Keeping my chin up!

[Pollyanna]

Hi from Pollyanna in London (Eng)!

I've just found this forum but I wish that I'd found it when I was first diagnosed, although I did get a great deal of information from the net in general, but it's not the same as actually chatting with people with more experience of it. In the 12 months I've had it (I have HSV1 but genitally rather than orally) I've only told 2 people - my best friend and a guy I met just 3 days after diagnosis. He thought it was no big deal and that was simply the best news I could have had at the time, suddenly I no longer felt like a leper who could never have sex again!

Anyway, I've only had one episode since the initial outbreak and that was much milder than the first (which according to the GUM doctor was a particularly bad one) and I think that this could be for a couple of reasons - 1) I have type 1 genitally and neither type 'thrives' outside its preferred location and 2) I take a number of supplements daily to help suppress it (Lysine, Vitamin E and garlic, amongst others).

SO many more people have herpes than even know it and I don't even think about it much these days. However, I do think that it's still misunderstood and often taken far more seriously than need be - using words like 'disease' makes it sound so much worse than it it. It's only a bl**dy coldsore at the end of the day, remedies for which are advertised daily on tv and in the press and nobody thinks anything of that!!

So chin up and best foot forward!

Pollyanna

[SpecialGuest1234]

Chin up and best foot forward is an excellent message!

Angela

[coolmel12]

I have had my first outbreak of type one herpes on the genitals as well. Is it likely that this ever reoccurs again? I know it's not that big of a deal, i just feel, well ackward. I have cream and a pill as well and its healing but its painful. I'm missing a lot of school because i have had bad flu symptoms and i have really bad mouth sores as well. I just wonder is it likely to be something that outbreaks frequently down there in your life?

[SpecialGuest1234]

What has your doctor said about all this?

Angela

[coolmel12]

He hasn't said much about the reoccurance rate. He basically is waiting for all of this to heal. I have it on my lips too which is looking alot better but the ones on my genitals are taking longer. I was just wondering how ofter hsv 1 reoccurs down there?

[SpecialGuest1234]

I was just wondering how ofter hsv 1 reoccurs down there?

Genital herpes type-1 outbreaks are few and far between them compared to genital herpes type-2 folks.

You have to remember that everybody is different though... that's why it's important to play it be ear and wait n' see what happens with your body.

Angela

[coolmel12]

Thanks!!!! It was a bad outbreak, but the doctor says they will be much less severe if it does happen again. Thanks for all your advice!

[Pollyanna]

Hi! Sory I've not replied before now but I've not been online.

Yes, my first outbreak was pretty dreadful (emotionally as well as physically) but the only one I've had since was 'nothing' really... I had the sensation there but there clearly weren't many sores - I wasn't having to wee in the bath for a start!!

Type 1 prefers the mouth and Type 2 prefers the genitals - so when they get 'lost' and end up in the wrong place, they sort of go into hibernation (after the first episode) and can't be bothered to breakout again.

Put it this way, what you've got isn't great, but neither is it anything to get upset about either. 70% of people carry Type 1.

I used to be quite proud that I was one of the few people I knew who didn't get the occasional cold sore on their lips - bloomin' wish I'd had it already now!!

[chaleguey]

Lysine for cold sores

I have found Lysine to be extremely efficient for cold sores in the mouth. I was on the verge of getting one in the lower lip but it did not grow enough to be noticed.