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Recent GHSV-1 & IUD & Bleeding/Reoccuring Yeast Infections
Well, I was recently diagnosed with HSV-1 by blood test (I had three IGG specific blood tests done, first one negative, last two positive). I have been tested for all STDS 5x in the last 6 months due to my symptoms. I went to my regular OB first, then to my primary care doctor for my annual, and then a second OB for a second opinion. My primary OB doesn't think that I have HSV, my primary family doctor does (positive blood test), and the second opinion OB diagnosed me as having it via blood test. WARNING! This is pretty graphic, but it is what's happening to me so...
I had what I thought was the world's worst yeast-infection ever for almost two months, and ended up being treated with Tercanozole for 2-weeks and 3 Diflucan pills. I had lots of swelling down there, but no blisters. I was told by three different doctors that I had what appeared to be a partially-healed yeast infection. I was swabbed for herpes 5 times, especially at the bottom of my vagina, the posterior fourchette area. Each swab came back negative. But my symptoms persisted, despite taking the Valtrex 1 gram/day as prescribed.
I am almost 100% certain that I have GHSV-1 and not oral HSV-1 since I did not have any of these symptoms before the last few months. I have not ever had a cold sore. I did have tingling in my right arm and right leg, like an electrical current running under my skin, right around the time the "yeast infection from hell" issues started. Never had anything like that ever since.
I have developed a whitish vaginal ulcer that is a tear of some kind, per my regular OB, inside the bottom of my posterior fourchette. It doesn't hurt to touch it, but the surrounding area is red and irritated. My doctor prescribed premarin creme to put on the area, and said that the tear most likely resulted in my vaginal skin being so thin due to low estrogen levels. I apply a little amount of the creme to the spot nightly, but it has not healed. I wonder if this is not really a huge herpes sore, but think that it can't be, since it's been in the same spot since JULY and has not changed one bit!
I also have a very sore area immediately inside my vagina, one of the inside pieces of skin that is almost like a flap of skin. I have religiously checked it for any bumps or blisters, but instead it just always looks really red, raw and irritated. I have small things inside my vagina that look like small skin tags, but I think that it's the rugae of the vaginal wall? Not sure, since I honestly don't know what a normal vagina is supposed to look like inside (never took sex ed, and good grief, the stuff that shows up in Google searches scares me more!).
I have had an IUD in for the last 3 years, and am worried that due to the GHSV that I will have to have it removed. I strongly suspect that I have GHSV-1 on my cervix, since I can't ever see anything on the exterior of my vagina, vulva, etc.. But I constantly feel pain and tenderness, and now have bleeding (spotting) as well as a burning feeling inside my vagina. I have started the Terconazole treatments again, but the bleeding/internal burning feeling continues.
I have looked online at lichen scolerosus (sp), and it doesn't appear to be that either. How do I know if I have herpes on my cervix? That's what I strongly suspect, but I am not sure. I know that a swab must be done within 48 hours of an outbreak, but unfortunately, I have not been lucky enough to catch it in time I guess! The thing is that only up until about six months ago, I have only had maybe 3 yeast infections in my entire life (I always got BV instead). Now, not only do things not feel right down there, but my discharge is slightly different too. It's very, very frustrating! My primary OB told me that I may have dyspuraneia (sp) due to the vaginal tear (ulcer). Sex isn't painful, it's the afterwards part that stinks- the swelling, raw feeling and tenderness near the posterior fourchette area.
Will the new bleeding/spotting issues mean that my IUD will need to be removed? Before now, I only got a period (very light one) about every 3 months or so. Now I am terrified of developing PID or scarring my cervix, or worse, possibly passing this horrible virus on to my husband, who is negative. I can't run to the OB every time I get this burning feeling or swelling inside vaginally (not from sex), to the point that it almost hurts to sit down. I have not ever had any pain when urinating though, thank God.
I feel utterly alone in this, and am very ashamed and disgusted with myself. I don't know if I can ever have a normal sex life again after all of this. My poor husband doesn't understand my hesitation to ever want to do anything with him, and why I don't want him to even touch me down there, just in case. Or if he does, I am adamant that he jumps up and washes his hands right away because I've looked online at so many pics of herpetic whitlow hands. Plus, he's terrible about hand washing, and would almost certainly touch his eyes if it was not for me begging him to wash his hands constantly. I've actually contemplated divorce because of this crap, it's just that difficult.
I am at wits end right now what to do at this point, and tired of being sore and in pain. I want my life back. I want to be comfortable with myself, and not cringe when being intimate with m husband. This is just insane.
Anyone who has any advice or similar symptoms, please share your story.
I had what I thought was the world's worst yeast-infection ever for almost two months, and ended up being treated with Tercanozole for 2-weeks and 3 Diflucan pills. I had lots of swelling down there, but no blisters. I was told by three different doctors that I had what appeared to be a partially-healed yeast infection. I was swabbed for herpes 5 times, especially at the bottom of my vagina, the posterior fourchette area. Each swab came back negative. But my symptoms persisted, despite taking the Valtrex 1 gram/day as prescribed.
I am almost 100% certain that I have GHSV-1 and not oral HSV-1 since I did not have any of these symptoms before the last few months. I have not ever had a cold sore. I did have tingling in my right arm and right leg, like an electrical current running under my skin, right around the time the "yeast infection from hell" issues started. Never had anything like that ever since.
I have developed a whitish vaginal ulcer that is a tear of some kind, per my regular OB, inside the bottom of my posterior fourchette. It doesn't hurt to touch it, but the surrounding area is red and irritated. My doctor prescribed premarin creme to put on the area, and said that the tear most likely resulted in my vaginal skin being so thin due to low estrogen levels. I apply a little amount of the creme to the spot nightly, but it has not healed. I wonder if this is not really a huge herpes sore, but think that it can't be, since it's been in the same spot since JULY and has not changed one bit!
I also have a very sore area immediately inside my vagina, one of the inside pieces of skin that is almost like a flap of skin. I have religiously checked it for any bumps or blisters, but instead it just always looks really red, raw and irritated. I have small things inside my vagina that look like small skin tags, but I think that it's the rugae of the vaginal wall? Not sure, since I honestly don't know what a normal vagina is supposed to look like inside (never took sex ed, and good grief, the stuff that shows up in Google searches scares me more!).
I have had an IUD in for the last 3 years, and am worried that due to the GHSV that I will have to have it removed. I strongly suspect that I have GHSV-1 on my cervix, since I can't ever see anything on the exterior of my vagina, vulva, etc.. But I constantly feel pain and tenderness, and now have bleeding (spotting) as well as a burning feeling inside my vagina. I have started the Terconazole treatments again, but the bleeding/internal burning feeling continues.
I have looked online at lichen scolerosus (sp), and it doesn't appear to be that either. How do I know if I have herpes on my cervix? That's what I strongly suspect, but I am not sure. I know that a swab must be done within 48 hours of an outbreak, but unfortunately, I have not been lucky enough to catch it in time I guess! The thing is that only up until about six months ago, I have only had maybe 3 yeast infections in my entire life (I always got BV instead). Now, not only do things not feel right down there, but my discharge is slightly different too. It's very, very frustrating! My primary OB told me that I may have dyspuraneia (sp) due to the vaginal tear (ulcer). Sex isn't painful, it's the afterwards part that stinks- the swelling, raw feeling and tenderness near the posterior fourchette area.
Will the new bleeding/spotting issues mean that my IUD will need to be removed? Before now, I only got a period (very light one) about every 3 months or so. Now I am terrified of developing PID or scarring my cervix, or worse, possibly passing this horrible virus on to my husband, who is negative. I can't run to the OB every time I get this burning feeling or swelling inside vaginally (not from sex), to the point that it almost hurts to sit down. I have not ever had any pain when urinating though, thank God.
I feel utterly alone in this, and am very ashamed and disgusted with myself. I don't know if I can ever have a normal sex life again after all of this. My poor husband doesn't understand my hesitation to ever want to do anything with him, and why I don't want him to even touch me down there, just in case. Or if he does, I am adamant that he jumps up and washes his hands right away because I've looked online at so many pics of herpetic whitlow hands. Plus, he's terrible about hand washing, and would almost certainly touch his eyes if it was not for me begging him to wash his hands constantly. I've actually contemplated divorce because of this crap, it's just that difficult.
I am at wits end right now what to do at this point, and tired of being sore and in pain. I want my life back. I want to be comfortable with myself, and not cringe when being intimate with m husband. This is just insane.
Anyone who has any advice or similar symptoms, please share your story.
It doesn't seem like you have Herpes. They don't last for months and months (without clearing up at all, they can reoccur, but clear up first). I am not sure what that could be to last that long actually! I hope you have found some ways to fix this issue you have, I completely understand your frustration. I have no bf now too because of an issue! I get that you feel inadequate and stressed out!
I have tears in my fourchette that occur every time I have sex. Actually it's specifically one spot! I tried using estrogen cream, but it gave me other negative side effects, so I had to discontinue. I did use it for about 5 weeks every day! It did not help at all. My Gyno wants to cut out the fourchette, the band of skin, (and stitch it along the sides, rather than cutting just the scar tissue out and stitching in the center) so that this areas that is tearing won't be there anymore! however, I am very very very very very nervous, as I don't know that this is even a procedure anyone has had done before, or if it will work. I'm afraid the meeting place at the back (where the stitches meet) will just pop open when I have sex. and I don't mean the stitches themselves but the scar that's left from the stitches! Obviously, I wouldn't have sex until it was completely healed and I've waiting the right amount of time.I do not know what caused this! I think it was a combination of things. Nevrous about sex and not self lubricating enough! Therefore, dry skin that didn't scretch enough or wasn't lubricated and it ended up tearing so many times that it developed scar tissue that just don't stretch anymore! Or maybe I have super low estrogen levels. I stopped taking the birth control pill now for two months (I was on it for 10 years, to see if that helped my levels, but it hasn't made any difference). I don't know what to do! Do anyone have any experiences with this?
I have tears in my fourchette that occur every time I have sex. Actually it's specifically one spot! I tried using estrogen cream, but it gave me other negative side effects, so I had to discontinue. I did use it for about 5 weeks every day! It did not help at all. My Gyno wants to cut out the fourchette, the band of skin, (and stitch it along the sides, rather than cutting just the scar tissue out and stitching in the center) so that this areas that is tearing won't be there anymore! however, I am very very very very very nervous, as I don't know that this is even a procedure anyone has had done before, or if it will work. I'm afraid the meeting place at the back (where the stitches meet) will just pop open when I have sex. and I don't mean the stitches themselves but the scar that's left from the stitches! Obviously, I wouldn't have sex until it was completely healed and I've waiting the right amount of time.I do not know what caused this! I think it was a combination of things. Nevrous about sex and not self lubricating enough! Therefore, dry skin that didn't scretch enough or wasn't lubricated and it ended up tearing so many times that it developed scar tissue that just don't stretch anymore! Or maybe I have super low estrogen levels. I stopped taking the birth control pill now for two months (I was on it for 10 years, to see if that helped my levels, but it hasn't made any difference). I don't know what to do! Do anyone have any experiences with this?
it's doubtful that you have hsv1 genitally. hard to tell if you recently contracted hsv1 orally or if you've had it for a long time and your first blood test didn't pick up on it. So unlikely that so many lesion cultures would miss herpes in the genital area plus herpes wouldn't persist like your symptoms have. even the best herpes blood tests still miss 1 out of every 10 hsv1 infections so sometimes a negative blood test isn't accurate. you also can never diagnose hsv1 genitally from blood tests - it takes lesion cultures to confirm the area of infection.
vaginitis can be awful for some women. it can cause the genital skin to thin too ( as can the medications used to treat it ) so no real reason to doubt your provider's diagnosis of a tear that needs to heal. it can take up to 3 months for topical estrogen to make a difference. you might want to also try using a barrier cream like aquaphor in the genital area too in addition to the topical estrogen. you would never have a herpes lesion be present from july.
your providers would see symptoms of herpes on your cervix when you are examined.
at this point, continue to follow up monthly if needed with your gyn for this. if symptoms continue, a biopsy of the irritated skin might be helpful too.
best of luck!
vaginitis can be awful for some women. it can cause the genital skin to thin too ( as can the medications used to treat it ) so no real reason to doubt your provider's diagnosis of a tear that needs to heal. it can take up to 3 months for topical estrogen to make a difference. you might want to also try using a barrier cream like aquaphor in the genital area too in addition to the topical estrogen. you would never have a herpes lesion be present from july.
your providers would see symptoms of herpes on your cervix when you are examined.
at this point, continue to follow up monthly if needed with your gyn for this. if symptoms continue, a biopsy of the irritated skin might be helpful too.
best of luck!
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
