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Extreme leg pain with HSV1

Hello, I am currently experiencing my first HSV 1 outbreak on my genitals. It all started last week with what I thought was a UTI. Well turns out it was not only a UTI and yeast infection but also HSV 1. I was completely unaware that someone with a history of cold sores but who was asymptomatic at the time could actually pass the virus, they don't tell you that in sex ed! I am handling the diagnosis fairly well and my fiancé feels horrible that I am in so much pain. However I know it is neither of our faults and these things just happen. I have had a very severe primary OB, I have sores from the clitoris all the way back to my anus. The sores seem to also be on my inner labia leading to the vaginal opening also. I was dx officially via type specific cultures on Wednesday nov 13, I started take 1 gram of Valtrax twice a day on Wednesday. The pain from the sores has been excruciating to say the least but my biggest concern is the pain I've been having my legs. There is obvious nerve pain radiating down my legs and to an intense pain in my heel, the pain makes a half circle the cups under my butt cheek. I had blood work drawn on Thursday that all came back normal. And again this morning I had a UA that showed my UTI had cleared up and no new infection. She did a CBC again today and everything looked good and normal. I am taking 800mg ibuprofen every 6 hours, my Valtrax and using lidocaine on the sores. I have been taking baths in Epsom salt and drying the area with my hair dryer. I have also been using tucks pads and the blow drying the area again after using the bathroom. The pain from the sores is becoming more manageable however the pain in my legs is just ridiculous the DR offered nothing for relief except a steroid shot. Which I declined bc I have severe reactions to steroid shots, it seemed silly to add to the problem with another reaction. I also have a new rash on the tops of my feet and inner thighs that popped up this morning, it's is not raised and is just kind of blotchy no pain or itching in the rash though. To top it all off I started my period this morning also and I hate using pads and cannot use a tampon. I am one of those unlucky people who always gets the worst case scenario symptoms lol. Any advice on the nerve pain would be appreciate this site has been very reassuring.
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Avatar universal
From everything I've read time frame can vary. Some books and sites say 2-20 days after exposure and others have said 2-15. I have also read that some people don't show symptoms for year or show some so mild it doesn't get dx. It is a rather obnoxious and tricky virus from what I understand. But thankfully I have learned a lot and I don't think it is going to be the end of the word. Just an obnoxious bump or two in the road. Good luck to you as well sorry I don't have much more insight on time frames.
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Avatar universal
Ah I understand.

I am sorry to hear about your pain and nerve issues. I was merely asking yo ascertain a possible time frame. I'm going through some issues myself, and I just wanted to hear from your perspective regarding your current experience. I wish you all the best! Please get well soon!
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Avatar universal
I have no idea when I actually contracted it. I first noticed a pain near my urethra last Thursday. I saw a dr at an urgent care center on Sunday nov 10 and she said UTI. However I wasn't convinced so I saw my obgyn on Monday when she noticed what he suspected to be a lesion. I wasn't aware of the lesion until she noticed it and showed me with a mirror. I have no questions about dx and have been with my fiancé for over a year with both of us faithful. The dr and myself can only speculate bc I tested positive for hsv 1 that my fb with history of hsv 1 orally unknowingly passed it to me during oral sex. He had recent oral surgery and I'm thinking maybe the virus was shedding and we did not know he never had an sores on his mouth but we are very active we participate in oral sex regularly. I'm really not concerned with the when or how, I have all that figured out well enough but I'm just concerned about the new rash on my feet and the nerve pain. The drs all seem kind of baffled by my symptoms, I have had the lovely flu like symptoms since nov 12 also. Dr even gave me a flu test just to be sure. The flu symptoms have improved a lot though
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Avatar universal
Just a question:

So it took you 7 days for the infection to surface from the day you believed you contracted the virus? How are you sure you just contracted it?
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