Herpes Testing

[scooter1957]

Terri,  You will see that I have had interaction on this website.  Dr. HHH’s last reply to me was to seek MH counseling.   Read lots of threads on this site about herpes.  I read one of your threads, if a person has a high neg hsv1 igg test that you recommend them to have a WB done.  Review my blood tests results, if I were a patient at your clinic, would you recommend me to have a WB test?  

11 wks – herpes igg blood test (comb I & II) neg (non-reactive)  I live in Canada and this test was done through the PH Dept.  I live close to the US border and went to PP in NY and had the following herpeselect igg tests:
29 wks– hvs1  .68, hvs2  .12
34 wks- hvs1 .59, hvs2 .87
38 ½ – hvs1 .60, hvs2 .11

Reasons for my struggle:
1 My FP diagnosis was a yeast infection; does it takes 14 days for symptoms to develop?  I also had pain and a swollen feeling behind my scrotum and I not sure that is a symptom of a yeast infection.
2. Burning on my thighs, groin area
3. 6/11, I had what appeared to be a cold sore on my upper lip, it never opened or scabbed and a sore on my lower gum, never had either of these before, nor since.
4. Been getting small skin cuts on my hands and fingers, max ½” in length since this.
5. Tingling of my scrotum with my first symptoms and it continues to this day off and on each day.
6. Lower back and back of my thigh pain feels like nerves.
7. I have had skin cuts in my groin area and some thigh bumps swabbed within 48 hours of appearing, some within 24 hours, but all negative. I’m sure some of my symptoms are anxiety related, but I have never had these types of skin problems in my life and I’m struggling to believe anxiety is the cause. Is it harder to have a pos hsv1 culture than hsv2?

I believe my hsv2 results for some reason, but because of the oral, I have convinced myself I have hsv1 genitally and that I’m one of the missed 10%.

Does any of my story resemble a hsv1 genital infection?

Thank for your professional opinion.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

1) no, both should test positively as easily as the other.

I don't have an analysis of that data, not specifically.  It doesn't come up all that often, as I said, just sometimes.  Most people with a negative HSV 1, whether high or low negative, don't confirm with a western blot, only if something concerning is going on, like a recent contact with someone who is known to be infected.

Terri

[scooter1957]

Terri,  one additional question and one follow up question.  The follow up, your thoughts on testing positive by swab hsv1 vs: hsv2?  It is harder to test + hsv1 with a swab?  

My additional question, do you have any percentages of test results where someone had a high negative hsv1 igg results and you recommended for them to get the WB, who did test positive for hsv1 on a WB??  Maybe that might help me determine to get the WB.  

Thanks again.  

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

My counsel regarding someone with a high negative result came about because he had recently had sex with someone who had just that week acquired new herpes infection.  That's quite a different story than the one that you are describing here.  I do get concerned about high negatives in a person who has been in a very risk situation, such as the man described.  People are most infectious right away after they are infected by someone else.  The immune system just doesn't how what to do yet with the virus, so that person is at special risk.  

In your case, you do have relatively high negative results but so much time has passed since you lat had a risk encounter, right - we looking at almost 10 months!  The other person was looking at 2 months, a very different story.  

The cold sore on your lip might be oral hepres, and, again as you know, the test isn't as good for HSV 1 as it is for HSV 2.  If I were worrying about HSV  1 in you, the concern would be about this possible cold sore, nothing in your genital list worries be.    If a western blot would help to clarify your life picture for you, I see no reason not to do it.  I'm also not concerned about your HSV 2 test results, as none of your non-specific genital symptoms sound herpetic to me.

I've seen many people helped by the clarification the western blot provides.  You've waited long enough for accuracy.  I saw if you want to do it, do it.

Terri