(UK) Cold sores without a break for three months, even with aciclovir

[goldear]

Hello everybody.

Not been infected with HSV-1 for long, but the last 3-4 months I've had constant cold sores. Sometimes big ones, some times lots of small ones, rarely ever a day without one though. I've been on aciclovir for a couple of months (2x400mg), but they were making me nauseas (and sometimes I did a little vomit) and weren't leading to a big improvement in symptoms, so I've just been taken off.

I got tested for HIV, and am okay there.

My doctor had nothing to offer, and said I should just see how things go.

I'm in the UK.

I was badly affected by glandular fever about a decade ago and never recovered. I unfortunately fall into the 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' diagnosis because of that. This does mean that I don't get in the sun much, but I think that even low amounts of extra sun-light seems to correlate with more cold sores the next day.

Anyone here got anything to advise? I don't seem to do well with viruses. Anyone know any great specialists I should try to see?

Thanks.

[gracefromHHP]

I'd see a dermatologist at this point. Your description of symptoms sounds like it's something non-oral herpes related going on.

grace

[goldear]

when I'm not there=when I'm next there. .

[goldear]

Thanks. I'll ask for a swab for when I'm not there.

Any idea what I should do if this confirms that it is HSV-1 (as symptoms are exactly the same, just more constant, and began while my partner had an outbreak)? Presumably there's something like a normal distribution to people's ability to control the virus, and some people are unlucky - does anyone know what they're meant to do?

[Fleetwood20]

I think the symptoms may now suggest something else, you now have reason to be skeptical as to whether this is HSV causing the lesions. Perhaps get one swabbed to check. Your body should be able to cope with the virus quite adequately.

[goldear]

I don't know if I got specifically tested for it. I assumed that test was done when I was tested for HIV, but don't have a copy of those results.

My partner was having an outbreak, then I got mouth ulcers, tingling lips, an unusual sore throat, etc. Then I was getting tingling lips a lot of the time and a cold sore (or what looked like one) every six weeks or so, then I've had this marathon outbreak.

My doctor saw me during the initial outbreak and thought it was HSV-1 then. Symptoms since then have also seemed to conform. All these things have meant that I haven't been too sceptical of my doctor's diagnosis.

[Fleetwood20]

Do you know that these are herpes lesions? How were you diagnosed in the first instance?