Question:
I am anxious to tell my whole story and get an opinion from everyday people like yourselves. I am depressed and anxious, worried, and feel that if I have this virus my life and dreams are ruined. I need answers.

I have spent a few years now going to various doctors about problems I am having that seem related to herpes, but it has never been officially diagnosed as such. About 4 years ago, when my (lying) boyfriend and I broke up, I got some pimples on the skin under my pubic hair. It was a bit painful and noticeable, but I blew it off and it never came back (until 3 years later). About 1 year after the original episode, I started having clusters of pimples/ blisters on my left butt cheek. This was painful..not excruciating, but uncomfortable. Then it started coming again every 4 months or so. I went to a Dr. Walk-In and he diagnosed it as shingles. Another two years went by and I got another cluster of pimples on my pubic hair. I went to another Dr. Walk-In to get HSV testing in which it came positive for HSV 2. (Since then the pubic hair cluster hasn't come back.)

I soon made an appointment with my gyno to tell him of the test results and get advice. Upon evaluation, he diagnosed me with Herpes Zoster..again, shingles like the original doctor told me! I was of course happy with this diagnosis and went on with my life. I really had little to no pain or discomfort in these few years, except that the 'shingles' kept coming back.

In September of 2003, I met a guy and we starting getting serious...so I started to do more research about my condition. (He is living in another country now so I have some freedom to do research w/o being sexually active.)
The thing is...I have gone to my gyno 4 times in the last 2 months, one when I was having what I consider an outbreak. Everytime I go he inspects me, says he doesn't see anything and claims it is shingles.
I then went to a dermatologist during an outbreak and he said it was folliculitis and not shingles, further confusing me. (By the way, the outbreaks were never fluid filled to make a swab. It is only on my left butt cheek and it leaves a scar.)

I went to ANOTHER gyno in January to get a second opinion and she also told me it was shingles. Since November I have been on Valtrex suppression therapy for the shingles. I was told not to go off the pills as it might mess up the effectiveness. However, ever since I started taking these pills, I have been in chronic discomfort!...and I never had this discomfort before the pills!!! The discomfort is constant white discharge, burning on the left side of my vagina (left side only- not itching or tingling, just a burning), and a small pain in my ovaries. (Where are lymph nodes in relation to ovaries??) I also am getting other pimples/ red spots in other parts of my body that I never noticed before. For example, I recently had a pimple on my waistline that has lasted 3 weeks, and a white pimple on my throat that lasted 2 weeks, lots of red dots where I shave around the pubic hair.

My doctor did an ultrasound and says I have a sist on my ovary, and also that I have an eroding cervix and that I should go on the pills (for the ovary) and have a procedure for the cervix (to burn the bad tissues). Neither has an explanation for the burning on my left side. THey gave me a gel, but it doesn't work.

The discomfort has lasted for months now. My gyno said if it WAS herpes it wouldn't last this long, esp. with taking the VALTREX.

I want to believe the doctors buy my symptoms persist!! Is it the VALTREX that is making me have these pains...or is it because I am so worried about them that the herpes won't go away! (You know, they say you get it when you are stressed.)
I am moving to be with my boyfriend in 2 weeks and I need to know what my next steps should be...
Can someone please give me some serious advice!

Thank you for this website and to offer a way to get answers.
T.O.

Answer:
Why don't you try to get a blood test?

Western Blot is the best and most accurate.

Answer:
I have had ovarian cysts - they cause discharge (other things can too - including outbreaks and yeast infections) I always have burning when I have discharge - my experience they go hand-in-hand. As for the herpes questions - get the blood test for HSV - I'm not well informed about shingles, but your docs keep telling you that right?

Get those cysts in check - I had to have surgery on one - size of a tomato - not good... the pill does help - good luck!