Question:
i was recently diagnosed with genital hsv1. having gone through all of the initial desperation, self-hatred and misery, i'm feeling more positive about things. it's only a bloody cold-sore, i keep telling myself. and, fortunately, given that i have hsv1 my outbreaks are likely to be less severe...

in fact, it's not really even the physical symptoms of the outbreaks that bother me, it's purely the stigma that i've attached to it in my own head. i find that in between outbreaks i'm able to completely forget about it, but every sign of genital discomfort or itching, i'm completely paranoid, grabbing the mirror and a torch, bulk buying zovirax and confining myself to bed. this all seems completely crazy when i consider how fortunate i am not to experience massive pain with my recurrences. but i really think that it's the IDEA of this thing constantly looming in the background that bothers me, rather than the thing itself.

so what i really wanted to know (and i realise that you must all be completely bored sick of answering the same old questions), is:

will i *really* just know? having been diagnosed about a month ago, i've now been convinced on two separate occasions that i'm definitely having an outbreak. in fact, since my diagnosis, there have only been about three days when i haven't thought i've been suffering from one. i know that this is possibly the case, but it seems unlikely, especially as i have HSV1.

also: is there any indication that the frequency of outbreaks just following contraction/diagnosis will reflect the frequency of outbreaks for the rest of my life? i'm just a little confused that, given that i'm supposed to have the less-frequently-recurring one, i seem to have had pretty constant awareness of symptoms since contraction. i know that you can't trust statistics and each case is individual and could behave any which way. this just seems really odd.

i suppose what i'm really hoping you'll say is that one of you was diagnosed with genital hsv1, had a couple of recurrences in the first months but hasn't now had one for 982375984757842365 years! it just seems a little less possible with each day that passes that i'll ever be one of those people that, say, only has once-yearly outbreaks. wouldn't that be heaven?

Answer:
but i really think that it's the IDEA of this thing constantly looming in the background that bothers me, rather than the thing itself. No question about it... For me, the physical symptoms are COMPLETELY NOT a big deal... Outbreaks don't bother me... they don't make me uncomfortable... I mean I feel it, and I know its there... but... getting past the mental part was the hardest thing... funny thing is that it seems like once I got past the mental part, I got less outbreaks too..

also: is there any indication that the frequency of outbreaks just following contraction/diagnosis will reflect the frequency of outbreaks for the rest of my life? i'm just a little confused that When I first got it, I was 'hoping' that I'd be one of the ones that had the initial outbreak, and never had another one... Then I got another one right away, and I was like FUUUUck.... But it truly did get way better... I get maybe 1 or 2 a year... I've had it for 8 years, and have probably gone a year without an outbreak before too... BUT the times I do get an outbreak, I can almost always difectly relate it to some stress (like a sunburn, or the flu, or a REALLY bad emotionally stressful week or something)

So anyway... to answer your question... At first I got a lot, but then my body adjusted, and got good at beating down the virus/keeping it down...

Now I rarely get outbreaks... And it is controlable... (ie, stay healthy, and relaxed... get less outbreaks)

I think when you calm down a bit about it... ie, when you get an outbreak and you are like... "ummm an outbreak... ok...." and you just go on with your day... then you'll have less stress...

Being only a month 'into' having hsv... I would not be concerned that you are going to be a frequent outbreaker... You just don't know...

I would say that just be healthy... excercise, eat right, get lots of sleep... you shouldn't have any problems...

Answer:
Hi

I can help with this one, I think. I believe I have HSV-1 genitally. I had one good outbreak 4 years ago (which consisted of one REALLY uncomfortable one, then another milder, kind of blended into one). Then nothing for four years! I only recently had another and I still don't know if that's what it was for sure. It was nothing like the first. I didn't go on suppression or anything, just let my body duke it out.

I have read that if you have HSV-1 genitally, since it's not in its place of preference, it is not nearly as aggressive as HSV-2 would be genitally or HSV-1 potentially is orally. Not to say that this will be your experience, just passing on experience & what I've read.

Most importantly, like nik said, relax and take good care of yourself. Stress has a major impact on ob's. Also you might reach for the Lysine if you start to feel like you're about to have an ob. People report good results with that - sometimes better than with prescription drugs. Take care.

Answer:
the thing is, people say to just get lots of rest etc etc etc... but surely half of it is about being happy? i'm sure i've read somewhere that if you're unhappy that triggers it. so i'm loathe to give up going out and getting pissed up all night and end up getting really lonely and depressed. i'm a student so my life is kind of about going out and not sleeping enough and having loads of fun. i do look after myself - i do an hour's walking every day, eat right and take multi vitamins and i've started taking lysine and echinacea too. but i think that going too over the top on looking after myself would completely stress me out and make things worse, rather than better.

i'd be interested to hear anyone else's experience with genital hsv-1. are most of the genital sufferers here hsv-2s?