Am I the oldest person to contract herpes?

I'm 21 years old and my mum means the world to me and my little brother. If she turned around to me and said that she was suicidal. I would be devestated, i understand that you feel like that, but be strong for your daughter be strong for your mother you mean so much to them.

I know it's been a while since you posted but I just wanted to let you know that you are not the oldest person to contract this odious disease. I am 56 although I got it from a guy I was stupid enough to have a brief relationship with 12 years ago.

I have always been prone to cystitis and urinary infections and my main problem is that I cannot tell initially which of them is presenting and by the time I realise it is herpes or "itchy scratchy" as my husband of 10 years calls it!!! it is often of little value to take acyclovir.

I wish you all the best and hope that you find some coping strategies - stress is really really bad - so do be kind to yourself.

Try to remember to keep a positive outlook as negativity will actually bring on more stress and thus outbreaks. Focus your energy on finding treatments that help. This disease is really different to each individual. I am sharing my best and worst discoveries in hopes it will help and in hopes someone might write something I could find useful.

Good:

Sleep / Rest / Minimize Stress

Healthy Diet - no sugar, and not too much salt helps me

Exercise

Viradux-AU (a very good anti-herpetic crème - has stopped OB's altogether)

keeping positive

Bad:

Stress

acyclovir

Valtrex

Tons of other treatments out there that I have tried and not had much luck with if any at all!

Thanks for sharing all!

I have read with interest you post, sovereign, and I must begin by saying how fully I understand what you are going through with herpes. I was diagnosed in 2011 when I was 55, and I thought my world had just crashed down around me. I remember sitting on the wall outside the clinic and thinking "Do I laugh, cry, throw myself under a bus or get drunk?"!! I did what anna50 recommends and that was to adopt a positive mental attitude and I have to say, it works. Over the last 3 years the attacks have become less frequent, and there is now no pain at all, just an irritating rash.

We are not alone with this stigmatised problem, and I have taken great comfort from joining 2 groups that have helped me enormously to come to terms with H. I recommend, if you have not already checked them out, the HVA - the Herpes Virus Association, and a social site called H-YPE. The HVA team involve experts on the subject and you glean a lot of useful info from them whilst also contributing to debates.

I know it has been a while since you posted and it would be great to know that you are well and coming to terms with the situation. I wish you all the very best.