Chronic episodic skin rash, face burning+itch, no diagnosis

Hi All, Partner and I can't get any headway with diagnosis or treatment, now affecting her mental health. All thoughts welcome!

Approx 4 years ago when she was in her previous relationship, girlfriend had what her doc initially thought was a shingles outbreak on her leg. After a while though they considered herpes, she tested negative for this and unfortunately experienced neuropathic pain 'down below' for 10 months with occasional flareups, and pain in urination Her r'ship ended and she abstained from sex, traumatised by whole experience. She never got a diagnosis for original rash, just the neuropathic pain.

9 months ago met me, was upfront about her history, and sometime later we began sexual r'ship. Initially no massive problems, some shortish lived pain down below and internally for her. Then quite suddenly she gets fever/burning all over but especially face and extremely cold legs+feet below knee lasting 2-3 days, itchy face, little bit of rash/occasional spot over body (she never had such symptoms first time round 4 years ago). I also then get similar symptoms (obviously caught from girlfriend), but milder - initial coldness in feet with hot/burning sensation in head, itchy face and initially isolated red spots on back. Symptoms don't stop me working or exercising, but they are irritating, 5 months later they have settled into a pattern of a small rash on either cheekbone, regualr mildly itchy rash on trunk especially near my nipples, occasional rash on arm, 1 rash which was 1 cm away from lip., episodic hot burning sensation in face.

My poor girlfriend continues with some internal pain, regular burning in head, regular episodic skin rash over a lot of her body which lasts approx 1 hour then rapidly fades, regular blocked nose/dry throat and regular itching face worse at night. We have been to GP, GUM clinic to both be retested for hepres and all STD's - negative for both of us (seen repeatedly by the top GUM consultant), she has been to private dermatlogist - nothing. Girlfriend has now developed a health anxiety (though it is based in a degree of reality; ie physical symptoms are real), she believes she is walking contagion, sees anyone with spots or a cold and believes she has caused them, has had to drop out of work as she felt she was passing something on, avoids friends+their kids, has now had to access mental health services as a result. She believes it is herpes despite negative tests and despite the fact herpes doesn't really pass through general day-to-day contact, but she has a firm belief/preoccupation of contagion. She has a several months waiting list for referral to infectious diseases.

So, all these symptoms between the two of us, referrals to specialists, anti viral medication, antihistamines only having modest impact, now feeding Girlfriends anxiety/worried about general contagion.

I will take her to private consultant in infectious diseases, it seems viral in nature to me.

Other than that am totally at a loss.

Sorry for long post, but please any thoughts welcome or if anyone has had similar, bewildering, experiences or advise. Many thanks.

0 likes, 2 replies