Monthly Outbreaks even with Daily Suppression #normal?

Posted , 3 users are following.

I was diagnosed with genital herpes on April 9, 2020. Ever since then I have had 3 breakouts. The second one is the reason i started taking daily suppression medication, however i am still having what seems like monthly breakouts.

I have been taking the daily medication, B-Complex, Zinc, and use prescription gels but i am starting to worry that this will continue to be a monthly issue for me. Almost everything i have read says that most people only have 5 breakouts a year, and here I am with 3 and I've only had it for 3-ish months (my tests were negative so i know i haven't had it awhile). Also, I know that everyone is different but even the CDC was saying that it was uncommon to have many outbreaks within the year.

So i guess i'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this or suggestions for helpful resources? I've read many things like change your diet, avoid the sun, avoid sugars and sodas, so I've started that, but i just really need to know if I'm alone or not.

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6 Replies

  • Edited

    It is still very early since your initial out break. Give your body time. Mentally I can imagine you are all over the place and probably fixated on the fact you have herpes now.

    I didn't take antivirals for the first 6months or see how my body would react and let it try fight the virus it's self. I had 9 outbreaks in the first 6. I then when on suppression for 6months and then the rest of the year I took a tablet every second day! I now am off antivirals and have had 1 outbreak in 6 months. Your body is trying to build up against the virus. Give it time.

    You also may need to change your antivirals. But just wait it out and see what happens ❤️

    • Posted

      how long do your outbreaks last/how much pain compared to the first one? that terrifies me...having that many

    • Posted

      also...has anyone experienced constipation? im not sure if its the herpes virus itself or the antivirals but i'm scared. i tried a laxative but still unable to poop on my own for over 2 weeks

    • Posted

      Thank you so much for your response! It has really soothed my mind knowing that I'm not a total outlier with my outbreaks.

      I'm also going back to my doctor next week as one of my test results came back abnormal so I'm hopeful that we will discover more about what is going on.

      Thank you again for your time and thoughts! ❤

    • Posted

      i cant speak for others, but my first outbreak was pretty terrible. I had the bumps which felt like burns on the outside and my entire vagina was filled with them on the inside. It hurt to pee and even sitting down was painful. I also had the flu like symptoms which really freaked me out because they are similar to COVID-19.

      My doctor prescribed me a week of medicine which helped greatly and even a numbing gel! My entire outbreak probably lasted around 2 weeks from realizing i had an issue, seeing the doctor, and a week of taking the medicine. However i didnt feel "right" for about a full month after I stopped taking the medicine.

      My second outbreak was way less than the first one and only caused the outside bumps and a slight overall discomfort. This lasted around a week as i went back on the medicine.

      My third outbreak, still in it, has come while im on the daily meds (which is worrisome for me) and really hasn't been bad at all. I really wouldnt have known I was having an outbreak if it wasn't for just the uncomfortableness of that general area. I didnt have bumps, flu symptoms or anything. I just knew i was having an outbreak and i can tell you that I can feel that I'm getting better now. This one has lasted around 5 days.

      As for the constipation, that is not a symptom for me, however you should consider visiting a GI doctor. That could be a separate issue that you should have looked at!

    • Posted

      i appreciate your reply! it's nice knowing i'm not alone in this! take care 😃

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