please help, first OB, lots of pain, can't sleep, on 4th day

[livingandlearning 0]

Hello everyone and thank you for any responses.

I am having my first OB on my gentials, i was diagnois with Hep 1. Never expected it, but gotta deal with it, went to the doctor, gave me valtrex, take 2 pills 3 times a day.

My OB is bad, i have over 50 scabs, red spots on my gentials, mostly on my penis. It stings, it itches, and it really hurts, so much that I can't any sleep. I have had less then 10 hours of sleep over the last 4 days, I tried to use lidocaine on it, but it worked for maybe 10 minutes before the pain came back (it was a great ten minutes)

I've taking tylenol and advil, but the pain won't go away or the itching, I took a warm bath and that only made it worse.

To make matters worse, I have enezyme and my body itches in other places, which I am parnoid about, hoping that it isn't spreading.

Please, please what other things can I do for the pain, the itch, the burn, I am at wits end at this point. Please

Thank you

[WarriorKing 259]

It has been a very long time since my first outbreak, which was also massive like yours. I do remember pouring cold water over the genital area to get some relief. Otherwise, be sure to keep consulting your doctor.

[livingandlearning 0]

Thank you, I've tried a cool water shower, a warm bath, but the end result was that the scabs feel off and thus created more pain, more intense pain. I am current stuck overseas, what was supposed to take a mediation class has turned into anything but that, i had to drop out, and now in a foreign country working with there doctors. I do plan to go back to the hospital tomorrow, and I really just want to be admitted so they can put me to sleep. it has been over 24 hours since I slept, it feels like it is getting worse, granted this is only my second day of being on meds, I brought Pills of vitamin C,Lysine, and bioflavonids, aslo eating foods high in lysine, drinking lots of water, yougut, anything that might give me relief, the pain comes in spikes and waves

Mr. Honest, is there a reason that it is so massive? or is that just the luck of the draw?

[SimpleSays 0]

Have you tried a salt bath? Or normal painkillers?

Sorry I cant be of more help, on my first OB too x

[Amalia 0]

Hi,

you say in your post that you were diagnosed with Hep 1. Did you mean HSV 1?

[livingandlearning 0]

Amalia,

Yes, I meant HSV 1, am still learning the lingo of this particular diease.

Simplesays,

I have not tried a salt bath, I tried a regular bath today and while in the water I felt good, but once I came out, the scarbs that had formed came off created a bunch of pain again as the wounds gots exposed. Have you tried it and if so, how did it work for you? I've taken salt baths in the past for muscle aches. I've taken Tylenor and Advil for the pain, and got lidocaine and now of that has stop the pain. I am currently putting ice on the area, which seems to be working, i still have the itching, but not the same pain.

Thanks everyone for your assistance.

[herpescansuckit 0]

as you're seeing for yourself, the pain eventually begins to decrease. just hang in there!!! it will eventually go away. i took ambien for a couple of nights when i just couldn't sleep. maybe you could ask the doctor there to prescribe you some. i'm sure if you explain to him/her why you can't sleep, they will be understanding. keep taking your tylenol. move around as little as possible. if you can go without underwear/pants for a few days, do it. stay as hydrated as possible. you are going to feel better!!! i'm so sorry that you're in a foreign country and have to deal with this there, but maybe you can consider this site a bit of a home base. stay connected. we'll all help you through this.

[RealisticGal 39]

• A lot of folks report that Epsom Salt baths do help with the pain. They also help dry up the sores, which is what you want. Moisture keeps them there longer.
  

• Be careful after your bath not to rub the area. Let it air dry or use the cool setting on a blow dryer.
  

• Go without any clothes on that area for as long as you can. Just let it air out.
  

• Maybe try a baby diaper ointment with zinc.
  

• If the lidocaine cream is a low percentage, try to find one with 5% or as close as possible.
  
  

[WarriorKing 259]

Some people have very small or unnoticeable first outbreaks. Others get hit by a truck. Our biology can be quite different person to person.

The ice will help. I meant cold water poured over it like from a pitcher ... slowly, as opposed to the shower.

I should mention that it was never bad like that again. I have had it now for about 32 years, with mostly just a little itch and a few blisters for a very long time.

[Jules P 0]

well i always try the baby diaper rash cream. It worked for me and calmed it down. It made it heal alot more faster than any cream. I bought the water base one for babies and it sure did work. Good luck!

[RealisticGal 39]

well i always try the baby diaper rash cream. It worked for me and calmed it down. It made it heal alot more faster than any cream. I bought the water base one for babies and it sure did work. Good luck!

One of my faves is made by Burt's Bees. It's called Baby Bee Diaper Ointment. Not having any idea what foreign country the original poster is currently in, I don't know what he can find there.

[livingandlearning 0]

Thank you everyone for your help and assistances, I am very much isolate from home till i get back to the states, at this point I can't imagine traveling or going home till this clears up.

Last night, i couldn't take it anymore and went to the emergency room at 3am to get additional medicine to help with the pain and help me fall asleep.

I was given Tramadol for the pain, which did help, it numb the pain though i was still aware of it, it wasn't overwhelming. I was also given Hydroxyzine H CL which I was told would help with the itching and help me sleep. It elemented a huge portion for the need to itch and it helped me feel drowzy. I was finally able to get some sleep, 9 hours and for the first time in days, I don't feel like am overwhelmed with pain. i put socks on my hands to reduce the impacting of my itching with my hands.

I am going to go out and see if I can find any of those baby creams, I couldn't find epsom salt yesterday, but will try again today.

I am still trying to come to terms with how I contact this diease, my previous girlfriend had a complete blood work done, and doesn't have anything, nor did i have anything come up. My current Girlfriend who I've been with for about a year and gets regular paps smears said she doesn't have it, i've never seen her records or such.

When the doctor told me that I had HSV 1 she said it was the non-sexual type. Is that true? she said based on the condition of my skin, due to my enezym which is flared up at the moment, behind my knees, arms and groin spots, which are places that get hot first in a tropical climiate, the DR said that since the skin was broken in this area, that it made it more possible to catch HSV 1 though some other form of non sexual contact. Is that possible?

Thanks again everyone for you time and thoughts!

[Amalia 0]

A pap smear will not test for herpes. It tests for other thing like the health of the cervix and whether any unusual cells are present. Testing for STIs is done differently - through blood work and swabs.

Can't comment on the non sexual spreading of it as you mention. Perhaps some one else with more knowledge can comment on that.

[shiningstarabove 0]

I am sorry you are having so much pain. Try taking an epsom sal bath it helps with the itch. Try to keep the area as dry as possible. Over time it will get better. Try not to stress it makes it worse.

[RealisticGal 39]

What your doc said about HSV1 being the "non-sexual" type of herpes is not really accurate. This article might help you understand why she is wrong about that.

Good Virus, Bad Virus

Know that most "full STI panels" do not include testing for herpes. Unfortunately, the docs don't usually tell you that you must specifically request that as an additional test. So your former girlfriends may have never been tested for it. As someone else mentioned, a PAP smear is not a way to test for herpes.

[livingandlearning 0]

Just wanted to give an update, I do feel like I've turned the corner regarding the pain, not sure if it is related to the additonal pain meds or not, regardless I am now able to sleep at stretches of a time which has made a huge difference to how I feel. I still have the scabs on my body and I've looked for epsom salt but have not been able to find it out here.

The itch is still there, however not as intense. I've been doing a lot of reading and research and it appears that my type of outbreak seems to be called eczema herpeticum "is a rare but severe disseminated herpes infection that generally occurs at sites of skin damage produced by, for example, atopic dermatitis, burns, or eczema.[1] It is also known as Kaposi varicelliform eruption"

This seems to explain my massive outbreak on my groin area. I am still learning and will forever be learning about this subject as it seems I have a lifetime to learn about it. Prior to returning home, I can stop in Europe, does anyone know if they have drugs or treatments that might work that are not available in the States?

I've let go of my desire for the moment about how I contact the desease, I do believe that I got it from my current girlfriend. I recall that she had a cold sore at one time on her lip, small at the time. Which was easily a year ago, I didn't kiss her while she had it and later thought it was a fever blister because she was sick at the time. That being said, I can't prove it nor will it make my situation go away. I still don't understand though my HSV isn't tested for as a standard test, but then again, I recongize there is a whole lot that I don't understand.

I really do appreciate everyones thoughts, encourages, helpful information from this forum. Thank you everyone!

[RealisticGal 39]

Just wanted to give an update, I do feel like I've turned the corner regarding the pain, not sure if it is related to the additonal pain meds or not, regardless I am now able to sleep at stretches of a time which has made a huge difference to how I feel. I still have the scabs on my body and I've looked for epsom salt but have not been able to find it out here.

It's very good news that you are getting some respite from the pain, and some rest. I don't know where you are, but have you tried looking for magnesium salts --- or magnesium sulfate? That's what Epsom Salts is.

The itch is still there, however not as intense. I've been doing a lot of reading and research and it appears that my type of outbreak seems to be called eczema herpeticum "is a rare but severe disseminated herpes infection that generally occurs at sites of skin damage produced by, for example, atopic dermatitis, burns, or eczema.[1] It is also known as Kaposi varicelliform eruption"

This seems to explain my massive outbreak on my groin area. I am still learning and will forever be learning about this subject as it seems I have a lifetime to learn about it. Prior to returning home, I can stop in Europe, does anyone know if they have drugs or treatments that might work that are not available in the States?

Okay, maaaaaaaybe.

But my guy had, as his primary outbreak, what he described as a massive bunch of sores covering a large portion of his genital area, too. I've read of many others who say the same. What I'm trying to say is that your outbreak may be just a typical first time experience.

Of course I'm not there seeing what you are dealing with. I'm just saying that I've read of a lot of very extensive first outbreaks. Do you have any sort of immune disorder that might predispose you to this?

I've let go of my desire for the moment about how I contact the desease, I do believe that I got it from my current girlfriend. I recall that she had a cold sore at one time on her lip, small at the time. Which was easily a year ago, I didn't kiss her while she had it and later thought it was a fever blister because she was sick at the time. That being said, I can't prove it nor will it make my situation go away. I still don't understand though my HSV isn't tested for as a standard test, but then again, I recongize there is a whole lot that I don't understand.

What we call fever blisters and cold sores are the same thing. They got those names because they often pop up during a cold, flu or fever (what we would call "outbreak triggers" here).

About the testing...one of my opinions on that (and it is just an opinion) is that the blood test technology is not advanced/accurate enough to make it a standard test.

For one thing, it can only say whether or not a person has antibodies to HSV. It can't say where the infection is located if that person does come back positive.

Also, and perhaps more importantly, is the preponderance of false results. Can you imagine if you were told you had HSV when you really didn't? Think of the emotional reaction --- to a condition you didn't really have!

Or, what if you were told you were clear, only for that to be false? So if that were the case, would you blithely go out into the world and show potential partners your report, "proving" that it was okay for them to have unprotected relations with you? Just my thoughts on the matter.

[livingandlearning 0]

Realistic Girl, thanks for your insight, it has been very helpful and your thoughts about the test for HSV was very interesting and makes a lot of sense. I guess in the end, i wish they would have a better test for this since it impacts so many people.

Regarding my outbreak, I was dealing with a break out of eczema at the time, it would appear as heat rashes, such as behind my knees and in this case on my inner legs and top of my groin. This would weaken my immune system from what I've read. I really don't know what a standard OB appears, but I can tell you that when I attempted to count the amount of scabs on my penis, I have over 75 small one just on the top surface, not including the sides or the underneath it, the head has too many small ones to count nor did I count the ones on the base of my penis area or the scrotum. I hope that this isn't common, cause it was so painful, but I am interested in whether or not this sounds common

[RealisticGal 39]

I guess in the end, i wish they would have a better test for this since it impacts so many people.

From what I've learned, the current technology available is a vast improvement over what they had just a few years ago. Type specific IgG testing is a fairly recent capability. So maybe soon things will get even more advanced and it will be possible to incorporate herpes into the standard STI screening...

Regarding my outbreak, I was dealing with a break out of eczema at the time, it would appear as heat rashes, such as behind my knees and in this case on my inner legs and top of my groin. This would weaken my immune system from what I've read. I really don't know what a standard OB appears, but I can tell you that when I attempted to count the amount of scabs on my penis, I have over 75 small one just on the top surface, not including the sides or the underneath it, the head has too many small ones to count nor did I count the ones on the base of my penis area or the scrotum. I hope that this isn't common, cause it was so painful, but I am interested in whether or not this sounds common

I would say it surely sounds like you are having a bad primary outbreak, but I've heard of many who have had such without it being eczema herpeticum. If you do have that, it sounds as though you should be under constant medical care. Everything I'm reading says it is severe and life threatening.

The good news is that most folks do report that their subsequent obs are nothing near as bad as the first one. Hopefully...