Possible to have symptoms but no outbreaks?

[perhapstoonervous]

Hey all!

One more quick question... Is it possible to have symptoms of HSV2 (like back pain) but no outbreak of lesions? or do these "extra" symptoms only happen when a outbreak visibly occurs?

Thanks!

[HowardH]

No, that's rare. If it happens, the prodromal symptoms would be gone in 2-3 days.

[perhapstoonervous]

Thank you for your response. But I still am curious... Lets say that somebody is experincing prodromal-like symptoms... is it common for there to be no physical manifestation of blisters even with prodromal activity (assuming no anti-viral medication)?

[HowardH]

A lot of people with herpes may believe their back pain is due to herpes but that doesn't make it true. Things like back pain, sciatica, etc are common in any population group, and their occurrence in someone with HSV2 doesn't mean one caused the other. To my knowledge, no research has reported higher frequency of back pain, sciatica, etc in people with HSV2 than in anyone else. Does that prove it never occurs? No. But it is not biologically very likely, and if it happens at all, for sure it is rare. It would mislead questioners like perhapstoonervous to encourage them to believe their back pain was due to herpes.

[damnidiot]

That's not necessarily true. When I was tested for Herpes by a doctor of over 30 years experience, one of the questions she asked me was if I had back pain. She also asked if I had any sciatic pain.  

[HowardH]

Herpes doesn't cause back pain at all, even with outbreaks. The only thing that sometimes occurs before outbreaks is neurological prodrome, typically numbness, tingling, burning, etc -- only near the site of an oubreak that always begins within a day or two.