A confusing summary of my story...need HELP PLEASE!

[Workaholic]

I posted a little while ago and will give a brief summary of what's been going on:

Late Jan/early Feb. I go to a general prac. dr. because of lesions and irritation on my penis. He immediately suspects herpes and orders a blood test. He also prescribed Famivir and Zovarex (sp?) in the meantime. Blood test came back negative, but the medication didn't do a damn thing.

2-3 months go by with no real healing of the lesions. I mean, they would dry up and "re-open" (for sake of a better term) all in the same day. The lesions, by the way, were the only real symptoms at the time.

Suddenly, after the third month, the underside of my penis became quite inflammed and itchy. I pick up a book on STD's and read that a male yeast infection could cause these symptoms. I purchase Clotrimazole over the counter and immediately start to get better.

To be safe, I go to the local health care center. The nurse says it does NOT look like a herpes-rash or anything and prescribed nystatin (again...sp?). She says to go and see a dermatologist in a week.

I go and see a derm. and she puts me on Valtrex and aclovate cream (along with the nystatin) for a week. I take one Valtrex and it makes me sick and the joint where my leg connects to my body (possibly lymph nodes) swell up. I stop taking Valtrex (only took one pill) and the swelling/pain goes away.

I just say the derm. yesterday for a follow up and she is excited to have seen improvement (I am too!). She says it was NOT Herpes and prescribed some other type of cream and said to continue the nystatin.

When I asked what it was she rattled off some sort of medical term and said it was like a yeast infection for men.

So, now I am happy/relieved that all is well and it's not Herpes.

NOW TO THE CONFUSING PART:

I told my G/f two weeks ago to go to the Dr. and get tested just to make sure all is well.

Well, her results are back today:

Tested POSITIVE for antibodies.

Her DR. said there is a latest blood test that I would've needed to take and most likely, derms and general prac. doctors don't do it.

She basically told my g/f the blood test I took wasn't worth a damn.

She told her to tell me I don't need a dermatologist....I need a Urologist and ask for the 'lastest' blood test.

My g/f is upset (UNDERSTANDBLY SO!!) because she said she took a test for all STD's back in September and everything was fine. It seems though, that she would've had to request the lastest blood test herself when going in for a general checkup as gyno's don't just do those tests.

So, now I am no longer happy and much, MUCH more confused than before.....

What sort of blood test do I need to take to make ABSOLUTELY SURE it is or isn't H?

I can't stand the thought of having gave anything to my g/f. Or perhaps she gave it to me?

I am confused as hell right now.....any help is greatly appreciated.

[cloud9r]

Well, from what you've described about your symptoms it sounds like HSV and if your girlfriend is positive for HSV then you could very well have it. The lesions lasting for 2-3 months sounds weird unless you were doing something to cause them not to heal, like sex or masturbation. As for the bloodtest, from what I've researched, the Western Blot and the Pockit are the 2 best. But either way, they test for antibodies. It can take up to 4 months for your body to produce enough antibodies to be detected by the blood test. If that was an outbreak you experienced then you are on your way to making those antibodies. I recommend getting another bloodtest in a few weeks.

[Workaholic]

Thank you SO MUCH for the quick reply...

What boggles my mind is that I told my g/f to take a test JUST to make sure all was well with her. She wasn't experiencing ANY problems/symptoms or anything.....and her test comes back positive.....

Whereas myself, who has been experiencing symptoms, etc....took a test and it came back negative!?!?!?!?

How did she develop detectable anti-bodies before me and she wasn't experiencing anything, yet I was?

Could she have been the one with HSV all along and gave it to me?

I just hate the fact that I hurt her

[sleepy]

did she test positive for hsv-2 or hsv-1? if its hsv-1 it doesnt mean much....she could have had a coldsore once when she was four.

[cloud9r]

I'm assuming we are talking about HSV2 genital herpes since those seem to be your symptoms and her doctor mentioned something about having the latest blood test.

Well, everyone is different. Some people have symptoms within a week and in some it can happen in a few months. Same with developing enough antibodies. She could have had symptoms so mild she didn't even notice it, causing her to develope anitbodies while her body fights the undetected symptoms. Also, like her doctor stated, you may not have had one of the more accurate blood test. You really can't point the finger and blame her or vice versa. After about a month from your last test you should get another type specific bloodtest.

[Workaholic]

Yes, we are talking about HSV-2...........

This is all so confusing to me....I am going to take another blood test to make sure one way or another.

I'm not trying to blame her and she's not really trying to blame me.....we both just want to find out how something like this came about.

She says she's been tested for 'everything' every year with the last recent one being September (this test being the most recent of course) and everything always came back negative.

The kicker is her doctor saw traces of anti-bodies in her blood test....no symptoms mind you....yet told/prescribed her Valtrex for 10 days?!

I'll keep everyone posted as to what happens with my blood test in hopes that my/our situation can shed some light or help others in diagnosing H.

[Gracie]

I don't know if you'll ever really figure out who got it first and gave it to whom. What matters is that IF you both have it, you've both got to deal with it. Don't waste your energy wondering where, how or why you've got it, just take care of yourselves and each other and you'll both be fine.

Best of luck to you both,

Gracie

[Workaholic]

I'm not trying to play the blame game or anything......I would just be interested in knowing, that's all.

I went to the urologist yesterday and this is what he did:

Visual examination by the naked eye.

Then, he put some towelettes (kinda like baby wipes) saturated with some sort of vinegar solution all around my groin (penis, underside, etc). He then put on some magnifying glasses and looked all around. He said the magnification plus the vinegar solution would make appear any sort of skin errosions or lesion invisible to the naked eye.

Afterwards, he said all was fine and there was no need for a blood test.

I insisted on the latest blood test and said to go the hosipital and ask for a type specific blood test (some sort of IGG, IGM test). He gave me the form for it.

I did and am awaiting the results.