How long will my symptoms last!

In fact the first four to five outbreaks are painful, but not anywhere like the first... I remember my first outbreak, oh my word I couldn't stand the pain, it burned to pee n bathing even hurt... keep in mind that stress can cause more outbreaks, so try to keep stress down to a minimum and take meds faithfully everyday do not skip a dose...

Steven78649,

You can be very itchy on your downstairs area, this usually means your gonna have an outbreak, best thing is not to itch...

Take an Epsom salt bath in warm water and maybe pick up hydroqarozoine cream, I'm sure I spelt that wrong, I meaning that itch cream you can buy over the counter...

Anyways best of luck

I've been itchy after the fact. It's been 3 weeks after my first outbreak and inside my vagina is itchy and sometimes my labia. I don't know what's going on.

Just wondering if you have 1 or 2? I was diagnosed with 1 had an outbreak. Only itching and a few bumps, and mouth sores. Then thought I was healing and 2 weeks later here I am. Just a little redness, and discharge. I don't get it... thought outbreaks wouldn't happen. This soon. 

Try a zinc oxide cream like Penaten or any other diaper rash cream for the blisters on the outside and inner edges of the labia. It helps heal and protects it from the burning pee. I take a supplement called SuperLysine which is basically lysine with vitamin c and zinc and a few other herbs. Also I take an olive leaf extract capsule. And avoid foods that are high in arginine like nuts and chocolate. It will get better. You will be okay.

It's okay. Things will settle down. I stopped the tablets after 5 days due to side effects, but I kept with the Epsom salt soaks and used a diaper rash cream called Penaten ( with 18% zinc oxide). And that worked better than the ridiculously expensive Zovirax cream. Also tried Lysine and Vitamin C and olive leaf extract (taken as supplements). Things were much improved after a week, and the blisters were gone by 2 weeks.

It feels like there's no light at the end of the tunnel it just seems to be getting worse and worse, was yours like that, did it start as one and grow over a week or so and then settle down? 

I've been taking zinc and vitamin c supplements, nurofen plus and the tablets from the doctor, putting tea tree oil on them, I even had a bath of Epsom salt, tea tree oil and garlic haha stung my whole body but I will try anything!    How long have you had it and do you get many outbreaks? I'm thinking unless I've caught it off my fiancé I've had it over three years and this is my first massive outbreak and I don't understand why

It can remain dormant for a long time before an outbreak. My partner and I (together 8 years) both had our very first outbreaks at the beginning of December! My doctor said there is no way of knowing who gave it to who or how long we had it so no sense pointing fingers or making accusations at each other lol. She said she had one couple in their 60's with first time outbreaks! So I was really sick when I first had the outbreak - started as fatigue and fever and fluish feeling - and a sore throat! I broke out on my lip, tongue and near the tonsils at the same time as one sore became a number of sores inside my cervix and around the opening of the vagina. Talk about misery! It burned like crazy to pee and I couldn't sit comfortably at all. I was so down hearted and depressed. I took Valtrex for 5 days then switched to the lysine, vitamin C and zinc supplements as well as olive leaf extract. I did sitz baths with Epsom salts and warm water and made sure to keep the lesions clean and used penaten cream. I found tea tree too harsh, and the zovirax cream was not that impressive. I used Abreva (an OTC cold sore cream) on my lip sore and that worked great. I would say the pain was subsiding a fair bit after 5 to 7 days, but the sores took another 7 days to heal with some residual itchiness. My BF took the Valtrex for the full 10 days and we both still heales up around the same time frame. Then we made the mistake of having sex too soon, but I only broke out in one relativy minor blister that I treated with the penaten cream. That healed up reasonably quickly. I stayed on lysine and vitamin C and Zinc. Maybe the garlic and tea tree are just a bit harsh and you could try a zinc oxide cream to see if it helps soothe things? Are you taking the acyclovir tablets?

Wow wow wow that sounds like absolute misery you poor thing! Mine is more between my bum and vagina and more around my bum so I'm lucky that I can lee alright ah the moment thank god.  I've been using baby wipes to clean occasionally because they are a little bit pussy on one (there's one big one which is foul)  the tea tree burns a bit but takes away the itch so I don't mind lol. I don't think we get penaten cream in Australia don't know a substitute and too embarrassed to ask. I feel as though as the day progresses it doesn't feel AS bad, I can walk around which I couldn't do this morning.  I don't think I'll be having sex with my partner anytime soon and couldn't imagine he even wants too feel so dirty

I have valaciclovir tablets which I am taking three times a day ( on day 2)  is that the same?

Yes actually valacyclovir is Valtrex and its what we were prescribed as well. Penaten cream is just a zinc oxide cream that is used for baby's diaper rash. Just go to the baby section of any store and find a diaper rash cream with zinc oxide. Penaten is 18% zinc oxide for comparison purposes. Nothing embarrassing about buying diaper rash cream!

Ya you definitely dont want sex with active sores because it will hurt like holy blue hell. But it WILL get better. I was diagnosed on Dec 5th. Todaybis Jan. 5th and I feel perfectly fine and no sign of outbreak. And we got back to sex this week and so far so good. And remember this - women tend to get it worse than men so dont feel bad if you outbreak and he doesnt. You are in this together.

Hi. Just checking in and hoping things are improving for you. 😊

Hey thanks for checking in I feel like your comments have helped me with how depressed I was feeling from all this.

I went and got the nappy rash cream 15% zinc oxide and also nappy each powder, I can't really get it off though haha because it hurts too much to rub off so hoping that doesn't harm it, I feel as tho I'm slowly getting better, my vagina doesn't feel quite as swollen and can half wipe after the toilet now (such a fun time ) 

There is a little cluster of blisters on my leg near my panty line which haven't popped so not out of the woods yet and still in pretty immense pain but hoping it will subside really soon it's been about a week and a half now so I'm over it

Hello I’ve read thru  your posts with daphne69 and wondering if I can ask a few questions you might be able to help me with.  I have hsv 1 genital and am on my second outbreak 7 months after my primary initial one where I tested positive for hsv 1 genital. I’m not having the burning pain on the blisters as I did for the initial break out but I’m having burning skin sensations beside the little 1 tiny blister.  The blister doesn’t  hurt at all but it’s like a burning burning skin feeling all beside it that will not subside.  I’ve taken the valtrex but noticed your recommendations of the supliments of vitamin c lystine etc would this help mine also?  Do either of you experience this burning skin beside the blister?  It’s like there’s a lighter being held to my skin there. if I could get that pain to leave I think I could heal faster.  also any advise on when I should fully be back to no pain?  It’s been 4 days and it’s not feeling much better I thought second occurances where faster healing.  Any tips you have would be great.  I’m suffering in the acceptance of this again.  I had a hard time mentally accepting this diagnosis and was just starting to not think about it when I got this second ob.  Kinda send me back to feeling the shame all over again

Hey there, I don't think I'll be much help as this is my first outbreak, the burning skin may be a tiny ulcer next to the blister? That you can't really see? I found that the cream and baby powder has helped with my burn maybe try some nappy rash cream?  If it makes you feel better about the time frame I'm almost up to two weeks so 4 days isn't too long at all. Stay positive

Maybe try Epsom salts baths? It's quite soothing it stings at first then soothes 

Sorry I'm not too much help, I'm pretty lost with all this

Have you experienced discharge? I have got terrible white discharge and don't know if it's the infection or I've got a yeast infection as well as I haven't been able to clean tooooo well due to the pain 

I feel as tho I'm all healing except for one patch which almost seems as if it's rotting away the ulcer is about a pinky nail size have you experienced that 

Ya the nappy cream stays on as a good coating but it doesnt hurt anything. When I showered I would just dab at it with a warm washcloth.

Use the cream on the new ones too even if they havent popped uet as xinc is supposed to kill hsv. Glad you are feeling a little better!

Hi. If one of the sores seems bigger and worse than the others tou might try using some antibiotic ointment in case it got a little infection in it... if it continues to worsen while the others get better you could show it to a doctor

Hi. Although my first OB has cleared there are times when I feel a burning under the skin that I think is the virus just under the surface...I believe that might be what they call prodrome? When I feel that I go ahead and apply the zinc ointment or cold sore cream anyway and check my diet to make sure I am sticking to low arginine foods. Basically no nuts, chocolate or too much coffee.

Don't feel ashamed - it is a skin condition that erupts sometimes . HSV 1 is the virus that causes cold sores particularly on the mouth and over 70% of the world has that. We were just unfortunate that we got 1 or 2 on our genitals.

How are you going with it all now? X

You have HSV 1 on the genitals? Or is that HSV 2?

Hello, Is penaten cream effective? Im in my 3rd OB as of now. As I googled a lot of things I saw many people using Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar and I used it. Yes it will really help herpes to get rid off but dont soak it for a long time because base on what Ive experienced it will make the herpes to be open I mean to be a cold sore. Just use a small cotton and put it on where the herpes located and then leave it dont soak it for a long time. 

I found Penaten cream to be the BEST topical cream to apply because it helped heal the sores and the thick coating prevented the constant irritation from urine. I found it worked better tham the $500 zovirax ointment.

After the initial OB, I have successfully avoided any further OB by applying penaten cream at the first inkling of anything itchy or buzzy .

I took lysine for a few weeks during and after the first OB because I did not like the side effects of valtrex.

Abreva seemed to work best for the cold sore on my lip which came on at the same time as my initial genital OB

Really? Can I buy it anywhere? I mean any kind of drugstore? Do I need some prescription of it to buy or not? Im not familair with the cream. 

It does not require a prescription and can be bought in most drug stores or even grocery stores in the baby supply section, as it is most often used as a diaper rash cream. Penaten is the brand I bought, but I imagine there are other creams with the same active ingredient, which is zinc oxide 18%. Doesnt cost much and you can buy it right off the shelf.

In the uk, it’s called Sudocreme and it’s the only thing I’m using 4 days into my first OB. So far so good. I’m terrified :-(