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Hsv reinfection
I've experienced cold sores for the majority of my life. Recently I've been exposed to genital hsv1 because the girl didn't tell me she was having an active outbreak. I'm wondering if this would constitute as a new primary infection?
I'm now experiencing hsv ear lesions as well, everything has been confirmed as hsv1. I'm curious how I'm now experiencing hsv in my ear if I've had a long standing infection and what type of precautions I need to take going forward?
I'm now experiencing hsv ear lesions as well, everything has been confirmed as hsv1. I'm curious how I'm now experiencing hsv in my ear if I've had a long standing infection and what type of precautions I need to take going forward?
Following up with more results. CBC reveals the following.
Rdw 14.7 high
Eosinophil at 15.2 high
All 3 doctors say nothing looks like eczema, but was just diagnosed with a super infection, (bacterial, and hsv infection) which is common with eczema herpeticum. A high rdw and eosinophil is commonly associated with eczema. So I'm going gluten free for now and eliminating as many allergens as possible.
My question is can a severe allergy to something cause a immunocompromised explaining the dissemination?
I'm starting by eliminating gluten and smoking but is there anything else that I should eliminate?.
And what are your thoughts on it being eczema herpeticum?
Rdw 14.7 high
Eosinophil at 15.2 high
All 3 doctors say nothing looks like eczema, but was just diagnosed with a super infection, (bacterial, and hsv infection) which is common with eczema herpeticum. A high rdw and eosinophil is commonly associated with eczema. So I'm going gluten free for now and eliminating as many allergens as possible.
My question is can a severe allergy to something cause a immunocompromised explaining the dissemination?
I'm starting by eliminating gluten and smoking but is there anything else that I should eliminate?.
And what are your thoughts on it being eczema herpeticum?
He also recommended lyrica for the pain of the rash, I believe that's more for shingles but they both don't think it is, he mentioned it can help with the pain though?
To follow up. Dermatologist and Infectious disease specialist both says it seems to be a dessiminated infection clearing up. They ran further swab tests to confirm. Neck, ear, back of head.
On top of that after a month of zovirax and valtrex it hasn't cleared up so the ids recommended going off the medication since I may have built a resistance and are testing me for immunocompetence, hiv and liver damage.
I asked me doctor if anything looked like eczema and he said no, but ran a platelets test to see. So I guess we can rule out eczema herpeticum.
My questions are, can anything else be compromising my immune system that I can get checked? Cancer or something?
The only abnormality was a low vitamin d level that I've been taking daily tablets to help that.
How likely is a dessiminated infection likely to recur in these locations?
On top of that after a month of zovirax and valtrex it hasn't cleared up so the ids recommended going off the medication since I may have built a resistance and are testing me for immunocompetence, hiv and liver damage.
I asked me doctor if anything looked like eczema and he said no, but ran a platelets test to see. So I guess we can rule out eczema herpeticum.
My questions are, can anything else be compromising my immune system that I can get checked? Cancer or something?
The only abnormality was a low vitamin d level that I've been taking daily tablets to help that.
How likely is a dessiminated infection likely to recur in these locations?
they tend not to reoccur very often there but they can.
shingles wouldn't occur this often.
certainly continue to follow up with your providers for any symptoms you have should they reoccur.
shingles wouldn't occur this often.
certainly continue to follow up with your providers for any symptoms you have should they reoccur.
If the hsv traveled along the nerve path and is now causing ear outbreaks, is this likely to be a persistent infection or a one time thing or no one really knows type thing?
Should I stop the daily suppressive medication because it may be shingles even though it's recurred multiple times?
My dermatologist put me on suppressive medication for about 6 months worth of pills to limit the recurrence..
Should I stop the daily suppressive medication because it may be shingles even though it's recurred multiple times?
My dermatologist put me on suppressive medication for about 6 months worth of pills to limit the recurrence..
Because the neck rash has recurred 3 or so times the dermatologist suggests it's more likely hsv compared to shingles. But your right, not much I can do unless there's a rash or blister to swab.
He recommended suppressive therapy daily to limit the recurrences. Do you think I should stray from daily suppressive medication so he can swab the recurrence, hopefully there won't be one but just in case?
If rather be safe than sorry and my understanding is that hsv ear/neck infections can be more dangerous than a shingles infection?
He recommended suppressive therapy daily to limit the recurrences. Do you think I should stray from daily suppressive medication so he can swab the recurrence, hopefully there won't be one but just in case?
If rather be safe than sorry and my understanding is that hsv ear/neck infections can be more dangerous than a shingles infection?
it's unfortunate that they didn't also culture your neck rash to confirm. It's not unusual for other infections to trigger shedding of hsv1.
is it likely that you had a massive hsv1 recurrence in all these places? no it is not. Indeed your oral hsv1 infection can travel along the nerve to cause lesions in the ear but also traveling down and causing lesions on the neck at the same time would've been very unusual. I think your provider erred on the side of caution and gave you the shingles dose of acyclovir just in case you do have shingles. suppressive therapy with acyclovir is just 400mg twice a day. no real benefit to the 800mg twice a day dose. actually no good reason for suppressive therapy either to be honest.
so what do you do at this point? well not a lot you can do since your window of opportunity for cultures of the neck is gone. It will take time to heal completely. Should you get a return of symptoms, be seen promptly for further evaluation.
should you suspect some sort of immunocompromise? not really at this point.
is it likely that you had a massive hsv1 recurrence in all these places? no it is not. Indeed your oral hsv1 infection can travel along the nerve to cause lesions in the ear but also traveling down and causing lesions on the neck at the same time would've been very unusual. I think your provider erred on the side of caution and gave you the shingles dose of acyclovir just in case you do have shingles. suppressive therapy with acyclovir is just 400mg twice a day. no real benefit to the 800mg twice a day dose. actually no good reason for suppressive therapy either to be honest.
so what do you do at this point? well not a lot you can do since your window of opportunity for cultures of the neck is gone. It will take time to heal completely. Should you get a return of symptoms, be seen promptly for further evaluation.
should you suspect some sort of immunocompromise? not really at this point.
As to why this is persistent? Anything else rah may be compromising my immune system?
So I was prescribed over the recommended dose at 800mg 5 times a day and then suppressive of 800mg twice daily for until it goes away for a while. Even at that high dosage it's still there and that's I was wondering if I might be immunocompromised as it's still there.
I tested negative for hiv, but I'm getting tested again and getting my livers tested as well to make sure I'm not immunocompromised.
I have an appt next week and another a couple weeks after to test. Any recommendations on questions I can ask my doctor a
I tested negative for hiv, but I'm getting tested again and getting my livers tested as well to make sure I'm not immunocompromised.
I have an appt next week and another a couple weeks after to test. Any recommendations on questions I can ask my doctor a
Yes thats acyclovior and the recommened for recurrent is 400mg 3 times a day for 7-10 days or 800 mg 3 times a day for 10 days.
Maybe see your doc about why its not clearing up.
Maybe see your doc about why its not clearing up.
Zovirax. I took 3 rounds of valtrex at 1gram 3 times daily for 10 days each time the rash occurred this year. Now I'm on zovirax as I have no insurance and it's much cheaper. So zovirax 800mg 5 times daily for 10 days and 800 mg twice daily after.
The lesion in my ear definitely tested positive for hsv. After 10 days of 800mg 5 times a day taken at 4hour 48 minute intervals and then 800 mg twice a day ever since, the lesion is still present. That was exactly 15 days ago, shouldn't it have already gone away unless my immune system was compromised? This is also the 4th recurrence this year, this one just happens to be the longest.
My knowledge of compromised immune would be in the nature of contracting herpes in the first place not have recurrent outbreaks. You might want to start out with some antivirals if your infact having these outbreaks as would aide in preventing outbreaks and aid in healing. If they dont respond, like your neck rash, would be evidence that they are not herpes.
Just the inner ear but the dermatologist said that the symptoms associated and after looking at the pictures of progression and the visible rash looked exactly like herpes and was not shingles.
I guess without a swab it's impossible to tell but doctors are telling me it's most likely associated with hsv. Would this happen with a compromised immune system? Meaning hiv or liver disease or something else?
I guess without a swab it's impossible to tell but doctors are telling me it's most likely associated with hsv. Would this happen with a compromised immune system? Meaning hiv or liver disease or something else?
Dermatologist looked at it and the rash was present at the same time the ear herpes were determined. Swab test confirmed hsv positive.
If the cold sores were herpes in the past and now it's occurring on the neck, may this be a sign of immunocompromised? Say if I had liver disease?
Tested negative for hiv so we can rule that out. But I've read things like liver disease can cause immune system issues.
Tested negative for hiv so we can rule that out. But I've read things like liver disease can cause immune system issues.
What might explain this is that your cold sores were not herpes outbreaks and that your area of breakout is your ear area. Yes, when a person contracts herpes, it travels to the base of the spine in the neck area and can appear anywhere above the breats. You did not reinfect and it does not spread in that sence. It choose a nerve to come up through and its not known why this occurs.
You can touch your child as you dont have herpes in the hand ganglion. Thats called herpes whitlow and is very rare. Just avoid the child coming into contact with ear sores or other areas it breaks out.
Taking antivirals will reduce your outbreaks and shedding fairly close to zero so dont be overly concerned about passing it to your child.
You can touch your child as you dont have herpes in the hand ganglion. Thats called herpes whitlow and is very rare. Just avoid the child coming into contact with ear sores or other areas it breaks out.
Taking antivirals will reduce your outbreaks and shedding fairly close to zero so dont be overly concerned about passing it to your child.
So is it possible the reinfection happened from the ganglion nerves spreading if I've had a long term infection. Or is his more likely to be autoinnoculation from a recently acquired ghsv infection. I believe this to have spread during asymptomatic symptoms?
I do have a young one who I'm afraid to touch because I don't want to infect them you know? It's rough having a newborn you can't touch because you don't want to infect them.
I do have a young one who I'm afraid to touch because I don't want to infect them you know? It's rough having a newborn you can't touch because you don't want to infect them.
Oh, to answer your question, when you have any new sores, just be careful around young children as they are at most risk for contacting as their immune systems are not yet strong. And avoid open sore rubbing lip contact with your acquaintces.
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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.
