Hi, I have been reading the posts on the board and I have a few concerns. One is that I have read some really good questions that were left un-answered...probably because it seems as though ppl are asking the same questions over and over again. But the question regarding children contracting HSV-2 never seems to be fully answered. I know that HSV-2 genitally should not be transferred to children because we do not have that kind of contact with them. And most ppl do not get many outbreaks of HSV-2 on the mouth, but what if we do have o.b's on our mouth? I sometimes get tiny cuts on my lips or sores in my mouth. I have no idea what they are, but they very well could be herpes 2. I tested negative for HSV-1. I am scared to death to kiss my babies. So, my question is would HSV-2 be transmitted the same ways in which HSV-1 could be transmitted when it's on the mouth? Could my babies get HSV-2 orally from me kissing them if I have these cuts on my lips if they are indeed an o.b? Or is there just not enough info out there for us to know this yet?

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I tested positive this year after getting tested because my husband cheated on me and didn't use a condom. He tested negative (we have been together for 5 yrs) so I know I didn't get this from him. I was totally shocked because I had never had any real symptoms. Sure occasionally I would get a bump down there and freak out but nothing serious. Well 5 months after finding out, I had what no doubt was a full blown "attack" of this virus. How is it that for 8 yrs or more of having this virus I had never had any o.b's and then all of a sudden I find out I have it and now I'm getting attacked by this thing. Could it be a psychological thing? For ex. Since I know I have it now, my brain is not allowing my immune system to reject it. Has anyone else had this problem?

And why does coffee cause outbreaks? I have just recently started drinking coffee, but I have always sipped on caffeinated sodas and never any o.b's that I know of.

Well thanks for any input. I really appreciate this board. It has helped alot!

Odds are your mouth issues aren't due to hsv2. For starters, for the vast majority of people who have hsv2 orally, it's only shedding 1% of days and doesn't reoccur. Just cuts on the lips doesn't sound like herpes either. If you need the peace of mind though, next time you have these symptoms, be seen promptly for a lesion culture and typing of them. Even if you did have hsv2 orally, it's incredibly unlikely that you'd transmit it to your children. It's not something to worry about in general. Sores in your mouth are usually canker sores which aren't due to herpes and aren't contagious. If you frequently get cuts on the lips and sores in your mouth, might be time for a further work up to see if other things are going on like food allergies, autoimmune issues, allergic reactions to chemicals in toothpaste/lipstick etc.

coffee and caffeine are not triggers for the vast majority of people who have hsv2. Some folks do by trial and error find it's a trigger for them but for most folks, food is not a trigger.

Why have a full blown ob now after having have been infected for so long? well it does happen and isn't as unusual as it sounds. It's not unusual to not think twice about anything going on genitally until you either find out you have hsv2 and start inspecting your genital area more often and putting more thought into what goes on down there as well as it's not unusual for folks to be infected and not know it until they do have a full blown recurrence that makes them take notice and go and be seen and get properly diagnosed. Vaginitis, especially bv in us gals, can trigger herpes to be more active so sometimes it's a precipitating circumstance like that that triggers the more obvious recurrence. Have you been getting tested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally since this started? About 1/2 of all bv infections don't present with obvious symptoms so if you haven't had symptoms of vaginitis but haven't been tested ( sometimes doc's will only visually look at you and say there's no reason to test too so you have to be insistent ), it's well worth getting tested for it if you are suddenly having more obvious recurrences. I've known people who in hindsight figured out they were infected for 15+ years after they had an obvious recurrence and their recurrences not become obvious until they've had changes in hormones due to aging and/or vaginitis issues start. Not sure how old your babies are but if you've fairly recently given birth, changes in hormones due to that can be issues too ( as well as being totally run down chasing after multiple small children! ).

Keep asking questions as you have them

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

Different question: Should I abstain from sex if I have just 2 small nicks on my bottom? It's more toward the anal area. I don't understand this disease. I constantly have problems down there and now I'm thinking its probably almost always related to HSV. I feel horrible and depressed when I have the slightest o.b. I'm afraid I might pass it to my husband at any time, because I don't have tingling and all the signs beforehand. I know that I am having an o.b. when I already have the "cuts" and I feel it stinging in the shower. I just recently got on valacyclovir (Valtrex). How long does it take for it to start working? I've been on it about a wk and a half. Thanks for any help.

yes any time you have anything going on genitally you should avoid sex since your husband is negative. Even when they aren't herpes related, they can trigger shedding. If you continue to get these sorts of symptoms regularly, pursue a further work up for them because odds are they aren't herpes related if you are getting them regularly even while on suppressive therapy.

suppressive therapy starts working within 5 days of starting it.

keep asking questions!

betsy

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ASHA Moderator

Betsy,
Is 1000 mg twice daily the correct dosage for the generic form of Valtrex? My apologies if you have already answered this question somewhere else on the board. I have looked on LexiComp but that was confusing. Under 'dosage' it read: transmission reduction - 500 mg once daily (source partner). I thought I had heard that a partner who is negative will benefit nothing from taking suppression medication. Can you clarify this for me?

the valtrex website has awesome info if you've never checked it out. also the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com is a terrific source of info too.

If you have less than 9 ob's/year, it's 500mg once a day for suppressive therapy. If you have more than 9 ob's a year, it's 1gm/day for suppressive therapy with valtrex.

we have no studies in humans as to if the uninfected partner taking daily suppressive therapy reduces their odds of infection. The mouse studies done on this showed no protection so it was never pursued in humans. You can get the risk for a male down to 2%/year with just daily suppressive therapy and avoiding sex anytime you have anything going on genitally and 1% if you do that plus throw in condom use.

betsy

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ASHA Moderator