Is it really hsv?

[Kirsten Jones]

I, too, am having an outbreak. I was told about 15 years ago that I tested positive for HSV2, and was given valtrex, but I never had any symptoms until 3/27 of this year. It began as shingles, which never fully developed bc I was given 500 mg/twice daily of valtrex by my neurologist the day after the pain started in my back and wrapped around my ribs. Next, I had a small rash, not blisters, under my arms and around my waist on the left to my navel. Then, I had a tingling in my mouth, nose, and eyes. I was again given valtrex. Then I had one lesion beside my urethra. I had my pcp look at it and she said not hsv but gave me 1 gram of valtrex 3/day bc I was still having shingles pain.  She repeated the hsv test and hsv1 came back at 73, yes, seventy three, and HSV2 at 1.2. I went to gynecologist the next day and she examined me and said no sign of HSV2, but gave me valtrex, 500 mg to take once daily for suppression and twice daily for outbreak, just to ease my mind. I had follow up with pcp two days later with exact same symptoms and she said no signs of hsv and test just meant I had been exposed at some point and said valtrex not doing anything and discontinued it.  Now, I have sore red spots on my tongue and two lesions by my vagina. I’ve taken up to 2 grams of valtrex/day (bc I had it on hand) and it knocks out all symptoms for about 12 hours. I don’t know what’s going on. At this moment, the two lesions are still there, but I’m not experiencing anything else. I’ve not had sex in three months and hubby is getting frustrated and I’m running out of excuses. I have frequent UTIs, but he’s not buying that excuse anymore. He has never had any symptoms.  I also have MS and took Zinbryta January 25. This was taken off the market bc two people died of encephalitis bc this medicine triggered dormant viruses. Hsv is one virus that can trigger encephalitis and I was treated for that as a precautionary measure. Can someone help? Any doctors out there? Thank you...I’m at my wits end!

[WilsoInAus]

I suspect that you have an oral HSV-1 infection only. People with HSV-1 will often experience low positives on HSV-2. The ratio of your HSV-1 result to your HSV-2 exceeds the 'cross reactivity' threshold and thus cannot be interpreted as positive less than 5.

Shingles is the chicken pox virus (Varicella Zoster Virus, VZV) completely unrelated to HSV 1/2, a separate virus that many people carry.

I'd show your husband what is going on for you, share it. I feel it is highly unlikely that you have HSV-2 and even if you do what impact would it have on your relationship?

[Kirsten Jones]

Since I’ve never had any symptoms until recently, and it’s not possible that I’ve truly just developed this virus, and my tongue has settled down and back to normal and the lesion by my urethra is gone, when is it safe to have sex? We have been having unprotected sex for 15 years. My husband has had what he’s called jock it before, but says he’s had it since he was14 years old and it’s caused by sweating and tight jeans. He also has a red spot in his lips and sometimes uses tons of chapstick on them. Could he has hsv1 and have given it to me? Again, though, I’ve never had symptoms until the Zinbryta that damn bear killed me. I see lots of people on line now. Will someone please help me? Thanks!