Tested positive after 3 months for HSV2, need help to understand iGG level

Hello Felis, i was waiting for your reply . Thanks for helping out so many people out here. I was infected with HSV 2 in Feb 2016, my partner was tested for HSV2 positive , so i knew it was coming. Because i had a first outbreak that time.i have seen some people have IGG value as 8 too that means, what does that show

Oh, I mixed you up with another Alex on here!

Okay, so if your partner has it and you had an outbreak, then I suppose this is a true positive. If so, then your body may simply be slower at producing antibodies. If you test again in another 3 months, for example, it should be higher. Some people also just produce/maintain lower levels. Out of interest, have you been on the meds much since your first outbreak until now? Were you swab tested at the time?

High numbers mean a strong immune response (high antibody production), usually to a recent infection, but they say that the number doesn't correspond with severity or frequency of outbreaks or shedding. Many other aspects of the immune system, more so than antibodies, serve to keep herpes under control.

While that may be so, personally, I think the numbers must surely have some meaning and implication for *something* (e.g., in other herpes family infections, like EBV, IgG is linked to viral load), but amazingly there are no real studies on that for herpes, and the leading HSV experts say the numbers only mean positive or negative. They're the ones who should know, but it does seem odd!

Hello Felis, i just had a chat with my doctor few minutes back. He said i need to wait and test 3 more months now as he said it can be false positive also if that number does not increase by 1.36. He said if my number does go up by 3.5 then its a sure positive.Also i want to share a info which he told which you can mention in your pinned post about the IGG result is that, even if you number igg value is 4 or your igg value is 32 it does not say anything high or low infection, he mentioned the fact that he had patients with igg value 32 with no outbreaks but patients with igg value 3.5 have no. of outbreaks. Also he stressed me 2-3 times to instead of going too much on the internet just go and read the book "The good news about the bad news". He said that the book is very authentic and written by a nurse.

Yes, that is what they say, and from what I've read, it's true. IgG antibodies do not control herpes as much as one might think they should, so the level doesn't matter in that respect (I'm just not convinced that the level has no meaning whatsoever).

I also agree with your doctor about testing later to see if your IgG changes. I take it that you weren't swabbed at the time then? If you have been on the meds daily since your first outbreak, that can affect your IgG, btw, hence why I asked, but you didn't say.

Terri Warren is the nurse and author of that booklet you mentioned, and I've read her stuff loads. She is good. I recommend her, too. But I also like to read research studies. When I want answers to specific questions, I am very determined to find them! Lol

Nops i had a bad experience of a very inexerienced doctor, whom i ditched this time. She never did a swab test even i had all the open blisters there.Yes i have not been on meds since my first outbreak(i just had a 7 days valtrex course on my first outbreak). Now my confusion is what is a low infection (i read that somewhere). I know my partner was tested for HSV2, i had a proper full blown first outbreaks, i havent had a outbreak now other than some ithching and small rare lesion. What happens if my value is still less than 3.5 what will it mean : kinda bit confused and yes my IGG value was .89 (during my first outbreak) and now its 1.36 (after almost 10 weeks)

Your current doctor sounds like he knows what he's talking about, so that's good (although how did he say it could be a false positive if you had an outbreak?). Many don't, like your first one, unfortunately. That sucks she missed the opportunity to swab you. If you have a lesion again, get it swabbed by pcr.

It does seem like you have it, though, if you had a full on first outbreak with blisters. Antibody production timelines vary from person to person, which is why some say to test for herpes at 3 months, 4 months or even at 6 months. Most people will be clearly positive at 3 months, however. Maybe you're on the somewhat slower end of antibody production? Your 6 month test should be much higher. I'll be surprised if it's not!

Yups i have now become a experimental piece in myself. To be very honest i just feel this disease has just hit me mentally not physically. Only just when i do something more phyiscal intensive like a yoga or a workout i feel some kind of itching. When i come home and check out there is nothing i can see on the skin.