Herpes or Staph?

[locker133]

Hi all. I am a 23 year old male that has had these recurring bumps or boils in the buttocks area and no where else on my body for about a year now. The first outbreak was the worst. After that they weren't as severe but they come in clusters at times and make the areas tender. There hasn't been any discharge and no fluid coming out of them. They're just there and painful. I have had many blood tests, one culture test, and one biopsy test (where they cut off a piece of the bump for testing). But they have always shown negative for herpes. My doctor prescribed Mucpirocin bacterial ointment and it did work for a few months but they came back. Then he prescribed Doxycyline Hylcate pills which are used for staph infections. It got rid of the the bumps for a few months like the Mupirocin, but they came back a week ago. My doctor has said the previous tests may have been false negatives since we may not have caught it early enough. I really don't if it is Herpes or a Staph infection. Can anyone assist?

[feelingundone]

Yes there doesn't need to be an outbreak for antibodies to be present.

[locker133]

What if there is no outbreak? Will antibodies still show up then? If that's the case I will try to go as soon as possible.

[feelingundone]

You can take a blood test at anytime. The test looks for antibodies not the actual virus.

[locker133]

I wish I could take an igg sooner, but its been a week since this current outbreak started so its too late. I'll have to wait for another one to really catch it. I'm seriously stressing out on whether it is or it isn't. And deeply worried if it is.

[feelingundone]

Valtrex is effective so you're right that is a good sign. I agree. Take another type specific igg and that should sort it out.

[locker133]

Also, I am not sure if the blood tests were igg to begin with. I plan to take one the second another outbreak occurs.

[locker133]

Hi, thank you for replying. The dermatologist was the one who did the biopsy and prescribed Mupirocin and Doxcy. But he noted that we may have done it too late when the virus could have been in the healing stage.  I also forgot to note that I was also put on Valtrex (used to treat genital herpes) for a couple of weeks but nothing happened. So that could be a good sign, but still some signs are still pointing to herpes.....

[feelingundone]

I highly doubt the igg blood tests, a lesion culture and a biopsy all missed it and turned up false negatives.... not a chance. I would see a dermatologist as this would most assuredly not be hsv especially when they biopsied one.