Herpes -- what kind is it? Zoster OR HSV-1/2
Hi,
I developed a rash on my right leg a little below the waist around 10 days back.after a couple of over the counter creams and blisters instead of the rash i visited the doctor today. the moment he saw it came a very blunt reply.. oh! that's herpes. and the cause was said to be the chicken pox virus. that's all the details he had. however on further research on the internet i found out more details on genital herpes than herpes zoster (the one that i supposedly have). It has now got me all worried. He never mentioned the word shingles as most of the articles refer to on the internet.
Now, what concerns me is that
1) My age. I'm just 28. I can accept the immunity factor here as being the cause?
2) Is it possible to make out just from the look of a patch of blisters if its herpes zoster? How can I be so sure the doctor was right. Another doc I spoke to said the look of it can tell if its Herpes Zoster?
3) If its Herpes Zoster how different is it from the STD Herpes. The type HSV1 or HSV2?
4) I have indulged in unprotected oral sex and protected (though protection level is debatable) sex on earlier occasions. What are the chances that it is one of the dreaded type of herpes?
5) If its just herpes zoster (shingles) does that mean I run the risk of transmitting herpes (whatever type) to someone else in any way? sexual OR non-sexual.
6) I've never had chicken-pox. not even as a kid. Can I still have Herpes Zoster?
7) Is it possible that I got infected by recieving oral sex from someone who's had chicken pox in the past?
Would appreciate an early reply.
Have you been to the doctor
Have you been to the doctor to get a diagnosis yet? It seems like you could have shingles. Get to the doctor and get a proper diagnosis. You could do cold packs and some topical ointments to numb the pain. If you're intent on breastfeeding it is true that your options are limited.
I am 25 years old and 14
I am 25 years old and 14 weeks postpartum. The rash starts in a small clump on my upper right thigh, then moves to my hips, then to my sacrum, up my spine, then to my scalp and finally my ribcage. This is the 3rd outbreak I've had in my life and I can't figure out how to treat it. I'm breastfeeding -- so strong western meds are out of the question. I'm itching so badly that I'm ripping my skin at night and making myself bleed. Then the itchy spots turn into a hive-type of thing that feels painful like a nerve ending. Help me! I'm trying to take care of my daughter full time but I just want to scream!! I need some kind of remedy.
Hi there, I am a sufferer of
Hi there,
I am a sufferer of HSV-1 (confirmed by culture in 1988) on my back between my rib cage and sacrum since 1972! I am nearly 55 years old. With the initial outbreak I was so sick, I was hospitalized overnight with a high fever.
In 1996 I began a prophylactic daily regimen of acyclovir with fairly good control unless I am overly stressed or over-exposed to the sun. Even now though, I have days where it seems that I have to fight the urge of just moving from one "laying down spot to the next"....this is my warning that the itch and pain will soon start and I need to up the dosage from prophylactic to "attack" mode. It never fails.... unexplained persistent fatigue, herpes on the horizon.
My doctor also said I was the only one he had ever seen who had HSV-1 there, and was baffled that I never had an outbreak anywhere on my face my entire life. In my case, however, we came up with a possible explanation for this rather rare occurrence. My mother had "cold sores" along her lip margins several times each year throughout my childhood and teenage years. She was actually a hand "rinser" rather than washer when she felt so inclined, which of course greatly increased the chance she was carrying this around, especially under her fingernails from picking at the scabs. Well in the year or two before my initial outbreak in 1972, my other had been particularly fond of "going after" the acne I had on my back and since the area she kept repeatedly picking at on my back was where the focal point of the HSV-1 outbreaks were, we feel fairly certain she infected me with the virus from her lips, carried under her fingernails.
So to those of us who have it...... let's be careful about cleanliness in hopes of not spreading this. STD spread herpes gets all the attention, but it's not the only way to impart a lifetime of misery.
Hope my experience sheds some light for someone else.
Peace.....
Linda
Story of my adult life......
I too just saw this website and am I glad I did. My first outbreak was when I was also 21. We were in Germany at the time, living in the country. I thought I picked up something strange in the airport, cause it hit right after we landed. Anyway, for the rest of my life, every 3 or 4 months I would have a group of painful blisters and ichy rash on my left buttock. I was embarassed to discuss it with anyone or go to a doctor. My husband would notice and always tell me to go to the doctor. I would always feel horrible sick and tired for about 2 days before. Then my leg would start to ache. Then would come the blisters, and they would hurt and sting like the dickens. Very ichy, also. It was always very difficult to restrain myself from iching, I would finally use benedral for the ichying.
Now, I have a outbreak in two new areas. On both legs. I thought it was odd that it would happen on both legs, but the reash and blisters are there. I know exactly what it is. Too busy to go to the doctor about this as I know it will resolve on its own.
I am 53 years old now and this has been going on since I was in my 20's, and getting very tiresome.
I am so glad I read your comment.
Nancy Stell
tristan547@aol.com
Hello judyc
I would get in contact with an infectious disease specialist and see if they will have you come in as soon as you have an outbreak. They will take some fluid from the blisters and send it to a lab to see what type it is. U of Michigan infectious disease clinic diagnosed me with simplex but bot the resident and attending doctors had never seen a case like this. Even the pain specialist, rheumatologist and neurologist that I have seen has never had a patient with HSV where I have it. It's all still quite a mystery and very aggrevating that I am not getting many answers from the doctors. They know that I have neurological symptoms but not nerve damage. I do take valtrex when I break out and it does shorten the duration but the pain is still horrible. When I was taking the valtrex as an everyday suppressive therapy it began to not work so well. I think my body became tolerant to the valtrex. But now, as soon as I start feeling the itchy-prickly-burning sensation, I take it 2X a day. If anyone else has experienced this type of case PLEASE post. Hope this helped judyc.
sounds similar
Hi, I have a patch on my left leg/hamstring area that has been coming out since I was 19. My doctor told me that I probably had chicken pox as a child but it wasn't bad enough for anyone to notice. (as far as I know-I never had chicken pox). Anyway...I would get an outbreak about every 2-3 years. I got pregnant at 39 and had 2 outbreaks during pregnancy and 3 since delivering....the baby is almost a year. I too know when I am going to have an outbreak...my leg gets itchy and hot about a day before a swollen lump appears and then the small pimples. Are there doctors that specialize in treating this?
Lookingforhope! Finally someone who knows what I'm going through
I have just read your post and am sitting here with my jaw dropped. You are going through exactly the hell I have endured for the last 3 years. It started out with what doctors thought was shingles. It first reared it's nasty head when I was 7 weeks pregnant. It started on my back-waistline. At first it was just extremely itchy but then after so many months of having it every other 2 weeks I started getting alot of pain in my lower back. The doctors and I thought it was just aches and pains of my joints and ligaments being stretched form pregnancy. The frequent outbreaks continued and by the time my son was 9 monthes old and I stopped breast feeding, and was still getting outbreak after outbreak, it was then that the doctors raised some eyebrows and began wondering why I was getting the outbreaks. They all kept saying that normally a person gets it once and recurring shingles usually only happen with a comprommised immune system. So off to the Infectious Disease Clinic at the U of Michigan I went. The ended up doing a culture from a blister on my back and were shocked when it came back as herpes simplex and not zoster. By this time the rash kept popping up in new places. My left and right side waistline and left buttocks. The pain becomming overwhelming. They started prescribing pain killers and sent me to a pain clinic. So for the last 2 years I have been feeling just like you lookingforhope. Not one of the many doctors and specialist I have been to has ever seen a case like mine. I've been to rheumatologists, pain clinic, neck and spine specialist and in a few days a neurologist. Not only is the pain where my breakouts are horrible, but for the last 1 1/2 years I have horrible pain in my fingers, hands and forearms everyday and when I have a breakout on my back the pain is tripled with pain in my neck. The rheumatologist I just saw thinks that the virus have messed with my nervous system because all of the blood test that he has done is coming back fine. But I will definately post after I hear what this neurologist has to say. Godd luck to everyone!
maybe you can help
I am hoping that you still visit this website as your message was so long ago. I have never done this forum thing before, nor anything like it but I need hope. Like you, I get the shingles often: approximately once a month for 2 1/2 years. It comes out on my lower back / upper buttock (right side) and once on the top of my right foot. I have been on Valtrex everyday - 3 grams a day - and it doesn't prevent the outbreaks. My pain just keeps getting worse. I take Lyrica which is great in between outbreaks, but not nearly enough during them. I also become very ill with flu-like symptoms some of the time. What's weird and no doctor can explain is that by fingers become horribly painful right before an outbreak. In the beginning that would subside, but not anymore. I have been tested for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. and all are negative. The Rheumatologist is convinced it had to do with the shingles, but the Infectious Disease MD has never heard of that. I can not find any info anywhere about any of the herpes viruses affecting the fingers. It is supposed to be rare to get the shingles repeatedly, so maybe the only people who would know would be us "rare" individuals. I would like to know how you feel now. Are you still getting the shingles? How have you gotten through life living with such pain? I haven't worked since this started. Well, even without the pain, it's contagious and I worked in a bank. Do you work and if so, how? I feel as though my life has ended and I just exist....in pain and sleeping from the medications. You must be a very strong person. I always was, but this has me beat down. I must be honest, your 23 years depresses me. I was hoping to find a way to stop the outbreaks and the thought of maybe never being able to do that makes me sick to my stomach. No cure, and it's not terminal. I think that is the worst situation possible. I have always been a positive, happy-go-lucky, full of life and energy, fun-loving person. I was like that through 18 surgeries and many women's health issues which were painful. I'm not me anymore and want to be me again. Is there hope?
I can relate
I am a 33 year old female. I am currently experienceing my 4-5 reoccurence with Shingles. I have Systemic Lupus (autoimmune diease) and have for 4 years been treated immunesuppressives (Immuran) and Cortisone. I did have Chickenpox as a child Kindergarten age I think. I always get a small group of blisters in the middle of the back of my left thigh. I ussually notice them when I sit down and think I sat on a tack! The first 2 times I ignored it and it went away in about 2 weeks. Later times I have been treated with antivirals. It ussually is not painful, just annoying, and goes away in a few weeks only to return in a year or two. It is a cycle, my Lupus is well controlled with the immunsuppressives, a few days ago I got a Cold, with a slight fever, Yesterday morning the blisters appeared, I started treatment hours later, and by evening my Lupus became active with a high fever, overall muscle aches, and chest pains (pericarditis). A high dose of Cortisone early to bed and today I am feeling ok! It is possible to get Shingles more than once especially when you have a problem with your immune system. A simple examination of the fluid from a blister under a microscope can answer which HHV I-VI you have. I think this is called a Tzanack smear.
me too
well kinda- I recently had what i thought was ringworm a couple of months ago, but described to my doctor ( it was gone by the time I wnnt) and he said possibly herpes and let him know and come back if it recurs- and it did - this week- its located on my lower back right above my buttocks - I am soooo worried because i have been on the internet and now i realixw it may not be shingles, because appearantly the other herpes (STI) can be located on other body parts as well! I am soooo worried. I had chicken pox at age 21, and it seems that my age group should not be experiencing shingles, so i am going crazy and wondering if it is herpes simplex- is there any way to tell the difference?
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