Herpes Test.

[alfred23]

Was diagnosed with HSV 1 about 4 years ago, had 1 time Outbreak, didnt see anything except for a streak on foreskin. Doc took blood test, showed HSV 1- IGG with a value of 2.2. Took acyclovir and cream. and that went away.

4 years laters, met someone 2 months ago had sex, about 2 weeks after that had funny feeling at groin.

Then visited the doctor, told them i had HSV ,treated it for HSV cream and tablets again.

This time i felt burning sensations and the pain was unbearable.

Freaked out, ran to a urologist he tells me might have been misdiagnosed and i might not even have it.

Ordered DNA PCR test & STI test, took swabs, couplle of days later calls and tells me i am alright all negative.

Didn't end there, went back to him a few more times as i still had pain(*felt like something of a nerve pain and irritation) he checked nothing unusual said he'll test it again. So went through a swab fluid test? took the sample and sent it off. This time the results came back unusual, HSV 2 detected-, but he said it was a bit odd as usually the numbers are in the millions/thousands this time it was only in the hundreds. He ran for swab test again a couple of weeks later & ran for full health screening hiv &  EVERYTHING was OK. Sent me home again.

Endured the entire thing, for another month didn't feel normal, and still dumb founded by the entire thing.
Visited a skin doctor, he looked at it and saw my reports and said looks like its a herpes virus, began treatment with APO 400 tablets/ 3 times a day & dexamethasone 3 times a day. Pain subsided/ but it was still there i was still confused about my status as of now.
Anyone can help me to what i should do now? SHOULD I CONTINUE TO FIND AN ASNWER?

[TooHip1973]

If you had a PCR swab, not a blood test, and the swab returned positive for HSV2, that is pretty much solid. Confirm you had a swab done and that is what came back positive.

[alfred23]

does the lower limit of detection on the PCR change anything?  and does that mean from the 1st diagnosis, i had hsv 2 all along?

[TooHip1973]

No. The copies on the PCR swab doesn’t matter. If it picked up copies at all, then the test would be positive. If the virus isn’t there, the test wouldn’t be positive.
This could be what you had all along, not HSV1, because it sounds like the first doctor diagnosed based on the IgG. You may have blood tested too early for HSV2 to show.

[alfred23]

That's what I thought, just went to gum clinic doc tells me to test in November says the no is low

[alfred23]

i got a blood test for  IGG HSV 2-- this returned negative- 0.1 value , it would've been 3 months and more since the exposure.  this is  so confusing

[alfred23]

The doc took the fluid of the sample. not a swab if i remember accurately.

no i didn't eat any antivirals before the igg test.

[alfred23]

the doctor said, the pcr might have been too sensitive which is why its so low. so that even confuses me further. i am at lost actually i've tested so many times.

[TooHip1973]

Okay I’m confused to. Your doctor didn’t swab anything ? He used to syringe, and extracted blood? Trying to make sense of what you mean by fluid of the sample.

[alfred23]

the swab was done at the urologist- he swabbed the sample from the urethra, took some fluid sample

the blood test was for the IGG test.i wen to a dermatologist, to get a 2nd opinion.

[TooHip1973]

Okay. So he used a culture or PCR swab, inserted it into the urethra and sent off a sample of what was collected. If this sample taken from the urethra was positive for HSV2, baring any (very rare) lab mix up, you are positive for HSV2. As for your IgG test, it’s missing the infection which can happen.

[alfred23]

problem here is, the result from that swab urologist said the sample size is too small and, the dermatologist said the same thing as well.

my old report had HSV 1 with a value of 2.2.  

I am struggling to continuously test or should i just assume i have herpes as before previously . As it stands now i feel like a lab - rat-. i don't know how to move on from here.

[TooHip1973]

I have no idea what either one means about sample size being too small. Either the lab picked up HSV1 or HSV2. The swab isn’t going to pick it up if it’s not there. Copies of the virus DNA seems irrelevant because of it’s not present, it wouldn’t pick up anything.

[alfred23]

What would u suggest the next course of action?

[TooHip1973]

If the PCR swab came back positive for HSV2, I would move forward as positive for that type. You can blood test if you wish but a positive PCR trumps blood testing.

[alfred23]

Not so sure about the PCR & blood, know that it costed me alot of money for pcr, close to $700---

Thanks, i also never saw any sores or blisters. only a cracked skin. and redness so it was also another issue that made it even worst.

[TooHip1973]

Hold up...You said your doctor did a PCR DNA test and took swabs. If the SWAB came back positive for HSV2, then you have HSV2. I need to find out exactly what tests were performed. What kind a swab was it and what came back positive. It sounds like you’re spinning your wheels and not getting any straight facts as to what testing actually was done. And IgG test is great but then your mentioning swabs and DNA and PCR. Find out exactly what tests were done.

[alfred23]

Yes, He Ran A DNA PCR SWAB ( is that what it's called?), so 1st time he swabbed the skin- negative,  2nd time he took the fluid* the one i shared with you earlier-- that came back hsv 2 +// the 3rd time he swabbed the skin  & he said it was negative as well--//  i only ran for IGG test 1 month later---  at the dermatologist.

[alfred23]

Yes, He Ran A DNA PCR SWAB ( is that what it's called?), so 1st time he swabbed the skin- negative,  2nd time he took the fluid* the one i shared with you earlier-- that came back hsv 2 +// the 3rd time he swabbed the skin  & he said it was negative as well--//  i only ran for IGG test 1 month later---  at the dermatologist.

[alfred23]

I also read someone syaing the doctors said, pcr swabs have false positives as well.

[TooHip1973]

Okay! So you had multiple swabs and one showed positive. Swabs are definitive. Lab error can happen but is very rare. False negatives on a swab are far, far more common because the virus isn’t always present.
If you wish to go the blood test route to confirm, the hsv Western Blot our of the University of Washington is the most accurate you can get. Only a swab is more conclusive.

[Jaimeortiz]

You should follow up find out if igg blood test was done when you had the 2.2 low positive. Find out if you where resently tested specifically for hsv1 and hsv2 if not I would do so. If the swab that was done was positive for hsv2 you can usually take that to the bank but it sounds like your doctor was not sure.

[alfred23]

didn't do much about the blood test, left it at that. only did the PCR for HSV -2, which came out a bit low on the numbers for detection rate. HSV -2 detected <300 copies.