Minimal outbreaks before;horrendous ones now. Why?

[ouch]

Perhaps someone here can help me with this little problem....

When I was first diagnosed with HS2 back in May of 2003, it was by a fluke. I had small red bump, looked like an ingrown hair on my outer labia. The only difference was that this tiny bump hurt like hell when I peed. I worked at Planned parenthood long enough in the past to know something was wrong. Sure enough, it turned out to be HS2. But after that, I rarely if EVER had an OB. I figured, well, if I have to have this, at least I do not get outbreaks. The only thing I ever did get was this occasional tingly, itchy feeling, and that was it. No sores, no pain.

Fast forward to last december. I was about 6 1/2 months pregnant. I ended up having the WORST outbreak of my life. I was in so much pain I wanted to die. Since then, I have been having OBs about every other month. While I was pregnant, a couple times I did take valtrex right when I felt an OB was to occur, but that was it. It helped somewhat, not much though. (I hate drugs too and I feel that the pharmaceutical companies make a freakin' MINT Off our asses, but THAT is another rant in another post to come). I planned on a csection, partly because of this problem, but also because I almost died giving birth to my older son (problem with my pelvis and my hips ) and really didn't want to go through THAT again.

But even since the birth of my infant son nine months ago, almost every month/month and a half, I experience an OB of some kind, and usually they are pretty damn bad. I am trying to figure out why. My OB said (when I was pregnant and had the SUPER bad OB) that I may have been "re-infected by a different strain of the virus". has any one ever heard of THIS? (My boyfriend does not have HSV of any kind; or should we say, he shows no symptoms. If he does have it, he caught it from me)

Is it my diet? I use to be on a total no carb, very low carb diet. All yummy meats and veggies and fruits and NUTS (yes, I said nuts, something we are suppose to avoid, but I didn't, ate buttloads of it and DIDN"T HAVE OUTBREAKS!) I now eat a crapload of carbs. But I do take my vitamins (bcomplex, and usually lysine, but I stopped taking lysine while pregnant, as I heard it can be harmful to the fetus. I have not taken lysine since).

Is it added stress. I have posted ad nauseum how this shit is freaking me out about passing it to my newborn son; how I am constantly washing my hands. How I am afriad of it going through my clothes somehow and transmitting to him. Everytime he gets a rash anywhere, I am SURE it is because I somehow passed HSV2 onto him. Could this stress be eating me alive? All my "good deeds" to stay clean and sanitary working against me? The baby sometimes sleeps in my bed and I am afraid he will catch it THERE, even though I sleep with pajamas on (as does my Boyfriend).

Is it all of the above? Are there different strains of HS2 and I have a new one. It is all just crazy to me. To go from no OBs and now have horrible ones, it is really screwing with my already messed up psyche. I try to be cool, I try to be positive, I try not to let this shit get me down....but it is getting harder and harder.

I have no where to go and no one to talk to. I have no health insurance and the state I now live in doesn't have a planned parenthood that offers a "sliding scale" for mothers. I have a million other health issues going on as well and it is all adding fuel to the fire. I try to talk to my boyfriend and while he is cool and understanding, he just has a more lackadaisical approach about things (easy to do when you are the party who does NOT have herpes!) I am in perpetual pain, not just from the herpes, but from my hip problems and now I think I am having a relapse in skin cancer. I am not 100% sure (it looks different this time...hmmm...new herpes, new cancer, go figure!) but this is the only place I can come and get some logical, levelheaded information. At least about the herps. So if any one here has any sort of answers or comments, I am all ears. (eyes!)

Thanks y'all and sorry for the long post.

[Reya]

I'm not sure how true this is, but I heard that because when you are pregnant your hormones change or increase in intensity it can trigger more outbreaks. If you have time, you should research it a little. I know that wasnt much info but I'm not sure of the details.

[ouch]

I heard that too, but when I asked my doctor about it (while I was pregnant) he was leaning more towards NO, and that it was likely I was re-infected with the virus. He was a bit of an airhead though! hahaha! I wonder how much HE knew about the disease. He is a great SURGICAL doctor and my csection went off without a hitch, but he is an airhead. (when it comes to day to day stuff) and I do not see him being a big "research doctor"...especially not when it comes to STDS....now if it were urology then he is all over it....

But yeah, in my 6 month I got a RAGING outbreak. And it has been that way ever since. My partner has no symptoms (never had it before,so I don't think that I have passed it to him.) and so far so good. He is the only one I have been with since I contracted this stuff....it is just too weird. I am going to try and change my diet back to the ultra low carb all meat veggies fruits and nuts again...see if THAT helps. I always take vitamins....We shall see.

[kittykat123]

I have had hs for quite awhile and had no idea because Id have an outbreak once a year, but in the last year i seem to bee getting it all the time! I havent been pregnant so I have no idea whats causing it. I personally think its the stress of knowing and worrying about it all the time, I worry Im going to pass it onto my partner...mayube the worry of passing it to your child is similiar stress........if you find out let me know!

[sassy]

I don't know about this, but I think there may be some validity to the idea of getting another strain, and I will tell you why. I was diag. in 2003 and had an extremely mild case. Then, I started dating my boyfriend, and was very relieved to find out that he believed he also had herpes. So, I'm thinking, what a relief..............and then about 6 months into our relationship the constant OB's came, every 3-4 weeks, and in different places, etc. Often times after sex and I couldn't help that somewhere along the line, he had reinfected me, and possibly with a new strain. The spot where it ALWAYS came back in the past (before I was with my current boyfriend) I never have outbreaks there anymore. NEVER But, instead I have outbreaks that affect my lower right labia and close to my anus, mild OB's but it seems like they happen ALL the time. So, I asked my Dr too, and while she was a fantastic Dr, she was a PCP, not an OB/GYN. So, I am pregnant and will be going to see my doc for 1st visit and plan to have that discussion with him. I was starting to get SO freaked out that I had HIV or something was wrong with my immune system, but I have no other symptoms. So, while I was glad to have a partner that also had it, that seemed like the perfect situation, that kind of turned into not such a great thing.

Stress, too, obviously can cause OB's, since you are under alot, have you thought about taking a mild dose of anti anxiety meds? Sometimes just to get you through a hard time it can do good. I have never been on meds, although looking back I'm sure there are many times I probably should be, but I work in a Dr office and we have a lot of patients who use anti anxieties to get them thru rough times..............just a thought.........