Not sure what to think...red sores, again?

[pa_pumpkin]

Hi there. I hope that all of you that deal with genital herpes might somehow help me with this one.

As you can read from my posts with Dr. Hook, I had two (maybe three - a suspect sore in my thigh region) episodes of genital ulcers. My sorology has been HSV1+ and HSV2- since the very beginning of all this. So, over a year after supposed initial infection, I'm still testing negative for HSV2. Had PCR in the very first episode - negative (but the sores were healing by then).

Right now I'm having something that I cannot describe as genital ulcers, but rather as genital sores. After a week suffering from intense discharge (yeast?) and some itching, I spotted 3 red spots in my vulvar vestibule (that area between the vaginal opening and the clitoris) and 1 in the introitus (that opening area that is visible externally). They are not ulcers, but rather tiny bloody scrapes of some sort. For now, they are not hurting or burning.

They are looking very red, is impossible to ignore them. I guess I can say the ones in the vestibule are "bilateral" - one more located on the left, two more located on the right, but they are all very close to each other.

I had the same thing a few months ago and my GYN had no idea what they were. She mentioned that it would be a dermatitis, some sort of yeast reaction perhaps. I don't feel like going there now basically because she will give me the exact same answer.

So, my question is...have any of you experienced "outbreaks" that resemble "bloody scrapes/sores" in the vaginal vestibule? Is HSV2 still a possibility?

Thanks a lot.

[gracefromHHP]

I've had genital biopsy's done before - they aren't fun but they aren't too bad. When the topical anesthetic wears off you do sting for a few hours.  

definitely when you have symptoms, call to be seen that day. it's been far too long without proper answers as to what is going on!

[pa_pumpkin]

I've discussed the matter with my dermatologist and we agreed that I would visit her if I had the typical herpes sores again (last one was three months ago). She talked about having a biopsy done, which is kinda scary - I guess I'l try to convince her to have a PCR again, instead.

But now it's a different thing - this redness in my vulvar vestibule. I had it before, my GYN said there was some yeast going on, that it might be due to it. It's not troublesome, it's not stinging...it's just...abnormal.

Since I've read a lot about "atypical herpes" - you know, sores that are not the usual ulcers -, I was just curious if anyone had experienced such red spots. It looks like someone had scratched their tiny nails in there, three times...it's very weird. Maybe it's red/irritated because I've been checking (stretching) myself daily for the last weeks, I don't know - or maybe this is just me trying to convince myself that I don't have herpes, when my doctor believes I do.

To make things worse, I've been suffering from muscle twitches in my feet for a few days and I instantly thought about prodomes. And now I have this. Don't know what to think. Honestly, I'm not OCD or anything - I just don't know how to deal with this weird "vaginal episodes" that are not supposed to be HSV2 related.

But I get your point, Grace. I'll visit my dermatologist if I get a typical troublesome outbreak.

[gracefromHHP]

have you seen a dermatologist at all yet since you last wrote Dr Hook?

[pa_pumpkin]

Thanks a lot for your response, Grace. I must say that I don't feel like going to my GYN again, basically because she believes I have herpes no matter what the PCR and blood tests say. And when I had this same red sores many months ago, she told me it was probably not herpes.

I'm pratically trying to diagnose this thing by myself since the very beginning. Doctors don't give a damn about herpes around here. So frustrating. =(

But thanks a lot for your input, I'll see what I can do. At least the sores are not hurting/stinging or anything.

[gracefromHHP]

As Dr Hook has already pointed out previously, the odds of this being hsv2 you have are pretty low.   At this point any time you have symptoms you should be seen within 48 hours. Get properly tested for yeast and bacterial vaginal infections.  Get pcr swabs done of the lesions.  follow up with your gyn and a dermatologist so that together they can work to get to the bottom of this for you.

wish I could say "ah ha - this sounds like X" but unfortunately I can't. Sometimes it takes several providers and multiple appointments to figure out what is going on. At this point no one should be visually diagnosing you as having herpes based on the multiple negative tests. that's completely unacceptable with as many resources that are widely available.

good luck and when you do find out what is going on, stopping back to up date us all would be informative - thanks!

grace