Leg pain?

[bigmonkeycar]

Doctor,
About a week ago I had sex with a new partner. Starting 5 days ago, I began experiencing fairly discomforting leg pain. This was in both legs...it started right above the knee and went up my thigh to around my hip. It felt like a pulled muscle or a charley horse...no tingling, no shooting pain, just a bit uncomfortable when walking, which is why I thought it was muscle-related.

Is leg pain of this sort ever a symptom of herpes infection? Again, it's on both legs--I believe you've previously said that pain related to herpes would occur on only one side of the body, not both. It's lasted for 5 days and is still continuing today. I have no other symptoms whatsoever...except perhaps a slight, passing "swollen" feeling in either of my testicles.

So basically: is what I'm describing ever a symptom of herpes, or am I being crazy?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

We get many questions about the association of pain in relationship to possible herpes.  While herpes does occasionally cause pain at the location where outbreaks occur in the absence of lesions, for it to cause pain of the sort you describe is unheard of.  The varicella zoster virus (the member of the herpes virus family that causes chicken pox) can cause nerve pain; it does no only on one side however.  The herpes simplex virus (HSV) that causes cold sores and genital herpes virtually never causes pain of the sort you are describing.  Your pain in not due to herpes.  My guess is that this well could be muscle pain and if a mild over the counter anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen does not take care of it, then you should discuss it with your health care provider.  Hope this helps.  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I have no idea.  Symptoms such as muscle aches do occur during 1rst episodes of herpes but not recurrences.  With recurrences sometimes peole get mild warning symptoms called "prodromes".  Your pain bears no resemblance whatsoever to discomfort experienced by persons with herpes.

Your questions have wandered beyond your original post. No further questions please. EWH

[bigmonkeycar]

Just out of curiosity--why is it then that many HSV1-2 websites list muscle pain, lower back pain, pain in buttocks and so on as "symptoms" of infection or impending outbreak?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No it would not suggest genital herpes.  There is a neuropathy associated with herpes zoster but the occurrence of simiar problems with HSV is vanishingly rare, if it occurs as all (I know of no one who has seen a definite case).

As for herpes zoster, yes this is the same as shingles.  It is caused by a very different herpes virus than herpes simplex virus, the one that causes chicken pox which is called varicella zoster virus.

The questions about zoster related pain are beyond the scope of this site however I can tell you than once the pain has resolved,relapses of pain at the same site are uncommon.  A fair number of people do however get second episodes of herpes zoster (shingles).  For additional information on herpes zoster, I am afraid you will have to find another source.  Good luck.  EWH  

[bigmonkeycar]

Even if the pain was localized on one side of the body--left foot, left thigh, left buttock--it would still not suggest genital herpes? I was previously diagnosed with zoster--is this the same as shingles? If so, even if I no longer am 'suffering' from it, could i have a relapse of the same nerve-related and muscle-related pain I had when I had "shingles" (about a year and a half ago?)