Question:
Ok, so I went to the gyno last week Tuesday and I told her my symptoms and she took a look. She told me that I have herpes and gave me acyclovir. I'm still waiting for my test results and going absolutely crazy, so thought I'd post and see if anyone had any similar issues.

It all happened when I was in the middle of having sex a little over a week ago. Dead set in the middle of it. Has that happened to anyone?? I thought that I was just sore because I was drunk and couldn't really get fully lubricated. The next morning, I went to the bathroom (I was still sore) and noticed that I had a lot of brown discharge. And it smelled FOUL. So far, I haven't read anything on this forum about people having foul smelling brown discharge. It didn't get better, so that's when I went to the clinic and she told me that I have herpes. At first, she wasn't going to do a culture test because she said it would hurt me too badly and I was like, what? Why? Just do it...and basically had to force her to. It hurt like hell, but I'm glad that I got it done.

It's been less than a week and I don't know if it's the acyclovir or time, but I feel loads better. I can actually walk without pain. But now my eye feels odd. I called the clinic back and she told me that it's probably just my imagination, but everyday I wake up it feels the same. It's not red, itching or burning. It just feels "heavy." I guess that would be the best way to describe it.

Also, I've never had any blistering or sores as far as I can tell. As soon as I felt the burning feeling, I looked myself with a mirror. It was red...like raw red just on one small part of the vulva. But this happened while I was having sex. Although I can walk now, the redness is still there over a week later. I asked every sex partner that I've been with in the past 5 months and all of them claim to be clean. Of course people lie, but for some odd reason, I do believe them. None of them were complete strangers or anything.

Is this herpes or is it not? I can't stand the anxiety. I think it is, but sometimes I have doubts because I can't find anyone like me. Has anyone else had these symptoms/lack of blistering?

Answer:
Everybody has different symptoms and obs. I had three pimples my first ob, and my second, just last week, was just one lesion, red and raw, no blister(s).

nygirl16 quote: "I asked every sex partner that I've been with in the past 5 months and all of them claim to be clean. Of course people lie, but for some odd reason, I do believe them. None of them were complete strangers or anything." Did you know that 1-5 people have herpes and never even know it. Even though your partners were not "strangers" does not mean that they are clean or honest. Even though you cannot force them to get tested, and it could be that more than one of them would test positive, you may never know where you contracted herpes from.

Have you had blood work done? Swab tests?

Answer:
I know that people may have it and not know. I very well may have had it and not known for quite some time, but the troubling thing is that those who I have contacted say that they have been tested. I asked if they were directly tested for herpes and all of them said yes. One even said that he's been tested twice. Once when he was in another state and once after getting to New York about a month ago.

I got a swab test. I'm going absolutely nuts. I called the clinic and they said that I would have gotten a call, or something in the mail if it came back positive, but it's only been a week, so they said to call back Wednesday if I still don't hear anything.

If I do have it, I'm still going nuts because I want to know what kind I have. This whole thing has been so draining on me not only physically, but mentally. The nurse that I saw (I went to some odd walk in clinic) kind of seemed like an idiot and I don't know if she'll even answer my questions properly. Not only did I have to force her to give me the test in the first place, but she said that I'd feel better by morning with the acyclovir. I want to know if I'll have to take suppressives or not. Even if it does come back negative, I want a blood test too, although I've been reading on here that I should wait another 12 weeks for that. If it does come back negative, should I still ask for suppressive medications? Or should I wait to see if I have another outbreak? I'm so confused.

Answer:
It sounds odd that you say it happened right in the middle of sex. I don't have H, but I've never read anything like that. Maybe it was an allergic reaction to something???

If the doctor tells you something is just your imagination, it's time to find a new doctor. Also a lot of doctors seem to not understand herpes (from what I've read).

A lot of people are probably under the impression that they've been tested for herpes when they really weren't. They think they are getting a complete screening, but that only includes test for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and perhaps a visual screening for herpes outbreak and warts. So if you ask someone if they've been tested, get them to actually show you the report which states the name of the blood test they had.

You can get a blood test before 3-4 months, but if it's negative you will still need one later to be sure. It may be positive before 3-4 months.

Answer:
Hi - I had the same symptoms you did but the day after. Very dry feeling and sore. Was strange. I worked with this guy for over 3 years and trusted him and BAM! We were drunk too and of course he denies it. I trust no one. I also had no blisters. Just that awful sunburn, raw feeling for over 2 months. I was misdiagnosed for 3 months and treated for other things which I'm sure made it worse thus prolonging the healing process. I'm just coming to grips with it now since I was infected at the end of March. Sucks but I'll be ok and you will too. Email me if you want to chat :)

Answer:
Did you have the brown discharge as well? Sorry if I'm being so graphic...I'm just trying to figure out if I might have herpes plus another STD. The nurse wouldn't test me for anything else and I'm scared that I might have two things going on...

Answer:
WHAT? She wouldn't test you for other stuff? Once you suspect one STD, geez, it seems pretty reasonable to want to make sure you are clean for all the others (I sure asked for everything)! Your doc or nurse is sounding less and less competent... first you have to practically force her to give you a culture (which, yes it hurts, but if a culture turns up positive not only do you know what you have but you know exactly where - it is extremely definitive).

A foul smelling discharge can be something else other than herpes... if you presented with that they should have done a culture for bacterial vaginosis, which often accompanies a new sex partner and it also seems to accompany STDs (prolly cause things get all out of balance). Doing that culture should really be standard if they suspect things are wrong with your parts. Since it's foul smelling it doesn't seem a lot like yeast, which tends to smell more like a bakery on your parts.

The brown color I am not sure about... it could also even be hormones slightly off... that can happen from time to time... but the bad smell isn't normal no matter what. That area may have stronger odors but it should never be foul unless you abstain from bathing! Here's a TMI part: with my OB, I did have a discharge but it wasn't brown... first it was watery, then maybe yellowish, then reddish (I guess from bleeding ulers inside), then kinda greenish as it was oozing as it was healing - the gyno said it was like the oozing from scabs, except it can't really scab over inside. However, everyone seems to be pretty different with this so it's hard to say what is up with you.

I'm also going to second NeedToKnow's comments about testing... Herpes is not included in most STD screens unless people really have progressive, up-to-the-moment docs, so people think they are STD free but it really means they are free of everything else other than the herp.

BTW, the eye thing can be stress...