I am feeling really down as i have had 2 attacks in the last 3 months, i have had the virus years but only had a few outbreaks in over 20 years.I cannot understand why i am getting really bad symptoms. I am 60 and relatively fit. I just feel like i am coming down with flu. i have been taking Zovirax tablets for 3 days not with no improvement , the blisters are minimal and not too bad but i feal so weak and achy on and off. Is this something that can be caused by Herpes 2. My partner is very understanding and caring but i feel like a demic!
It sounds like it may be triggered by hormones. Have you already gone through menopause?
I've had moments of herpes making me feel weak ans fatigue. I recommend for the time being getting on meds other than what you are on. I read a study comparing all the antivirals and the one you are on proved to show no effectiveness in reduction of obs and shedding.
How long have you and your partner been together? He's never caught it?
Thanks i will go back to doctor and request different meds. i feel drained and nerve pain is relentless although sores seem healed. Don't know what's worse.
No he has not caught it ..we have been together 8 years.
Oh i went through menopause years ago.
Wow. That's amazing . how did he react to the disclosure?
Hmm..... Something has changed for it to trigger. Take a daily probiotic w over 2 billion bacteria and 3-5 different bacteria. I used to constant non-stop 24-7 have nerve sensations and nerve pains. I haven't had debilitating nerve pain since my primary ob. If the nerve pain is bad, tey wellubutrin if it isn't debilitating and if it's pretty bad, ask your doctor for Lyrica or neurontin. Think Lyrica has less side effects than neurontin.
I was up front ..he was fine, doesn't worry about what might happen and said we are together for keeps so we deal with with it as and when. He knows it is not my fault.
Hi.. just a quick update...been on Acyclovir 400mg for 8 days and slight improvent in flu-like symptoms but still getting intermittent nerve pain in vulval area in buttocks and down left leg..sigh I am functioning but it is getting me down..3 hour drive to Bristol for my daughters wedding Saturday could not have come at a worse time. Sitting for long periods makes my crotch area ache.
You seem very knowledgable do you think it will settle or is this nerve pain likely to be a permanant thing on and off. Also could my stress and stomach problems (gastritis) have contributed to this bad attack. I have been worrying about stomach cancer (which it wasn't) and not sleeping well.
If anything is off balance to an extreme level in your system, herpes will be sort of an alert to that, because it triggers it. The stress of your daughters wedding, the stomach issue, etc can all be triggers.
Some people do get nerve pain from obs, I used to have severe neuropathy from my primary OB that last months. I think for now you should just stay on the meds, until your nerve pain clears up.
In the meantime, I would also request to be given nerve lain eds like Neurontin or Lyrica. That's what I tool and it made life bearable once again and I could go about my life.
Make sure you start taking a daily probiotic.
I don't think it's permanent, but I do think until things settle w your life and your body, you should stay on meds daily.
Hi again, I saw the GU doctor this morning and she told me to stop taking the tablets for the time being as there are no lesiondas she thought they may have something to do with my weak legs and nausea. She did however manage to get me an appointment with the consultant GU for tomorrow so hopefully he may have some ideas on how I can settle this pain because the lesions have gone there are no blisters left just the pain. it is very tiring dealing with this pain. I will let you know what the consultant says. the doctor today didn't seem to think that nerve pain came after an outbreak she was only aware of pain prior to an outbreak, she was even hinting it could be sciatica, which it most certainly isn't because it's I can feel it really aching and painful in my vulval area as well as the back of my leg. I feel they don't believe me.
Thank you so much for being there..i feel lost and alone although my partner David is wonderful I still feel he doesn't really understand if you know what I mean. It helps talking to someone who's been/going through this..
You know, it's very unfortunate that over in the UK, you guys have such a hard time w getting treatment for this. It doesn't matter if you have lesions or not, you're having symptoms and you can also state you'd like to stay on the meds to better protect your partner. I recommend seeing a GYNO, not a GP, as they are rather ignorant when it comes to STDs and behind the times.
Request to be put on valtrex then, that's what I take and some people have bad reactions to certain antivirals.
Doctor's always think that in regards to the nerve pain, because they are taught the basics about herpes. I had no lesions for the months after my primary OB, where I had severe neuropathy so bad, I felt like a burn victim. If they even bothered to do some research on their own, they'd find out that this is more common than they think, as a result of herpes. I still have some nerve pain from time to time. Herpes can present as sciatica, don't let them blow you off and tell you it's not, because it is. Just request nerve pain meds and to be kept on meds daily for awhile.
It is sacral ganglitis you are experiencing from it. Sometimes our immune systems go into overdrive and starts attacking the infected peripheral sensory neurons and breaks the sheathing on the nerves, which causes pain and paresthesia. That means that the virus is in the sensory neurons and your immune system is detecting it and preventing it from going straight to the surface of the skin, hence no skin lesions, but it has not run back up into the sacral ganglia and gone into dormacy either, which is why you're still experiencing symptoms, because it's still trying to breakout.
Most of the time, i have a dull ache in my buttock and back of thighs; knock on wood I haven't had it for a couple weeks for the first time since I've had this. Do a Google search on neuralgia caused by HSV and bring it to the doctor to show them, that others absolutely do experience this.
You're not alone in doctors not believing you, this happens to people a lot w them not believing you. I would bring in evidence to prove to them others are having this. Make a request to be seen by an infections disease doctor, they'll believe you. Most docs are taught only the basics of herpes. Not much was done or researched on it when they went to medical school.
I know how you feel, when it happened to me during my primary OB, a good friend even said to me, maybe it's just all in your head, people can convince themselves they feel pain. I was so offended. I work from home and had to take 8 days off and I couldn't sit up for two weeks and worked lying on my side. Sitting for long periods would add further pain in my tailbone. It takes a lil bit for nerve pain meds to build up in your system, but it allowed me to go about my normal life again.
Do a google image search of the sacral ganglia. Those pictures will show all the nerves that come out of the sacral ganglia where HSV hangs out and you'll see the web of nerves from there that reach your entire anogenital region, buttock and back of thighs. To me it is common sense just by looking at the pic, to see why it could cause nerve pain, but doctors don't listen and learn from their patients anymore. They stick to their text book protocols. It's a shame, it really is.
I know how you feel and I'm here for support any time. Hang in there, it gets better.
I forgot if you told me how you got this. Did you get it from your ex husband?
I never knew for sure he never had symptoms possibly asymptomatic because there was only other one other boyfriend prior to that. and I had symptoms before I met my current partner so it definitely wasn't him. I can remember I only had one really painful blister around 12 years ago I can't remember whether I felt unwell like I do now as it was at a very stressful time in my life. but I can remember getting pains like nerve pains in the past as well however not as long lasting as the ones I'm getting now.
So you didn't have your ex get tested? I'm just curious how long you went w out being infected, before you caught it. My mother doesn't believe people can go w out being infected for 30yrs.
well I met my husband in 1971 I had one partner prior to that. I can't remember the first time I had a sore down below but I can remember once in a round 1983 but I did have some sores a cluster on my butt cheek the doctor gave me something zovirax cream I never knew what it was then. after that the only one that stands out in my mind was around 12 years ago in the canary islands where it was so painful I went and stood in the sea for relief. I still didn't know what it was and it just cleared up. since then I suppose I had 3 sores then this last one which is the worst. and yes it can stay dormant because i asked the gu doctor. I also ask my GP and he agreed so are they either both lying or is true and I very much doubt they're lying to me not very professional.
I think mum's and older gen still see it as something as a stigma...as my doctor said its just a cold sore but down 'there' nobody bothers with people that get cold sores. people walk around with them all over their mouths/nostrils and nobody bats an eyelid. At least ours is covered up haha.sorry I shouldn't laugh but sometimes you have to otherwise you'll go crazy.
I am seeing a Consultant/Specialist in Genital diseases tomorrow. So hopefully he will be more savvy x i have some info saved on my phone all ready to show him. I was told he's a really nice guy so hopefully he'll be open to what I have to say.
Oh no, it absolutely can stay dormant, I was just telling my mom this story and she doesn't believe me or of others who go 30yrs and then boom. So it upset me last night that she thinks that eventually a discordant couple will infect the other one and it made me feel like a leper. I stated to her she's been w her husband for 13yrs and he's never given it to her orally or vaginally, sh clearly falls for the stigma.
So you never asked your husband about it? Did he ever mention getting sores?
I know! That's exactly what I said and HSV 2 rarely ever transmit to the mouth, it's like 1% of cases and in immune comprised patients, yet HSV 1 spreads very easily orally and to the genitals, so it is completly lost on me why society can make it like it's not big deal, but HSV 2 is. I'll tell you why, because the majority of people have it orally and you can't hide oral herpes and make it your dirty little secret, so they had to down play it and act like it's nothing, because it was the elephant in the room. This convo w her last night bothered me so much, that I even teared up today, because after how much I have educated her on this, as I am very well versed in this, it was shocking to have such an ignorant reaction from her. It also seemed cocky thebway she did it like, yeah right, I'm pretty much doomed to infect anyone who touches me.