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1452472 tn?1285078149

Odd place for HSV-2 and severe muscle pain

Hello,
Back in 2007 I woke with a series of spider bites down the back of my right thigh. It wasn't a mistake, they were two parallel lines of bites traveling vertically down my left thigh. I treated it like you would a spider bite, and then 6 months later a few little bumps appeared on my thigh in the same area, this time in just a patch, no lines. The bumps slowly got a bit larger and turned into one large one. Thinking it had something to do with the bite I went to a walk in clinic, was told I had a case of 'dermatitis', a bacterial infection in my skin, probably a left over from the bite. Was given an antibiotic and sent on my way. For the next two years every 6 or 7 months a small patch would appear in that spot, I was treating it with peroxide, which seemed to break the bumps, and a topical antibiotic. It wasn't until I mentioned it to my mother, who has had HSV-2 in her genital area for over 23 years, she got it from my father only 3 months shy of giving birth to me, she said it almost seemed like her breakouts...but not timed like hers with her periods or stress. I went to my doctor, began explaining it to her, but before I could finish she cut me off and said I have herpes. So I went through the battery of blood tests, and came back positive for HSV-2.I was handed a prescription for Valtrex and sent on my way. So it was just assumed that what was on my leg was the virus. Because I've never had outbreaks of any kind anywhere else.
My issue is; that before I went on the medication, these 'outbreaks' would only happen once ever 6 or 7 months, now, if i go off the meds for two days i'll break out. So what ever is on my leg reacts to the medcation, but its been almost a year and I should be able to go off the meds and not break out. That and  the area on my leg where these blisters appear gives me pain once and a while. Never the itching or burning, or twinge i hear people speak of, its a muscle pain, almost like I've pulled it. Right now it is worse then ever, its causing me to limp, I just recently broke out, while on the medication, which has never happened before (i take 500mg a day), the spot barely broke out, I had three little dots then they faded, but now my muscle is killng me. I want to know if you have ever heard of this happening before? Or of someone getting HSV-2 from something like a bite. Or if I should really question my diagnosis of that area.... I dont really trust my doctor...
If you can answer any of my questions or have an opinion it would really be helpful
Thank you,
K.
4 Responses
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101028 tn?1419603004
no you won't get hsv2 from spider bites.  what you thought was a series of spider bites though sounds like a typical first herpes ob.   are you sexually active?  do you have a regular partner?

can you call the clinic you were tested at and get the results of your herpes blood test to post here for me? I just need to see the actual igg test results - ie hsv1 igg 5.4 and hsv2 igg 2.3 or whatever they are. That way I can make sure you were properly tested and don't need additional confirmatory testing done.  

Suppressive therapy reduces recurrences but doesn't eliminate them entirely. Not too unusual to have a recurrence while taking the medication.  Not unusual either to have recurrences when you stop the suppressive therapy.  The virus still is active when you are on suppressive therapy, just suppressive therapy stops the viral replication process so that the virus isn't as able to reproduce and cause you obvious lesions ( and also reduces detectable viral shedding on the skin too ).  The process is still going on even while taking meds so once you stop them, the virus is free to replicate as it wants.  Treating your herpes for a year or being infected for 3 years really makes no difference.  

I'm not sure if anyone has told you before but when the virus is active on the leg, odds are it's also active in the anogenital area. If your partner is hsv2 -, avoid sex whenever you have obvious lesions on your leg.  

Ideally I'd stop suppressive therapy and when you get a recurrence of these leg symptoms, be seen within 48 hours of their appearance for a lesion culture and typing to confirm that indeed these are hsv2 going on.  Up to you but it's certainly a way to confirm that that is what is going on.  

grace

Helpful - 0
1452472 tn?1285078149
I can get the results and will post them in a comment on here when I do. I now currently am in a relationship, and we've been having sex for over two years. He's never had anything at all resembling an outbreak. And less then a year ago he went through the battery of blood tests and they came back negative. I dont know if that's just lucky, or if it should add to my concern. Thank you for your help, and when I get the paperwork from my doctor I'll post again.
K.
Helpful - 0
101028 tn?1419603004
just make sure he was tested for herpes as part of his testing. it' s not a part of routine std testing .

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I reckon hsv2 sheds more orally than people think. I was bitten extremely hard on my buttock by a genital hsv2 guy (admittedly, we had sex, but this lesion appeared in exactly the spot I was bitten in), my lesion appeared very soon after wards.
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