Question:
Well, I knew, as soon as I was sure I didn't have a urinary tract infection what is was. My boyfriend(the only person i have been with) had had a cold sore on his lip and now I had one in a much more personal area. It was so increidbly painful like my nerve endings being set on fire.

i went to my gyn and she did a swab. negative. well, false negative because now i have one single painful bump after 6 mths. she had given me valtrex, btw, just in case.

I just read you can feel like you have flu like symptoms during an outbreak!? I have a horrible sore throat and what I thought was a strange cold of sorts. Should I blame it all on the outbreak?

I used to see the valtrex xcommercials and think "omg, something you have to live with forever???, THAT is just another reason I am keeping all men's paws off of me". look what happened. it really, really sucks but it's not earth-shattering... well, i hope it never make me feel that way. I always prized me self on being so "responsible" and this was like but kick upside the head.

so who else gets this wonferful HSV Flu?? What helps? Will that all subside after it heals?

Answer:
First, I am sorry to hear that you are having an OB. I always get flu symtoms before an OB. I am not sure if the flu brings the OB on or it is from the OB itself. I can always tell when an OB is coming on because I get the sore throat. I actually get a high fever and night sweats which my doctor says is rare. To be honest, I feel so dragged out by the flu symtpoms I don't focus on the OB part as much lol.

I know it is hard getting diagnosed by this, after being careful to avoid STDs your whole life. I am sure there are alot of people here that are in the same boat. It isn't easy living with this, but you will find the support here amazing. These people have gotten me through, and I feel it is because of this group that I have finally accepted having this virus.

You may find, as with me, that OBs bring you down a little but when it's gone it is out of sight/out of mind. That's the best way to deal with it. A healthy lifestyle does wonders for reducing the number of OBs and you can find alot of info on things to do here on this site. All the best

Answer:
Hi Just, welcome to the forum...
it is very common to get flu-like symptoms with the initial outbreak. the good news is, it's usually only in the beginning. however, the virus does come out of dormancy when your immune system is weak... which means when you have a cold, or are fighting some other illness, or even just times of high stress or not taking care of yourself... you can have an outbreak. so at these times it may appear that the virus is causing your cold/flu, but it's probably just taking advantage of the fact that your body is busy fighting the cold and so decides to pop up at the same time. (this is all just for future knowledge) since you have recently had your initial outbreak, these symptoms you're feeling right now probably are the side effects of the virus. don't worry, they'll pass with time, and your meds might help. also don't forget the usual rules when you're sick: drink plenty of water, get enough rest, and a new rule specifically to Herpes... no sex during an outbreak! hope this wasn't too confusing... I kinda rambled on a little there... :roll:

Answer:
oh that's interesting Redford (I just read your post, we must have been posting at the same time) that's kind of a nice um... 'heads up' that an outbreak is on the way.... I don't get flu symptoms, but I do feel really tired and worn down when I get one.
I'd like to second that about the healthy lifestyle, it makes a HUGE difference for me with number of outbreaks.

Answer:
I only got one little bump and it went away, but the flu symptoms are just killing me. I am so dragged down I can't even function. It is an effort to just walk around. Really hard to get out of bed...

I heard that a sore throat might mean that you are getting it orally as well. I am really hoping that I don't, one place is going to be bad enough. I think I have type one, so I am hoping that the stories are true, it isn't that bad. The girl I caught this from told me she hadn't had an OB in 12 years.

Answer:
I was recently been diagnosed with herpes type I a couple of months ago, after also always being careful... I was never sexually active, and my boyfriend didn't have it either (he had cold sores) so you can say that it was a shock - to say the least. I have had a very hard time dealing with it too. At first, I had the same flu/horrible fevers/night sweats, & couldn't sleep for like 2 weeks. On top of that, by the time the health center figured out what I had, the nurse practitioner said she had never seen such a bad outbreak. I started taking Valtrex, it helped a lot, but as soon as I went off, I got a second outbreak. I have now had three outbreaks in the last couple months, and am having a really hard time dealing with this. Like many people, I don't feel comfortable talking to anyone about this, especially my parents. No one knows except the health center & my boy friend. I feel very isolated, especially when I am in excruciating pain, to the point where I lay in the bath tub crying for hours. I have had a lot of problems medically, but NEVER something as painful as this. On top of which, I have IBS, so every time I have bowel movements for like 2 weeks after the outbreak, I lay crying for forever. My boy friend tries to be supportive, but right now it's a long distance relationship, and he really has no idea what it is like. I think that the worst part is that this is forever. I have always been very open with my family and friends, but this is one thing I just can't. I am trying to get in touch with a support group, because I think I really need to talk to people who truly understand my situation & assure me that everything will turn out ok.