I'm going to try to sum this up quickly... I saw a bump appear on my vagina in addition to the slight pain and swelling i was experiencing 3 days after some vigorous, lengthy sex and at first I thought it may have just been an ingrown/pimple but as the day progressed i started to see more. The next day I had about 7 and my vagina had started to itch terribly. Throughout the day they got worse and worse to the point of them becoming open sores and being very painful. I had showered 3 times throughout the day to see if it helped and it just kept getting worse.

I immediately went to the clinic the following morning (Wednesday). The doctor saw me and told me it looked like I definitely have herpes. We won't know for sure until the results next week but he gave me some medication to start taking anyway (he said it's similar to Valtrex).

Anyway, my question is:

I thought it was painful when they first turned into sores... that was NOTHING. I am in excrutiating pain and have been for the last 24 hours because more sores have appeared and they are EVERYWHERE. I'm talking the bottom near the opening, the lips (outside and in), the skin around my vagina.... EVERYWHERE. I can't pee without screaming, it's mind boggling how painful it is to try and pee. I tried peeing while in the bath, while in the shower, while poruing water over it... nothing makes it any better. I'm surprised my neighbors haven't come knocking thinking someone was stabbing me... and in addittion to that, once i finally DO pee I can't wipe properly either which creates a problem because I don't want it to be dirty down there and make the condition worse.

All the doctor gave me was these pills which are supposed to help heal the outbreak I suppose... but I need to know what is ok to use or if there's anything I can use to help with the excrutiating pain. I haven't left my house or been able to work because I can't walk properly or sit down/get up/bend over etc without it felling like my pubic hairs are being ripped off one by one very slowly. It's terrible

Please, if anyone knows how I can get some relief from the pain let me know!!! I'm terrified to even thik about leaving my house even if I can get past the walking and sitting, to use a public restroom... I can't even fathom it. It really is excrutiating.... help please!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to hear that you are in such pain Things you can try is you can buy dermoplast spray at most drug stores ( you want the blue can for the genital area, not the red can ). You can spray that on periodically for pain relief. There are also many otc topical anesthetics in other forms too like creams you can slather on too. Just don't buy any with antibioitcs in them or steroids in them.

Unless you have a medical reason not to, you can alternate tylenol with advil. It gives pain relief comparable to some narcotics. for instance 1000mg tylenol at 6am, 600mg advil at 9am, tylenol at noon, advil at 3pm etc. If that isn't enough pain control don't hesitate to call your doctor for something stronger.

Pick up a box of aveeno bath. Sprinkle a pack in the bathtub and soak in that twice a day. When you get out, air dry your genital area for as long as possible or blow it dry with a blow dryer set on cool.

You can also sit with an ice bag in between your legs too for comfort!

Check your prescription and post what medication it is , what dose and for how long so we can be sure that your doctor prescribed it properly. The doses differ quite a bit and sometimes they get confused so it's worth confirming that you were prescribed the right medication.

Did they do a lesion culture and typing or just a visual diagnosis? It's important to find out which type you have - it's not always hsv2 just because it's below the belt.

Be sure to read the info on asha's website about herpes. Also there is a terrific patient counseling video to watch and the herpes handbook to read too at www.westoverheights.com to learn more.

I hope you are feeling better soon

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

I can totally relate to the pain you describe. I did nto scream but it did cause me tears. It felt like razor blades while urinating. The Dr gave me valtrex I am almost all healed up. As I am newly diagnosed I am not too sure about taking it for supression. Wiht what I have read I am think YES especially if the first year is the worst. I hope you get healed up soon.

well i had blood taken because i also got an HIV test and they also swabbed for a culture since they couldn't do a full exam because it was too painful. I have to go back for the results on the 19th

It's probably too early for the blood test to be of much help unless this isn't a newly acquired infection. Be sure to ask for a paper copy of the results to bring home with you so that you can post them here for me to look at to help you more with them. Unfortunately many medical professionals don't fully understand the blood tests

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

geez, that isn't comforting...



i actually told 2 of my friends about what is happening and both strongly suggested that i get a second or third opinion about what's going on. one told me a friend of his had something similar and was told by a doctor she had herpes and it actually turned out to be something with her kidney stones or something... i didn't really understand. but he said i should get a second opinion when i was describing to him what was going on and how painful it still is.


after i initially posted this (like 3am Friday)i actually ended up going to the emergency room because i didn't know what else to do to relieve some of the pain to be able to pee. i had tried to go and just ended up bawling and crying hysterically and my sister made me call an ambulance (she knows i have an unusually high tolerance for pain and to see me like that scared the crap out of her) because i had to be for about 4 hours...

anyway, when i got to the hospital after telling them what was going on the doctor said he didn't need to see me. they just gave me a vicodin and wrote me 2 perscriptions. one for Zovirax cream and another for Vicoprofen (which i think is supposed to be like Vicodin?) I still have yet to fill either prescritption because:
1. the Vicodin the gave me didn't really help with the pain down there. it still hurt just as much as before only after taking the Vicodin i was really very indifferent to the pain until i had to move or something... lol like it basically made me very calm and seemed like it affected everywhere BUT down there.
2. i don't like to take any kind of drug unless its absolutely necessary and i know it will work
3. i am uninsured and have no idea how much it will cost to fill them

in addition to that, i still had to pee before i left the hospital so they gave me "Lidocaine Viscous" which is an oral antistetic but the woman that gave it to me told me it would be ok to use down there because it would numb it so i could pee.

BOY OH BOY DID IT WORK WONDERS!!!!

she gave me 2 packets of that stuff to take home and use and it has been PHENOMENAL in helping me when i have to pee.

my question is, is that stuff really ok to be using down there like that? and if so, is it available over the counter or is something similar to it available over the counter?

If you don't have insurance then definitely don't bother getting the zovirax ointment filled. It's a waste of money anyways.

Yes you can use the lidocaine genitally! Glad they gave you something to help You can buy lidocaine otc actually - LMX is one brand name, topicaine is another. You can also buy the dermoplast spray I talked about - just remember you want the blue can, not the red. It's nice because you can spray it on without having to touch your lesions.

betsy

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ASHA Moderator