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Horrible Breakout...Never Ending Problems After.

Posted , 2 users are following.

Jjohj
Jjohj

Background: I had these very painful skin splits vaginal opening. They were triangle shaped coming out from the opening and were white in color. Went to the doctor, told it was herpes and tested positive for hsv2.

It took me a month and a half to heal, and continued to have pain down there with sex. Then I started having reoccuring breakout's every time I had sex & pain from scar tissue. The doctor said it was friction. Now I have gotten my breakouts under control and haven't had one in a few months. Things seemed to be getting better until now.

But here's the thing. I had been on depo provera before I was diagnosed with my first break out. I believe the cuts or whatever you call them was not caused by the herpes but my birth control which caused me to be dry, my vaginal skin to become vulnerable and not elastic enough. Not to mention my boyfriend is well endowed. The herpes saw an opportunity and came out through the cuts. Here is why I think this: I now have another cut in similar fashion. It only hurts when having sex and there is bleeding during sex. It's the same color as my skin only a little redder. It's not white this time, therefore I don't think herpes has come out through it yet.

All and all, if I didn't take the birth control I wouldnt have found out about the herpes. I hope I am being clear and not sounding crazy. I am only 26, is it possible that the birthcontrol messed my vaginal tissue up this bad or maybe I have some hormone deficiency? I am not on birthcontrol anymore. I stopped in April. Maybe the hormones haven't left my body yet. I don't know what to do, I have no health insurance it ran out last month. Help please? What could be causing these cuts?

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • FelizCastus
    FelizCastus Jjohj

    Posted

    If you tested positive for HSV2 (by swab?) and have vaginal fissures (a symptom of herpes), especially after sex (a known trigger), then the cause is herpes, not your birth control. Of course, your birth control may be contributing to outbreaks, but the ultimate cause is herpes and you are likely shedding the virus regardless of the colour of your lesions (colour is irrelevant). Has your bf been tested, incidentally? Also, bleeding after sex should be further investigated by cervical smear, just to rule out other causes.
    • Jjohj
      Jjohj FelizCastus

      Posted

      I'm on suppressive medications. I was tested by swab. Why would the lesion be there if an outbreak is not present? Are you saying that I could have the fissures without an outbreak being present? I have been tested for everything to rule out other causes. I have been to the doctors a million times about this and multiple doctors before my health insurance ran out a month ago.

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Jjohj

      Posted

      Sorry, but I don't quite follow your train of thinking. The fissures are most likely an outbreak. If you were swabbed and have seen the doctor numerous times, then which HSV type do you have? Has your bf been tested for herpes IgG antibodies? Did you have a normal cervical smear (for the post-coital bleeding)?

  • jane80952
    jane80952 Jjohj

    Posted

    From a brief online search, depo can cause vaginal skin atrophy so I think that could be causing the fissures. I don't know how long after stopping depo that the skin returns to normal. It seems possible the depo compromised your skin there, providing herpes a more ready entry. However herpes can in itself cause fissures. So it could be either, or both. Whatever the case, hope it improves soon! I'm not a clinician and neither are some other responders on this site, so I hope you get insurance again soon and can confirm with a doctor.

    • jane80952
      jane80952

      Posted

      P.s. fissures and ulcers can also be caused by other things, like childbirth. If anogenital, Crohn's might be causing it. It sounds like your instincts are right about what is going on, but if the antivirals and stopping depo don't completely resolve it, consult again with dr....

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus jane80952

      Posted

      You have confirmed herpes and say you have been tested for numerous other things, so when it looks and behaves like herpes (with no mention of daily suppressive meds), the odds are it's probably herpes (with the depo possibly contributing to outbreaks), not something more obscure like Crohns', etc. Being on suppressive meds changes things somewhat, however. You should have mentioned that upfront, including your HSV type, etc. Which meds are you on and what dosage? How often have you had your fissures swabbed, and have they always tested positive for herpes? Just the one time or several?

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus

      Posted

      Oops, that was for the OP...
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus jane80952

      Posted

      There isn't a single self-professed "clinician" on this GH forum, in fact.

    • Jjohj
      Jjohj FelizCastus

      Posted

      I mentioned my HSV type in the first paragraph of my original post. I am on valtrex 1000mg each day at night. The fissures have only appeared twice, now and my first break out. The breakouts that I have gotten in between, up till a few months ago have been formed by fricton of sex and around the scartissue in the cusp, inside my vagina where i can't see them.

      Now that I have let the day develop. I have come to terms that what I fissure I have now is a breakout.

      BUT I have been developing a fissure over the past few months. (Not a breakout) Each time I have sex, it's has been getting bigger. I didn't even think of this but I believe what trigged it was the already open wound from rough sex and a large boyfriend and possibly atrophy. NOT to mention I totally forgot the Plan B pill I took last week, so a surge of hormones to trigger it. The herpes broke out where a non herpes sore existed. To suggest that this was a herpes sore all along would suggest that I have had a break out for two months straight while on the higset dosage of suppressie meds. I am sorry I didn't list the details, I am scattered brained about this as there are so many details.

      My boyfriend is too stubborn to get tested, his reasoning "if he has it, he has it".

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Jjohj

      Posted

      My bad for overlooking the type! Yes, you are on the highest dosage, which may mean that this is not solely herpes related in that case. No need to apologise for being scatterbrained. We can all get like that at times! Just makes it hard to understand the full picture. While an outbreak may have caused your latest fissure, you're right in that it should not last so long. Have you tried refraining from sex to give it time to properly heal first? Perhaps it is constantly splitting before fully healing. Just a thought. You can also try an acyclovir cream to see if that helps speed healing on top of the oral meds. Using lube when you do have sex is helpful against friction. Best thing is to consult with a gyno when you're able to, especially if it refuses to heal.

    • Jjohj
      Jjohj FelizCastus

      Posted

      Thank you, I have never thought about getting the cream. My main plan right now, and the only one, is to refrain from sex until my current break out and the fissure have healed completely. Then try again to see if the same thing happens. It has only been 5-6 months since I quit birth control and I have read it takes about that time for hormones to leave a person's body. So maybe I'm still being affected by them. And I also have a tube of estrogen cream which had helped to dissolve the scar tissue and made sex more comfortable. But maybe it would help to start using it again after my breakout subsides to heal up the exsisting fissure.

    • Jjohj
      Jjohj jane80952

      Posted

      Yes, I have done some research and thought about my problems being from atrophy and the birth control. I have had a ton of problems with birthcontrol before the herpes. Mostly it was painful sex, even with lube. I chose to take the depo a second time after not taking it for 5 years thinking it would be different. It was stupid of me. I am glad I know I have hsv2. I wouldn't wish it on anyone but I don't exactly like how I found out. Luckily I have an amazing boyfriend who has supported me the whole way.

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Jjohj

      Posted

      Hormones can certainly mess with vaginal issues as well as herpes. Varies from person to person. The acyclovir cream is not normally recommended over or in conjunction with the oral meds, but I have personally found it very helpful, as have some others on here, so worth a shot. The tube is tiny and cheap enough. Also, the cream is supposedly better than the ointment for non-first outbreaks. Hopefully a break from sex will allow it to fully heal. Could be as simple as that.
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