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HSV-2 only: Who else, and how often do you have outbreaks?

Posted , 68 users are following.

FelizCastus
FelizCastus

Thought it would be good to have a discussion thread just for those with IgG/swab-confirmed HSV-2 (so not presumed cases).

For personal "research" purposes, lol, I'm also very interested to know:

1. How long you've had it.

2. How often do you have outbreaks.

3. Did you have a history of cold sores (even if only as a child) before you acquired HSV-2.

Other personal experiences regarding HSV-2 welcome. Cheers!

4 likes, 227 replies

227 Replies

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  • teresa5801
    teresa5801 FelizCastus

    Posted

    Diagnosed with HSV 1 genitally about a month ago and I'm experiencing my second (pretty severe) outbreak. Thankfully it's not as painful as last time, but it's stille xtremely irritated and itchy/uncomfortable. I'm also kind of wondering/hoping if it's a bit of a continuation of my first initial outbreak?

    Also, on my period which apparently can cause an outbreak, and my bf and I have a pretty active/rough sex life. Super nervous that this will decrease my sex life, just from the sheer amount of time I'm "out of action".

    I've seen loads of advice on how to heal it quicker/ease the itch/discomfort - can anyone verify any ideas? Heard of lemon balm tea, red marine algae, or salt baths? Any barrier creams/diaper rash lotions I try to put to soothe it stings or irritates it.

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus teresa5801

      Posted

      With genital Type 1, you should be fine, having only one outbreak a year, if that. Only a small minority have regular recurrences. I suspect you tried to get back to normal, sex-wise, too soon after just recovering. The friction from sex can be triggering, so take it a little easy for a couple of months and use lube. I suspect you'll be back to normal in no time. Your body is still producing antibodies and adapting to having the virus, but things should settle in 3-4 months.
  • Pat96037595
    Pat96037595 FelizCastus

    Posted

    I just recently found out a few days ago....I've never had a outbreak or a cold sore. I went because my partner was unfaithful and contracted Trich. I decided to be tested for everything. In fact I tested positive for Trich I was told that day. 2 days later is when I learned I was positive for HSV 1 and HSV 2. I was devasted my partner got his test back today and he's negative or so he says. I was tested through blood IgG test. He had a mouth swab.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus Pat96037595

      Posted

      As I mentioned in the separate thread you started, he needs to test for IgG as well. A negative oral swab on a random day does not mean that he's negative. Not at all. For example, I did a random pcr vaginal swab just the other day to see if I was shedding or not (was curious to know, lol). My test came back negative, but I am most definitely positive.
    • louise123456
      louise123456 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Sorry to hijack here but how did you do this test FelisCatus? Can you get an at home pcr test? So that detects shedding, I didn't realise that...
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus louise123456

      Posted

      It's the same test as a herpes lesion swab, except without lesions, so the swab is taken internally. Pcr is sensitive and accurate enough to detect shedding (used by researchers for this purpose; better than viral culture), but it costs more and isn't cheap. Not something I can do often as a result, so just a one-off while getting my Pap, as I was curious to find out. I went private, of course.
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus louise123456

      Posted

      Actually, some (private) clinics might allow that! If your doctor agrees to it, you can be supplied with swabs to do at home and they can test them for herpes, but that is still going to be rather costly, unfortunately.
  • h79
    h79 FelizCastus

    Posted

    I remember my first outbreak (two pimples) was last March (6 weeks after contact with the guy I know got it from), however, I did not get diagnosed until a few weeks ago (April 22 to be exact) because I didn't think what I had was anything more than an ingrown hair. My bloodwork came back negative for HSv1, Positive for HSV2 (very high values). (Didn't even have sex with this guy, just some genital on genital contact, he swears he doesn't have it, I know he is an asymptomatic carrier because I was clean (with bloodwork after every ex) before him.

    I got four OBs (two pimples outer labia) in the last year. Got the first three OBs about 6 weeks apart from each other, then I got the 4th OB about ten months after the third OB. However, since I had the bloodwork done I got so super nervous and have had two OBs in the last three weeks (have one now and it is in a new spot and this time it burns because of where it is, but the doctor doesn't think that I autoinnoculated because I have had the virus a year, rather that the stress of the diagnosis is causing the virus to stay active and the infected nerve to cause it to appear in some different areas).

    I never had any coldsores as a kid. I did have chickenpox, and in my late 20s I had shingles after a horrible stressful time.

    Anyway, the doctor went ahead and put me on a 6 month dose of suppresive therapy (Started yesterday) to knock this first major stress out (Valtrex). After this 6 months we shall see (but knowing in my first year that I only had 4 mild OBs, I think hopefully it will get better). I have read a few things about a vaccine that is in trial stage for people who actively have HSV2 to knock out symptoms (if that goes well apparently there will be a preventitive vaccine--although I need to read up more on this).

     

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus h79

      Posted

      Welcome to the club!? :s Your case is interesting. I know you strongly suspect that guy gave it to you, but you barely had any genital contact and 6 weeks is too late for a first outbreak. Usually it's a couple of days to a week for most people, up to 20 days max. Also, an IgG index value >5 at just 6 weeks sounds more like a pre-existing infection. How long did you wait to test after each bf, if you don't mind me asking? In particular, the last bf. Were your tests always by IgG? No matter how, that sucks you have it, too. The therapeutic vaccine is still a long way off, unfortunately, but at least they're already in the midst of doing human trials and have had success with that so far.
    • h79
      h79 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Hi, No the test I had would have been 18 months after my contact with this guy (and I had no contact with any guy in the meantime in that 18 months). I didn't test until after my 4th OB, as the entire time I thought it was an ingrown hair. It is very possible that I had a small bump two weeks after, as I vaguely remember thinking I had a bump in the shower (but I was out of the country for work and intent on thinking about everything with that responsibility), but I definitely remember the OB in mid-march (which would have been 6 weeks after contact with the guy, and 4 weeks after the first possible OB of one pimple). But the IgG test was done 18 months after I think I contracted it (again no sex, but genital to gentital contact).

      All my other igG tests were done 3-6 months after my other exes (as a part of my annual exam I would geta  full spectrum panel of blood workd for herps, HIV, HepC etc run). My new doctor has requested my records from my last doctor (since i have moved) to ensure that this was the blood test done.

      yes, it does suck. I am two days into my Valtrex treatment (mainly to get over the stress of knowing that this is what I have, as it is causing the OB to just keep popping up--so in the last year when I thought it was a pimple/ingrown hair I only have 4 OBs, now that I know it is what it is I have had 3 in 3 weeks).

      However, with the therepeutic vaccine, apparently they are in Phase II of the clinical trial with Gen--003, so I am hopeful that it will move forward:-) I don't plan to do the Valtrex for more than a few months to get over this initial hump/shock of finding out I have HSV2.

  • j76713
    j76713 FelizCastus

    Posted

    Hello FelisCatus .. 

    I was diagnosed with HSV2 last week.  I have NO idea when or who I got this from.  I was EXTREMELY devestated as I have NEVER had any outbreaks however, after reading SO many articles I believe that this small, irritating bumb that I get above my rectum (more so near the top of my crack) RIGHT before my menstral every so often MAY be considered an outbreak but I'm not sure. But if this is considered an outbreak, then I've had HSV2 for years unknowingly.

    I told my man about the diagnoses. He wasn't upset, he was more so concerened and surprisingly very supportive.  He went to get tested the very next day and he still has not received a call from his doctors office. 

    I'm having the hardest time trying to comsume all of this. I have been crying EVERYDAY as i woul dhave NEVER thought that I would had been exposed to HSV2. I joined this group for support as I have no one to speak too.  I just need support on how to get through this. 

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus j76713

      Posted

      Sorry you joined the club, too. sad It's never easy dealing with the diagnosis, especially at first, so I know where you're coming from, even though you've been lucky to escape actual outbreaks. How did you find out in that case? Did you test by IgG and score high?

    • j76713
      j76713 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Hello and happy Wednesday,

      Thank you for responding ... Yes, The test was done through IgG ?? Which I've read is the accurate testing method.

      I requested to have an STD test just because I hadn't had one in quite some time. What's crazy is that I received my results and Everything came back negative (shown on the front page) and I'm thinking I'm free of stds. A few weeks later I went to the Urgent Care because I was having a female issue and that doctor told me inquire with my PCP and ask for a herpes test.

      I went to my PCP, told her what happened and why I went to UC and what that doctor told me as far as having her test me for herpes and as she was scrolling through her notes on her screen, she then says " Oh, we did test for herpes and your HSV test came back positive for type 2 and negative for type 1."

      Basically, they FAILED to advise me in my initial results that my HSV2 came back positive. (Which was NEVER shown in my results)

      SMH!!!!

    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus j76713

      Posted

      Wow, that's terribly sloppy! Can't believe they failed to notify you of your results until you happened to go back by chance. Imagine if you hadn't! You must have been so shocked to go from thinking you were okay to suddenly being told oops, sorry, actually you do have HSV-2. Did you ask them why or how they failed to notify you? Crazy stuff, but happy hump day to you, too! :D

    • TS073016
      TS073016 FelizCastus

      Posted

      What do the Igg numbers mean I see a lot of people posting it?
    • FelizCastus
      FelizCastus TS073016

      Posted

      IgG numbers roughly indicate the level of HSV-1/2 IgG antibodies in your blood. This is useful to know, since a low positive for Type 2 may actually be false, especially where a person has pre-existing Type 1, due to a slight cross-reaction with certain test kits (e.g., HerpeSelect) in some cases. Further investigation and confirmation may thus be warranted. High positives are unlikely to be false regardless of Type 1 status. False positives are also very unlikely with swab tests, which don't look for antibodies but the virus itself or specific viral activity. That's the best way I can explain it, at least!

    • TS073016
      TS073016 FelizCastus

      Posted

      Thank you! Well I can't wait to get a blood test bc I'm very curious to know my status. I have never had a cold sore. I have never experience anything like I did last month. I pray I'll be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have another ob bc I think I'll just die lol.

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