimes treatment must be initiated for additional conditions because of diagnostic uncertainty. Even after complete diagnostic evaluation, at least 25% of patients who have genital ulcers have no laboratory-confirmed diagnosis. ) I would call today first thing and put up a BIG fuss about this! You need either acyclovir 400mg 3x/day for 10 days, valtrex 1gm 2x/day for 10 days or famvir 250mg 3x/day for 10 days since this is presumed to be your first ob.

Go pick yourself up a box of aveeno bath packets and a can of dermoplast spray too ( the blue can, not the red can for the genital area ). You can soak in the tubby with a packet of aveeno bath thrown in for comfort and use the dermoplast to spray on for comfort throughout the day. Both will help you feel a little better. Also if your symptoms are around your anus - you can use tucks pads there. Just hold one in between your butt cheeks for about 10 minutes several times throughout the day to help with pain and to help dry out the lesions. Also in addition to your advil - unless you have a medical reason not to you can alternate advil with tylenol - ie 1000mg tylenol at 6am, 600mg advil at 9am, tylenol at noon, advil at 3pm etc. Just don't take more than 4000mg of tylenol a day ( for your liver's sake! ).

Your husband is going to need to get himself a type specific herpes test for hsv1 and hsv2. It's pretty likely that he was the source of the infection from what you've described but might as well cover all your bases and confirm who has what. I don't agree that it's pointless for him to get tested - I think it's important that he does get tested so that he knows what he has and doesn't try to convince himself that he couldn't possibly have it . You could've picked up hsv2 from "messing around" before you met him but it's more likely that he has it from what you've posted. I'm guessing the doc didn't do a blood test on you along with the lesion culture?

Your 9 year old is at no risk whatsoever!!! Everyone should have their own towel, washcloth, toothbrush and razor in a household for reasons far beyond herpes - other germs are very easily transmitted thru sharing them so it's always best not to. Herpes is transmitted thru direct skin on skin contact. It's also very easily killed with soap and water. You all can still use the same bar of soap and share the same toilet without worry. It's easily killed in the laundry too so you can still wash everyone's clothes together and such. If he picks up the wrong towel it's ok - it's still very, very, VERY unlikely to be transmitted that way.

You don't need to wear gloves either for yourself unless you know it's the only way you'll relax about it. The skin on your hands is too thick for the virus to easily penetrate.

I encourage you to take the time to read the herpes handbook and to watch the patient counseling video at www.westoverheights.com. Both are filled with terrific info on herpes. It'll answer most of the questions you have right now.

Hang in there - even a "mild" herpes ob hurts!! ( and shame on your doc for even trying to discount the pain you are having!! ) Having them in the area you have them in doesn't make it any easier Now go call your doc and give him a piece of your mind and get antivirals to help speed healing!!!

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

Betsey,

Thank you for your post. It has done much to relieve my worries. I did think it odd that the doctor did not perscribe something regardless of test results especially after the numerous stuff I've read that say to do the contrary. The Doc told me he had it too and hadn't had an outbreak in 15 years. I guess he thinks from his experience there is nothing to worry about but from mine it is a life altering realization. I am actually on Valtrex because my mother has it. She thought it was bull that he didn't give me something. It had only been three hours since I found out and was in a state of shock. Thinking in terms of the doctor being wrong in his approach wasn't something I was ready to go to yet. Today it's a whole new ball of wax.

The fact that I have to take my mother's Valtrex to treat this is more than just a little disturbing. I'm not one who would normally do such a thing but in my hour of desperation I relented and took the Valtrex. I'm now thankful I did. I wasn't in my right mind...and I'm still not...to push the issue. My world folded in half. I'm a little overwhelmed.

I have the worst luck with doctors and their treatment plan or lack of plan.

He did order a blood test along with taking the swab.

Next thing to tackle is getting my husband tested.


Thank you for the very helpful information.

Looks like the rest of my original reply was cut off - guess even moderators have word limits I don't think I said anything other than to read the handbook and watch the video. Recommend that your husband at least read the handbook . The info here on asha is shorter and should cover what he needs to know too if he prefers to read here ( though if you prefer he not stumble upon the message boards of course then don't recommend asha ).

It is a damn shame that you had to take your mother's valtrex to treat this - are you taking the proper amounts?

Once you get the results of your blood test results feel free to post the numeric results here and I'll gladly help you with them - I just need to see the numeric results - ie hsv1 igg 5.7 and hsv2 igg .34 or whatever they are.

Let me know how else I can help you

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

Betsy, I tried the link but it didn't work. I'll try it again.

Betsy, I don't mean to just be one big question mark but that is the way I am by nature. When you mentioned the numbers, what are the numbers and what do they mean?

Well the numbers themselves don't tell you a whole heck of a lot - just if you are + or -. It can also help narrow down if it's a new infection or not sometimes if the blood is drawn early enough into the ob - a + lesion culture for one type and a negative blood test igg result for that same type means it's a newly acquired infection. The window for opportunity for this though can be as short as 2 weeks in some folks so even that's not perfect unfortunately. The reason I like to look at folks lab work for them is - sometimes practioners are ordering the wrong blood work and other times they are interpreting the results wrong. I think getting a 2nd opinion on the blood test results is never a bad thing when it comes to herpes since there's still so much confusion out there over them. It's not that it's hard to learn how to interpret the blood work - it just takes a little time and effort.

betsy

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ASHA Moderator