Need Advice for Little Sis

[Trinity20]

Hi All

I just want to begin by thanking all of you for your honesty. I have read a couple of threads and I can't tell you how much it has helped me in dealing with this for my own sanity and hopefully for my Sis.

We just found out that my 17 yr. old Sister has contracted Herpes. To say the least we are devastated. Unlike my parents, I knew she was sexually active. She promised me that she had everything taken care of but obviously we were both wrong. Around Christmas she noticed this really bad rash which actually spread up her chest. She asked me if I thought it was something sexually transmitted but I said no way, it would only be concentrated in your genital area. Boy was I wrong. This was her first outbreak.

Well needless to say I have no idea how to handle this myself nor what should I say to her. She feels like no one will love her or trust her again. Thankfully for this site I see it is not something that can end her life but A huge RED flag to say you need to recheck your priorities.

What I would like from all of you is advice on what I should say to her to make her realize that its ok and that this isn't the end. Medication works and from what I read in a previous site can actually be cured? Is this true?

I will definitely refer the site to her but I need help in dealing with my little sis and her fragile mind set right now.

Thanks for all your help!!!!

[mrstaylor5]

She doesn't HAVE to resort 2 medication, I've had it for 16 yrs. and haven't yet, but we are all different. I would exhaust natural remedies first.

Here are some natural remedies:

Herpes Home Treatments - Juices

All Juices listed are recommended for Herpes and Shingles

Foods to eat - Berries, Broccoli, Carrots, Citrus Fruits, Garlic, Kale, Kiwi Fruit, Seeds and their oils, Tomatos, Watercress, Apricots, Mango, Melon, Red Bell Pepper, Sweet Potato and Watermelon.

Juices to make:

Power Packed C

3 oranges

1 guava

1 handful strawberries

Cold War

4 carrots

1 orange

1/2 inch ginger root

2 cloves garlic

Veggie Carotene Catapult

3 carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 spear broccoli

1/2 sweet potato

Green Tomato

4 tomatos

1/2 long cucumber

1 large handful spinich leaves

4 broccali spears

Super Defend

5 large kale leaves

3 carrots

1 orange

Carotene Catapult

3 carrots

1/2 melon

1 slice watermelon

1 teaspoon spirulina

All juices listed are products that can be juiced in any home juicer. Our personal recommendation if you don't have a juicer is to purchase the Lady Juicer (details below) It's much more affordable than the high priced Juicers seen on television. Recommended you drink one juice from the list above per day.

Once you’ve been infected, you can diminish your outbreaks by using this natural herpes cure. Minimize your intake of arginine-rich foods like chocolate, peanuts and seeds. Arginine, a naturally occurring amino acid, is vital to the development of a cold sore so avoiding excessive intake of this nutrient may help prevent frequent outbreaks.

Lysine is another amino acid that effects herpes. Lysine is an all natural herpes cure that suppresses outbreaks. A daily dose of 1,000 mg begun at the first tingle of a cold sore and taken three times daily for several days seems to suppress outbreaks in some people.

Other natural herpes cures include Astragalus, licorice and Reishi mushrooms. These herbs are believed to prevent outbreaks by strengthening the immune system.

If you are suffering from genital herpes, there is an all natural herpes cure and pain reliever available for you. It’s all natural healing oil called H-Away, which helps to heal the blisters.

The second natural herpes cure for genital herpes is a product called H-Prevention, this oil prevents herpes outbreaks in fact many people who use this natural herpes cure don’t see an outbreak for years.

ALSO THERE IS NO CURE FOR HERPES...that is false.

As for medication for HSV2...she can try:

ACYCLOVIR,| Valtrex, and it looks as if she may have HSV1 because that is above the waist (u said it was on her chest) disease in humans, the most common being Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) and type-2 (HSV-2). HSV-1 and HSV-2 look identical under the microscope, and either type can infect the mouth or genitals

So for HSV1..she could check into..Famvir, Aphthasol , Zovirax

[Unbelievable]

to add to the previous post... please don't use the word devastated to your sister.... she isn't dying... she doesn't have cancer... she has herpes... yes it sucks... but there are worse things she could have gotten... support her... love her... and let her know that this isn't the end of her world...

[Hugo]

Waitaminute.....

The description of the symptoms doesn't sound like herpes simplex at all. How was she diagnosed? A "visual diagnosis doesn't count." The ideal diagnosis here would be via a culture of a sample from the affected area. Alternately analysis of a sample DNA via PCR would be good. I can see this being shingles, AKA herpes zoster, AKA chickenpox reactivation, just maybe, but not herpes simplex genitally acquired.

I agree with the other poster who encouraged you to be calm about this and NOT use terms like devastated. I've had genital herpes since 1995 and I'm far from devastated. It's a minor skin irritation, not a death sentence.

If it is some form of herpes, then the most effective treatment for the symptoms is clearly antiviral meds. Generic acyclovir is quite inexpensive.

Anyway, let us know more about this diagnosis and we'll try to help as much as possible.

[ouch]

yeah, I agree with Huge, have her get tested again....it does almost sound like shingle, although I know some people DO get virulent strains of hsv1 and 2, and it can spread to other parts of the body. Did the do a culture of the "rash" and it come back as herpes?

Also, there is NO cure for herpes. However, there are ways to help maintain it. I would say she should get on anti viral meds immediately, as studies have shown that people who use antivirals during these primary/initial outbreaks are less likely to have such bad outbreaks later on in life.

She doesn't have to take meds forever either, once she gets her virus in "check" so to speak, she can try other options (like diet, etc) to help her keep her outbreak minimal.

Tell her not to feel so alone (because she isn't) and not to feel so unlovable (herpes doens't make one unlovable....OTHER factors do that) and to take care of herself.

[ouch]

haha. I meant to say "Hugo" in my last post....typed "Huge". Sigh....freudian slip? Sorry about that pal!

[daisy#1]

Have her check out this forum when she's ready. It has really helped me in gaining support from people who understand. When I was first diagnosed I felt so alone and that no one got my situation, and I'm sure she feels similar feelings. Help her as much as you can, but understand she needs help from other people too since you can't fully understand what she's going through.

Just stand by her, support her decisions, and help your parents cope with it too so things can be easier on her. Have her confide in you and just stress the importance of now having to lead a more responsible lifestyle. She can no longer have "casual sex" and she needs to ALWAYS WARN future sexual partners about her disease because it can be easily transmitted (condom or no condom), she can never "cure it", and it is her duty to warn who she is with.

As my best friend told me, it's not a life change, it's just a lifeSTYLE change. I am still the same person I was (maybe stronger?), I just need to lead a more responsible life.

She will eventually come to terms with it, just give her time.