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Freaking about IGG results

I had an encounter (that I totally regret) almost 10 weeks ago (I am now on day 3 into the 10th full week). I became totally obsessed and troubled that I had contracted a STD. I had a myriad of symptoms, but considered that some may have been brought on by anxiety. During the encounter, I had unprotected anal sex (pull out method) and gave oral.

I have not had any blisters, as far as I can tell. However, at the beginning of the 8th week since the encounter I had sores appear in my mouth that seemed like canker sores, then my lips became very irritated--like they were chapped severely, but no blistering or anything that I could identify as an actual cold sore.

I was diagnosed with anal Chalmydia and first given Azythromycin (single dose of two pills), but that didn't clear it up, so I was then prescribed Doxycycline 100mg for 7 days. It was during this time of taking the Doxycycline that my mouth broke out in sores and my lips became severely "chapped."

My anal area, although no vesicles are apparent, seemed a little red around the anus. But no blistering. It also itched and felt a little raw. And it continues to feel this way.

During this time I have had repeated STD testing as I'm freaking out.

Timeline is as follows:

1 Week after potential exposure had negative IGG HSV I & II test (<0.91 on both)

3 Weeks after exposure diagnosed with Chalmydia and took Azythromycin

4 Weeks after exposure took 10 Panel STD test and was negative for HSV I & II (<0.91 on both)

5 1/2 weeks after exposure took IGG HSV I & II test and it was negative (<0.91 on both)

6 weeks post exposure took Doxycycline as Azythromycin was ineffective against Chalmydia. Sores appeared in my mouth and my lips became severely "chapped."

7 weeks (beginning of 8th week) after exposure took IGG HSV I & II test and it was negative. (<0.91 on both)

9 weeks post exposure (beginning of 10th week) took IGG HSV I & II test and test came back with a value of 1.02 for HSV2 "High" with a supplemental test of "Negative" and recommendation to retest in two to four weeks.

I am fearing that the previous tests did not catch the infection and that the latter one is now beginning to capture antibodies developing. I have not; however, experienced any headaches or actual fever or anything like that. Just some discomfort around my anus but no blistering, and the sores in my mouth. My mouth is now pretty healed, although last night I noticed two yellowish "pimples" under my tongue toward the base that were a little uncomfortable. And, I noticed a single yellowish "pimple" on my butt cheek just at the edge of the area where it puckers toward my rectum. I burst it (I know, probably bad idea) and it left a red sore spot that stung a little.

The timing of the symptoms seems a little odd to me as the symptoms of herpes generally appear within 2 - 12 days from what I've read. But now I'm totally freaking out over the equivocal result. However, I'm concerned because my anal region still feels a little "raw" and burning sensation along with the mouth problems.

I know the only way to be conclusive is to wait another month for the follow up IGG testing -- and I could do Western Blot at 12 weeks... but I'm lucky to have made it this far without going completely out of my mind.
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I'm assuming you were the receptive anal partner?

So the thing with herpes testing is that there are false positives - a decent amount of them - and when you test enough, you are likely to get one. 70% of people will test positive by 6 weeks, and I would have advised you to not test again at least until 12 weeks.

Canker sores are NOT herpes. Those are white sores in the mouth and are caused by lots of things, including stress. Chapped, irritated lips aren't herpes, either. Herpes is blisters.

How often are you checking your anal area? That could account for the raw and burning sensation, as can a hyper-awareness of the area, from anxiety. You could have hemorrhoids, even.

I'm not alarmed by the equivocal test results. I'd be more surprised if you end up positive at this late date.

Have you taken an HIV test? Your 4 week 10 panel test probably had an RPR test in it, right? That's for syphilis. It can take a bit longer than 4 weeks to show positive for that, and while syphilis is uncommon, it's more common in men who have sex with men (you don't ever mention your gender, but if that applies, you should test again).

Has anyone examined your mouth?

I know you are regretting this encounter, but condoms significantly reduce the risk or eliminate the risk of STDs. I'm not saying that to shame you, but so you'll know for future encounters.
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Thank you for your reassuring words. I am filled with anxiety. I have had multiple HIV tests, including an RNA test and three 4th Generation tests -- all negative. I can't test for Hepatitis until 12 - 16 weeks I believe -- so yeah, that also has me worried. This whole thing has turned me into quite the hypochondriac. I could relax more if my body wasn't presenting me with a myriad of creeping symptoms.

I feel assured in the fact that I have not had any headaches or actual fever. And those symptoms appear to frequently coincide with a first outbreak, as well as other illnesses.

However, the feeling of rawness around my anus is quite disconcerting -- although yes, I have checked that area repeatedly and acknowledge that could contribute to the feeling, but this is rather different. In addition, there was noticeable redness around my rectal area that has come and gone at least three times since this encounter. At one point it had a noticeable red ridge to it.

The mouth sores remain in my mouth. Odd ones actually. I have what appears to be a ridge -- feels almost gristly to the tongue -- that goes across the inside of my upper lip on the left side in a clear line. My lips had tiny red dots on the inside vermillion toward the opening of my mouth that ended with crusting brown spots. While I haven't had any actual blisters or noticeable cold sores, those tiny red dots on my lips make me think they could be "mild" herpetic lesions or something. then there is a white round flesh colored circle at the edge of my mouth (not quite on the lip) that has been there for three weeks that seems to be just waiting to turn into a fever blister in my mind... ugh.

I have had various "pimples" on my butt cheeks... small and red and puss filled. I frequently get these on my butt cheeks, especially when I am sitting on fabric chairs outside... or just sitting for long periods of time.

It's the waiting to know one way or the other -- and the Chamlydia (sp!) that wasn't cleared up by the Azythromicin that has me severely worried. On top of all this, I can't seem to get my doctor to actually listen to me. For example, he didn't swab my mouth for anything, and denied that he "saw" anything when I clearly have a white nodule on the left lower side of my tonsils, and the back of my throat, while it doesn't hurt, has white stripes down it and red dots! He actually said to me that the only way I'd have anything wrong with my mouth is if I engaged in oral sex! Like WTF???!!! I'm gay! Of COURSE I engage in oral sex! So far, and this is no lie, I've had to educate the man myself on what may be going on with me. I have no clue where to turn. And while I am clearly aware of what anxiety does to one, I also KNOW that what is going on with me is a little bit beyond that and I just don't know where to go for help with it and it is difficult for me to calm down when my body keeps triggering me in this fashion.

I'm just dying for someone who knows something about this stuff to either confirm it or tell me to calm the hell down and that I'm ok so that I can let it go or get the appropriate treatment so that I don't spread something to someone else due to my stupid mistakes.
I should also mention that my mouth sores are now going on three weeks and not especially painful... just odd. My lips were more stinging, but have improved considerably although now on the third week still show tiny red dots with brown crusting on the vermillion toward the opening of my mouth. The white spot (with a slight reddened edge around it) has been above my left upper lip for at least three weeks without becoming a canker sore or cold sore, but it does occasionally tingle. It is odd to me that the throat issue, black tongue, and tiny red dots subsided when I took antibiotics but then returned when they were completed. But from everything I've read, red dots are virus induced and white are bacteria... ugh. But I'm not a doctor and the internet is just a miasma of terrors.
"He actually said to me that the only way I'd have anything wrong with my mouth is if I engaged in oral sex! Like WTF???!!! I'm gay! Of COURSE I engage in oral sex!"

I know you are so worried, but this made me literally laugh out loud. Your doctor is an idiot. Unfortunately, many of them are when it comes to STDs. Many who post here end up educating their doctors, and it's very, very frustrating.

First - the good news. If you took a 4th Gen HIV test at 28 days or later, it's conclusive. You do not have HIV. You can stop worrying about that.

Also, hepatitis - depending on your age, you've probably been vaccinated for B. You can ask for a test to see if you have been. Hep A and C are almost never transmitted sexually. You can test for those if you want, but there's no need to worry - I'd be very, very surprised if you got either. You can get vaccinated for hep A, too. That's good if you "engage" in rimming, and also, because you'll be protected if you eat food.  :) Hep A is almost always transmitted by contaminated foods. It's found in fecal matter (poop) and usually occurs when infected people don't wash their hands after using the restroom at work. (You're welcome for the imagery that surely just entered your mind.)

Okay, so these ridges you keep talking about - where did you come up with that? Are you thinking leukoplakia? That's something that some people with HIV get, but not until later in the disease. It's NOT a sign of new infection. There are also lots of other causes of it - https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-leukoplakia#1

Sores with ridges are also not a sign of any STD.

So with all this stress, how is your diet? How's your stomach doing? Are you drinking a lot? I ask because I wonder if that is contributing to the anal issues - if you're straining, having diarrhea, etc., that can contribute to those feelings, especially if it's not a consistent feeling.

When you took the azithromycin, did you take the pills at once time? Did those pills add up to 1gm of it? I wouldn't worry so much about that. Some people respond better to doxy than to zith. No big deal. As long as it cleared, you're good.

I wonder if you have tonsil stones, and need to see an ENT. That would be totally unrelated and a lousy coincidence, but see an ENT or a dentist for your mouth issues. Your doctor is clearly not helping here. There is no STD that causes the symptoms you describe.

"But I'm not a doctor and the internet is just a miasma of terrors." YES, so do yourself a favor. Make it a point of staying off the internet. I'm not saying forever, but how about just the weekend? Go do something fun, with covid precautions, of course. If you're in lockdown, or quarantining for Thanksgiving, then watch movies all weekend or read a good book, argue politics with friends (maybe not), whatever it takes to keep your mind off this.

Drink lots of water, eat healthy, avoid alcohol, carbonated drinks, sports drinks and juices - those all can make canker sores worse - and see if that helps your mouth stuff.

And yes, calm the hell down. :) I can't see how any of this is an STD. The only tests you need to repeat at 12 weeks are a herpes test (maybe - I doubt this is herpes, and getting a false positive could happen - I would have called your 7 week test conclusive probably, since by 6 weeks, 70% of people develop antibodies, and you haven't had symptoms), and a syphilis test, which you could do now, and that's really only just to confirm your negative.







I see my doctor again tomorrow. I went completely off the deep end and confronted the guy I had sex with and asked if he would have full STD screening if I paid for it and luckily he agreed. I saw the results. He was negative for everything except Herpes Simplex I, Chlmydia and Gonnoreah. The latter two came back “abnormal.”

While the "gristly ridge” remains on the inside of my upper lip, I’ve not had any real mouth pain, but I do notice that the back of my mouth continues to have a few white stripes on it. My lips are quite chapped and have been now for three weeks, with tiny red spots going toward the opening of my mouth. Everything I looked up suggested herpes, but I have tested negative time and again for Herpes I, but that last test showed positive at low levels for Herpes II (1.02) but the confirmatory test was negative. I’m assuming that if he had Herpes II and had caught it shortly before our encounter he could have spread it to me and is still testing negative, but that seems a little far fetched. If I’m beginning to test positive, he surely should be. I have not seen anything that is blatantly indicative of an actual cold sore on my lips, just cracking and swelling, and a little bruising on both upper and lower lip. And, I had a round yellowish pimple that popped pretty easily directly at the base of my left nostril yesterday that today is has a golden colored crust over it—very small, and doesn’t seems to be only singular.

My anus continues to have a burning sensation. I have had loose stools, and my gut feels cramped. I have occasional pain/burning in my prostate. Still no blisters. I finished the Doxycycline 100 mg two weeks ago. When my doctor had first prescribed the Azythromicin these same symptoms around my anus disappeared for several days, but returned—when I looked at my anus, there was white mucusy discharge, little slivers in my rectum. I assumed the initial treatment was ineffective, and sure enough, I still tested positive for Chalmydia. Now, even after the Doxy, it is the same all over again.

I asked him about LGV, but he said if I had that, I’d have really swollen lymph nodes in my groin. Well, 40% of people never show such symptoms. AND, as I thought all along, the symptoms in my throat were consistent with what I had been reading about Gonnoreah of the mouth—he NEVER swabbed my mouth. And, it appears it is common practice to treat both Gonnoreah and Chalmydia at the same time. Which he didn’t as my tests didn’t come back positive for Gonnoreah, ugh.

I am going to demand of him that he give me a 21 day supply of the Doxycycline as god only knows how long I’ve had Chalymidia as that is so silent, and I’m going to demand that he give me the shot for Gonnoreah (Ceftriaxone 250 mg). I’m going to try to wait another week and then have the Herpes IGG test again. I had the Hep B shots (two of them) several years ago, but hadn’t had the third. I had the final one at the beginning of last week (after I had given blood for the last herpes IGG test). I’m so frustrated that I have to lead my doctor around by his own nose to get treated.

I’m so sorry for these long posts. I’m hoping for the best, and once I know precisely what the diagnosis is I will follow up in hopes that all is actually well and the next person like me who comes along may benefit from my experience, as well as hoping someone may have experienced the same issues and can provide some insights into what may be going on with me. It is NOT all in my head. It just isn’t. At first I thought the mouth issues were just my stress, but then it all moved to my lips, and I continued to have the other creeping symptoms, and that is not psychological. My worry is. I know that.
Edit: the yellowish “pimple” directly under my nostril that I popped appears to only be singular.
I am going to say this with all the love in the world, okay? Calm down. Take a breath.

Before you start taking more antibiotics, get tested again. Get a prostate exam or ultrasound. You've been off antibiotics for a few weeks now, right? Do follow up testing - oral, anal and urine - before taking more antibiotics.

You didn't have gonorrhea, so you didn't need treatment for it. The treatment for gonorrhea is azithromycin and ceftriaxone, but you tested neg for that.

You aren't testing "positive at low levels for Herpes II (1.02)" - that's an equivocal/undetermined. A positive is 1.10 and even that would have at least an 85% chance of being a false positive.

Your partner was negative for hsv2, so you couldn't have gotten it from him. You had him test at least 10 weeks after you were together. He'd have shown positive by now.

You are focusing on things it can not be. It's not herpes. At 10 weeks, you were negative, and your partner is negative for type 2. Herpes symptoms do not last for 3 weeks. They just don't.

I don't know if you're having an allergic reaction to something you are eating, drinking, smoking or what. Maybe it's lip balm or toothpaste. I don't know. If you get another yellow pimple, don't pop it. You are defeating yourself by doing that. Get a doctor to test it.

So next steps:

* Oral, urine, anal chlamydia and gonorrhea testing
* Prostate exam - digital or ultrasound
* Any further yellow pimples - DO NOT POP - get doctor to test

You don't need further herpes testing. I know you won't believe that, but if you listen to anything I say, please just get one more test. The more you test, the more of a chance of a false positive, and you can not deal with that stress right now. This forum is full of people with false positives and it takes weeks and hundreds of dollars to unravel that.

Get some counseling. I'm not saying your symptoms are made up. Not even a little. You do have some serious anxiety, though. Your own words say you "went off the deep end".  Your reaction to this is completely out of proportion. I understand it's frustrating - I have a bunch of chronic illnesses, some that took 10+ years to diagnose, so I do get it - but freaking your way through this won't help. Counseling will help.
Thanks. I saw my doctor today and he gave me the shot for gonorrhea as my partner had tested positive for that and he never tested me in my mouth for it (each area of exposure needs tested - anus, urine, oral). He also did a prostate exam and said I have proctitis and the treatment for that is actually doxycycline 100 mg for 30 days.

I noticed when I returned home that I had a small pimple that looked like a bug bite that had a hair growing out of it on my inner left thigh. It doesn't have any other pimples of blisters or anything around it so I'm thinking it is just an ingrown hair or something.

I am calmer. I am planning on doing one final round of testing at the 3 month mark, which would be at the end of this month.  I am hoping that everything comes back negative. This has definitely been one of the most stressful events of my life. ugh.
Did he say you had proctitis or prostatitis?

The doxy treatment for proctitis is ceftriaxone - which is the gonorrhea shot - and doxy for 7 days. https://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/proctitis.htm This could be caused by gonorrhea, so it's good that you went.

Prostatitis is often treated for 30 days with doxy.

I'd strongly suggest that you get a good probiotic to help counter all the antibiotic damage to your gut. Doxy can be really hard on your stomach, and a probiotic - even one like Culturelle - can help. You can go to a health food store and get one as well.

You don't need a 3 month final round of testing for everything. Your HIV test is conclusive. Your herpes test is conclusive since your partner also tested negative. (Your sore sounds like an infected hair follicle if it has a hair coming out of it.) You can't get herpes from someone who doesn't have it.

If your partner tested negative for everything else at 10 weeks, you don't need to test. Did you see those results? If they had syphilis, their syphilis test would still be positive, and their hep tests would likely still be reactive. If you didn't actually SEE the results, get a syphilis test, and that's it.

I'm really concerned that you'd get a false positive on a herpes test and your anxiety can not handle it.

Also, get a counselor.
Yes, this entire process has been hell for me. Very difficult to deal with. My doc said I had Prostatitis and prescribed 30 days with doxycycline. I had taken this about two weeks prior for the Chlymadia. I have been having nausea for the last three days. Today I have a cough and scratchy throat.

Yesterday I had blood drawn for 4th Gen HIV test, Herpes I & II. My results are still not back as of yet; however, I plan to have this be my final round of testing on this. While I am still stressed and anxious, I am not going out of my mind as my partner tested negative for Herpes II and HIV. And, you are correct, I can't catch something from someone who doesn't have it.

I just have this feeling of concern because my last test came out a low positive, although supplemental test came out negative. I am concerned that he may have contracted it and passed it to me and is still testing negative himself due to new infection. However, I would have to be one of the unluckiest people on the planet for something like this to occur! Pretty far-fetched indeed. He would have contracted it before me and would have surely tested positive by now. The creeping symptoms I have had, especially with my mouth cankers (that have mostly gone away), extremely irritated and chapped lips that lasted three weeks and is only now beginning to go back to normal, and initially a redness around my anus (with a clear demarcation/rim) that itched coupled with my prostatitis. Of course, it is easy for my brain to go to the worst place.

I have a colonoscopy planned as well as a visit to a dermatologist. Certainly the emotional stress I have put myself under has not been helpful to my overall health. Once I get these results back (fingers crossed that everything turns out fine) I will not do any more for these illnesses -- unless I do the Western Blot for my own sanity should the herpes test come back with a positive result.
So, I have gotten my results back and they are more confusing than before.

HIV and Herpes I came back negative. However, Herpes 2 came back with a score of 0.97 indicating "High"(with <91 being the cutoff) and with supplemental testing reading negative. The one I had two weeks ago was 1.02 "High" with the supplemental being negative.

What could cause this? I've searched and searched over the web and can't find what would affect an IGG herpes test this way. I suppose I should be pleased that the values have gone down... but still. I desperately would like an explanation.
With any antibody test, antibody levels will vary each and every time you take the test.  It is absolutely meaningless.  You could test tomorrow and get a .82, and the next day and get a .95, and it wouldn't mean you are "closer" to having herpes, just as a lower value doesn't mean you're "further away" from having herpes.  Negative is negative.   The only concern is a false positive, and you didn't get a false positive - but as auntiejessi indicated, continued testing would present that danger.

I hope that you will take auntiejessi's advice and seek counseling.  You deserve some peace.
So, here at the beginning of the 14th week of my potential exposure, I was retested. This time, my test came back as positive at 1.11 with a negative reflex test. This suggests to me that I am a late seroconverter and that the odd “pimple” here and there, and especially what happened with my mouth, was my first outbreak? What was going on with my mouth appeared to be a mild form of "Herpetic gingivostomatitis.” That can affect the entire lips, especially the inferior lips, as my symptoms presented. Thing is, my husband tested negative for everything. It just seems incredibly odd to me that I would begin testing in the equivocal range right at 10 weeks, and at the end of 13 weeks, while still ultimately testing negative on the reflex, am at 1.11 in the positive range. I could let all this go if I hadn’t had symptoms and then began testing this way. And, I have read that 80% of people who have herpes don’t actually present with symptoms they would easily identify as herpes.

I have a colonoscopy coming up. My rectum continues to have a raw and burning feeling — even as I am over two weeks in on the doxycycline. I also have an appointment (finally) with a dermatologist… but my mouth is mostly healed, so I don’t know what they can do. It would be great if they could do a biokit or something… ugh.

I know I sound crazy with anxiety, and I am a little… of course. On the other hand, I’m just really wanting to handle this responsibly — to know so that I can get on anti-virals (which I don’t want to do until I know because I don’t want them interfering with the tests), and to protect my husband from exposure. It appears that any test isn’t really definitive until six months. So, I guess I will wait and see the results of my colonoscopy + dermatologist, get re-tested in January and if that test actually comes out in the same range arrange to have the Western Blot in February, as that would be five months and from what I’ve been reading it should be pretty definitive by then. I don’t want to spend all that effort and money on the WB and get an indeterminate result back. But yeah, the waiting is excruciating.

It seems crazy… and I know I should “let it go.” And I could if I didn’t have any symptoms. I know that I can’t catch something from someone who doesn’t have it. Clearly. But, at this point, as IGG tests can miss up to 8% of infections, it is beginning to seem somewhat likely that is what happened with the guy I had sex with. His HSV 1 antibody level was rather high (+35) so maybe that affected his HSV 2 test?

The timing of all this just seems to odd for my tests to be coincidence.
No, it doesn't suggest you are a late seroconverter. It suggests that you are one of those people that get false positives. Your test at 1.11 is barely officially positive (the cutoff is 1.10), and your reflex test was negative.

The guy you had sex with doesn't have hsv2? Yes, it misses 8% of infections, and if you had a higher test result, I might say that's what was happening here, but your test is at least an 85% chance of a false positive. His high hsv1 score wouldn't affect his hsv2 test.

DO NOT GET ANOTHER IgG TEST. It will likely end up the same way. Just get the WB. If the IgG comes back even close to this, then you'll spend another several weeks in this same anxiety spiral. An IgG test is definitive at 12-16 weeks. If you don't have hsv1, 12 weeks is definitive. It doesn't ever take 6 months. Not ever.

Your anal symptoms are not hsv. Hsv symptoms don't just linger with no change. I'm sorry it didn't occur to me before but I'm wondering if you have an anal fissure.

Have you gotten a counselor yet?
You are so reassuring, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. The guy I had sex with tested negative, as I said before, for HSV 2, as did my husband. But, as I said, my concern is that I began testing in the equivocal/positive range right at 10 weeks, and after the “symptoms” appeared in my mouth. This makes me wonder if the guy I slept with didn’t get a false negative himself. It just seems too coincidental to give me much hope at this point although I continue to hold on to a sliver of it.

I have looked repeatedly to see if there is anything noticeable, like an anal fissure, and outside of the very small one I noticed on my rectum that healed within 2 days in mid-October, I don’t see anything like that. But, that is also why I’m really looking forward to the colonoscopy. Surely if I have lesions or something in my colon they will be able to test them/treat them.

While I do continue to have some measure of anxiety, it is nowhere near where it was before. At this point, while sure, I do still have it, I am more concerned about getting to the bottom of the issue — one way or the other — so that I can move on and treat it and mitigate any harm it could do to anyone else or further to myself. I also feel that I have grown tremendously through this experience and am incredibly thankful for it in a very odd way. Nonetheless, it remains something I must address.

In regards to my IGG test now, being 1.11 positive, but with a negative reflex at a full 13 weeks I would very much like to see the “negative” as definitive. And, all this will most likely result in the WB. It’s just so difficult to go through the process to actually get that done. I wish there were an easier way to move beyond this.
When did the other guy, not your husband, test in relation to your encounter? If it was 12 weeks after, it's conclusive.

I know you are worried about the false negatives with the 8%, but even if he had that, the chances of you both getting weird test results are very, very slim, right?

You are fixating on your 1.1, but keep in mind that most experts feel that the cutoff is too low, and we know that all tests under a 3.5 - and some over if no symptoms are present - need to be confirmed. This forum is FULL of people who've had higher results but still under 3.5 and got a WB and are negative.

My entire point addresses this statement of yours: "At this point, while sure, I do still have it" - we don't know this yet. I'm betting on no, you don't have it. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I've never seen anyone with a 1.11 actually have it.

An anal fissure can be deeper in your rectum that you can't see or feel, but can cause all kinds of pain and sensations for you.

It's not that difficult to get the WB. Your doctor can arrange it, or you can go through Terri Warren at Westover Heights - https://westoverheights.com/getting-a-herpes-western-blot/ If your doctor can order it - http://depts.washington.edu/herpes/pages/frequently_asked_questions

I know it's so confusing, and so frustrating. I don't know what the symptoms in your mouth are, but I doubt it's herpes. It's very unusual for herpes to go from the genitals to the mouth.

With your very, very low test result and your partner's negative test, I'd call it a negative and move on. That's super easy for me to say because it's not my body, and not my marriage - I realize that. There are no right or wrong answers here, though I'd skip another IgG test because I'm afraid it will just give you another similar low positive result and won't really answer anything.

Hang in there.  

It would have been around 11 and 1/2 weeks, if I am to believe the last sexual encounter he had before me was a week prior. Our encounter was on 9/6/20, he was tested on 11/12/20. I first began testing equivocal on 11/9/20. My husband was tested a full 12 weeks after our last encounter.

I’m not saying that I’m sure I have it. I’m saying that the unsureness of whether I have it or not is troubling; along with the uneasiness that I find a little difficult to see as mere coincidence that I began testing equivocal at the 10th week, another equivocal on the 12th week, and then positive by the 14th week (beginning of).

The dates of testing are as follows:

9/6/20 Encounter
9/14/20 IGG Herpes 2 test <0.91(negative)
10/5/20 Herpes 1 & 2 <0.91
10/14/20 Herpes 1 & 2 <0.91
10/26/20 Herpes 1 & 2 <0.91
11/09/20 Herpes 1 <0.91 & Herpes 2 equivocal 1.02, negative supplemental
11/23/20 Herpes 1 <0.91 & Herpes 2 equivocal 0.97, negative supplemental
12/7/20 Herpes 2  was positive at 1.11, negative supplemental

On 11/12/20 partner tested positive (34.30) for Herpes 1, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, negative (< 0.91) for Herpes 2. On 12/7/20 husband tested negative for everything.

I don’t have my colonoscopy until January… I do see the dermatologist very soon, and now I have a referral to an infectious disease doctor. My plan is to try to set up the Western Blot and go from there. I agree that there is a chance I am not infected. But, at this point, I don’t see any option but to do the Western Blot, but just don’t know if I should do that before February so as to have at least 5 months— as well as have any results from my colonoscopy, etc. While I want to be reassured that there is a very low chance I have contracted it, and that the partners results are false negative, the consideration is always “in the absence of symptoms.” But then, reading those symptoms is so difficult, especially when so many of them show up in somewhat of an atypical fashion. I did have a yellow “pimple” on my inner buttcheek, one under my nostril, burning/itching (on-going) anus, and the troubling mouth breakout that moved to the inferior of the lips. All atypical. On the other hand, I also had a habit of biting the inside of my mouth. Maybe due to sore or whatever there, I contracted it while performing fellatio? Of course, he’d have to have been positive, and his test says he’s not. I hope that test was correct. I pray it was correct.

I wonder, as well, with the timeline, and what we know of seroconversion, if the people who have been tested and turned out to be positive tested in the fashion that I did (approximately every two weeks since potential exposure) to see how results may turn out? If I am positive, I very clearly would have contracted it during the 9/6/20 encounter.

We know, according to studies, that there is at least an 85% chance that your 1.11 is a false positive. I'd guess higher. Terri Warren, one of the world's leading experts, agrees - she says a 95% chance -

https://westoverheights.com/forum/question/anxiety-6/

The chances that your results wouldn't be higher, that your partner's results are false negative, and you not testing positive until so late are just so, so low that it's inconceivable.

Herpes symptoms aren't that atypical. People like to think that, and I don't know how that started, but while they can be mild, they are either blisters or sometimes, paper-cut-like lesions. They are not pimples. Maybe you got a staph infection. These are not herpes symptoms.

You keep saying you are positive - we don't know that yet. I'd bet good money that you aren't. You are spending what seems like a decent amount of time focusing on symptoms in regards to herpes, and it could be literally dozens of other things.

I'm not trying to sound harsh. I just see a lot of people focus on herpes and do themselves a disservice and suffer needlessly, missing what they ultimately end up having.
Oh and the guidelines for the WB are 12 weeks from your latest exposure. Here, it would be from your partner, not your husband, unless your husband has had other partners.

You don't have to wait for 5 months. If you want to wait for the results of the colonoscopy, that's fair, though.
Again, I can't say how much I appreciate you. Seriously, as well as your time and calming words that you devote to others on this forum. You are a treasure.

I'm calmer than I was initially. I at least not freaking out (as frequently). I will post my final results. I know I could get the WB sooner. It's just that the way my mind works, I know that if I haven't at least waited until the beginning of February I will continue to have my doubts. Something is going on with me, I do know that. Until I have definitive proof that I am actually positive, I'm going to keep having hope, and your words contribute to that hope, and I appreciate that tremendously.
I just wanted to follow up. I had another IGG test at the end of the 16 week mark as the guidance is to test at 12 - 16 weeks. My final test came back <.91 (negative). I was so relieved, and surprised. I had resigned myself to testing positive, thinking that beyond rationality and reason or explanation that I was just seroconverting late and presenting with atypical symptoms, etc. This has been the first time in four months that I have had a day without the weight of worry and anxiety bearing down on me.

This site and the support given by caring and informed people like auntiejessi is such a resource. I am so thankful to have found it. At this point, I’m letting this go. I trust my results and the wisdom of informed people who have counseled me along the way. I have learned so much through this process. I still have a colonoscopy planned, and a follow up with an infectious disease doctor. Something is going on with me, but I don’t think it is herpes. I may do a final IGG at the 6 month mark, and if the infectious disease doctor is amenable, may also go ahead and do the WB just to put this issue completely to rest… but I don’t really feel any of this is necessary at this point. All my tests, regardless of the equivocal and positive were ultimately negative on the supplemental, and returned to fully negative now. The only medication I took was doxycylene, no antivirals or anything. I think I need to trust the results, and I do.

I am more academically interested at this point in the question of what could have impacted the tests to return the results they did, when they did. Of interest, I noticed a sign at the testing site that said something about vitamin B affecting blood tests. I had, for a short while, when my mouth began presenting the symptoms I described, taken both vitamin B6 and B12. I don’t know if this is just coincidence or not, but I do wonder about it.
I'm very happy to hear that your results are negative. I'm know you're surprised, but I'm not. :)

We aren't entirely sure of everything that causes false positives. We know that there is a protein that causes false positives, but since you didn't have a false positive - you had an indeterminate or equivocal result.

It could have been human error for all we know. I haven't heard anything about vit B affecting herpes testing, but honestly, anything is possible.

You do not need to test again at 6 months. Tests are conclusive 12 weeks, definitely at 16 weeks nothing is going to change. You don't need a WB. You have several negative tests.

All of your partners are negative.

You can let this go. Go live your life, and take this as a learning situation, as that's all it amounted to. :)

Take care.
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