Need help! am so mad, confused, etc.

[dolp12]

My title says it all - I am full of negative emotions.

My former partner had herpes and thought he could protect me from it by never engaging in any kind of activity when he was having an outbreak. I am guessing through viral shedding I somehow picked it up because I ended up getting it. I always got it in the same place - between my buttocks.

When I recently broke up with that partner I felt obligated to get tested to see what I had or didn't have. A blood test ordered by the doctor came back that I have Type 1. I had never up to this point had a cold sore or any other kind of mouth-related sore.

In disbelief, I went & had a type-specific igtv test and the result has come back negative on both types indicating that I have neither. My understanding is that those tests are supposed to be extremely accurate.

Since then I have actually had a few sores in my mouth and am beyond sad, upset and confused about what I have or don't have. Additionally, I actually am on suppressive therapy (valtrex) and am still having incidents almost every other week it seems like. I thought particularly Type 1 wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this rampant - even though I am a typical high strung person & do tend to be a bit stressed.

Any help, thoughts or advice on the situation would be much appreciated...

[how]

I also got this virus through viral shedding, my boyfriend of over three years hadn't had a cold sore since he was little, we didn't even know this was possible. I would recommend that you take some vitamins, lysine is suppose to be very good in suppressing it, take a bubble bath before you go to bed, it makes you sleep much better. I have been taking vitamins for urinary health, skin and for immune system health. It helps a lot, i think it will be weird when I start college back in a few days and everyone will be like "why are you taking so many pills?" I take about 6 vitamins everyday in all. Try to keep yourself at the least amount of stress you can, thats a big trigger with an outbreak. The important thing is to prevent it before it happens, vitamins, excercise and healthy eating! oh and sleep! are the best things to help. I hope some of this helped...

[boopboop]

First of all. CHILL OUT!!! Herpes feeds off stress!!!

Yeah you could have got it through viral shedding or through Oral sex. Have you tried life with meds- maybe take up meditation and some vitamins/healthy eating...would benefit you overall and improve your immune system.

Everyone is different with herpes...all you can do it give you body the tools to help fight it. Over 70% of population has hsv1 so your now alone...

Don't worry about it.

[RealisticGal]

My title says it all - I am full of negative emotions.

My former partner had herpes and thought he could protect me from it by never engaging in any kind of activity when he was having an outbreak. I am guessing through viral shedding I somehow picked it up because I ended up getting it. I always got it in the same place - between my buttocks.

When I recently broke up with that partner I felt obligated to get tested to see what I had or didn't have. A blood test ordered by the doctor came back that I have Type 1. I had never up to this point had a cold sore or any other kind of mouth-related sore.

In disbelief, I went & had a type-specific igtv test and the result has come back negative on both types indicating that I have neither. My understanding is that those tests are supposed to be extremely accurate.

Since then I have actually had a few sores in my mouth and am beyond sad, upset and confused about what I have or don't have. Additionally, I actually am on suppressive therapy (valtrex) and am still having incidents almost every other week it seems like. I thought particularly Type 1 wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this rampant - even though I am a typical high strung person & do tend to be a bit stressed.

Any help, thoughts or advice on the situation would be much appreciated...

I'm not familiar with an igtv test. I wonder if that is a typo, or just a reference I've missed so far?

Have you ever had a swab/culture done of your lesions? That might be a more definitive way to go.

Also as far as bloodwork, in difficult cases, the Western Blot antibody test is used for confirmation.

Hope that helps.

[dolp12]

Thank you so much for the advice everyone.

Yes I had heard the thing about lysine & have found it to be very helpful. And the sleep I can definitely improve on also - I should try the warm baths.

I really think for me the biggest thing is stress. I can definitely work on that. I don't mind being high energy and always on the go but I don't think it's so good for the body! I'm working on cutting out caffeine which has to help with that.

And you're right it was a typo - the test was an IgG. I work full-time and my outbreaks tend to last only a few days at a time so it's always tricky to get into the doctors office for a culture during that few days window. I just don't understand how it could come out negative on both!

It makes me feel much better that 70% of the population would have been exposed to Type 1. I don't know why it has such an effect on me (or at least I'm working on understanding that), but it does help minimize the paranoia a bit that I have some extremely infectious condition anyone who gets close to me may pick up.

Again thank you everyone for the advice and understanding

[RealisticGal]

It makes me feel much better that 70% of the population would have been exposed to Type 1. I don't know why it has such an effect on me (or at least I'm working on understanding that), but it does help minimize the paranoia a bit that I have some extremely infectious condition anyone who gets close to me may pick up.

70% exposed?

No, hon, the figure is estimated at 80% who actually have oral herpes (usually HSV1). Probably about 70% of them do not know it.

In Italy, where social cheek kissing is the norm, the experts say that virtually 100% of the adult population has HSV1 oral herpes.