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Avatar universal

Chickenpox, shingles, and Herpes, oh my!

I am a 36 year old, married woman who has just been diagnosed with HSV1.  I know I contracted it from my husband of 18 years, as he has struggled aggressive with cold sores for most of his life.  The twist is that MY HSV1 is centered on my vaginal/anus area.  (How fun is that?  Ugh.)  

This is my question:

As a child I, like most children got Chickenpox.  The difference is that UNlike most children I was nearly hospitalized from the severity of the virus.  After recovering I contracted a somewhat mild but PAINFUL case of shingles.

I now find that all three viruses, (chickenpox, shingles, and herpes) are somewhat related.  Did this make me more susceptible to this newest case of HSV1 that I've contracted? (and is taking FAR too long to go away...OUCH)  Should I be on the look out for this virus to show it's self in other locations of my body on it's own without need of physical transfer?

Any guidance on my particular situation would be great.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you, Grace.  I'll make sure to make a follow up with them for next month. ;)  You've been very helpful!
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101028 tn?1419603004
you were posting the same time I was....he he he
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Avatar universal
I wanted to add...I looked up BV and I don't really fit the bill for that.  I have no smelly discharge or any discharge out of the ordinary, I don't douche, I have only slept with one man my entire life, and well...I've kind of BEEN abstinent for the past few months due to some marital issues we're working on.  What other type of bacterial infection could there be that isn't a UTI?  Man...I'm going to have to call them again and ask them to be more clear.  Maybe I'll just ask them to get my records together for me and deal with it on my own...
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101028 tn?1419603004
ok so not bv if they put you on bactrim.  I'd certainly call monday and ask more questions though as to what bacterial infection you had and where.  

hsv1 genitally tends not to reoccur very often.  It also won't go away in a day if it's herpes related.  I'm willing to guess that that cut in the skin is something else going on but it triggered a hsv1 recurrence. definitely in a few weeks, if things aren't better, return for more work up.   the skin can start thinning in the genital area and cause it to become more vulnerable to many things too :(  
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Avatar universal
I'm on 1 Valtrex 1GM caplet, twice a day for 10 days.  The NEW antibiotic is Bactrim for 7 days.

They think it was a reoccurrence because I had...what can only be described as a cut between my anus and vaginal area.  I had been dealing with it off and on for the past 6-7 months.  It seemed to be linked to my wearing thongs, so I stopped wearing them.  Then when it came back I thought it was my soap or the toilet paper I was using.  It didn't itch or swell, and always went away after a day or so, so I didn't think it was anything BAD and that I was hurting myself somehow.  When I told them that, they felt that it could have been the hsv1...I don't understand that though...

I'm just getting a lot of open ended answers from them...and I have to keep telling a new person about my condition when I have questions.  Man...I can't get myself to SAY herpes out loud!!  It's just so embarrassing...

Thank you for helping me, Grace...

Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_vag_trich_bv.cfm  

bv tends to make genital herpes reoccur as well as it makes you more likely to contract genital herpes too.  your description of symptoms sounds like perhaps you had a vaginitis and then the herpes ob so just trying to make sure that all your bases are covered.  

what herpes antiviral did they give you? what dose and for how long?

so your blood test was hsv1+ and the lesion culture was also hsv1+?  Is that why they told you this is a recurrence most likely?

I know it's a lot of questions but I can help you best when I know the details as well as it's your body so knowing the details is always in your best interest for yourself too.
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Avatar universal
They did both a blood and lesion swab cultures to confirm the strain.  By the time they called back about the bacterial infection I was beside myself and my head was spinning.  Honestly, didn't hear anything other than, "bacterial...infection...not UTI...medication...10 days."  Is it important to know if it's bacterial vaginosis?  What IS bacterial vaginosis.  
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
hsv1 genitally looks the exact same as hsv2 does. the only way to  tell the difference is in the lab.  

a newly acquired genital herpes infection on average takes 2-3 weeks to run its course, even with treatment.

was it a lesion culture that was hsv1+?

did they tell you you had bacterial vaginosis?
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Avatar universal
I was having what turned out to be a mild breakout for a few weeks.  Last week if blew up to a massive "first" break out with swollen glands and everything.  I went to the doctor on the 16th, the day after I discovered the swollen glands, was put on an antibiotic while tests were being run because they didn't think it was herpes.  (HSV1 looks different from 2, I'm told)
Went through the rest of the week and the weekend only on antibiotics that KIND of helped the gland, but a bad reaction developed and I couldn't walk. (bottoms of feet were painfully swollen)  That day I got the results, but now I'm 5 full days into a full blown break out and in agony.  Developed a bacterial infection because of it, was finally put on oral meds for the HSV1 and a different antibiotic.  
Since then the swollen feet and glands are better, but the sores are scabby, itchy, and make it VERY hard to make a BM without pain and bleeding.

I'm officially a week and 2 days in...and still nursing painful sores. :(  
I'm TOLD that this form is milder and I won't have to worry about breakouts very often.  I hope that's the case.  They also think I've HAD it for quite some time and my recent stress issues lowered my immunity enough for it to flare.  I don't know if that is how it happens...but that's what I'm told.
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
No, you don't have to think that you are at risk for having hsv1 ob's on other body parts.  The virus doesn't travel all over your body like that and once you are infected with hsv1 on one body part, you have significant protection from contracting it on other body parts.  

it really was bad luck that you contracted your husband's hsv1 infection genitally. Your husband was actively shedding the virus orally and performed oral sex on you at a time when your body was susceptible to being infected with it. It could've happened the first time he ever performed oral sex on you, 30 years into your relationship or even more likely, never.  

how long have you had your ob that is taking a long time to go away?  have you also been back since you were originally diagnosed to be tested for yeast and bacterial infections vaginally too?  

grace
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