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WorstNightmare

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WorstNightmare Newbie

WorstNightmare

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Hi, I'm new here. I found this board while searching for info. Here's my story:

My bf of 2 years gave me genital herpes about 3-1/2 weeks ago. He has had it since 2003, but didn't tell me until I got it. I guess he thought he couldn't give it to me if he didn't have any symptoms. When he does have symptoms, he only has it in one small spot above his penis. But for me, it has spread like wildfire....

I have yet to go to the doctor to get a diagnosis, but am going next week. I was in so much pain the first couple weeks that I literally could not spread my legs to even look at it, there was no way I could let a doc swab one of the blisters. I was hurting so bad, I could not even wash the area, all I could do was get in the shower and just run water over to try to keep clean. My bf went to the doctor and got valacyclovir to give to me. I have taken it for about 14 days now and finally starting to get better so I made an appointment to get tested. I have had surgeries that didn't hurt nearly this bad. Definitely the worst pain I've ever experienced.

I have been reading the posts on here for the last few days, it seems that the consensus is that there are several outbreaks in the first 6 months especially. It is really scary to think that for at least the next 6 months I am going to have to go thru that again multiple times before it slows down. It has been hell trying to go to work because I have a desk job and it hurts to sit all day long.

Thanks to everyone in advance for putting your stories out there, it is helpful to know I'm not alone in some of the things I've been going through.

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Evaluate Platinum Support Member

Evaluate

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Hi Worstnightmare,

Sorry to hear your troubles but I'm happy you found HC.

First, getting to see a health professional is important.  While you can be very sure you have something, you should get your own prescriptions and diagnosis if possible. Our minds can be very creative, although I'm not necessarily suggesting this is the case with you.

Second, get educated.  It sounds like you're already doing this which is great.  Read lots of reputable websites and this board is a good place to be as well.  Herpes sucks but it's a bump in the log of life.  Knowing about what you're dealing with is very important.  It sounds like your bf had a lot of misconceptions and misinformation so try avoiding that same thing from happening to you.

Last, everyone is different.  Initial HSV infection typically is the roughest part but everyone is different and some people snap back quite quickly.  Antivirals can help this and so can a healthy lifestyle.

:)

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WilsoInAus Platinum Support Member

WilsoInAus

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Your body will right now be hard at work making antibodies and generally tuning your immune system to address the virus. You can therefore expect that you will not have an outbreak of this magnitude again. Not always the case, but very much the case for most.

If you find that the outbreaks do seem to be coming back a little too frequently for your liking then a course of antivirals for a period of time could be very useful.

Not sure what test you can have right now, probably best to wait until week 12. If your boyfriend has confirmed HSV-2 then this is of course the highly likely explanation.

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Seeker1960 Platinum Support Member

Seeker1960

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Sorry that you have become a member of the H club. You will need 3 months post exposure to get an accurate blood test and that will be delayed because of the antivirals. Swab might pick up the virus. 

Everyones body handles the virus differently so you might have few OBs or even none. Depends on a few different factors.

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oldgal Established Member

oldgal

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Ohh WorstNightmare!  Big hug :longhug: to you!  While I'm sure the fellas don't have an easy time of it either, all us females know exactly how you have been feeling and I hope you are soon fighting fit again.  I have had herpes for around 35 years but I can still remember the first outbreak like it was yesterday.  Your description makes my eyes water!  I also had an office job where I was sitting all day and I know the burning and pain is dreadful.  There were a few times when I couldn't go to work as even walking was terrible.  Not to mention taking a pee, which I would put off as long as possible and be in tears just thinking about it.  A doctor told me once to sit in a bowl of water to pee when it was that bad as it would be less painful.  It's clear from lots of posts here that many people don't get such severe outbreaks after the first few months, and some don't get outbreaks at all for ages.  Hopefully you will be in that category :).  The antiviral pills do work, also the zovirax cream I find is good.  The trick is to start whatever treatment you choose at the very first sign of an impending outbreak.  You will get to know your own body's signs.  For me and a lot of others, there is a distinct sort of tingling in the genital area a few days before that I can't really describe, and also an odd sort of neuralgic pain down the back of my leg.  (Often also I feel depressed for no particular reason and then there is an outbreak and I think, ah that's what it was!)  If you begin the cream or tablets at this stage you can usually stop the outbreak completely, but if you are a bit late you will at least reduce the severity considerably.  It's not much fun having herpes, but it is manageable and you will simply learn to live with it after a while.  I wish you all the best :).

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WorstNightmare Newbie

WorstNightmare

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Oldgal, it sounds like your experience was very similar to mine. Peeing is bad, but going #2 is excruciating, as I had it there also :( I'm not even sure how I got it on that area. One little spot turned into 15-20, but it took a few more days before the other ones came up. The only thing I can think of is that I wipe from front to back and maybe I popped the initial blister and spread it unknowingly, because I did not know for the first few days that I even had a blister down there. I just assumed I was a little sore from sex and so I didn't even look until it really started to hurt.

Thank you all for your replies and well wishes. Today has been a good day, the pain is almost gone. I only have a few doses left of med, so thankfully I am seeing my doc next week and hopefully he can prescribe me what I need.

 

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oldgal Established Member

oldgal

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So glad to hear it is clearing up.  For me an actual outbreak lasts a week or so, and in that time only a few days that are what you might call "a bit nasty"!  In the last few years, quite a few I guess, I also have herpes in the anal region.  It may be as you say, I don't know so many of the technical details, only the experiential ones, but quite a few people here seem to know a great deal and I'm sure someone will comment at some stage.  What I do find is that a lot of the time between outbreaks there seem to be fissures in that general area, ie from the vagina to the anus, so it is always a bit sore.  I notice it when wiping the rear end and if I take a shower directly afterwards, it stings! but otherwise I don't really notice it much.  The whole thing becomes very much easier to live with as time goes on.  There is a lot of talk of cures these days too, so maybe we will all see a happy ending soon to this Grimm's fairytale :)!

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DownToEarth Honeycomb Member

DownToEarth

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WorstNightmare: OMG! I was diagnosed a few days ago, and your description fits mine to a T. Only one exception; I thought I had UTI so it took 4 days between figuring no it wasn't and getting an appt to see my OB. My boyfriend of 2 years was shocked as we both were tested for STDs before engaging in sex. I recently found out you HAVE to ask specifically for herpes screening. I think this needs to change. A different thread. Just glad/relieved I found this forum to go to for support/resources. Hope to see you around here. 

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