Folliculitis or Herpes?

[worry_wart83]

About six months ago I slept naked with man. There was no sexual intercourse but definite skin to skin contact. Exactly one week after I started to get a strange tingling feeling on my right buttocks cheek. This tingling then spread to the inside of my groin and down the back of my leg. A day or two after I felt a stinging sensation in the same area and when I looked in the mirror there were a few red pimple like dots with a whitehead, on different spots on my buttocks cheeks. I have been to 2 different doctors about this as I was concerned it was herpes. The 1st doctor had a look and straight away it cant be herpes but we did a type specific blood test to check. The test came back positive for HSV type 1 IgG (which I do get coldsore very rarely) and negative for HSV type 2 IgG and IgM which she explained to me that, that means my body hasnt produce antibodies for type 2 and that my blood wasnt showing that I was having a HSV type 2 breakout at the time it was taken. Ok so that means I dont have HSV 2. But is it still possible that I could be having a type 1 outbreak on my buttocks even though I know I already have had the virus in the form of coldsores for years....? The blood test doesnt really help as I knew I already was positive for type 1, but that doesnt mean that the symptons im experiencing on my buttocks isnt type 1 does it?
Both doctors said they couldnt do a swap cos the pimple like spots werent open sores. The 2nd doctor was positive that it was folliculitis from just looking at it and told me to wash in pHisohex which contains 1% w/v Triclosan(10mg/mL) and I have been using it twice a day now for almost a month and it hasnt made any difference. The reason why Im so worried about this being herpes is because of the symptons I get before these 'pimples' appear. They include stinging, tingling and burning on the right buttocks. Then the pimples usually appear not long after that. The only thing that doesnt seem to be common for herpes is that the pimples dont ever seem to go away...there is always ay least some irritation there. But the tingling, stinging and burning comes and goes, usually more intense around my period. I hope someone can help me with some answers.....thankyou

[WhereToLook]

I am sure you still have the symptoms like what I have.

[jagesh50]

Yes,textile dermatitis is cloth based and in pressure spots develop pustules or rash which last for sometime.Try only white innerclothing for sometime.The features do not fit in with many others so trial and error method is is followed.Thank you for the trust.

[worry_wart83]

Oh no Im very very appreciated of you and cant thankyou enough for all your help. You re the only person that has listened and is coming up with different ideas as to what it could be. Im happy to explore all possible outcomes to get to the bottom of this.
Thankyou again = )

[jagesh50]

May be it is a pure localized phenomenon like a textile dermatitis.Please do not irritated with my differential diagnosis.I am using all my grey cells to arrive at a meaningful diagnosis,to give you relief.

[worry_wart83]

They appear on both sides of the buttocks but I only get the nerve feeling on the right. They dont itch at all but are sore to touch just like a pimple is. There doesnt seem to be any sort of pattern with when they appear but its usually after sitting for a long periods of time but they can also appear randomly without sitting. They can last for a few days or even weeks. They dont seem as red or pronounced when I first wake in the mornings. There isnt many days where I DONT have ANY pimples but they DO go away sometimes....

[jagesh50]

Is it on one side or all over?how long the pustules last?does it that itch that time?Daily or weekly?

[worry_wart83]

Well that makes sense for the nerve feeling. But can you explain why these pimples are appearing? They dont come up as a rash they come up as red dots all over my buttocks. Some are a odd shaped red patch with 2 little pus like heads others just look like ordinary pimples i get on my face. I just dont understand why they are comin up? Im not sweating, I shower daily what is causing this????

[jagesh50]

Pressure on the nerve and neuritis will be a safe bet.

[worry_wart83]

Why would this raise eyebrows?? I really dont think its anixety induced Even when Im my most happiest symptoms can be at their worst. Sitting down and pressure on the buttocks cheeks seem to be the main cause. Is there anything else that cause these symptoms??

[jagesh50]

See,even to talk of a localized cholinergic urticarias will raise eybrows, but then neuralgias do last for quite some time and anixiety state will exacerbate symptoms.Best to get the herpes angle fom your mind where the anxiety seems to come from to worsen the simple neuragia.

[worry_wart83]

and this could cause symptoms that last this long?
Do you think this could be pressurized urticaria?

[jagesh50]

Neuralgias of lateral cutaneous nerve is known to cause similar symptoms,cause unknown but pressure on the nerve inflames it,possibly bike riding.

[worry_wart83]

Can u explain at all why Im geting the tingling feeling in and around my groin on the same side as my buttocks?
I also havent mentioned that I suffer from vulvodynia. My vulva symptoms have been at ease from sometime now, but could this condition be causing the tingling sensation on my buttocks?
Could I have nerve damage? A week or so before these symptoms started I did alot of bike riding could that have anything to do with it?

[worry_wart83]

I know I am stuck on herpes just mainly because of the tingling stinging and burning and then the pimples appear. I guess Ill only be able to move on from this when Im diagnosed with something......
What you said in the previous post about heat makes sense but im not getting a itch...Could it be anything else??

[jagesh50]

Well,it looks to me that you are still thinking of herpes.Herpes group of viruses make ganglion of nerve roots their home, and known as neurotropic.Once in two or three months they peep out travelling via the nerve fibre and when thus they come out form water filled vesicles,now known as epidermotropic,stay for a few days.Then go back home only to come after a few months,this is known a trophism.Now you understand that herpes virus do not behave the way as in your case it comes out as as an when there is even a small stress.H type1 comes just but once or twice in a lifetime at the genital level.Hope I am clear.

[jagesh50]

Cholinergic urticaria is a form of physical urticaria triggered by a rise in core body temperature. Sweating is not a must.Then other conditions may include an anxiety state,neuralgias which may manifest itch.

[worry_wart83]

Hey Ive started keeping a journal of my symptoms and Ive noticed sitting for a period of time seems to bring it on. In a matter of time usually within the hour the pimples appear. I dont need to be sweating for this to happen either. Do you know of any condition another than cholingeric urticaria that this could be?

[jagesh50]

The time taken for positivity,you have adequtely crossed.No worries relax.

[worry_wart83]

Sorry Ive just got one more question after reading some other posts. I started having these symptoms in April 2008. I got Herpes Type Specific blood tests done in Sept 08 and tested positive for HSV1 and negative for HSV2. I got the same tests done again in March 09 with the same results. Am I safe to assume the negative result for HSV2 is correct? (Ive been + HSV1 for years)Did I allow enough time when I had these tests done for anitbodies to show? I was just reading in another post that they could take up to 6months or longer to show......
Thankyou
Oh also how come my tests didnt come back with any n.o's next to the positive and negative results like other peoples? Am I having a diff test done to everyone else?

[worry_wart83]

So you really think my symptoms arent being caused by my HSV1 infection? Sorry for keep asking just really trying to get the herpes thing outta my head!!!

[jagesh50]

For example, most people infected with HSV-1 in the genital area have few, if any, outbreaks after the initial episode, far fewer than is typical with either oral HSV-1 or genital HSV-2. While experts estimate that some 30% of genital herpes infections in the United States may be caused by HSV-1, only 2- 5% of recurring genital outbreaks are caused by HSV-1. Research conducted by Lawrence Corey, MD, and colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle shows that genital HSV-2 recurs 10 times more often than genital HSV-1.So your outbreaks frequently in the gluteal area is a myth than reality.

[worry_wart83]

Hey I was just wondering if you could answer some questions for me in the meantime until I get to the dermatologist.
1. Because Ive tested negative twice to HSV2 blood tests, since I started having symptoms, can we definitely rule out that THAT strain isnt the cause?
2. Because I test positive for HSV1 the last doctor I saw said that THAT strain could very well be the cause for these symptoms. Could this be possible at all? As Ive being testing positive for HSV1 for years and DO get coldsore symptoms. Plus the symptoms I get on the buttocks are almost always there, and a HSV1 infection in the gential area shouldnt reacurre as much as this should it?
3. Im a little confused as to how people are contracting HSV1 gentially if 90% of us already have this strain orally and should have enough protection against it to stop being infected. What are the chances of my boyfriend contracting HVS1 gentially from me if my symptoms on the buttocks do end up being this? We've being having unprotected sex for 9months as we both have had the all clear for all other std's. His doctor wont do a Herpes Type Specific blood test on him cause he hasnt shown any symptoms and she said its so common that him testing positive for HSV1 wouldnt tell us anything. What do you think?
Thankyou for all your help! = )
Is there anything else that could be causing my symptoms other than cholingeric urticaria?

[jagesh50]

Fair enough for now and get the derm opinion.If antihistamine works we would be nearer to the truth.

[worry_wart83]

Ok thankyou so much for all your help = )
My GP has referred me to a dermatologist. Do you think he will be able to help me and get to the bottom of this? Is there medication that he will be able to subscribe if he does diagnose me with cholingeric urticaria? My GP said to try 1 claratyne tablet everyday....