Question:
I've been getting coldsores for years, but recently I've got to
thinking that I might also have genital herpes. Maybe it's just paranoia
since I started following this newsgroup with a view to learning about the
subject, or maybe not. I've had over 15 years to spread the virus from my
lips to downstairs .... + genital contact with two people (i say 'genital
contact' because it wasn't sex, not that it makes any difference). I guess
they were both fairly promiscuous.
I've no dramatic symptoms or anything, just a smallish group of totally
innocous looking pinhead sized lumps which are hiding around the rim of my
penis. There's been no visible weaping or anything, in fact they're quite
hard to examine.
here's my point/questions:-
(a) As I get coldsores, does that mean it'd be of little use to get a
test for genital herpes as it wouldn't show the location of the virus?...
i.e. I'm talking about a blood test by the way, the only weapy sores I get are on my
lips.
(b) I guess if a test showed I had both hsv1 and hsv2 then it could be
a semi-reliable indicator that I could have genital herpes as well as oral
herpes? (though I realise you can have either variant in either place)
(c) I most often get coldsores only for the duration of the winter.
Obviously they look unsightly and they'd be a bummer if I actually had
anyone to kiss. I'd never heard of aciclovir type tablets until I
started with this group. Do you think I should try them? I use
Zovirax-type creme (pretty useless for me, i never get any warning pre-sore
tingle) and tea-tree oil (similarly, no stunning result). Should I feel
more at ease with regard to asymptomatic shedding (kissing/oral sex) as I
usually go 3/4ths of each year without an OB?
(d) When do I get coldsore OBs they tend to be quite severe .... do you
think i'd be right to assume that my body would react similarly to genital
herpes?
Thanks for your time. It's just that I think I ought to drag myself to the
doctors to get the genital area thing checked-out before I go giving it to
anyone
Answer:
I think the debate rages on as to whether there's a lot to worry about with
autoinocculation (the transfer of the virus from one part of your body to
another) once sufficient autobodies are made (about 12-16 weeks from initial
infection at the longest). Certainly, it can happen, but whether it's a common
occurance for someone to transfer their own HSV1 from oral to genital is
unknown. The antibodies your system builds in order to fight the virus orally
should protect you to a degree from transferring it to other parts--but it's
not foolproof.
What I'd be looking for would be a similar eruption genitally as you're getting
orally. Granted, some folks have different outbreak symptoms--even different
one time over another--but you'd still be looking for the "cold sore" kind
outbreak complete with itching, burning, etc, I'd imagine. After all, genital
herpes is still just a cold sore gone south.
a) A blood test would be useless if you happen to have oral AND genital herpes of
the HSV1 variety. The blood test, as you know, doesn't *locate* the virus,
rather just indicates antibodies to it. If your blood test came back positive
for both 1 and 2, however, it would point to a genital infection...as I think
it would be quite rare to have an oral HSV2 infection over the top of an
existing oral HSV1 infection.
b) HSV2 rarely infects the oral area, and I'd think it would be even
more rare to have the double infection orally after having a HSV1 infection
first.
c)You might give the Acyclovir a try. It's worked wonders for many people. My
doc, who's had oral herpes for ions, says that when he shaves in the wrong
place or gets out in too much sun and starts to feel the telltail tingle of an
impending outbreak he'll start popping the Acyclovir and hasn't has a whole
outbreak in years with this procedure. Too bad you don't feel your
prodromes--you also might be able to head your outbreaks off at the pass. But
if nothing else, the Acyclovir should be able to help shorten outbreaks for
you. Talk to your doc about it.
d)Would depend on the type, probably. HSV1 genitally recurrs, generally, less
frequently and less severely than HSV2 genitally. And also, since it's out of
it's "home base", it recurrs less frequently and severely than it does when
it's orally located. HSV2 genitally is whole other ballgame.
