Jump to content

19 and uncertain..


Mouthwash

Recommended Posts

Hey guys... I've been reading this forum for quite a while now and I just want to say that its nice to finally find a place full of helpful people! I hope this doesn't turn into a wall of text.

Anyways I was diagnoised with Genital Herpes about a year ago and I'm trying to figure out if I have HSV-1 or HSV-2 down below. First off i'm a 19 year old male and I got Genital herpes right after I turned 18 last year which sucked very much. I asked the doctor exactly which I got but I forgot his response.... but from what I remember he said that there was really no difference between the two :/

From my understanding, HSV-1 is above the waist and HSV-2 below and that you can get both in the opposite places. HSV-1 being less severe and HSV-2 more.

When I have an Outbreak on my penis... the blisters are small zit/dome size blisters and there not many, so far they have only appeared around the foreskin of my penis and on the shaft. The only times I actually get outbreaks is when I'm going to a stressful time in my life or I drink too much alcohol and put my body and immune system under a lot of pressure without the proper nutrition or exercise. Otherwise I'm all fine and back to normal.

I've had approxmiately 3-4 outbreaks since the first outbreak... over the past year and whenever I sense an outbreak coming along I take a single-day Famvir tablet, so I treat my symptops episodically (not sure if thats what you call it) so yeah ....

What exactly is the difference between having HSV-1 or HSV-2 on the genitals regions for males? I mean my outbreaks do not hurt ... I just get that ichy/ tingling sensation and once I take medication it goes away and I wait for the blisters to heal and normally the next time i feel an outbreak coming a long its somewhere 2-4 months down the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi mouthwash and welcome to the site. I am impressed with your knowledge of herpes at such a young age so well done to you!

Yes, there isn't a lot of difference with HSV1 and HSV2, only the location of it. Your understanding is correct - HSV1 preference site is above the waist while HSV2 prefers the genital region and yes each strain is found in both sites, with oral hsv2 (OHSV 2) being the least common of the 4. I wouldn't necessarily agree that HSV1 is less severe. The truth is that as they have their preference sites, if you contract HSV1 in the genital area for example it will more likely be less severe because it is away from its preferred site, that being above the waist.

I read your triggers with very little surprise. It seems to be a more common occurence now that in general, if we don't look after ourselves well enough and our immune system is comprimised, it seems to be when our little friend (cough) awakes from its slumber.

Correct again, treating the outbreaks as they arise is called episodic treatment. If that is what works for you then that is great to hear. Unfortunately I can't answer the last part of your post being that I am female but also that I have oral herpes, not genital. Come into chat and you can ask any questions there to some other members!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Donate

    If Honeycomb has helped you, please help us by making a donation so we can provide you with even better features and services.

  • The Hive is Thriving!

    • Total Topics
      72.1k
    • Total Posts
      486.3k
  • Posts

    • sgt98
      Hey @WilsoInAus ok thank you, I will do my best to move on and stop trawling forums haha. 
    • WilsoInAus
      Hey @sgt98 but there is no feasible infection or outbreak to suppress and antivirals do not suppress an initial outbreak in any event 
    • sgt98
      Thanks @WilsoInAus I understand apologies for this but the only other thing I am worried about is that I did take a course of Famvir on day 1 as I felt like I was having an outbreak of cold sores and am worried that has suppressed the initial outbreak genitally 
    • WilsoInAus
      Hi @sgt98 it is not feasible to obtain a HSV-2 infection from receiving oral sex - only HSV-1 is feasible but you've already got that and immunity from any further infection with HSV-1. You do not need any further tests for HSV. You're feeling regret, try to forgive yourself and calm down, let the rational take over. You know the answer here and it won't be long until you believe it too.
    • WilsoInAus
      Hi @NerdP423 and welcome to the website. You raise a lot of points and I think the best way to address your concerns is add some comments at each key point. I've copied your note again below and added these comments in square brackets. I appreciate any insight (even speculation) as to what has been going on with me. I'm a 37y/o M. I last was intimate with a new partner on 2/11/2022, and a few days later started having a huge amount of discomfort in my face. [The first thing that happens though is that herpes causes lesions or at least some skin based disruption. Other symptoms are then related to the actions of the immune system responding to the virus. Without lesions, it is highly questionable that the ailment is related to herpes, yet testing is useful if you have concerns as you have done so.] About a month after that [herpes causes issues within days, if the first 'symptoms' are a month later - its extremely unlikely they are related to herpes], significant discomfort downstairs, however every test I have ever taken for HSV 1 and 2 has been negative. Here are the details: Face: Previously, some significant tingling and itching on the right side of my mouth, lips and chin (still there, but milder) [herpes does not cause general tingling and itching, it can cause a reasonably concentrated feeling of itch/throb from which a herpes lesion appears within hours]. Occasional hot flashes near my right eye, cheek and ear [herpes does not do this, it may be a immune response to something, or stress]. Sometimes it will feel like the skin is crawling on the right side of my face [herpes does not cause a general crawling sensation]. Never seen anything that looked like a traditional cold sore [that's extremely telling, even people with associated atypical symptoms will have experienced herpes lesions]. Occasionally, the left side of my face will have a momentary feeling of skin crawling, but it's so mild that I am not really worried about it. Downstairs: Thankfully, most of these are now milder than they were before. Occasional momentary pinch of pain at the base of my genitals. [herpes does not cause a general pinch feeling.] Aching pain in my boxer area (groin, leg folds) [nor this] Occasional feeling of cold in my boxer area, butt, or lower back. ( also in my shins and occasionally even my arms) [nor this] On 4/30/2022, I had been in discomfort for almost two months. I scratched an itch, noticed it hurt, and then checked - I did have an open ulcer down there. Took myself to the ER to get swabbed, came back negative. [If this was a PCR then this will be very conclusive.] Practitioner said it may come back negative because it was already open. However the lab report noted that it definitely didn't look like what you'd expect a typical first herpes outbreak to look like [how would the lab know??]. All blood tests negative so far. I had two western blots, the second one was nine months after exposure. [Two negative Westernblots!!! Many that's real convincing]. All other swabs also negative. I went to urgent care, because I know the timeliness of when the Swab is taken matters. One time, a swab was not done, because practitioner said it was folliculitis and wouldn't swab it (It was at my belt line). [Belt line is highly unlikely to relate to herpes.]   A blood test revealed I had low-ish B12 (technically in range, but at the very low end, especially for a man of my size). I had a series of B12 injections, and I am taking a B12 supplement. I am not taking any lysine or arginine at the moment. I was taking the Arganine to see if I could induce an outbreak. [This is irrelevant, there is no known linkage between herpes outbreaks and arginine/lysine intake - its a myth - and B12 infers nothing.] I think what I am asking is - has anyone here ever repeatedly tested negative over and over again over long period of time, before getting a definitive answer, be a positive test, or something else? [The answer to this is: Extremely few people with a HSV-1 infection and even more rarely HSV-2 test repeatedly negative on Westernblot and actually carry the virus. Of the cases that I know of that had delayed detection by a swab and negative blood tests in the meantime (and that's only 3-4 cases), they had some form of lesions within days of infection but did not obtain a swab for various reasons and then obtained a positive swab of a subsequent lesion with the record being 11 months later. A couple of the cases did have some 'background' symptoms they thought might be related to herpes but that isn't ascertained and some did not have any unusual symptoms at all apart from the lesions. Hence as you did not have lesions around your mouth or lips within days of the last sexual encounter as is exceptionally common for a primary oral HSV-1 infection, that pretty much rules out herpes orally as it is. The fact that you had no genital symptoms for a month also rules out genital herpes. I am not aware of anyone at all who has genuinely gone on to test positive by swab or blood in your specific circumstances. There are hundreds if not more than a thousand experiences on this website alone that are similar to yours that are truly negative for herpes I'm one of them!]  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.