Antiviral Resistance?

[mawmaw1233]

After 7 years on acyclovir with great success, the medication just stopped working 6 months ago and my life has been a living hell. I feel like the outbreaks are coming every 2-3 weeks and I’m not sure why. I’m a healthy 33 y/o female, I eat well, exercise, take vitamins and lysine daily. My stress is not any higher than normal. I’ve went through many stressful events and was outbreak free. My dr changed my 2x daily 400mg acyclovir to 1 500mg of valacyclovir a month ago and it hasn’t made a difference. The worst part of all this is that I haven’t told my husband (we married last year). We have children and I’m so scared this is going to end my marriage. I never had outbreaks on the meds and never knew how to bring it up and now I’m suicidal over it. I’m a horrible person and just don’t know what to do. How do I have this talk? I have an appointment with my obgyn a week from Monday to follow up with him. Should I be tested for an immune deficiency or resistance? Any advice welcome.

[TooHip1973]

OK first things first. You need to find out if you have HSV one or HSV two. The IgG test for HSV one isn’t very good but the test for two is much better. I think you need to type specific IgG test. You need to find out what you’re dealing with here because both of them, while similar, Are different in how infectious they are. I would talk to your doctor about that test definitely and maybe switch to Valtrex for a time and see how that works.  Also have your doctor check for everything. Have them check all your vitamin levels and your hormones. But do you see where you’re at now? You’re stressing over this. That’s making things 10 times worse. Stress lowers the immune system. And with this you’re more susceptible to outbreaks. Get in the doctor and get your testing done. Try a new anti-viral. And no matter how tough it is, the stress and heavy burden your currently dealing  with by yourself is unfair. It’s unfair to your husband and it’s unfair to you. Of course, I’m not going to say that oh it’s OK you didn’t say anything. You know that it’s not. But the longer you keep this, the more deceitful it becomes. Imagine the shoe on the other foot. What if he did get infected? Even with condone and antivirals, there is that chance. He married you because he loves you right? And you love him right? You have to tell the truth.  This is a huge secret and there might be some hurt in there  on his part. I understand that and I’m sure you do too. But you need to be strong, admit where you failed and tell the truth. You’re not giving him a choice in this matter. I have a feeling getting this out of your system, will do a ton for your stress levels and a ton for your outbreaks. And the honesty will benefit you both.

[TooHip1973]

Maybe up the Valtrex to twice a day and definitely get checked of other autoimmune conditions. I don’t understand husband part. You didn’t tell him the meds don’t work or that you have hsv? Is it HSV1 or HSV2?

[mawmaw1233]

I haven’t told him that I have genital herpes. I don’t know if it is hsv1 genitally or hsv2 genitally. My doctor never told me. I began taking antivirals 6months before I began dating my husband. They completely stopped the outbreaks and so I never brought it up, which is horrible, I know. Theres been so many times I’ve tried to tell him but I couldn’t get the words out. And now that the medication isn’t working like it used to is causing so much stress. When I do have an outbreak it is not typical sores and I do increase my intake until I’m healed.  Sometimes I don’t even know if it is a yeast infection or something else. Sorry if this is TMI but when I think it’s an outbreak my outer and inner labia just get very red and irritation, there are no pimples or pus filled sores or typical lesions. Before I was taking acyclovir and hsd an outbreak I would get a cluster of pimples that would turn into a sore, scab over and heal, which is typical. Now I just get discomfort and irritated, raw and a little itchy. It lasts for a good week and a half. Sometimes it is painful to walk or move which makes it hard to care for my school aged children. I have been using condoms with my husband for the passed year and a half in addition to the antivirals and won’t have sex when I start to feel the tingling until everything completely goes away. I do have asthma but as far as an immune problem I’m not sure. Would my regular doctor check for an immune disorder or my obgyn?