Herpes All Over Body?

[InNeedOfAnswersPlease]

Hi! I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I've been having for a few months now. About five months ago, in April, I tested positive for having the HSV virus through my OBGYN. I had gone in for a pap-smear and for possible hormonal imbalance blood testing that I thought might have been causing small bumps on my lower buttocks/thigh area. The bumps were small-dime sized and itched, especially if I sat on one wrong. I had the bumps starting early in March and they lasted until April, but cleared up before I went to my gyno, and only scars were left. She then had me tested a month later, which is when I came back positive for HSV. She said that I had come in contact with the virus sometime in the past year, and it would be another year until we would be able to effectively test to see which strain I had. (HSV-1 or 2). I was devastated, but my partner was very reassuring and caring about the whole situation. Over the last 4-5 months I have felt like I have been dealing with this issue a LOT though. I have had two distinct "outbreaks" where I will get headaches/feverish before I "break out." But usually a breakout consists of itching ALL over the body and no rash besides between 15-25 spread out (all over the body) TINY bumps that look smaller than flea bites. Hardly noticeable. They never appear in clumps or groups like "normal" herpes pictures suggest. And mind you, I will be itchy for days ALL over my body. Head, ears, inside the nostrils, face, neck, behind the ears, vagina (internally and externally) chest, arms, stomach, back, buttocks, thighs (front and back), calves (front and back) and even top of feet. At the time I had been diagnosed with HSV, it had been a year since I had gotten Chicken Pox for the first time. My symptoms of break out seem to be VERY much like my chicken pox symptoms, just my bumps are not "blistery," as they look more like tiny bug bites. Most of the time I'm just itchy EVERYWHERE... the area may not have a bump on it at all!! I am constantly scratching. Recently, about a month ago I had an outbreak, and after it recovered a week and a half later I had another outbreak! Very frustrating. My question is, could this virus have more of a correlation with my Herpes Zoster virus? Could you test positive for HSV if it's the Herpes Zoster virus? Or do the tests detect two completely different things? If it was the Herpes Zoster virus, does this sound like the symptoms? I am almost 19, and I thought that adults with the Herpes Zoster virus got more of painful, shingle symptoms, not so much itchy, scattered bump, chickenpox like symptoms. Please let me know what you think! Or if you just think this is normal herpes spread all over my body. Or if it's possibly something else? Please let me know! Thanks!

[Spottedove]

I have just recently contracted a case of full body herpes after simply hugging someone. Who ever thought a hug would end in this??? At first when I started breaking out in red itchy blotches I thought I was having a psoriasis out break so I started using my medication for that which was doing no good and over the course of the next week I continued to get worse until my legs, arms, stomach, back, neck and butt were covered with red itchy spots and then blisters started coming up on some of the spots which became very sore and hot. This was when I decided this was more than psoriasis and made a quick trip to the dermatologist . I was shocked when she told me I had herpes, as I have never had this before. She determined that the main sore was on the back of my neck and through a process of elimination we figured out that I had been infected when being hugged by a group of school kids. I was doing work at a school in Africa and when we arrived back this year the kids came running out to greet us and mobbed us with hugs. Because I was about 8 days into my outbreak it was too late to give me antivirals so all I could take was prednisone. I continued to break out for close to a month. Now that I'm back home my GP is running tests as he claims that for this to happen my immune system has to be compromised as this is not how the herpes virus normally acts in an adult. He says he has never had a patient have this happen and he has been in practice for about 35 years. I'm surprised to see so many people here with the same reactions because the doctor I saw in Africa also told me that my reaction was very rare.

[calii89]

I have the same thing happening to me! I'm scarred it'll be HSV! :( I will be testing on the 3oth of Aug it would be my 12 weeks post exposure.

[calii89]

My Update  10/19/18

6 weeks possible exposure
July 11
Hsv 1 - 0.90
Hsv 2 - 0.90

16 weeks possible exposure
Oct 10
Hsv 1 - 0.90
Hsv 2 - 0.90

I still have the same symptoms although they've been diminishing.

[C0l0r]

Bedbugs?
Probably not...but if you happen to be allergic to them, then you might, perhaps, become itchy all over...
I don't really know...
Just tossing in my 2 cents...

[Terry745]

Has anybody got any answers I'm having The exact same symptoms and they won't go away I can't live like his forever !!!

[Worried061583]

Can anyone that has this plz inbox me

[Worried061583]

Im so happy I found this thread I just spent over an hr reading all of yal comments. I got genital herpes 2 about 4 months ago and I have been stressing so much and going crazy worried and thinking I might have hiv cause of these small red spots and bug bite looking things all over my body I keep thinking it might be a acute hiv rash but after reading all of yal comments it sounds more like it might be from the herpes I have gotten 4 hiv test done cause I've been so worried about it they have all came back neg. Does anyone know what these red spots and itchy bug bite looking things might be I have gotten about 20 single ones spread thoughout my body in the past 3 months even though I'm taking the herpes medication if anyone has any info I would really really appreciate it so much thank you

[Texangirl1995]

I am a 22yr old female who contracted genital herpes three years ago from my partner due to oral sex (he's had cold sores since his preteens). I also experience outbreaks on my mouth, butt and one eye. My initial outbreak was AWFUL and lasted at least two weeks, and even longer to heal. My gyno prescribed me valacyclovir 500mg everyday as daily suppressive therapy after my initial OB. Took the pills for two years and never had another outbreak, but I would experience genital prodrome tingling as well as tingling on my lip. I read online that Apple cider vinegar helps with herpes so I would apply to any itchy spots and that would usually be the end of it. About a year ago I decided to go off of the valacyclovir since I hadn't had any outbreaks. Fast forward to about two weeks ago, where I experienced sudden and extreme itching in my throat, mouth, eye, and genitals/butt (where I got my primary OB) shortly after taking an aleve for a migraine. Still dont know if the aleve was what caused it because I rarely take painkillers (especially not aleve) or if its because I quit the valacyclovir and have been under extreme stress lately and it was bound to happen... The difference with this OB was that now, after all the sores/irritations have seemingly healed, (I should also note that I have been taking valacyclovir 1000mg per day during this OB as well as a 1500mg lysine supp w/ garlic and propolis as well as a b-complex supp for stress) I am experiencing prodrome tingling and itching symptoms on my vagina, lip, butt, one hand and eyes/eyebrows. Over the past few days this has progressed to nearly full body itching. It got worse in the bathtub one night and spread to my thighs and butt as tiny extremely itchy (but baarely noticeable) bumps. Now some four days later I have intense and tickly itching on my entire face, especially nose, mouth/chin and eyes/eyebrows as well as my genitals, butt, arms, hand, neck, scalp, upper back, behind my ears, you name it. It feels like stray hairs tickling me all over but it isnt. Im pretty much certain it has something to do with the herpes. Im now taking 500mg valacyclovir (suppressive therapy dose) as well as 1500mg lysine, b-complex, and 50mg zinc. Using Abreva on the tickles on my lip/chin helps only slightly but only for a short time. Hoping continuing with suppressive therapy dose of valacyclovir will help me with time.. Very scared that this will not go away. Trying to remain hopeful as I know stress exacerbates hsv but it is damn hard. I just find it so so odd that I had no issues with this particular aspect of the herpes for three years until now.... And the itching DEFINITELY gets worse at night. I have to take at least 50mg diphenhydramine to help me sleep through the night and cut down on some of the intensity of the itching, sometimes even up to 100mg because it is hard to sleep from the horrible stress/anxiety and sheer itchiness of it. Tried talking to my family about it and they look at me like I'm crazy :( even more worried what a doctor would say so I have not sought extra treatment for this. Also want to add that hsv is irritated moreso by chocolate, nuts, white sugar, coffee and other forms of caffeine so it is best to avoid these.

[Imaginaryexit]

I would really like to talk with others that have this all over problem.

[Tammyshy]

Hi Iam having the same issue

[WindowPane]

Actually if you have outbreaks in other areas which the above testimonies prove that is possible and those areas are shedding they can transmit HSV to others... I know some folks who have HSV and experience the same thing and have been confirmed to be caused by HSV ... I absolutely believe that gential herpes could be transmitted through other means than sex since the breakouts can be anywhere below the waist... If you don't believe that people can have herpes outbreaks on other parts of their bodies just do a Google image search and you'll see outbreaks in just about every conceivable part of the body is possible... I know the standard answer is that gential herpes can only transmit through sex but the truth is if somebody's having an outbreak in any area of their body that area is contagious...

[Imaginaryexit]

One of my biggest concerns is..can you transmit while you do not have open blisters in these areas of irritated skin.  There are no answers on the internet.  

[feelingundone]

Correct.

[141169]

Is that true?
I heard many ppl said STDs only can transmit through sex,  so hsv2 shouldnt be able to transmit to oyher areas right?

[mcparsons1975]

This is a question!
Q: if I've had gentile herpes but take medication daily for it , could I break out on my arm with what looks like poison ivy bumps and they itch but not as bad as poison I've would...I rubb alcohol on my arm and its went away in a few days...is that herpes out break?

[mcparsons1975]

If I had gentile herpes , can it appear on my arms like a poison ivy type itch and just go away after me rubbing alcohol on it

[TakeTheRedPill]

(Continued from previous message)

   Also for those of you dealing with hsv1, hsv2 or shingles and don't have immediate access to anti-viral medication, take Cimetidine, brand name Tagamet! It really works to stop all herpes viruses from replicating. It can be purchased over the counter and it's usually taken for heartburn because it lowers stomach acid. But it also works as a histamine blocker and favorably modulates immune function by inhibiting T-suppressor cells. There's a lot of credible research out there that's shown it to be as effective as the anti-viral medications. I started taking Cimetidine two days ago in addition to Valyciclovir and it's what really gave me a handle over this virus. You're suppose to take three 200mg tablets throughout the day and then two at night, so total 1000mg. I got a stomach ache the first day so I took some Betaine HCL acid to help digest my food since Cimetidine is suppose to lower your stomach acid. But my stomach ache could have been caused by the high dose of Vitamin C I also took. I may experiment dosing it anally to see if it's easier on my stomach, but I didn't get a stomach ache today.
     What I found confusing about the general info out there regarding herpes is the general belief that you can't autoinoculate yourself. The scientists say that you develop anti-bodies which prevent you from spreading it to other parts of your body. In my case, I believe that I spread the virus to other parts of my body years after my first infection and I continued to spread it to other parts of my body months later. Although I should point out that my second infection could have started again from exposure to my partner and perhaps I hadn't developed enough antibodies the first time. Perhaps it's a different strain of herpes on my body and it's just coincidental that I had an outbreak of hsv1 on my anus. I wonder why the dermatologist didn't suspect herpes when she immediately identified shingles on me. Is it really that rare to get herpes all over? Whether or not I had shingles is a mystery to me. What's odd is that the patch suspected of being shingles is one of two persistent spots which would occasionally itch from time to time after my whole body rash went away. They were also the areas that recently developed bumps which lasted for a few days, but never blistered. The spot on the left side on the back of my neck was the area that started the entire rash and remained a problem spot throughout the ordeal. The rash under my right breast was the only area that took longer to heal and left post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I also had a weird spot on the right side of my nose by my eye suddenly appear as if I had abraided the skin. It scabbed and left post inflammatory hyper pigmentation. These three spots are typical areas for shingles to occur and correspond to the same dermatome. Doctors do say that it's rare to have a herpes and shingles outbreak at the same time. I was breaking out in other places all over my body, so I don't know what to think of it. I never got the intense pain associated with shingles. The spot under my right breast was painful, but I think it's because I had irritated it so much trying different treatments. Whatever virus it is, at least I finally have a treatment for it!

[keeponkeepinon393]

Hi taketheredpill. Thank you for sharing your story. Up until I read through it, I thought I was the only one in the entire world with this life consuming disease. My story is a little different but is relative. About a year ago I had kissed a girl with a small cold sore above her upper lip. She had acne so I didn't think much of it. Evidently I was very uneducated about hsv but that's okay, the vast majority of medical professionals are as well. I want to say the same night or the night after I broke out. It wasn't your "textbook" outbreak. They were on the inside of my bottom lip. 4 or 5 round white blisters. I went to emergency care to have them take a look and they shrugged it off like it was no big deal. By the time I got there they were barely noticeable as I had been using a lot of mouthwash and drinking hot tea. Over the next few days I started experiencing genital prodrome symptoms, all consistent with herpes. I went back to my GP. "Psychosomatic" is what he tells me as he enters it into his system. My outbreaks do not look like "normal" outbreaks. Very small red pimple-like bumps around the rim of my penis. Fast forward a few months. I wake up to find three blisters inside my left nostril. Devastated, but certain that there's no possible way I can be denied of the fact this disease is eating me alive. I go to an after-hours practitioner so he can examine them while theyre fresh. "You're okay, it's nothing different than a cold you get in the air." Unbelievable. What else has to happen for me to get put on meds or even get the slightest whisper of medical advice? Fast forward a few more months. Tingling and burning sensation in my anus. Fast forward another 3 months. My index and pointer finger that I use to apply corizone cream to my anus starts peeling. What a coincidence. Of course, they tell me they're not sure what it is but it's NOT herpes. Gradually it spreads to all my fingers. On both hands. A couple days later my scalp starts itching uncontrollably. Theres about 7 red bumps scattered about my scalp. Most recently my right eye starts itching and goes bloodshot. I have seen 8 different doctors. GPs, urologists, dermatologists. Nobody knows what they're talking about. The dermatologist I saw on Monday prescribed me some cream to heal to "dry scaley" sections of the inside of both my ears that of course "is not herpes. Sure doc, this is just one big coincidence. They don't want to help. They figure there's no curing it so why put any effort into it. I have lost faith in the entire medical field. Everyday I wonder why and how this could have possibly happened to me, and everyday I contemplate suicide. It's nice to know there's somebody else out there going through the same thing. Stay strong and thanks for sharing.

[Imaginaryexit]

I believe you 100%.  I am a guy but having the same problem.  All over my body months after I found out I had an IGG.  We need awareness.  It's extremely harmful to some of us for some reason.  We are missing something in our immune systems.  You will notice that in vaccine trials the one thing they disqualify for is our conditions.  So they know something.  We suffer in silence.  

[Imaginaryexit]

I have a similar story.  I was given oral and it started with pain I my urethra.  I ended up with houndreds of bumps on my forearms and Shins.  I ended up with flu like symtoms and insane head ache.  ScaLp broke out as a big giant scab and no pain just gross and I was scratching it and took a shower.  Next day on my hands, soles of my feet,  face, in my mouth, ears, everywhere.  I constantly have tingling in all these areas and it just constantly rotates.  I feel everyone's pain on here.  I love you all and I hope we can stay strong.  We need to do something though, this is extremely new to me and it's been tough to get through each day.

[TakeTheRedPill]

     I'm responding to the most recent commenter because the original poster to this question was back in 2010. I'm also amazed at the lack of information there is regarding this condition of herpes occurring all over the body. I'd like to share my experience in hopes that someone might benefit from it.
     My story started about 6 years ago when I was diagnosed with hsv1 in my genital area which I contracted from my partner through oral sex. I had blisters around my labia. My partner has had breakouts of oral herpes (hsv1) cold sores on his mouth since childhood. After this first occurrence, I thought I hadn't had another breakout since I never developed noticeable blisters on my genital area. Plus, the research I read stated that a recurrence of genital herpes when caused by hsv1 is not very common.
     About two years ago, I started to get an itch to the left of the nape of my neck along the hairline. This went on for a few months, but didn't bother me too much so I never really did anything about it. Then the itch began to spread throughout my scalp and suddenly I started to get an intense itch throughout my body that was worse right before I went to bed. I started to get bumps all over my body and then suddenly I remember an intense itch happening on the back of my thighs which developed into a rash or area with lots of bumps. It moved to the back of my calf on both legs and then I had patches of bumps on my arms, stomach, back, scalp, everywhere. The itchiness was almost unbearable. At first I suspected mites or bedbugs, so I washed and treated everything. I was washing sheets and towels daily. I even bought a new bed, blanket and pillows. I finally went to a doctor who thought it might be fungal, so prescribed both oral and topical anti-fungal medication. Two months went by and it was just getting worse. I went to a dermatologist who didn't know what it was, but gave me oral steroids and topical steroids for my scalp and body. She also gave me some anti-biotics. She also took two skin biopsies from my back of the sores, which didn't tell me anything. She said she didn't know what most of my rash was caused by, but said that the one patch that I had right below my right breast was shingles. She never tested for it because it was already scabbed over, but diagnosed it visually. I don't know to this day if it actually was shingles, but that spot did behave a little different from the other patches. Anyway, this mysterious rash all over my body went on for another six months. During that time, I tried treating it as an allergy, a fungal infection, a bacterial infection, and a bug infestation. It was a nightmare. It consumed me 24/7. I was constantly fighting the itch and trying various treatments to get rid of the rash. When I wasn't washing my place or treating my bumps, I was researching stuff on the Internet. I changed my diet to try and rule out food allergies. I bought tons of supplements and tried to detox my body. Nothing helped. It finally just went away without me knowing what caused it.
   A year and a half went by and it wasn't until two week ago when it finally occurred to me what caused my miserable rash all over my body. What happened two weeks ago? I had an appointment with a ob/gyn for a regular checkup. I decided to ask her about a hemorroid I've had for about 20 years. It never bothered me much other than the appearance. I had recently started massaging it to see if I could shrink it down. I had noticed one tiny bump around my anus which I never would have noticed except for the fact that I started to massage around there because of my hemorroid. It was about the size of a clogged pore and didn't itch or hurt except if you touched it. The ob/gyn told me at that time that she suspected it might be herpes and took a swab. During the time from my exam to the test results, I suddenly developed that intense itch on the back of my legs and along my back hairline and bumps started to form. Because the ob/gyn told me that she suspected the tiny little bump on my anus might be herpes, it suddenly occurred to me that I might have spread herpes to the back of my legs from my anus because I sleep in the nude. I immediately started taking Valicyclovir and Lysine and applied Acyclovir cream to the intensely itchy spots which were happening all over my body again. The bumps begin to show up in some of the same places, but they went away within a few hours to a day or so.
    The test came back positive for hsv1. I've been taking the anti-viral medication for almost two weeks now. I was able to stop the bumps from forming into blisters and  that terrible rash which I know it would have become based off of my experience two years ago. Luckily, I had Valicyclovir handy because of my partner's cold sores, so I was able to take it right when it started intensely itching during the prodromal stage. When I think back to my horrible rash which started over two years ago, I remember that near the end of my rash, I had thought that I might be having a genital herpes outbreak so I took some Valicyclovir. I never ended up breaking out to my knowledge in my vaginal area and haven't since my very first occurrence six years ago.
     It never occurred to me, nor the three doctors that I saw that my all over body rash was herpes related. I never broke out with bumps in my vaginal area like the first time. Although this past week, I think I might have broken out there, but I was able to stop it in time if it was going to. I went to the doctor yesterday, but I didn't have any bumps on my body for her to swab to confirm that they were caused by hsv1. I showed her pictures of my past rash, but she wasn't very helpful. Regardless, I'm convinced now it was herpes related because no other treatment helped my itchiness and prevented the rash except the anti-viral medication and it took care of it quickly and completely. (Continued next message)

[Miraclebeliever]

I get same outbreaks all over body. I was diagnosed several years ago with HVS-2. When I got Lyme Disease, my outbreaks were off the wall, proving immune system breakdown. I can't believe doctors don't have much to say about the outbreaks all over the body. Feels like chicken pox when full-blown outbreaks. Went almost 2 years without an outbreak after being treated for Lyme with antibiotics for 8 months. Wish there was a vaccine.

[TooOldforThisCrapNow67]

I have the "bug bites" on my thighs and pelvic area only. I was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago with HSV2.
I had a severe allergic reaction to what the GYN thinks was the Metro gel to treat my bacterial vaginitis and she put me on Osphena for my menopause. I swelled up and could not stop itching. She then did blood work and took me off the Osphena just in case it was an allergic reaction to that.

I was then given Cleo cream for 7 days along with Nystatin gel and told to take Benadryl and was put on HRT pills. After 7 days I was better.....pretty much 100% better. Saw the GYN and she said the blood work showed HSV2. I was okay with all that since I was finally getting relief.

Now about a week later and I have the "bug bites" rash on my inner thighs near my vagina and on my pelvis area. It's so frustrating! I am so tired of going to the damn doctor. I am so tired of itching! Has anyone gotten any answers to whether this is related or not!?

[LennyHd]

I have no idea why people are saying these symptoms are not herpes related? They most definitely are. Depending on the severity and frequency of your outbreaks you can take antiviral medication which acts as a suppressive. Ask your doctor about Aciclovir. It is the most widely used anti viral in the world. I have been on this medication for almost 2 years now since being diagnosed with HSV2. I take one 400mg tablet twice daily. My symptoms are like the small bug bites described. Some are quite itchy others not at all and I have noticed they always appear in the same areas. Few on the lower right of my left palm, a few just in the hair line on the left side of my scalp at the nape of my neck and a few just on my left shoulder blade.

[itchtoomuch]

Did the acyclovir help with the bites along the hairline? I was diagnosed with hsv2 in April 2015. I took acyclovir for 10 days. Haven't had an issue until now. I, too, have bites along the hairline that itch like crazy. I thought some kind of mite because I haven't had any issues with outbreaks since my first one. I can't imagine genital herpes could cause this itch and bites in the scalp, face and neck.

[Maybejustcrazy]

What has come of these symptoms? I have been experiencing this too. Please help?

[Stressed15]

I have the exact same thing - it most certainly IS related to Herpes.  It seems to have followed my the path of my lymph nodes.  It did not exist before having herpes and having had chicken pox a few years before and how it traveled thru my body - this follows the same paths.  It is like the herpes became ramped up and broke out of the genital nerves.  I have been taking Valtrex, it does not seem to have any affect.  I do believe stress and lifestyle contribute to the outbreaks as Fairyfloss mentions above.  I have heard of Herpes Universalis but it is hard to find anything on other than some old medical book references - at least online.  I too am considering going to a contagious disease specialist to get some closure to this diagnosis.  Before dismissing this they should be doing a biopsy of these bumps - I am positive the results would be positive for herpes.
One more reason to be mindful of our health - stay positive.

[Fairyfloss80]

Hi guys,
I have had HSV2 for approx 12 years, and on antivirals for most of that time. I also have been suffering the same condition as noted by others- an extremely itchy "rash" which resembles flea bites. It is all over the body and does not respond to antihistamines. Mine lasted for several weeks.
I think you have hit the nail on the head with IMMUNITY. My first episode of this rash was during the very stressful buildup to Christmas. At this time, I was also dealing with resignation and an international relocation.
After things settled down, I began taking care of myself again- eating better, exercising and getting more sleep- symptoms resolved completely.
With a stressful episode over the weekend and a lapse of all habits, the rash is once again in full swing!
Typical Herpes symptoms do not need to be present for this rash to appear (have had once with and once without)
The BOTTOM LINE: I believe we need to look after ourselves better to reduce frequency and severity of these episodes.

I dont think a GP will have any answers, but I may consider seeing a specialist for advice as it may make them realise there is more to Herpes than meets the eye- and it may just help them treat others with the same condition.
Best of luck to you all.

[vickyindia22]

I hv silimar symptoms likr ur with hsv. not taking medicine

[MsUnlucky1]

Yes! Thank you for your input!
This virus is most certainly evolving and causing much more than the regular symptoms would suggest.
I have recently been diagnosed with it (unfortunately from an inanimate object like a razor) which is also "unheard of" or "like getting stuck by lightening & winning the lottery on the same day" but after taking the medication to make the initial breakout below disappear, it seemed better.
I stopped taking the meds and went back to focusing on life, when about a month later (perhaps time for another breakout) of which i had only one sore below... i have had a rash all over me and spreading from within my skin whenever i scratch it for weeks now!
i took a steroid shot and pills thinking it was all poison ivy (of which i am also extremely allergic to).
And still the rash has not subsided, my skin is cracking from dryness and peeling and now my eye areas are getting swollen!
... about to go see if i can get a Zoster Shingles vaccine and if it does indeed lessen this side effect.. from which i am nearly positive is part of HSV-2. Therefore i consider myself extremely allergic to HSV2

[colourfulrainbow]

I have similar symptoms to you all.

I feel it is disseminated herpes but only affecting nerves and not organs (at least thus far).

Did anyone figure out what these pimples or bug bites are?  Did anyone get them swabbed?

I get them on my fingers, face, scap, mostly lower back, bum, thighs, calves.  I feel like I am a walking petrie dish.  Has anyone figured out what these are yet?  Any help or insight would be appreciated....I'm going crazy!

[Ughsoupset]

Hi have u gotten any answers?