Very Confused With Diagnosis Any Help Appreciated!

Posted , 4 users are following.

I wold appreciate any type of advice the community has to offer. Here is the case, I had unprotected sex with a partner I don’t know to well. Since I am usually a very cautious person I went to the doctor exactly two weeks after the incident and told her I had a burning sensation with slight itching and tingling sensation so I wanted to be tested for the most common STD’s, including Herpes. She conducted a pap test and told me everything looked normal except for a small abnormality (she wouldn’t describe it for me) she saw while looking inside. She took a swab and looked at the cells under a microscope and told me all my white cells looked fine but she detected a large number of yeast cells and most likely I had a yeast infection and gave me medication for it. She also told me she would take a swab of the abnormality she saw and send it to the lab to get it checked for Herpes Culture just in case to be sure.

I get a call with the results and the nurse tells me they are negative, but here is the kicker, she said sometimes you can get false negatives and I should not take this as a for sure negative....

Well the results don't make me feel better at all since I finished my yeast treatment and still at times experience a burning and tingly sensation. I've checked and checked and there is nothing abnormal "down there" no lesions, no pain while I urinate, no flue like symptoms, etc. But at this point I just want to be 100% sure, I don't care about the outcome, I will handle the results, I just want to know so that I can prevent this from happening to someone else, I don't want to be the one to infect someone unconsciously that would weigh heavily on my conscience. I asked the nurse if a blood test would give me accurate results and she said Cultures are best. I was negative on all other testing. I'm not in pain, but I don't know if this is just me being overly neurotic about this but I have the right to know for sure and I feel like the people who are suppose to be telling me are not sure themselves! Thank you all and support for all those who were diagnosed.  

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    I just had a first outbreak 15 days ago (it is still going on),:and I have spent numerous hours GooglING this subject. I was just swab bed a week ago and haven't gotten the official results, but my doctor (and me, through my research) were positive it is herpes. She ordered a blood test, but when I told her I just had bloodwork done a month ago and all was clear (I had unprotected sex with someone I just met), she said to wait about three months, because it could take that long for it to show up if I was just infected (never had any symptoms or cold sores my entire life). I know everyone's experience is different and people don't suffer the same, but I would be very aware of any strange feelings, do NOT go unprotected anymore, and hopefully you will be fine.
    • Posted

      Thank you for your response lynn00051 I agree going unprotected was very stupid of me, but what's done is done and now I just want to be smart about the future. I just wish docotrs could give me a direct answer. Can I ask you, how did you know you had contracted Herpes? What were your symptoms? I know everyone is different but I just wanted to know what you experianced that made you so certain you had contracted Herpes. Flu symptoms, lesions, itching, burning, etc, what were your symptoms?
    • Posted

      So, I had unprotected sex with someone I didn't know well on Halloween. About two days later, I went to pee and it burned, right at the bottom on my vagina. I figured it was because of the fact I hasn't had sex in 8 months, so I didn't pay much mind to it. I looked at it with a magnifying glass and it looked like a little tear, I Google it, and it made sense. The following weekend I went out of town, and it had gotten worse. I took pictures wit my phone and saw blisters, and went into full panic mode. Google more
    • Posted

      Whoops, sorry. Anyway, the pictures looked like herpes, and by then it was excruciating. I couldn't get to a dr. Until last Wednesdsy, and right away she said that was what it was. She did a swapb of a blister, and I am still waiting for the results, but she gave me the medicine. The last week was blisters and excruciating pain, with lethargy and a serious passion at the top of my spine. Saturday night I felt the weirdest nerve pain starting in my lower back going down to the bottom of my left foot, which I guess is another wonderful side effect. I have beem using raw manuka honey aND tea tree oil on the blisters since Friday, and I think it is subsiding. If you had it like I have it, the pain would be mind blowing.
    • Posted

      Sorry for all the typos. In retrospect I think I had the tingling, there is definite burning, but the flu symptoms were mild. I kept a fan blowing on the area and wore no underwear all weekend and at night. It's itchy now, but I am walking instead of waddling at this point. Google the honey. It says if you use it at the first signs it will speed healing and lesson symptoms. I also took 50000 MG of vitamin D for three days (again, Google). I hope you are fine.
    • Posted

      Thank you for sharing lynn00051 it has been over a month since my encounter and I haven't had any of the symptooms you've described, especially all that pain sad I think you are very brave to post your experiance and I hope the pain goes away soon. I made another appointment with the doctor but it's just so odd that when I go they look at me like I'm paranoid. I just wish they could give me a direct answer.

       

    • Posted

      You know your body better than any doctor, so just be persistent. You could actually have it and never have amy symptoms, I will cross my fingers for you. Thank you for the kind words, believe me, I'm not brave. This is devastating and I'm a wreck thinking about the future for my personal life, but these forums and the support I have gotten have made me feel better, and I hope to be able to give that to others. ☺
  • Posted

    The most accurate swab is a PCR/DNA swab, not a viral culture. Sounds like your doc did the latter, which is more commonly used and cheaper, but also more prone to false negatives.

    If you are not too late into your possible outbreak and still have vaginal symptoms, including that abnormality, you can ask to be re-tested but by PCR. Better check they even offer this test, otherwise you will have to wait 3-4 months to do the IgG antibody blood test.

    Herpes symptoms can be non-existent or mild to severe and come in all forms and combinations, making it sometimes tricky to visually diagnose. Hope you are able to get a proper diagnosis sooner rather than later.

  • Posted

    Sounds like me. If the cervical was actually sent to the lab and came back negative that's good. Getting a false negative from a culture seems inaccurate to me. First I would ask to get a copy of those results and read them for yourself. Secondly I say you sound like me because my symptoms of what I feel are herpes are not visible the same as what you have. I've been diagnosed with bacterial and yeast and the medications didn't help. My doctor swore that I didn't have herpes visually inside and outside HOWEVER I came back to him last Wed saying I did a lot of reading and think it could be herpes. He says if I thought you had that I'd treat you for it. Well 30 min after I left the office he calls back stating he looked at my culture MORE and says I "could" have an infection caused by Herpes. I assumed that culture was sent to the lab but I find out today it never was! Why, I don't know. So now I'm waiting on an igm blood test to check for acute herpes. I won't have those results till Thursday but that blood test is not reliable nor accurate. The only thing I can suggest to you is watch out for changes. If you see anything else go back and have them swab you. Otherwise you will have to wait 6-12 weeks to test by IGG which will be more accurate. I'm like you in that I don't know what's going on. But I'm still itchy and I saw a very tiny cut on my clitoris. Probably half that of a centimeter. I've read that could be a sign. Herpes is tricky to diagnose. It really isn't quite as obvious as one might think which I didn't know that until now. It could be very obvious or the symptoms could be similar to yeast or bacterial infections. (Which by the way I actually have too) but I know this is more than that. Or it could be none at all. Try not to panic. At least the culture came back negative and that is very good news but again make sure you SEE those results. Get a copy and keep all your records for yourself and then if no further symptoms just go do the IGG blood test in 6-12 weeks preferably 90 days if you can wait that long for more accuracy. Or you can test at 6 weeks and then again at 90. It takes time for herpes antibodies to show up. If that test comes back negative then you're good. It probably is just yeast and maybe try a new med or if they gave you pull try cream and vice versa. But don't stress. Sounds like you might be okay. Think positive for now. Might be nothing. Don't get all stressed! Hugs!
    • Posted

      Why would they take a swab sample and not properly test it? That doesn't make any sense. I would demand they re-swab with the more sensitive and accurate PCR test.
    • Posted

      I have an appointment Dec 2nd. I'll ask then. I don't understand why he didn't do it either especially if he saw something. Makes no sense to me.
    • Posted

      Thanks sweethet!! I'm trying to stay positive, your story angers me! Why is it Herpes is not taken seriously by Doctors it makes no sense to me! No wonder the statistics on people who are not even aware they have the infection is so high! The Doctor should've sent it to the lab to get tested, there is no excuse for that. But you made a good point, I should ask for the test results.

      I called the office and they said the test that was sent to the lab was a Culture (negative)  and I can pick up my test results at the office. I'm going today to take a look at them myself and scheduled another appointment sooner to get it checked out. I've read so much about this virus at this point I don't know what to believe. Some say the incubation period is 2-20 days and others say it can take years for anything to show. It's been over a month and I'm not in any severe pain, I would describe it as more of a discomfort. Slight burning, slight itching, and at times a sense of pin pricking me, if that makes sense. The most persisting one is soreness, but I'm constantly checking myself in the bathroom and I sit at work all day so I might be irritating myself. My symptoms definitely don't fall in the category of normal, but for me it's more just knowing if I have the potential to infect someone, I'm sure we all feel we deserve the right to know and educate our future partners on this the way we had that right and were denied the knowledge when we contracted the virus.

      I'm getting angry just thinking of how neglectful your doctor was! 

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.