My dermatologist stated I had herpes as I had two blisters on my glands but she couldn’t test them as they had healed, I’m now picking up anti viral tablets to help. My foreskin is always inflamed and sore will the tablets help to ease my soreness of the foreskin ?
Herpes: My dermatologist stated I had... - Sexual Health Mat...
Sexual Health Matters
Herpes
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A direct skin swab may still have picked up herpes simplex, if it was a PCR test. If your foreskin " is always inflamed and sore " then the problem is not herpes simplex as this occurs in episodes.
in addition, if the lesions are crusted over now , theres no point in taking acyclovir. It is only useful in the first 72 hours of an outbreak. Unless she is putting you on day to day acyclovir ( suppressive therapy )
It’s a five day course 3 tablets a day, should I still take them as it says in the instructions it’s to treat and prevent, surely the doctor should know as he inspected me ?
Do what your doctor told you!
Thankyou I will do I still have red marks where the two blisters were but I’m best of taking the tablets I think 🤔
Thanks for reply my foreskin is red and inflamed and sore as it catches on clothes I wear too, I’ve had a salt bath today how many tines should I do this in a week just thinking it might help do you have any other suggestions that may help me ?
I am sorry I don’t know the answer to that.
The dosage you have been prescribed is a treatment course of acyclovir , for a primary episode. Like I said, if the lesions are crusted over , the benefit of the medicine is gone, and only of benefit if new blisters or ulcers are appearing . However acyclovir is a very safe medicine, it wont hurt to take it .
The differential for an acute, new rash with ulcers on the penis is syphilis. This is diagnosed with a blood test , I doubt the GP has tested for this.
For a herpes related rash, salt water bathing ( to keep bacterial infections away ) is helpful, pain relied like ibuprofen or paracetamol . amd sometimes topical anaesthetics given in a clinic setting.
I don't know if you are in the UK, but if so, I think a sexual health clinic assessment might be appropriate.
also the five day course of acyclovir does not prevent future episodes from happening. herpes.org.uk/
Are there other tablets to take apart from the ones I’ve been given ie future episodes what do I do then get theses tablets again if I get blisters again
Ethan I am still concerned this is not herpes and another issue. Are you in the UK ? if so I would attend a sexual health unit.
If you have tablets left in your box, then you take them again if blisters or ulcers appear. The dose should be 400mgs three times a day for three days for recurrences .
Thankyou I have got a home testing kit so I’m doing that now but I’ll have to test myself again as syphillis can take 12 weeks since intercourse to show in your system, I’ve ordered a herpes test kit from a private company too as my clinic doesn’t test for herpes but other places do it’s crazy
usually syphilis would show at 4 weeks, but 12 weeks would be 200% sure . If your contact is heterosexual , its unlikely to be syphilis unless in an endemic area. Herpes tests - do you mean blood or a pcr skin swab. Blood testing has a lot of pitfalls and is often not useful. You still haven't said what country you are in .
I’m in the uk and women as sexual partners
So your risk of being exposed via heterosexual contact to syphilis in the UK is very small. If the private test you are ordering is blood based/fingerprick , how are you going to interpret the results if it shows positive for hsv -1 , like a significant proportion of the UK population ? It doesn't necessarily mean your genital symptoms are due to HSV at all. My advice to you is to find your local sexual health service, ask them what their current COVID opening hours/procedures are, and visit them.
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