Burning and Shooting pain in leg related to Genital Herpes

[EdiscoMiles]

Greetings.
It's been over a year that I was physically diagnosed of genital herpes.

However, the last 3 months, my case in particular has taken another turn.
I had a massive outbreak which I contained pretty well, but since then I am having these below in my right leg(the same side of my genital that has outbreaks)
-Constant burning sensation from my knee down
-Shooting pain radiating down the front of right leg, from thigh down to foot
-Decreased pinprick sensation
- Overall increased sensitive or other times numbness

While my left leg feels normal, my right doesn't at all, it is so burdened and different.

I have researched and found it to also be caused by my genital herpes.

I live in Nigeria and it has been difficult finding a healthcare practitioner with extensive experience on dealing with Herpes, I have searched, no way.

I need your advise on treatment to follow to stop the burning and pain if possible I'm really suffering.
I hasten to add that since this issue started, the outbreaks haven't been there or at most one sore that I did contain quickly. I have been taken Acyclovir 200mg daily for past 2 weeks, yet it doesn't stop.
It only gives me temporary relieve, if I take Tylenol 500mg.

It wasn't like this before, it gets worse each day.

Thanks in anticipation.

[auntiejessi]

I'm sorry this is happening. A few things -

It could be post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), but you want to rule out things like a pinched nerve or sciatica. Those can give similar symptoms. You could even have a herniated disc in your back. Get checked for those things. They are more common than PHN, and so much easier to treat.

Acyclovir doesn't treat PHN, and the dose you are on won't do anything. If you are trying to suppress it, you need 400 mg twice a day. That will help prevent new outbreaks, which can help make PHN worse, but won't treat the PHN you have.

Since Tylenol is helping, even a little and for a short time, I wonder if it's not PHN and more likely something with your back, but only a doctor who examines you can tell you that. I'd go to your doctor and see if you can rule these things out, then see a neurologist, who specializes in nerve-related issues.

I hope you find some answers. Sciatica is very painful, from what I'm told, as are disc issues, so even if it's one of those, I'm sure you are suffering. :(

[EdiscoMiles]

Hi Auntiejessi,

Thanks for your response. The more I read about PHN, the more it feels like it's PHN. Because it started immediately after I had a massive outbreak around 7-10th of September, 2020 and seems to either stay the same or increase over time. The shooting pain is not really that much, maybe once in a while.
However, the burning sensation and general discomfort in addition to the numbness is out of this world.
It is more on my knee and ankle to foot.
Honestly I can't even tell anymore. I know I have been rope-skipping as a form of exercise for some months and perhaps it maybe other things you listed.

Please explain this paragraph for me.
--Acyclovir doesn't treat PHN, and the dose you are on won't do anything. If you are trying to suppress it, you need 400 mg twice a day. That will help prevent new outbreaks, which can help make PHN worse, but won't treat the PHN you have.-- especially this (That will help prevent new outbreaks, which can help make PHN worse, but won't treat the PHN you have).

Thanks.

[auntiejessi]

Acyclovir treats herpes. It helps prevent new outbreaks, and helps shorten any outbreaks you may get.

PHN is a separate issue. It may be caused by an outbreak, but once you have it, it becomes a separate issue. You can suppress the virus, but it won't cure the nerve-related issues you already have. It might help prevent more, but won't help what you have now.

200 mg a day of acyclovir isn't enough to do anything, either treat an outbreak or prevent one. To suppress outbreaks and help reduce transmission, it's 400 mg twice a day. To treat an outbreak, it's 400 mg three times a day for 5 days or 800 mg three times a day for two days. After the outbreak, you can go back to the suppression dose.

Since it's on your knee and ankle to foot, I'd really recommend getting it checked out for other things before accepting PHN as the cause. It may be, but it could be so many other things, and I'd hate for you to continue to suffer. You may even have a stress fracture a torn ligament, or so many other things.

PHN is so rare compared to the others, so get it checked out. I'm not saying it isn't PHN, but you could find another cause easily.

[EdiscoMiles]

Hello auntiejessi ,

It is over a month and I had a small outbreak a week ago and the symptoms i wrote earlier got worse.
Now I have the issue graduate from burning and shooting pain to constant pain in my right button and back thigh.
I have started suppressive therapy but I want to know if a neurologist might give me a comprehensive treatment.
I read up on old comments from HSV-2 sufferers and they complained of same issue. >> https://www.*****************/infections/forums/backup/topic-5528.html
Perhaps it might not be PHN afterall, but something to do with nerve damage/issue.

Kindly advice me. Has anyone this forum experienced such and was the issue properly treated by a doctor?

[auntiejessi]

Yes, a neurologist is the proper doctor to see. If it's PHN or something else, they will be able to treat you. Whatever it is, you can't get relief until you get it diagnosed. It's been going on for months now - don't wait any longer.