[Question #1951] Herpes Scare W/ Nerves In Legs
94 months ago
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Hello,
I am a 27yr old male that is HSV1 IGG 2.29 and HSV2 Neg. as of 12/16. I
believe that HSV1 is oral but I can never remember having a cold sore (mom and
grandma got them though) and I have never had an outbreak on my genitals.
I recently went on a bachelor party and received oral sex from a
girl my age and fingered her. If we had sex (don't believe we did) it was
for seconds because I came too realization and got myself out of that
situation. I have extreme guilt and anxiety because I have a girlfr I like very
much.
Day 3-4 after encounter I noticed I had a slight itch in my
entire pubic region above my penis but I had just trimmed the night before.
Day 5-6 I had a backache and felt tired which I correlated to herpes
because I'd already looked up all the symptoms. Day 9 I notice sometime in the
morning that I can feel my groin lymph nodes and they are just slightly tender. By the end of the day I have noticeable tingling in the front of
both of my thighs. Day 10 I go to see my PCP to tell him and he says my groin
lymph nodes are noticeable but are nothing to worry about. He gives me a
prescription of .25mg of xanax for anxiety. Lymph nodes no longer feel tender
BUT the tingle in both of my legs intensifies to the point where I can’t ignore
it. I take my first xanax that night and the tingle goes away. Day 11 I
felt fairly normal but took 1 xanax in morning and one at night. Day 12 I
try to go without xanax but by 10am I notice my left leg feeling numb while
driving so I take a xanax and feel normal until evening time when both thighs
begin to tingle intensely so I take another. I also notice a bit of pins
and needles on the bottom of my foot behind my toes and my butt felt noticeable
for about an hour.
Everything seems to point to herpes except no sores, blisters or
legions. Is it normal to have prodrome
for so long during an initial outbreak (nerves in legs)? Is the Xanax just
covering up my nerve symptoms or do you think it is in my head?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
94 months ago
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I'm sorry you are worried about your situation but the good news is other than tingling, there is nothing at all here that I think has anything to do with herpes. The other good news is that since you already have HSV 1 infection (per your positive IgG test), it is extremely unlikely that you would acquire HSV 1 in a new location. The risk from receiving oral sex is HSV 1, not HSV 2. So many many people experience what they describe as tingling and they never turn out to have genital herpes.
I do think the anxiety medicine likely helps because you are very worried and are noticing every sensation and the the medicine helps settle your mind a bit.
So I don't think your situation presented a risk of new infection and I don't think your symptoms are herpetic at all.
Please let me know what other questions you might have
Terri
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94 months ago
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
94 months ago
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And it is difficult to sort out the issues of post herpetic neuralgia from other issues that people with herpes have - not everything that happens in the lower half of the bodies of people with herpes IS herpes or is CAUSED by herpes. We actually could use some good research on this topic that includes imaging to rule out things like nerve compression from a bulging disc or narrowed spinal column.
And we need to go back to the issue of the nature of your exposure - what exactly is it that you think you have - HSV 2? HSV 1 genitally even though you have it orally???
Terri
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94 months ago
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94 months ago
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
94 months ago
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Terri
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