I just have a lot of questions, and concerns.. so what happens if a person never take any meds , because they have no outbreaks or symptoms. Just tested positive through blood work?
If they don't get symptoms or outbreaks anyway, then nothing would happen. It's okay to not take the meds. It's also okay to take the meds, if required (e.g., frequent outbreaks, negative partner, late pregnancy).
So, either or. (Hit reply too soon!) Which type do you have, by the way? Was it the IgG test?
This was a great question as I don't have any symptoms or breakouts myself. I was just tested positive for TYpe 2 and I decided to take the meds daily. 6FelisCactus made a good point to take them everyday to prevent infecting your partner which my partner tested negative for. I didn't even think about that !
Why does this happen where some people don't get OBs? Is it an immunity thing? Age?
I would like to know myself because the same thing happen to me
I was recently diagnosed also and was given the medication. I was told that I didn't have to take it unless I had an outbreak. I have not had an outbreak yet. Has anyone ever had an outbreak with having any warts of any kind?
I'm not sure on that answer. But, I do know that your immune system can affect that. If you have other health issues that affect your immune system, I would think that you could easily have an outbreak.
Were you prescribed Valtrex?
No, I was prescribered to Acyclovir
Yes, it is an immunity thing, specifically cellular immunity. That's the part of the (very complex) immune system that seems to "manage" herpes outbreaks. Cellular immunity lessens with age. Surprisingly, humoral immunity (the part responsible for antibodies) is less important with respect to herpes.
More significantly, people who already have Type 1 (doesn't matter where) tend to be asymptomatic for subsequently acquired Type 2 (or have very mild, unrecognised outbreaks). That is the main reason why many people with Type 2 supposedly don't realise they have it, but it has been found that most asymptomatics actually do get mild symptoms, they just didn't recognise them. Only about 10% of asymptomatics are believed to be truly asymptomatic.
Wow. Thanks. So helpful. What exactly is cellular immunity? I will Google this also
That's the generic for Valtrex. Do you have any side effects from it?
Lol, it gets very confusing, believe me! I tried reading up on cellular and humoral immunity in relation to herpes and it got way too complex and technical to fully understand. Cellular immunity is the part responsible for T cells, CD4 cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, etc.
Actually, acyclovir is the generic form of Zovirax, not Valtrex (valacyclovir).
About taking the oral meds for those on here wondering about the difference, I don't take any. I took a 5-day course of oral valacylovir quite late into my first outbreak (already healing, so kinda pointless), then nothing since, not even for recurrences. Just multivitamins and select supplements (but not lysine, as it's not actually proven), plus I'm trying out acyclovir cream for recurrences. I am single, so don't need to worry about sexual transmission. If I were to ever find a willing negative partner, then I would consider daily suppressive therapy.
Thank you so much for your reply! I am going to call my Doctor and have him change my meds. That Valtrex give me horrible headaches and I stay glued to the bed. I already suffer from migraines so I don't need any help with my hear suffering.
My head suffering....sorry
Hi. What are the select supplements you are taking. I was taking Lysine and Lemon balm
People usually prefer valacyclovir, but each person is different, so maybe acyclovir will be better for you. Certainly cheaper!
I am simply taking a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin C and a couple of antioxidants for general health. I might cut out a couple after a while. Nothing special, although I drink lemon balm tea some evenings.