What did you end up figuring out? I found this thread after doing some googling because I just had a very similar set of symptoms.
Hi
If you are curious my blood tests have been negative after 17 weeks. Also the guy I was with tested negative. The blood tests are accurate so I am working on believing them once and for all. I still am having weird sensations and odd things happening which is driving me insane. But as the docs and experts on this forum say, believe the overwhelming scientific evidence and there is basically no hard sign pointing to having it in my case. That goes to show that anxiety, guilt and panic is INSANELY powerful in putting our minds in a bad place.
By the way, in the past several months I have done a ton of research. Based on your description, your exposure was low-risk in general. There was a small risk from HSV-1 from oral sex, but you would have had OBVIOUS blisters already, within 5 days and up to 3 weeks at most. (The type contracted from the lips to genital area HSV-1 usually causes obvious symptoms.) After one month, without symptoms, you do not need to keep checking. Your intercourse exposure was condom protected, also, so there is no reason to think you have anything. Remember that back pain, sore throat, and fever are signs that appear WITH obvious blisters and sores. Those signs by themselves are in no way indicative of anything. There's a lot of mis-information out there, and things listed but taken out of context. Stop with the “internet doctor” and to quote Grace, an expert on this forum, “time to call off the crotch watch!”
Hi
I know exactly what you're going though or went through as this was a few months ago. I received oral sex just over a month a go then had protected intercourse with the same woman. Ever since then I've been doing the worst thing possible and constantly googling about genital herpes just because I know that it's not tested for in a standard std check up. Pretty much any symptom going can be related back to herpes wither it's back pain or a sore throat. I recently finished a hi dose course of antibiotics and I'm pretty sure I'm still feeling the effects. I've had thrush but instead of accepting it as thrush I've been worrying about genital herpes like an idiot. Have I had painful skin? No. Have I had any sign of a blister? No but still we get into this horrible cycle of checking out groin area and noticing things that probably were there before but we just never noticed until we scrutinised the area like this! I keep going to bed thinkin in the morning I'll wake up, pull my foreskin back and I'll be covered in blisters but I'm doubtful this will be the case as its already been over a month since exposure and the lady it was with has said she's never even had a cold sore on her lip never mind anywhere else. You know what I blame? The smartphone! Just think before we had such easy access to the Internet any aches and pains would have to wait till we got home, turned on the pc and by which time the pains probably gone anyway and forgotten about! Anyway I hope you're well and didn't have herpes. If I wake up tomorrow with blisters down there I'll let you know:-)
Hi
I know exactly what you're going though or went through as this was a few months ago. I received oral sex just over a month a go then had protected intercourse with the same woman. Ever since then I've been doing the worst thing possible and constantly googling about genital herpes just because I know that it's not tested for in a standard std check up. Pretty much any symptom going can be related back to herpes wither it's back pain or a sore throat. I recently finished a hi dose course of antibiotics and I'm pretty sure I'm still feeling the effects. I've had thrush but instead of accepting it as thrush I've been worrying about genital herpes like an idiot. Have I had painful skin? No. Have I had any sign of a blister? No but still we get into this horrible cycle of checking out groin area and noticing things that probably were there before but we just never noticed until we scrutinised the area like this! I keep going to bed thinkin in the morning I'll wake up, pull my foreskin back and I'll be covered in blisters but I'm doubtful this will be the case as its already been over a month since exposure and the lady it was with has said she's never even had a cold sore on her lip never mind anywhere else. You know what I blame? The smartphone! Just think before we had such easy access to the Internet any aches and pains would have to wait till we got home, turned on the pc and by which time the pains probably gone anyway and forgotten about! Anyway I hope you're well and didn't have herpes. If I wake up tomorrow with blisters down there I'll let you know:-)
I don't recommend any further herpes testing. go and be seen promptly every time you have symptoms to try to figure out what they are instead.
Hi Grace,
(Sorry to bother you) Would you recommend further testing for me at 12wk/16wks? I know my chances at this point are so low that it’s nearly irrational… I’m still anxious and I can’t seem to “let this go”. My last symptom was a small dark red rash on crotch that lasted 2 days, and the burning sensation in the buttocks / down to legs, which lasted about 3 weeks and fizzled out.
Thanks so much I really appreciate all of your advice.
I am ecstatic to report that he took a HerpesSelect blood test a few days ago and the results were Negative for both HSV1 and 2.
It has been 6 weeks since our exposure, and he said he hadn’t had intercourse for 2 months before that. This means there was enough time elapsed that the test should be correct.
How accurate is the HerpesSelect blood test? Can I breathe easy now, and try to find another explanation for the burning sensation and irritations?
Thanks very much!!!
no, herpes rashes do not come and go like this.
I would have gone this morning but it disappeared again. Do herpes rashes appear and then disappear and then change shape and reappear like that?
why don't you go back to the doctor asap?
Ok I had it covered with a gauze wrap and now the rash on my wrist is back. Weird.
I was going in today but the rash on my wrist is gone now so there is no point. Emotionally I am a wreck.
go and be seen and get your rash on your wrist looked at. if they suspect herpes, probably too late now to swab it but odds are it's not herpes anyways.
i meant get the rash on your hand swabbed
Another question, I thought it was basically pointless to swab anything except for an actual sore that has fluid?
I didn't realize they could swab a general area. They said there are no sores to swab so they didn't. I will go back this week and ask them to swab the area. Thanks
not likely you have herpes on your wrists. absolutely no reason to wear gloves you wipe yourself either!!
I agree with waterwater - be seen to get answers as to what is going on.
if you are really worried about it, why dont you go to the doctor and get the area swabbed?
I noticed a tiny red rash on the back of my wrist, it looks a lot like the one that has been on my buttocks (the one that appears in patches, disappears then comes back again). I kinda noticed a bit of a burning feeling there too.
If this is herpes is it possible I spread it to my wrist from when I wipe after going to the bathroom? I have also been inspecting the area a lot with my hands although I do wash thoroughly after. I should have used gloves.
Should I not touch anyone, if I give someone a massage tomorrow will it risk spreading to them? I’m having a complete mental breakdown.
you were seen and they didn't think anything looked like herpes. continue to follow up as needed.
Ehh. The past few days the burning sensation has returned in the inner and outer buttocks area, back of thighs and sometimes down to the lower legs. I was awakened by the feeling of a pronounced irritation on the anus, upon inspection I immediately located a very small clear looking spot. I went to the OBGYN (a different doc than the past two appointments). She said the spot itself wasn’t a fluid-filled sore and didn’t look like herpes. She also said that sometimes it can appear as non-classical symptoms. The spot itself started to fade and seems to be mostly gone.
It is 5 weeks post possible exposure which she also said isn’t typical. I am still very concerned about the burning sensation, which occurred originally during days 2-5. Please advise on what could be happening.
This is definitely a regular cold since the mild fever is gone but I am still sneezing with a runny nose. Thanks very much everyone for the assessment. I greatly appreciate the advice.
getting a cold over a month after potential infection would not be related at all to herpes.
It's unlikely you contracted anything from this encounter. You've been seen multiple times now and no one thinks this rash is herpes related. Sounds like they are thinking irritation and/or fungal.
no reason for any further testing for herpes or any other std dear. It's your anxiety that is the issue, not any real risk. Don't feed into your fears and go back to living life to the fullest instead of worrying that you contracted something from this.
We recommend that when a male partner's pants are off, a condom is on. It helps to save you from worrying like this as well as gives you less messes to clean up after outercourse that results in ejaculation.
grace