ways of dealing with the symptoms

I have been suffering with all the above symptoms for 2 weeks now, I have seen 6 doctors who have taken urine samples, poked around, swabbed, examined internally and it took until the 6th one to actually diagnose me with herpes and prescribe me the right stuff. It has been complete and utter agony made worse by the fact that it has come from having been taken advantage of in a drunken state. It's only just hit me today that this will be with me forever like a constant reminder of that little prick but luckily the worst of the pain is over and I finally feel like it won't last forever, Im on the mend and trying to get my head around it but I'm scared about how it will affect my life and who I am.

My situation was similar to yours. We need to share what works and doesn't work. I guess the whole point of this forum. I am sharing my best and worst discoveries in hopes it will help and in hopes someone might write something I could find useful.

Good:

Sleep / Rest / Minimize Stress

Healthy Diet - no sugar, and not too much salt helps me

Exercise

Viradux-AU (a very good anti-herpetic crème - has stopped OB's altogether)

keeping positive

Bad:

Stress

acyclovir

Valtrex

Tons of other treatments out there that I have tried and not had much luck with if any at all!

Thanks for sharing all!

I just got diagnosed today with herpes. It was quite a blow but like others have said- its possible to have it for years before you ever have an outbreak. As a result- I have no idea who/where I got it from.

As far as the urinating goes, I have found that the best way for me to go with out intense!!!! pain (literally takes your breath away and makes it feel like you got punched in the stomach) is to lean way forward and almost lift a little bit off the toilet seat. It keeps the urine going forward rather than down towards the open sores. I put off going as much as I can but that almost makes it worse cause you have more coming out.

As far as other pain goes... I feel like im on fire down below all the time, woke me up this morning just throbbing. The doctor told me I could use some vaseline to protect the sores and make it feel a little better but that doesnt really help. I saw someone mention a salt bath...? is it regular salt, epsome salt or something else? I need to be able to work and function but right now its just not happening

Im so pleased to have found this!

After being in absolute agony for 2 days I went to ER where they confirmed I had genital herpes. My boyfriend had a cold sore on his lip and had gone down on me so I'm presuming that's how I got it. I have been on the meds (aciclovir) for 3 days now and I'm still in pain. I want to know when the blisters will heal? and do you get regular outbreaks since you were diagnosed?

Honestly girls I feel your pain.

So it's a saturday at the moment... I suspect I developed the actual physical herpes on the wednesday night - I had SEVERE unbearable itching around my vagina and anus whilst on my period (apparently it's common for the period to bring it on as periods affect your immune system). Since monday I'd had fever-like symptoms, sickness, flu-like symtoms (dizziness sensitive skin sensitive to light proper headachey) but no ACTUAL cold has emerged. My tonsils have been way up ever since, but they're always just waiting to infect me whenever something comes along.

So not only was I developing (self-diagnosed) herpes, I had to wear this AWFUL pad which stopped any airflow!!

Anyway, the next day I could get away with not wearing a pad. I had a look in the mirror at what was so itchy (I thought it may have been some sort of rash from the pad). I instantly knew, without a doubt what it was - red hard bumps which were painful to the touch and blister/spot-like. Me and my friends had comletely taken the p*** out of people with herpes over the years, so we kind of knew what it looked like and the symptoms already. Karma, yeah I know.

I'm waiting to go to the STI/STD clinic today with my boyfriend (who I suspect infected me with it) so I can get some antiviral drugs because the pain I'm in is absolutely unbearable. The toilet thing isnt THAT bad if you lift your legs up while you use it and push it all out quickly it's not too unbearable!

I found some old anaesthetic cream that's in the meds bag, and i slapped that allover the place to stop the itching, burning, chafing and general pain. It burned at first for a min but honestly is the best thing I can suggest as it feels almost completely numb now (although still itchy as hell).

I have a high pain threshold but this just completely knocked me out painwise, never had anything like it. I suffer with terrible periods and get tonsillitis reoccurences (and when they come its like WW3) and THIS definitely beat it. Good luck to you all. I just worry that because I'm only 20 this is going to be a lifelong problem and that it will never ever go away that's ALOT of years (god willing) to be living with this type of thing xxx

I am 54 and got herpes2 about 30 years ago.  I get it on the backside, not the genitals.  It is also excruciatingly painful at its worst, which lasts about one day.  I have gone for as long as several months, maybe up to a year without an episode, but it always comes back eventually.  I'll list here what helps me and what I need to avoid.

Avoid: 

Stress

Most nuts, cashews, walnuts etc

A lot of chocolate

Becoming too tired or run down

Oddly enough, I find if I masturbate (which I have kind of outgrown and happily have a very 'active' husbad) I am more likely to get an outbreak.

Hot sun - once in Mexico I had on a low bikini and got a bad burn and got *seven* sores where I was burned. OMG that was the worst.

Avoid foods that are high in L-arganine.

What helps:

An amino acid called L-lysine (read precautions... body builders use large doses which can cause problems). I take 1000mg up to 4x a day during an outbreak and 500 mg pretty much daily as a precaution.

Getting lots of sleep.

Eat foods high in L-lysine

Also herpes is a virus and viruses cannot live in heat.  If it is an area you can apply heat to, that can kill it before it gets established.  Because mine is on my backside, I take a jar with a small opening and fill it with pretty warm water.  Hot really, but be careful not to burn yourself.  I submerge the spot that is just breaking out (raised just a tiny bit, or just at the tingling hurting stage) until the water cools off a bit.  I repeat that 3-4 times one right after the other.  The last time, the bump was started and I could really feel it was coming on, so I did that and also made a paste of 3 of the L-lysine tablets and rubbed that on for the next couple of days.  The little bump went away.  I have had some success with the heat before, but if I am too stressed or run down, it just appears in a different spot... determined little bastard that it is!

I'd like to see a bit more research done on this heat technique.  

I'm hoping a cure can be found soon, but after 30 years, I'm not so sure, so for me it is a management thing.  I definitely conduct myself, what I eat especially, accordingly.  Good luck everyone... 

I can relate to pretty much everything you said. I dreaded using the bathroom because it felt like a thousand knives were cutting me. My doctor suggested getting a spray bottle and spraying water on my vagina as I peed. It really helped!

I have been diagnosed with this 2 days ago they prescribed be Acyclovir I am only 17 years old I cry everyday due to the pain I am in. I don't want to pee because it hurts?? how long does this pain last ?