Help!

[helpnate]

Does this look like genital herpes?

[Galen70]

From what I can see it does look like an ulcer ( broken skin) , but it is solitary . it is difficult to tell what area of your body this is in. If it is in the genital area, there are several possibilities. You should attend a sexual health service for examination and testing.

[helpnate]

Yeah it’s near my ass, it’s just pink no blisters or anything else on the one I. Got tested for everything cept herps. You think it could be that or some like worm infection? I had a sore throat to

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

When you say " tested for everything " what exact tests were done ? Did you have syphilis blood tests done ? if you are in the UK ( or elsewhere for that matter ) you should seek medical advice . And any ulcer should have a herpes test done on it . But remember there are many possible causes.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Yes hiv stphillis ggonnareah chlamydia, all normal... could this happen to if I was itching my butt? Honestly tho I’ve had a sore throat for a while now. The doctor said it’s not worth testing for herpes 2 because herpes 1 causes blisters to and apparently 90 percent of people have it, guess I should still have it looked at tho

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Could I get it just on my butt and no where else? I don’t have any blisters anywhere else. Does a sore throat accompany this to? Doctor said it didn’t look like herpes when I showed them my throat. It’s just white and red and kind of sore in the back, no blisters..

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

The usual test for an ulcer in sexual health clinic would be a direct herpes simplex PCR test from the skin. Yes irritation causing itching could certainly cause a break in the skin. Usually people presenting with genital herpes have it in one genital location. Sometimes rarely they may present with perioral ulcers too. Remember syphilis blood tests can be negative within 4 weeks of exposure. Both herpes simplex type 1 and 2 can cause blisters. Blood tests are usually not useful. What country are you in ?

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I’m in San Francisco ca and getting good medical attention. I’m getting tripped out on the syphillis tho, I have not had any chancre sores show up. It’s mainly just itchy butt. I never had contact on my butt which is confusing, but I guess it can spread there anyhow. Are these “paper cut lesions” typical with herpes? As opposed to the typical fluid filled blisters we associate with herpes?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

the tiny blisters or vesicles are very brief and even in sexual health clinics we see them rarely. What are far more common are ulcers / paper cut breaks in the skin. You can never assume a skin break isn't herpes simplex..unless you do a herpes PCR test which comes back as negative ....

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

And those look like skin breaks in the picture, yeah? Would it more likely be HSV2 rather than HSV2?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

yes that's a fissure. and you cannot tell with the naked eye about whether its HSV 1 or 2. they appear identical. a PCR swab can differentiate.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I was also reading that hsv2 can cause more serious health complications down the road.... is this true?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

no that's not true. The issues with herpes simplex are in general possibilities of recurrences and possibility of transmission. There are some more complex issues for women and childbirth . What you need is a test from the fissure to find out if it is HSV or not.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Got a blood test. Does it contribute to sinus issues and throat problems??? doctor said my throat was red and looked irritated. I’m also very concerned about my sense of smell, as I have read threads on people experiencing sore throat, etc...

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

I'm sorry what blood test ?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

syphilis is less likely in heterosexual men and women but more likely in gay and bisexual men

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Hey proper doc, I did a blood test 4 weeks after exposure and it was negative. Is that enough time for the igG levels to be detected, that’s what my doctor told me... however there’s varying options online. I still have this weird hazy sore throat and nasal problems. Doc gave me flounase. But I still think something is lingering... should I retest? I’m very concerned.... any information helps. Thank you.

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

We do a syphilis IGM level not IGG as a screening test. Or TPPA shows previous exposure. If it has been 4 weeks, then this should be ok - although if someone is at risk ( gay or bisexual man or contact with known syphilis case ) we would suggest rescreening after 3 months. Is the break in the skin still there or gone ?

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

It’s not the syphillis I’m worries about but the herpes. I tested at 4 weeks post and it was fine, I’m just getting some itchiness in my butt on and off and alll I can see is just some redness. I have kind of a sinus and throat issue currently, the doctor told me it could just be allergies, take nasal congestion, etcxc. Then I told him I might need antibiotics, so he prescribed me amoxoycin

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I’m just a little hesitant to take the antibiotics if I don’t know what is actually going on. Can herpes cause a nasal and throat congestion that you know of? Do you think I’m in the window period? Would they of seen something in the tests, like the igG levels increasing??? Really at a stand still here.

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

Ok herpes cant cause the stuffiness. Herpes blood tests are not massively useful since if you had a cold sore age 11 , you will still have antibodies in your blood. If you had a blood test 4 weeks after the skin change and it was negative, I think you can be happy this was not herpes .

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

That’s good to know, so why do you think the back of my throat is kind of patchy, yellowish? With the stuffiness, could this be allergies or some type of sinus infection??? Getting a rapid strep test today. Just not sure if I should take these antibiotics or not. It’s been on going for a month now with some on and off itching in my anus region.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Yeah the doctor today just told me it’s allergies and that I had a cold... and that the “throat cobblestoning” is from post nasal drip... only other thing I have found that causes std throat symptoms would be gonnoreah and chlaymdia. But I tested negative for that 2 and 4 weeks post exposure. Any tips help. Again, I appreciate responses. You’ve given me more info than anyone else at this point. Thanks.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Do you think those HSV1 and 2 igG tests were accurate 4 weeks post exposure?

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I am reading that it can take up to 12-16 weeks to produce antibodies for HSV1 and 2. Is this true? Will my igG show negative at 4 weeks even though I could still be positive?

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

???

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

It depends on the test performed. It appears that HSV antibodies can take up to twelve weeks to appear. So the simple answer to your question is yes the test could be negative in the window period , this is why we usually do a direct PCR test from broken skin.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Yeah I took at igG G test. There’s one on std check that says 95 percent accurate after 4 weeks- “the herpeselect test” which is the same type I took. Just not sure how they can say that when antibodies take longer to produce

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

well 95% of people might produce antibodies by 4 weeks and only 5% can take up to 12 weeks .....

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

is the skin change gone or not ?

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I’m scared I may have gotten some type of respiratory infection from this, I’m loosing my sense of smell and talking to someone else with similar symptoms-knee, joint pain, respiratory issues, etc.... it sounds like it can do a lot more damage than people think

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

This is highly unlikely I have never had a patient who developed these symptoms

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

I also have these like yellow lesions in the back of my throat and no where else. Is that also a symptom?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

Not usually no .

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Hm, can’t HSV1 cause throat symptoms?

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

During a primary episode some people can get a sore throat. But not a month later

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Hey you sure you’ve never heard of blisters in throat? Man I still got these orangish ulcers in back of throat and it looks super choppy back there. I’m taking amoxicillin but it doesn’t seem to be doing much

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

Blisters are fluid filled skin changes - vesicles when talking about HSV. They would last about 1-2 days usually max before turning into ulcers. If they have been present for longer, they are not HSV . An ulcer is a break in the skin surface.

[helpnate in reply to Galen70]

Ok can these lesions in my throat be a symptom of herpes tho- not saying it is actually a “herpes blister”

[Galen70 in reply to helpnate]

if they have been present for longer than 3-5 days, no

[helpnate]

Yeah the skin change is gone, it just itches on and off and I look at it and there’s a red like lesion, but I don’t know if that’s just a tear in the skin from itching