IgM Positive

[ted7377]

I had protected sex on October 9 of 2009.  I recently got an IgM test done about 3 months later and it came back positive.  I told my doctor that this test was pointless and they referred me to an infections disease clinic because I told them about the IgG test and how it was type specific.  They admitted this is not precisely their area so that's why.  Since I get cold sores (HSV1), this SHOULD come back positive right?  I remember having a series of cold sores around the time of my test as well.  I have had ZERO outbreaks since the time of the protected sex, I'm just paranoid.  Is there really nothing to worry about if my IgM test is positive?  

When people say "Dormant" is that just a way of saying "it goes unrecognized as herpes"?  Is it true that just about everyone has initial symptoms within a month of contracting this virus?  

[gracefromHHP]

Here's the problem with constantly monitoring yourself - the more you look the more you find plus the more you obsess with your genital area, the more anxious about it you become. Put everything away, do a brief once over in the shower every morning and that's it.  Get the igg blood test if you haven't had it yet so you can put this whole issue to rest. You can just get tested for hsv2 since you know you have hsv1. See if anyone near you offers the biokit hsv2 test - you'll get results in 20 minutes.

grace

[Mistakeguy789]

I think you have some valid questions and have been kind of pointed where to go to get the information.

The most important thing here is that the testing is pretty accurate when it comes to HSV-2 and the timeline between your encounter and testing.  October 9, 2009 means that you have had 18 Weeks and 3 days (as of today). The suggested time frame for a herpes test to show conculsive is 12-16 weeks.  Which you have beat by 2 weeks and 3 days.  I think what you need to do is stop trying to talk yourself into having something and start getting a test to prove that you have or don't have HSV-2.  

[ted7377]

Any thoughts Grace?

Thanks
Ted

[ted7377]

The reason I am asking these series of questions is because I know the date when my possible exposure happened.  Since every source says that the first year of contraction has the most viral activity, I figured that if i monitor myself and am conscience of potential symptoms, I have the highest chances of spotting something.  I can see how it would be extremely difficult to console/educate someone about visible symptoms if they claim they were exposed almost a decade ago!  I agree that people can have ZERO symptoms after years of having hsv 2, I have gathered that everyone has initial symptoms.  Is my reasoning reasonable? haha

Thanks Grace
Ted

[gracefromHHP]

you should be receiving my bill in the mail shortly ....he he he

grace

[ted7377]

Sounds about right and reasonable.  Thank you for patience in answering me!

Ted

[gracefromHHP]

the majority of folks have symptoms when infected just most folks either don't notice them or attribute them to something else.

grace

[ted7377]

Grace,

Does EVERYONE have an initial outbreak?  I can agree that some people might not have symptoms, but do they have initial outbreaks?  If not everyone, what percentage have initial outbreaks?

Thanks
Ted

[gracefromHHP]

I don't anticipate a cure any time soon.

for more info on herpes, check out the herpes info at www.ashastd.org.

grace

[ted7377]

Also, when do you think we'll have a cure?

Ted

[ted7377]

What are some of the mild symptoms?  If its not the painful blisters, what could be an outbreak then?  Would it be just a single painful blister or a crusted area that's mildly painful?

Thanks
Ted

[gracefromHHP]

One study done on folks who tested + for hsv2 on blood tests but didn't think that they had every had symptoms, showed that with proper education, 80% of them were able to start recognizing the signs of herpes recurrences.

so it's not that most folks aren't having symptoms, it's that they are looking for obvious and painful blisters and most folks don't have those.

grace

[ted7377]

Does the majority of people who have genital HSV2 get symptoms/outbreaks?  My thinking is that the reason that people say "they have it but never have symptoms" is because they don't think they have herpes because they don't know anything about herpes and have never asked their doctor.  So my question is: do all people that have genital hsv2 have the blisters and ulcers that are typical of herpes?

Thank you Grace!

[ted7377]

Grace,

Is there any relationship between getting coldsores and having a genital HSV2 outbreak?  There wouldn't be some kind of trend in the amount of anitbodies in your system would there?
Thanks
Ted

[gracefromHHP]

yes it is true. the info comes from the NHANES studies  done by the US government every few years where they literally take a  RV into varied neighborhoods all over the US and get volunteers to sample all sorts of things on and answer all sorts of questionnaires.  

grace

[ted7377]

http://www.cdc.gov/STD/Trends2000/herpes-close.htm

This is what i was referencing.

[ted7377]

I've been looking around websites and found that African Americans make up the majority of people infected with HSV2.  Is this true?  The cdc.gov website has statistics that say that 55% of infections are in Blacks, I am wondering how true this is.  What do you think Grace?

THanks

[gracefromHHP]

the herpeselect is 98% accurate in detecting hsv2 if you've waited a few months.

Honestly I've never understood why some folks can't let go of the idea of herpes. I know if I tested negative for it after the proper amount of time, I'd be dancing in the streets.  

If you never followed up with the igg testing, do it just for peace of mind. make a pact with yourself that after you do the igg test, you'll put the whole issue of herpes to bed and stop obsessing about it. If that doesn't work, definitely it's time for a professional to work through whatever underlying issues are interfering with being able to move on.

grace

[ted7377]

Its nearly 4 months after my encounter.  I met with an Infectious Disease MD and he said I was fine.  He said that if I had no painful skin lesions from the time of the encounter to now then I am free of HSV2.  He told me to relax and recommended that I see a shrink because no matter how many people tell me I'm clean I can't believe them for some reason.  (I think it's the guilt)  He also told me that blood testing for herpes is an inaccurate way of telling if someone has herpes, is this true?  He said that the culture is the most accurate way of finding out.  I have had no blister outbreaks or any other symptoms.  I do get some pain now and then in my pelvic region but that is mostly because of stress and my diet and probably not related to HSV2.  What are your thoughts Grace?
Thank
Ted

[gracefromHHP]

no, the igm test shouldn't be coming back positive on you at all at this point. The igm should've disappeared if you had contracted hsv back in october. You evidently already know that the igm is falsely + way too often to make it a worthwhile test to have done and your provider erred in ordering it for you.

If you had a negative hsv2 igg then it's time to move past this. The odds of contract hsv2 from a one time protected encounter are too low to even make it worth testing for from this encounter to be honest.  Periodic testing for hsv2 to keep an eye on your status I recommend, testing after just 1 encounter isn't really worthwhile. make sense?

grace