Herpes on Abdomen? Lots of Questions ...

[gjaw]

Hi all,

Thanks for the opportunity to get a few questions off my chest. 

About 6 weeks ago, about an inch or so below my belly button, I noticed a raised red area, super itchy. Went to the doc about 5 days later after it didn't go away (turned into small sores, etc.) and he said it was herpes, did a swab, sent it away and a few days later the test confirmed it. 

Questions:

1. How did I get herpes on my lower abdomen? This is above my pubic hair. I had been w a new partner (girl) 3x in the preceding 6 weeks to noticing that itchy bump. The last time before that was about 3 weeks ago. If I contracted it sexually, wouldn't it have been on my penis and mouth instead? 

2. What are the chances that sores surface in those other places? Will they pop up on my penis or mouth at some point?

3. The initial spot is just about fully healed and I think that is a result of the doc swabbing and digging in there which made the healing take forever. But last week a small series of sores popped up an inch to the right, and just today an inch to the left. When is this outbreak going to end???

4. Let's say I'm all healed up in a month. I've read about shedding. Can I give someone herpes from my hands, touching my arms, my penis, my mouth? Or does it only shed inthe spot of the outbreak?

I think that's all I have for now. I'm going to get more acyclovir tomorrow. Initially I was on 3 pills a day for 10 days. Didn't seem to make much difference in the healing process, but not that I've been off it for a few weeks and these other outbreak spots are popping up I guess I need to be back on it asap. I've also been taking a ton of lysine, anywhere from 1000 to 4000 per day, along w other multivitamins, etc. 

Please help!

[WilsoInAus]

Does you girlfriend know about this diagnosis? It would be useful for her to test to confirm what she has.

Can you confirm exactly what the test cam back positive for? HSV-1, HSV-2 or Zoster? What test was applied, PCR, culture, biospy?

[JBnATL]

Hi there, welcome to the website.  You questions are quite common.

1.  Genital herpes can reside anywhere in you sacral ganglia nerve system goes.  If you were to look that up, you would see that it goes from the base of your spine down your legs and I guess in your case it includes the area below your belly button.  Oral herpes resides in your trigeminal ganglia nerve system and that system does not connect with the sacral ganglia system so the virus cannot travel by itself to your  mouth.

2.  It won't pop up in your mouth, but could pop up anywhere the sacral ganglia nerve system travels.  However, most people get outbreaks in the same place every time.

3. The first outbreak is always the worst and can last from a few days to a couple of months.  Was your swab type specific?  If you have ghsv1  you may never have another outbreak.  Even if it is ghsv2 then any subsequent outbreak you might have won't last as long.  

4.  You can't spread genital herpes from your hands, arms or mouth.  The only way is from skin to skin contact from your genitals.  Even then you don't shed all the time and the longer you have it the less you shed.  Here is a couple of links to articles about transmission.  Read them and you will feel a lot better.  

https://herpesopportunity.com/downloads/herpes-opportunity-disclosure-handout.pdf

http://hsvblog.org/herpes-simplex-virus-101/

Let us know if you have any other questions.

JB

[gjaw]

Thank you both so much.

Here is what the test result said. It was taken by a qtip swab of the area. 

 

HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS CULTURE, RAPID SHELL VIAL Positive for Herpes Simplex Virus  

 

The doctor told me the only distinction between hsv1 and 2 is the area: if it pops up above the waist, 1, below the waist 2. 

I will read those links now. In case this question isn't answered in them: So the spots are just below my belly button. Am I still at risk of shedding in areas where sores never popped up? I guess I can put it this way ... is my penis potentially shedding the virus right now?

[gjaw]

And my other question ... if this was transmitted during sex, why did the blisters show up on my stomach and not my genitals? Is it possible I picked it up some other way?

[WilsoInAus]

OK, your doctor is wrong. HSV-1 and HSV-2 are distinctive viruses. You can get them anywhere on your body but usually orally or genitally.

It is hard to say whether this is a primary outbreak or not. A primary always happens at the point of entry, but a recurrent can happen anywhere in the genital area. I'm sure your partner wants to test right away? Wouldn't hurt you to have a blood test either to learn your baseline status.

[gjaw]

It was a PA who took the test and gave me this info. I will make an appt for us at a dermatologist tomorrow am and hopefully get in quick to get more answers. 

[gjaw]

I haven't seen my friend since that initial outbreak about 5 weeks ago. She lives a few hours away. I just asked her if she'd ever had any cold sores etc and she said no. This, and the fact that the initial outbreak is on my abdomen really makes me think it came from somewhere else. I just have no idea. 

 

Could the test title that I listed above possibly include zoster or gladiatorum? Or would those not show up under that particular test?

[WilsoInAus]

Gladiatorium is still HSV-1 or HSV-2 just not in the oral or genital areas. It has the Gladiator tag as it is experienced mostly by those involved in contact sports! You a wrestler?

I agree with you. Outbreaks beyond the primary can occur anywhere in the genital area, starting an inch or so below the belly button down to about the first 1/3 of the thigh. This is in theory whereas in practice most experience outbreaks near the infection site. This thus suggests that you have had this for a while. I'd obtain a blood test and check your antibody levels. Won't prove a great deal but a firm positive for HSV-2 will point to a longer term infection.

[gjaw]

Went in yesterday. Dr switched me from acyclovir to the one that starts w an F. Took a shaved bioposy to send to infectious medicine in case I have some strain that is resistant to acyclo. 

He seemed pretty confident when saying that I'd only potentially shed from this area on my abdomen when no other signs are available. What I'm reading online and I think what you are all saying is that shedding can potentially occur anywhere in the lower region, even places that have never had sores. Is that correct?

[gjaw]

I'm not a wrestler, but I do go to the gym 5 days a week and play hockey. I'm just having a real hard time thinking of when I had a cut or ingrown hair on my belly and when that could've touched a piece of equipment or something. 

Unless I've had the virus for several years and this is it's first time saying hello.

Should my current outlook be one of gratitude that at least it's only on my abdomen and not my genitals? Anyone else experienced this and can you tell me if it spread down there or if when it did come back was it in the same spot?

[JBnATL]

On 3/4/2016 at 11:10 AM, gjaw said:

I'm not a wrestler, but I do go to the gym 5 days a week and play hockey. I'm just having a real hard time thinking of when I had a cut or ingrown hair on my belly and when that could've touched a piece of equipment or something. 

Unless I've had the virus for several years and this is it's first time saying hello.

Should my current outlook be one of gratitude that at least it's only on my abdomen and not my genitals? Anyone else experienced this and can you tell me if it spread down there or if when it did come back was it in the same spot?

You didn't get this virus from a piece of equipment, the only way to get it is from skin to skin contact.  

For most people the virus doesn't spread, your outbreaks will typically be in the same location.  The greatest chance of it spreading is when you first get it and don't have antibodies built up to keep the virus in place.  So the first 6 months you have it is the best chance of spreading it.

Good luck! 

JB