Herpes Doctor

btw i am itching all over my body AND it is winter AND my skin is dry. So the real question here is can i get herpes from myself?

Hi,

No, you can't give your self Herpes, don't worry. I'm sure all people with cold sores would have Genital Herpes as well, if that was the case ;)

You should get your cold sore diagnosed, though. If you don't want to go to the doctor, you can go to the pharmacy and get some antiviral cream without a prescription. If it works, it's a cold sore.

Read more in our Oral Herpes FAQ.

Kind regards,

iv

Is it 100% sure that you cannot give yourself herpes?

I have the cold sore virus, and I tend to touch/scratch my lip a lot when I get an outbreak.
Recently, I've had a problem with my penis that requires me to apply some cream to them 3 times a week. I'd been applying my cream a number of nights while and after I had a coldsore (after it had ended) and one day my penis was very sore. The next day or couple of days, reddish things that looked just like herpes developed on the end of my penis. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to check it out, but its impossible that I got it from any one else. My current (and only ever) girlfriend is (well, was) a virgin, and I haven't cheated at all, and she is currently away so I haven't had sex with her or anyone in about 7 months (I understand it's possible I could still have gotten it from her if she actually had it, but lets just rule that possibility out for this conversation)
Firstly, I don't know if what I have is herpes, but I don't know what else it possibly could be unless its some reaction from my medication (I doubt this... the sores are not occuring in the area of application of my cream, and they greatly resemble cold sores) The sores went away, but then recurred about 5-6 days later (after I'd started using the cream again, so it's possible that that's what it is, but again... doubtful)

Anyway, if oral herpes can be spread to the genitals through oral sex, then why couldn't oral herpes be spread to one's own genitals through some saliva or contact?

I'm really just freaking out and looking for some confirmation.. Any comments at all are appreciated. Thank you.

--Matt

YES YOU CAN SPREAD HERPES FROM ONE AREA OF YOUR BODY TO ANOTHER!

Think about it: if someone can give you genetil herpes from thier oral lesion, why can't you give it to yourself same way? If you are having a breakout on your mouth, scratch your lip, and then touch your eye, you can get it in your eye (same as if you use saliva to lubricate a contact lense and put it in your eye). If you share your soda while you are having a breakout on your mouth, that person can catch it.

Herpes is a virus, you can spread a genetil leasion from your genetils to your anus if you have a broken hemmeroid when you wipe (been there, that is how I know).

If you are breaking out on either end, wash your hands after touching the sore, if you pick at it, wash your hand after every pick, or keep your hands occupied (break the habit basically). Don't use spit as a lubricant if your mouth is broken out, do not "taste" yourself if you are breaking out down south (genetil).

If you have broken skin that just REALLY ups your chances of spreading it to wear the skin was broken. Besides wich, lubricants, vaseline, even lotion last longer than spit so you can masterbate better.
Mommy to be

Yes you can pass it north to south on yourself. Try to relax till you get a for sure diagnosis.

Warning: you can also pass it to your eyes, nose and anus. Try to keep your hands clean.

Your girlfriend should be understanding about your getting it down south if she knows you get them on your mouth also. Plus it is a bit of a lesson in how easy this virus clings from one nerve ending to a new one. Also, don't trust condoms if it does turn out to be genetil herpes. Treat the southern breakout same as the oral: you don't kiss when you have an oral, don't put your penis in any of her orafices if you are having a genital breakout. They all take about the same time to clear up (actually, I think my genetil ones clear up faster, but I don't try every ointment I can find when no one can see the sore anyways).
Mommy to be

Wow! That is truly amazing!!

Some of you people with your "think about it", I have to ask; Have you thought about it?!? Seriously. If what you were saying were true, people would have herpes all over them! Way to make people paranoid and more depressed about something they already have by making it worse than it already is! Do some freaking educating yourselves first before running around spouting off that nonsense.

No! You can NOT spread herpes to yourself. WHY? Well, do you know how they test for herpes? By the presence of antibodies! That's right! The body creates antibodies that ensure the virus ISN'T going to run amock and uncontrolled. They ensure that your bodies won't get infected at new locations but they can't really do anything about where you were infected when you first got the virus before the antibodies were made. The virus is already nested at nerve endings where they are safe from the antibodies. So they're effectively more about damage control.

So from what I gather, if you got just one spot to begin with then that's what will be there and no more. But if someone got it spread all over them, then they'll have them all over them where they got it initially. Get it? That's why some people have "herpes mouth" while others get a cold sore here or there.

And at the same time I'm guessing (an educated guess) that if you have HSV1 then obviously you can get HSV2 still since they do have different antibodies (and why they can tell which one you have through testing).

So to summarize: NO, these people don't know what they're talking about. The body creates antibodies and immunity to new infections AFTER initial infection has taken hold. The only reason the antibodies can't do anything about the initial infection is due to the virus sheltering itself at nerve endings where the antibodies can't reach them. This is why people who have herpes don't get overtaken by herpes sores all over their bodies. Think about it.

And btw, don't scratch your freaking lip. That's nasty and possibly dangerous to others.

Also, try apple cider vinegar on your sores to stop them before they take hold or to make them go away. Just wet a q-tip or cotton ball and put it on the sore for a few minutes. I've just heard about it and just tried it (my first outbreak... in one spot). Anyways, all the pain is gone. And I heard it makes it last a few days max. Hey, it's worth a try! Nothing to lose really :D

I am proof you can. If you read about herpes whitlow it is usually from being spread from oral or genital herpes. Other rare is say dental hygenist, which is not near as common now with the use of glove. I remember accidently touching a sore putting in a tampon and I had dry cracked hands, it is possible.

AHHH!!
Whoever said you can't get it genitally from spreading it from mouth to gentials is an idiot!

Sorry! But that's just not the case!! It's VERY easy to spread herpes from one part of your body to another. Mouth to eyes. Mouth to nose. Mouth to genitials... Genitals to eyes, genitals to mouth, gentials to nose.

And tingling and itching can be a sign.

Its very possible, but also still a chance that you didn't give it to yourself genitally.

Be more careful.

I HAVE SPREAD GH FROM MY GENITALS TO MY MOUTH WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD IT.

So don't you dare tell me you can't spread it to yourself...
That's just not true.