My symptoms started within 2 weeks of seeing someone new. I had not been sexual active for a year prior. I am female, late 30's. My vagina was red and swollen and had a burning pain. This lasted about a few days and I assumed it was a yeast infection as I have had many times. It got better & we had sex again about a week later.
2 days post sex, new symptoms started with nausea & depression. The next day the burning pain started & a few lesions and a blister. Over the next few days the pain was unbearable. I had tiny blister on my lip. I googled the symptoms and it sounded like herpes. My Dr started me on Valtrex within 2 days of these second symptoms starting. I had a culture done & the different blood tests one can have done within that first week. The blood test came back w zero anti-bodies to both hsv 1 & 2. The culture showed candida yeast & hsv 1. All other std's were negative. The dr. said it was definitely a new infection. The guy at first denied having it & I had the week of hell waiting for results. He later admitted he had it and it was no big deal.
I took valtrex for 10 days. The Dr. gave me a z pack in case I had strep (my son had it) as well. I also took a few doses of diflucan. I have never had strep, but with many sinus infections in the past, I am resistant to many anti-b's. During this time and a few days before, I had the worst headache of my life, severe sore throat, swollen glands in neck and groin. Sever fatigue that is still lingering & the zappy burning feeling up and down my legs. I had white spots all over my tonsils and back of my throat along with red spots that got worse in the afternoon & night time. I also had a red itchy rash on one hand, and my knee that is hot to the touch. I have been a mess! Those sores clear, but new blisters come before they are totally gone. I also have small hive like marks that come and go on my face that are not very noticeable, but, they itch & I see them them. I had one on the tip of my nose that looks like it left a scar. I had this on my eye lids & my vision became blurry. The eye Dr said it was def not herpes in my eyes upon examining me & I had clogged ducts in my eyes (blepharitis) and gave me anti-b drops. I was switched to Famvir for another 10 days and the Dr. said all symptoms are hsv 1 and I could have problems for 6 weeks because either I was having a severe outbreak but the anti-virals were controlling the amount of blisters or the anti-virals were not being absorbed by my body. My immune system is not great I get colds and sinus infections that linger. I'm sick alot & under stress as a single parent of young kids that are often getting sick. I also battle borderline anemia & low ferritin that is not helped with iron pills or food.
I saw my ENT yesterday who said herpes doesn't act like this & I prob had strep & the z pack didn't get rid of it & I now have a secondary bacterial infection. But, that won't account for the lesions and blisters genitally, I assume.
The dermatologist said it looked like contact dermatitis on my hands & knee. Finally, after 20 days I stopped anti-virals to see if they were contributing to the problem and within 24 hours I have nausea, can't eat & a new cold sore on my lip & my vagina is all red.
22 days have passed since I first figure it out is was herpes and saw some blisters and almost 30 days since the initial redness.Do you agree this is a sever herpes 1 outbreak? Or am I so unlucky to contract hsv 1, either contact dermatitis or poison ivy, strep, blepharitis & a secondary bacterial infection all within a month? I know you can not diagnose over the internet. I have read posts and articles on what could be wrong with me hours on end day after day, so I am now asking directly.
Thank you. Your posts have been such a wonderful source of information.