Living in Misery

Posted , 22 users are following.

Dont mean to sound so dramatic, but about five days ago I had pain while urinating, after 2 rounds of antibiotics and a second trip to the ER for what everyone though was a UTI, cultures and samples all negitive. I was diagnosed with genital herpes. The kicker, is I was with someone for 22 years and we split over two years ago. I had sex with one other man about 2 years ago we had a few trysts. Other than this I have remained non sexually active for a year and a half now.

I have never felt so much pain. I was prescribed Valtrax and was told this will most definitely help alleviate symptoms. But may take a few days. I am on day 6 of this and can barely pee with out feeling like I might throw up and or pass out. This is the worst I have felt ever. I am taking Advil for pain but todays poking has inflamed everything.I have just a few lesions.. I meant to ask for a cream that could do some numbing, but forgot. Please please any home remedies while I deal with this physically. Im in so much pain I cant even deal with the mental turmoil I need to face . I was told blood work and swabs take 10 days to confirm, but two drs said it looked textbook. She said that I may have gotten this ions ago and never felt the outbreak?

swollen lymph glands the burning, the pain, difficulty urinating, lesions

I feel so awful..agony to be honest

Thanks

1 like, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • Posted

    I am a 33 year old woman who was also recently diagnosed a month ago. It took two weeks to three weeks for the pain to subside and I was just like you , crying while peeing, it is no joke. I was lucky, my doctor gave me strong pain meds like Percocet. I suggest only taking one of those a day, do not exceed that amount, but that's just my opinion. The Percocet defiantly took the sting of out the pee. However, after a week, I threw my Percocet's away because I knew I was going to have to learn how to start dealing with the pain on my own with no help, so all I did after that was put Vaseline and Neosporin. Please wash hands after you do that thoroughly and make sure no one else ever use's the Vaseline that you use. I also took the Valtrex everyday.

    More so than anything, what I did was, use my nutribullet that I bought a long time ago. It cost me $100.00 and was the best investment I ever made, however, I never used it. When I got herpes, I started using it. In the recipe book that you get for free is the immune strengthening chapter. I did the recipe of orange, collard greens, almonds (all fresh) because it has the most vitamin A and it's the cheapest out of all the recipes. It is a BLAST of vitamin A that we need. Drink one of those every single day and you will see how fast it clears up.

    Remember, your first outbreak is always your worst. It's not your fault that you got herpes , and in a few months, you won't even think about it anymore. RELAX. It's not that big a deal.

    • Posted

      To ease the pain of peeing, I bought a plastic bottle, the type used for hair coloring, and fill with water. I spray the area with water, which dilutes the urine and takes away some of the sting. I've also read to drink a lot of fluids, which also dilutes the urine. The bottle was the best solution for me.
    • Posted

      Hi Abby I'm 15 diagnosed with type 1 and 2 and I only just got diagnosed. I'm in so much pain and that toilet terrifies me any tips for urinating without screaming out in pain. I can't walk at all I can't sit down I can't sleep I can't do anything. I feel miserable and not only that contracting this curse wasn't my fault I was walking home late and I was sexually assaulted I'm devastated and I need help with the pain I'm on acyclovir and lidocaine gel but it doesn't do much

    • Posted

      I am so sorry you had to go through this. I have type 1 genitally and was in so much excruciating pain the only thing that I knew would be helpful was to GET A CATHETER inserted into my urethra. Thank God I am a nursing student and thought if doing this because if I had not done this I would have been in so much agony. I had two sores very close in between my labia minor that everytime i pee it would burn SO BAD I cried everytime and just wanted to died. After two days all of my sores crusted and healed completely by the 4th day. I learned in order to heal the sores leave them open and dry to the air . I kept putting on so much zinc cream which did nothing for me which I believed only prolonged the healing time. I also took Valtrex but not sure how effective that was. Having the catheter was the brst relief of my life. It was hard heal the sores if everytime i pee, the urine would irritate the sores. This recently happen to be a month ago and was my very first and hoping my last outbreak. I've been praying to God for a divine miracle because I KNOW on my HIM can cure me from this diease. I dont wish this on anyone! The pain is extremely unbearable and i hope someday that this diease is eradicated. God bless you all!

    • Posted

      I'm so sorry so many typos in my comment, using my phone to write and it's a lol challenging to see all that I'm writing. I'll try and repost without any typos.

      I am so sorry you had to go through this. I have type 1 genitally and was in so much excruciating pain the only thing that I knew would be helpful was to GET A CATHETER inserted into my urethra. Thank God I am a nursing student and thought of doing this because if I had not done this I would have been in so much agony. I had two sores very close in between my labia minor. Everytime i pee it would burn SO BAD I cried everytime and just was thinking death would be so much better than this. After two days all of my sores crusted and healed completely by the 4th day. I learned in order to heal the sores leave them open and dry to the air . I kept putting on so much zinc cream which did nothing for me which I believed only prolonged the healing time. I also took Valtrex for 10 days but not sure how effective that was. Having the catheter was the BEST relief of my life. I was able to eat whatever i wanted without having to think of It affecting the acidity of my urine, eat as much as i wanted, drink as much as i wanted etc You gotta eat well inorder to heal as ur body needs the protein to repair the damage tissue. I felt so much better, I also took my multivitamins so that this can heal my skin and zinc everyday. I noticed it was difficult to heal the sores if everytime i pee, the urine would irritate the sores. The docotor in the ER did not want to give me a catheter due to the risk of infection, however I was not going to leave the hospital without getting one, I was a healthy 24 yr old woman despite this disease so I believe I would be okay and i was (only had the catherter in for 3 days and i decided to have it removed when i believed my sores healed. I tested this by applying a few drops of urine to my vagina where my sores were and there was no pain). The catheter wasn't comfortable but let me just say it was SO much better than peeing on my sores. This recently happen to be a month ago and was my very first and hoping my last outbreak of my life. I've been praying to God for a divine miracle because I KNOW ONLY HIM can cure me from this disease. I put my FAITH AND TRUST in GOD ONLY. I dont wish this on anyone! The pain was extremely unbearable and i hope someday that this diease is eradicated. God bless you all! And I hope that my experience with recovery will help someone. Plz get a catheter if you can not hear the pain. It is your right to have one!

    • Posted

      I also forgot to mentioned I tried everything that my doctor told me to do such as peeing in the tub with water, lathering a thick layer of Vaseline over the sores, pouring water over my vagina while I'm peeing and nothing helped at all. I felt so defeated, helpless, in so much pain I just wanted to died. I could hardly sleep at all. Once again the catheter worked so well for me. I could imagine not a lot of ppl with think to get this due to them not knowing of It.

  • Posted

    ugh, I just saw so many typos in my comment. 'Defiantly' is suppose to be definitely. Hopefully, the rest you can just figure out.
  • Posted

    Hi smile

    A Shallow warm bath every time you need to >.< if you can't do this pour warm water over yourself whilst you are urinating.

    and dw! i only suffered once! like that, that was the first outbreak.

    get better soon x

    if="" you="" can't="" do="" this="" pour="" warm="" water="" over="" yourself="" whilst="" you="" are="" urinating.="" and="" dw!="" i="" only="" suffered="" once!="" like="" that,="" that="" was="" the="" first="" outbreak.="" get="" better="" soon="" x="">

    and dw! i only suffered once! like that, that was the first outbreak.

    get better soon x

    >

  • Posted

    As for mental trauma, I first contracted over 20 yrs ago now. Mostly I have found info through the GUM clinics and doctors, as the internet was not so in our lives back then......

    I am a little distraught having found some discussions today on this topic! at the content and myths I am reading!

    You basically have contracted a virus that is from the same family as Chcken pox. It lives in your spine and lays dormant mostly. just like Chicken pox does! some folks are unlucky with Chicken pox and that re occurs too! (shingles in later life!)

    Herpes "can" reoccur and is contagious by delicate skin contacting a lesion (i.e. skin to skin contact) NOW by my very painful experience (long story won't bore you!) the GUM are very unsuccessful of being able to cultivate a swab of this virus UNLESS the swab is taken in day 1 - 4 of the lesion breaking out and quite often gives a negative result as it didn't cultivate. That to me screams out the period in which you are contagious is far far less than I thought for over a decade!

    Herpes only affects me in the sense of................ from time to time ( and years can pass in between!) ,,,,,,,, I have a herpes headache!..... and I abstain from sexual contact below my waist for a couple of weeks..... Thats it no big deal tbh. I also generally pick up the symptoms of the outbreak before the lesion appears which gives me confidence in its control.

    The only other advice I would like to add is talk to the Doc and GUM clinics don't be shy ask if any of the doctors at the clinic specialize in this Virus (generally only one does!) If swabs come back negative seek out a blood test / actually tell em to stuff the swabs! they only cause more pain, more lesions! go seek out how to obtain a blood test kit and march in there with that >.< (uk - nhs will not blood test - in fact one clinic denied it existed - i took much pleasure marching in there, kit in hand - for them to draw blood for it, for me to send off - with a little verbal education to them from me to them, as well! ...... so if your in the uk the test exists but you have to buy/source it privately)

    don't believe all you are reading on the net! seek good sound advice from professionals and / or support groups. honestly those that have had it for years probably know more than the doc's and i have had docs tell me this is so! it was a support group - uk charity where i was able to source a blood test from.

    it really isn't as bad as we think! and when we learn not to think of it as being bad we get better and it stays dorment!

    salt washes if u can handle it will get u thru this first bout the quickest (tho have a non salt wash ready! in case the salt wash is too much for you just now )

    (uk="" -="" nhs="" will="" not="" blood="" test="" -="" in="" fact="" one="" clinic="" denied="" it="" existed="" -="" i="" took="" much="" pleasure="" marching="" in="" there,="" kit="" in="" hand="" -="" for="" them="" to="" draw="" blood="" for="" it,="" for="" me="" to="" send="" off="" -="" with="" a="" little="" verbal="" education="" to="" them="" from="" me="" to="" them,="" as="" well!="" ......="" so="" if="" your="" in="" the="" uk="" the="" test="" exists="" but="" you="" have="" to="" buy/source="" it="" privately)="" don't="" believe="" all="" you="" are="" reading="" on="" the="" net!="" seek="" good="" sound="" advice="" from="" professionals="" and="" or="" support="" groups.="" honestly="" those="" that="" have="" had="" it="" for="" years="" probably="" know="" more="" than="" the="" doc's="" and="" i="" have="" had="" docs="" tell="" me="" this="" is="" so!="" it="" was="" a="" support="" group="" -="" uk="" charity="" where="" i="" was="" able="" to="" source="" a="" blood="" test="" from.="" it="" really="" isn't="" as="" bad="" as="" we="" think!="" and="" when="" we="" learn="" not="" to="" think="" of="" it="" as="" being="" bad="" we="" get="" better="" and="" it="" stays="" dorment!="" salt="" washes="" if="" u="" can="" handle="" it="" will="" get="" u="" thru="" this="" first="" bout="" the="" quickest="" (tho="" have="" a="" non="" salt="" wash="" ready!="" in="" case="" the="" salt="" wash="" is="" too="" much="" for="" you="" just="" now="" )="">

    don't believe all you are reading on the net! seek good sound advice from professionals and / or support groups. honestly those that have had it for years probably know more than the doc's and i have had docs tell me this is so! it was a support group - uk charity where i was able to source a blood test from.

    it really isn't as bad as we think! and when we learn not to think of it as being bad we get better and it stays dorment!

    salt washes if u can handle it will get u thru this first bout the quickest (tho have a non salt wash ready! in case the salt wash is too much for you just now )

    >

  • Posted

    Just re read Abby, can i reassure you

    (tho i agree keep the vaseline etc away from others - just on a hygiene / cleanliness thought!)

    The virus cannot survive without the body, it cannot survive on sheets, towels, soaps etc it is only passed by skin to skin contact without the body the virus dies.....

  • Posted

    Thank you so much a hundred times over. I am trying to process all of this best I can. I have children and was worried if I somehow passed it to them. Im just shocked really.. I understand its like having a cold sores down there but its still scares me..especially when I see more developing and no relief in sight.. I cant barely walk

    The pain is brutal! If it wasn't so painful I could deal with this better..I wished I had read this before but of course I did not know I was in this spot of trouble.. Since she swabbed me today I noticed a few more sores spread now to my vulva and some nasty bigger ones where she poked around, I am not sure but I think I even have one in my arse..Is that possible!!??. I have been using a warm bath with epson salts, and polysporin. Taking advil for pain for now. Its awful. I try to make sure hands are clean and i use sanitizer also. I am about five days into this.. I am trying to wrap my head around the thought of being in pain like this for the next three weeks. The dr seemed to think the antiviral would help in a day or two.. Im so desperate for relief sad I swear Every time I pee I will pass out from the pain.. Im at a point where I am certain to develope a long term fear of bathrooms!!! I just can't believe this happened...

  • Posted

    The pain IS brutal. That's why I suggested asking your doctor for stronger pain meds. I had the sores all over my vagina , my arse and my thighs, that's how bad I had it. Guess what? After three weeks of treatment, Valtrex and doing the nutribullet, they were completely GONE. Not even a trace. Even without doing the nutribullet, they still would have cleared.
  • Posted

    Also Valtrex takes a while, but just think if the medicine didn't exist. It would last much longer than a few weeks. Plus, your's could go away in less than three weeks. You have to stop freaking out, lay in bed all day, every day until it clears up if you can. Do you have a fever? I had a 103 degree fever , that was horrible. Your immune system is trying to fight what you got, the herpes. Give it time.
  • Posted

    I truly understand, that first hit is terrible! so long ago but I remember not being able to walk! Do they not give a cream that is a local anesthetic anymore? thou tbh I did the bath thing every time! once i found its relief, then you are showering / washing afterwards and the routine of cleaning really helps! to a fast recovery.

    The other idea they gave me was a straw! which did sort of work, i guess... i prefered the bath tho. (just nuff water to cover your genitals not a full bath I use to have my top still on!)

    Let me assure you after this occurrence, you will never again suffer this much! One lesion may pop up and you will tell it to F right off and deal with it stop it from creating more and be over any discomfort in 2 - 3 days if not sooner. You probably won't suffer them in the areas that are affected when you take a pee either so this pain will hopefully not reoccur for you in the future like this. The anti Viral should help with the pain in your glands.

    For now that probably doesn't help - if you can take it salt wash - pint of warm water with salt dissolved pour it over yourself and pat dry (plse don't forget a back up of plain water, just in case!) and where possible stay at home and repeat hourly / often. This is the quickest way to dry out the sores and come back to normal. If you can spend the day in just a towel / skirt and let the air circulate too this will help to dry them out quicker. If you can't salt wash just warm water every hour will help as you wash the active virus away and stop the spread of more.

    Ok I am remembering the first time for me and perhaps salt wash would be too harsh! just warm water even dousing and pat drying often will help. But remember salt washes in the future, at first signs this method works x

    Yes it's quite normal for lesions to be near/around/ your anus, DW

    My child is now a teenager, I gave birth to him naturally tho I had an outbreak at the time of delivery (ofc under medical advice). I have been swimming with him often when he was little and didn't let a small outbreak stop me, after researching it was ok wink he has never contracted Herpes from me.

    Don't put to much pressure on yourself, take time off get yourself back to health, eat well, sleep well. concentrate on healing and let your head work out the rest once your better. x

  • Posted

    Hi id just like to share my story with you im 24 years old and got diagnosed about 3 months ago i had a big infection in my mouth and no one knew what it was i was prescribed 3 different kinds of antibiotics that did nothing but cleared up after 2 weeks the next day i started to get blisters and ulcers on my lady parts i counted 6 on my own but i though oh it will go its just bad thrush because of the antibiotics i coped with 5 days on my own in absolute agony i couldnt take no more so i went to docs and explained but they took a look and said its herpes. They sent me to gum clunic the next day to make sure and get swabbed i was in that much pain being swabbed i was screaming the nurse said i actually had around 10 sores but knew it was herpes before she even done any swabs.

    I broke down there i have been with the same partner for almost 5 years and never had so much as a coldsore but my partner used to suffer with them i was told i most likely got it from him through oral sex but because he has antibodies againt the virus already he would most likely never get blisters or sores for genetal herpes that i would have past on to him.

    Although i knew how i had got it i felt so dirty i pushed him away and blamed him in a way for giving it to me but with lots of research and him always being there even though he was taking the brunt of it all i realised its not all that bad it could be worse it took me about a month to get my head around it but after 3 days of being on meds and having instillagel the pain was so much easier to cope with.

    Salt baths are so good they sooth and clean your sores i have a 3 year old girl and was so scared of passing it on iv became a little ocd especially when i have an outbreak so i got some hand gel that i take everywhere but the nurse reassured me and said i would have passed on antibodies to her phew :-)

    Teatree oil helps with healing it does sting a little at first but does really help and so do putting cold wet teabags on your sores.

    Now to have a pee i got a new washing up bowl and filled it with warm salty water and squatted low enough so my bits were covered by the water and had pee in that so i always have that bowl just incase.

    Iv found i have an outbreak everytime i have sex but it lasts about 3 days and its gone again usually without having to take meds.

    The mental and physical side do get better just give yourself time to heal and come to terms with having herpes you learn when you are about to have an outbreak so you can start meds straight away they really do help but you should have been given some cream to numb painkillers did nothing for me.

    Its not nice to have herpes but it could be so much worse theres people out there that do have worse so keep your head up put your feet up and rest for a while resting helps mental and physical side. But you will be ok hun xx

    • Posted

      I'm 24 years old like you I was diagnosed in June.I don't know how to tell my family because then they are gonna say you were out here being dumb. I have only had two sexual partners and I know how I got it. How do I tell my family without them judging me?? Im having my second outbreak and it not as bad the first one but it is quite severe.

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