Question:
Background: When I was 18 I was camping and came down with what I thought was the flu. Fever, feeling very tired, and what looked like vaginal sores. I went to my gyn and she did a culture, but it came back negative. I never had any other symptoms after that. I had 2 children, so a lot of hormonal changes. I stress a lot-most of which is my own doing. I just worry too much. Anyway....

Fast Forward to age 30. Dec/06 I went to the doctor for an eye infection-antibiotics cleared it up. My dr. ran a herpes 1 and 2 blood test at my request after she asked me if I had ever tested positive for Herpes. I was so tired of not knowing. Both of those came back Negative.

Jan/07 I thought i had a yeast infection. I did the Monistat treatment and I thought I had cleared it up. I douched for the first time ever afterwards.

It wasn't long after that Feb/07 I started my menstral cycle and near the end I noticed a couple small sore cracks near the opening. the next day I was itchy, painful, sore, swollen. I could hardly walk. I got in with my GYN and he tested me for Ghonorea, Syphilus, Herpes, Trich and I think the other was Bacterial Vaginosa. While waiting for the tests to come back, I had discharge that was so nasty-there was a lot of it and it had an odor. I got the call on the tests and they all came back negative. He put me on Metrazole (sp?) and that seemed to take a while to kick in, but I think it helped a little, but my itchying and soreness was still there. So he put me on Acyclovir just in case - because my labia looked very red and raw. I am not suprised, I itched like crazy! I have been on it for 2 days now, and haven't noticed any change.

So I am so confused-I have never had any other issues other than these 2 episodes 12 years apart, along with negative herpes blood tests and cultures. Does anyone one have any clue if Blood tests can be wrong? I know Herpes cultures are hard to diagnose. I am just so tired of dealing with this-

thank you so much in advance for any info.

Answer:
ALSO: My husband of 10 years has never had symptoms or any problems at all. I am confident that neither of us have ventured outside of our marriage.

Answer:
its prob herpes, someone here has mentioned it before, about having test after test and all coming back neg, but its obvious that that person was having outbreaks. they had menionted something about unspecified types of herpes.
i havent been able to find anything about it though- i suggest you just keep taking test, and take them at diffrent places -diffrent labs if u can.
if all else fails> a spinal tap will pick it up

Answer:
also, have your husband get a current blood test because he may be carrying it never knowing....also, sometimes it can be a tricky virus and antibodies might not show up for years, but you can still be carrying it. keep getting periodical testing and abstain from sex when you have these symptoms.......your case sounds like a few others Ive heard of but they definitely have herpes and years later finally it could be confirmed.


Also, remember that NO ONE had to cheat ever.......it can lie dormant for years and years......even 30+ years

Answer:
I m a family med doc for over 12 years, former army doc (year in Korea where I saw hundreds of cases)I dont have SPECIFIC data on false negative HSV IgG tests (blood tests) but in my experience it would be VERY rare, near impossible, to have that many false negative tests. I dont believe your condition to be Herpes. HOWEVER, keep going to the Gynecologist especially during flare ups.
Doc

Answer:
Thank you for the replies.

Vita_min_md-I was thinking the same thing that I have had SO many negatives. I didn't know this, but apparently during my paps they were running herpes tests on me because of that one episode when I was 18. So every year for 11 years I have tested negative.

Its been over 10 days now, and soreness isn't there as much-Still taking the acyclovir although I don't think its doing anything for me. Still a slight odor, still feels like I have the remnance of a yeast infection. I still have a little of the itchiness.

Its so strange....

Answer:
its weird you say they have been testing you for herpes via papsmear all these years.....that doesnt seem that reliable, especially if during your paps you happened to not have any symptoms, therefore, no virus would be present in the pap. swab....just seems kind of strange. Id stick to herpes specific blood tests unless you get some kind of symptoms anytime that could be swabbed and cultured. I get crack like feelings around my anus and a rash that is very itchy in a different location, usually at the same time....those are outbreaks for me. I have this strange feeling that people can carry the virus and pass it on randomly but not have antibodies detected in their blood sometimes because for me I feel like I may have had herpes and never known prior to actually having an outbreak and having antibodies detected in my blood.....the reason I think so is because years ago i can remember having a similar crack like cut feeling around my anus but I just amounted it to being irritated. I received a blood test a little while after that and was negative,.......never recall any other symptoms ever and a year and a half ago when I had what I thought would have been my second yeast infection in my life, my doc. said to give me a blood test just to be sure they didnt rule anything else (even though visually she was not sure it could even be herpes) and antibodies showed up and she said the level indicated a recent exposure but I wonder if sometimes it takes the body to have a large reaction/symptoms in order for the bodies immune response to identify the virus as an invader and then attempt to produce antibodies that will then finally show up in our blood. I really just wonder because it would explain a lot of cases where people carry it for years, never know it, pass it on to a partner and only then do they themselves get an outbreak and then the antibodies finally show up. Just my idea......always wonder about it....it hasnt been researched enough so it might be the case in some situations......the virus and peoples bodies react in strange ways so I am not ruling it out.......only time and science can find out.....wish people would research that one theory ....oh well :) sorry I rambled on....just an idea I think of sometimes.

Answer:
So its been 14 days tomorrow since the worst of the symptoms started. Today I woke up with those cracks again on each side of the vaginal opening. I am on acyclovir-and have been for almost a week faithfully. So, my question is this how likely is it that this is yet another out break when I am on acyclovir and "typically" the duration of this out break would be over?

Boxofrain-maybe your theory is right. I don't know...I certainly wish they would figure it out.