Hi, I'm new here. I'm 46 years old and I've been in a serious relationship for the past 3 years. My boyfriend has oral herpes from an encounter he had years ago. We've always been careful when he has outbreaks, or so we thought. It started with my hemmeroids acting up, so I went with my usual treatment for that. This past weekend, I noticed it was painful to not only to poop, but to pee also. I checked myself out with a mirror and saw a series of red painful bumps along with an open sore right by my urethra. I went to the Dr Monday morning and got tested. I haven't gotten the results yet, but we're pretty sure its herpes. I got a prescription for valcyclovir, which I've now been on since Monday night. I've been in so much pain that I have not been able to work all week. I can't function at work when I am in screaming pain every time I go to the bathroom. Theres nothing topical I can apply to my vagina and I can't exactly walk around work with an ice pack down my pants. Another thing is that I haven't been eating or drinking much, because I know it has to come out. I can't live like this. I want it to go away. I wish I could just numb that whole region of my body. I don't know what to do with myself!!!
So sorry you're going through this. We all know too well what it is like. I had 22 sores at one point externally and had sevwre neuropathy on my buttock and back of legs. I got lucky that my recutm never hurt and was just itchy, but I couldn't sit up for two weeks cause my neuropathy was so bad.
Keep in mind that this may not have come from oral sex and he could possibly be an asymptomatic carrier of hsv 1 or 2 on his genitals. Being it is a new infection and yiu didn't indicate if it was a blood test and/or a swab, that if it was a blood test, it will likely come back negative just like mine did. Infection is too new. The swab test is only 50% accurate, in that you have only a small window of being able to collect specimen from the sores, to have enough virus to show up on the rest. I tested 3 months later on my blood test for hsv 2, but I already knew that from my swab.
I hate to tell you this, but there is not a whole lot you can do during your first ob yo help w the pain. The only thing that helped me the most, was taking as many Epsom salt baths as possible. As far as going pee, take a shallow bath just to cover that part and pee. It will help ease the pain. Take 800mlgs of ibprofin every 4hrs, Vaseline on the sores to help w minimizing friction, ice packs at night for sleeping w paper towels wrapped around it.. But I lived in the tub for two weeks no lie.. Don't drink coffee either
Thanks for the feedback, feelbroken. I had a swap test/cell sample done. At this point I really just want to go back to work. I can do all that stuff at home, but I need to be able to make it through a day of work. I'm telling everyone I have a bad uti and some sort of virus. Its not like I'm gonna go running into work telling everyone I got herpes. I'm angry that this happened. I'm not mad at my boyfriend. This is something he caught back in his 20s.
I'd just say you Huey your back lifting, moving, exercising OE something.. Whatever you want to makeup... That's better than a uti.. Cause people are going to wonder how a uti could be that bad if they're ignorant and you also don't need something that personal pit there either.. Stick w pinched nerve
Defintely go with something not vagina related! You don't want the health of your vagina being the topic of discussion. If you are sitting at a personal desk where noone can see between your legs, get those tube like things that you freeze and go in water bottles to keep the drink cold, and put it between your legs at work. Get a few and you can alternate when one gets warm, you have one in the freezer. Be as creative as you have to! Be careful though. I thought it would be better with no hair cause I shave every time my pubic hair pokes my panties, and I cut a bump, and to make it worse, I was still having an outbreak when the hair started to poke back through the skin and was poking the other side and vise versa. It was hell in my vagina! It got better though. You will find your own ways to cope and make it easier and easier for yourself. You are strong, just stay positive!
Hi Ryan85765-
I am just getting over my first OB too. I don't know if I would have made it this far without the help of the people on this site. It was excrutiating!
Some other things that helped me was to use Abreva cream twice a day on my sores. And I kept the area as dry as I could when I wasn't in an Epsom Salts bath. I researched a diet online low in Arginine and started taking Lysine, Vitamin B3 complex, and Propolis immediately. I am still on the couch trying to heal as as I type this, but it seemed as if I was never going to be able to Pee again. I finally found holding myself open to go helped keep the flow away from the worst sores. Once I started healing it came fast. Two days ago I was in misery. Today I can wear underwear. It's the small things.... I'm extremely happy I can wear underwear! Hang in there. It will turn the corner soon.
If I have an ob.. I don't shave for quite awhile . not worth spreading it to other areas..
I just finished with my first OB too and I am BEYOND relieved because it was hell! I wasn't about to go to work either. I was out for a week and a half. I told everyone I had a pulled groin and a skin infection.
I wonder if hemmoroids are linked to HSV2 bc I noticed I had a hemmoroid for a while but have not been able to get rid of it. It was extremely painful for me to pee and poo too. I also avoided food and drinking anything but you have to drink water and plenty of it bc if you don't drink anything you'll become dehydrated and you could also get an UTI which my nurse said would make it even worse so drink plenty of water even though it will hurt but it'll also dilute all the ammonia. Pee in the tub if you have to. And as for pooping, I didn't eat too much solid food. I just ate yogurt. It was still painful to poop but I honestly had to bite down on a sock when I had to. It still kinda hurts when I poo but not as nearly as painful during my OB.
Epsom salt baths were my only relief pretty much. I'd soak for about 40 mins sometimes longer 2-3 times a day. I also took my meds acyclovir religiously and I also took Lysine 1000mg 3x a day. I used 100% tea tree oil diluted with virgin Olive oil to put on my sores and that relieved it some. I was given 800mg ibuprofen for pain.
Try to get plenty of rest and remember it'll pass you just have to fight through it. I'm really sorry you have to feel this pain but it will be over with soon. Just take care of yourself the best that you can.
when i had my first OB, my doctor gave me the valtrex and i took it religiously, then she also asked me to buy acyclovir cream, and xylocaine gel that i applied on the sores. 
The xylocaine gel( i re applied it minutes before i pee) I suggest, you Ask your doctor first, if you can do this also.
Good news! My OB has cleared up and I returned to work today. I did get my test results back and I do have HSV1. The valcylovir worked well for me, so, my Dr is going to continue to prescribe it for me. Once I finish the 10 days of meds, I only need to take it during breakouts. I'm not thrilled about this, but, its something I can live with.
Awesome!! I am glad you are feeling better and back at life. Keep your head up!
So I'm still a little confused about HSV 1 and HSV 2. I know HSV 1 is oral and HSV 2 is genital, and there is a possibility of contracting genital and oral sores from both viruses.
My question is since you were diagnosed with HSV 1 is your probability of genital breakouts lower? Or could you still get genital OB with HSV 1?
Nothing i can say other than i know how you feel xxxx
It is possible to get HSV 1 genitally as I found out. When I got the news from my Drs office, they said its not as severe as HSV2. I'll have to wait and see how it'll be in the future. I have been told the 1st ob is typically the worst.
Hsv 1 orally does not guard against getting it on your genitals. Some immunity is provided, but not much.
Hsv 1 does not tend to be as active genitally
No it's not as severe and most don't have almany recurrent obs.. W that said, I've read people on here who have bad obs and constant w hsv 1. All depends on your immune system
How long did it take for yours to clear up? I'm on the third day of meds and am in so much pain!
You have no idea how much I empathise with you right now, I'm currently on my back (because that's the only relief I have from it) experiencing my first outbreak too. I'm in sheer agonising pain just waiting ever so hopefully that as the days go by it too will subside. I'm also on Valcyclovir and it's my seventh day (pill number 5) that I still feel like nothing works. The salt baths helps a bit only when you're in it though in fact it's even relaxing to a degree but as soon as I'm out and I have to walk to my bedroom it's like my inner thighs are being cut to slices with a knife, it's incredibly painful. Apparently the first outbreak is the worst it will ever get ( fingers crossed it truly is) so hopefully once this one is over have a chat to your Dr to put you on some strong medication to take daily so the recurrence isn't as frequent nor as painful.
Best of luck to you my dear friend I truly do feel for you but don't fret we're in the same boat. Remind yourself that there's someone else whos also experiencing their first outbreak and is in pain too so you're not the only one experiencing this awful thing. Love you and stay safe xx
I'm 17 and currently suffering from genital herpes. I first thought I'd cut myself whilst shaving and that it had got infected but the pain whilst weeing just kept getting worse and then I realised I had red spots. I went to my health clinic, they told me I had herpes and I was in absolute shock I couldn't believe it. I got my medication and i can slowly see it doing its job but I've been bed bound for a week and have no one to talk to about it. I have been having around 4 salt water baths a day because it's the only thing that seems to ease the pain, but now it's affecting going to the toilet in both ways so I'm now suffering with awful lower abdominal pain. I sympathise with anyone who has been through this it is an awful experience! But if anyone has any working tips please reply x
I am in your exact position. I only discovered the sores 3 days ago and went straight to the GUM clinic the next day and they pretty much said straight away it looked like herpes. It was too sore to even to an internal swab 
I'm waiting back for the results too 100% confirm but I'm expecting the worst as everything points to the obvious.
I am now on my 3rd day of Aciclovir and nothing seems to be clearing if anything the pain is just getting more and more severe.
Told my boyfriend the same day I got tested that it might/most likely is herpes and he was so lovely about it and said these things happen and that I was silly to think he would up and leave me or think I'd cheated on him (I got myself in a state worried how he would react) which brought me abit of relief. But I'm still feeling bad incase he has caught it which I'm expecting because we have been together 8 month and never used a condom once and been having sex an awful lot lol.
Which is another thing that is playing on my mind, I feel like im never going to have the amazing constant sex life we've had so far ever again I hate this so much.