Hi everyone.
I was diagnosed with HSV-2 in August 2014, about a month after contracting the virus. I immediately went on 1 gram of Valacyclovir per day. I am still taking the medication. The reason for continued use of the medication is because although I have had essentially no outbreaks, I have suffered extreme cognitive complications. in the past 14 months, I have suffered through 4 instances of Aseptic Meningitis, due to HSV-2. The 2nd of which was the worst, which caused me to get a spinal tap to catch it, but due to the slow moving process of medicine, the viral evidence was long gone by the time I was able to get in for the procedure. Each time this occurs, I experience extreme fatigue, nausea, constant headaches, vision loss, difficulty focussing, slurred speach, dizziness, and short term memory loss, to name the more significant symptoms. The severe version of these symptoms typically last 2-3 weeks and then VERY slowly improve, but before I am feeling back to normal, it happens again. With each occurence, the symptoms seem to compound and become more severe and last longer. I was wondering if anyone else has a similar story to this and has found any success in treating the symptoms or resolving the issues. I am attempting to pursue my Masters in Engineering at the moment, but these issues are making it nearly impossible. Appreciate any advice you can offer.
Thank you for your time.
Oh my god I'm so glad I've just read this. I was diagnosed with HSV-2 in September and one week after the symptoms cleared up I started to become unwell. Firstly I had achy joints for two days and then a fuzzy head which then after a few days led to a migraine. The migraine lasted about 12 hrs but since then and many headache tablets I still wake every day feeling groggy with a fuzzy head which I know will lead to worsening if I don't keep up with the anadin. On top of this I have a stiff neck and slightly blurred vision like I'm tired. I do feel tired and lack of energy but this is not unusual for me this time of year. I have been to the doctors but the GP said I've probably got a viral bug as there is a lot of it going about but never in my life have I suffered a headache for over a week nor ever a migraine.
I'm thinking I now need to revisit GP but am unable until Monday 😞
Forgot to mention the fever (hot and sweating yet shivering) on the day before and after of the migraine. Still now along with the groggy mornings I have flushes of hot sweats for no reason.
I have trouble sleeping sometimes because of the headaches and inflamation in my head. I'll try to take homeopathic calm/sleep aid tablets to help that. At first, vitabin B-12 supplements helped with the mental fogginess. It doesn't seem to be as effective now as it use to be, but you might want to try that. The blurred vision may be similar to mine. If it is, it's because the cerebral swelling extends to the retina also. I saw an opthemologist during one of the episodes and he confirmed there was retinal inflamation. He prescribed steroid eye drops that seems to clear up the vision after a few days, so you might want to try that also. I also had the night sweats, but that seemed to have stopped occuring in the latter episodes. I'd recommend ibuprofen for headaches, as it is also an anti-inflammatory. I'm also going to the health food store now to find out about any/all natural anti-inflammatories that are available and can help reduce some of the swelling. Much of the symptoms we feel are due to the brain's response to a foreign body. The attack on the virus results in inflammation of the sequelae in the brain, which causes the dizziness, lack of energy, memory loss, headaches, etc. I've already seen some of the best neurology doctors in the area and they don't seem to have any answers.