[Question #2246] Any possible std -symptoms

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98 months ago
Dear Dr. Hook/Handsfield, To start with I have been in touch with RN Warren through this forum and I already have three posts in regards to herpes. Please refer to the posts for the symptoms I had been experiencing before. Apart from what I have already mentioned in my prior posts my concern now is my burning, tingling feet. It has been 7 weeks since my exposure. As mentioned in my earlier posts I had feverish feelings lasted few weeks , headaches lasted few weeks, now for the past two weeks I am having a burning feet sensations. At about five weeks after exposure, all of a sudden one day the back of my left things started to burn. Next day it wasn't there but had a left low back pain and would hurt when I bend left or forward. Next day it was gone. But since then I have been having burning sensations especially on my foot. It usually used to get worst during afternoon at work with my shoes on but now I have it all day long. It's only on my left foot. It hurts a little when I walk and specially is noticeable when I take hot shower. It feels like a nerve pain in my feet accompanied by burning sensation and tinglings. I also feel tinglings and icy burning sensation on my things and sometime shin. However the burning sensation in feet is non stop. What am I scared of is it's only in left leg specially on left foot. Sometimes I feel uneasy on my right foot too but that might be just from overthinking. But the pain in my left foot is for real. I had a HSV 2 IGG test done at 6 weeks 2 days mark and it came negative. I have HSV 1 for years. Questions: Now I am questioning about other std's. Till to this date I was as assuming it was herpes related which cannot be ruled out I guess. 2. I want to chalk it up to anxiety but makes me very worried when I have been getting this burns persistently. 3. Can it be a symptom of any stds in absence of any physical typical symptoms such as sore throat, sores, lymph node swellings, discharges? 4. If I were to assume my symptoms were from
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98 months ago
My account was updated few minutes ago but I don't see the response. The reply didn't came through. Please don't count this as my second message. Thank you. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
98 months ago
Welcome back to our Forum.  Please be patient in waiting for a response- as I worked on your response and went back and read your earlier interactions with Ms. Warren several times.  This takes time.  Further, our site is not staffed 24/7 wo while most persons receive relies within a few hours of their question, responses are not provided in real time.  It saddens me that you continue to be concerned about STIs from the very low risk encounter that you have described. I agree with all that Ms. Warren said and would go further.  None of the symptoms that you have described suggest an STI of any sort (including herpes) originating from the exposure you described. 

2-4.  While persons can acquire STIs without symptoms, your risk for infection is miniscule and not a concern.  The tinglings and burning sensations you describe could well be the result of genitally focused anxiety in which looking for possible symptoms leads to noticing normal sensations which have not been noticed (i.e. "edited out") in the past.  Alternatively, there are a number of other medical conditions which can cause such symptoms(lumbar spine disc disease, certain vitamin deficiencies) but non of these cause symptoms which come and go or move from side to side in the manner you describe. 

I do not see any mention of testing for other STIs in your earlier posts. I also see no reason for STI testing related to the exposure you have described however, if you think it would give you peace of mind, then you could test for other STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV) but in my opinion, that is the only reason for testing, not because there is meaningful risk that you were infected.  Results would ber definitive at this time.

My advice is for you to accept that you were not infected by your misstep.  Be glad of this and move on.  I see no reason for continued concern. I see not reason for you to hesitate to have unprotected sex with another partner.

I hope this comment is helpful to you. EWH
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98 months ago
Dr Hook, Thank you so much for your response. Even thought I was waiting for your response I was not trying to be impatient. I just say it was updated few minutes back and didn't see the response so I thought it was a glitch in the system. Doc, to be honest with you I am not really worried about any other stds. I did check for all of them at a week mark which is worthless anyway. All other stds are treatable and that eases my mind. HIV - in my mind it's impossible due to the nature of my exposure. I had condom on throughout but now I question the use of it as I was drunk. ( again these are afterthoughts , thinking about it too much) Anyways I am very concerned about HSV 2. I am trying to forget about it. But this burning feet especially ( and all over the legs sensation ) is not letting me. I am recently having some pain in my left buttocks as well. ( but it's not bothering ) I did had back problems but this seems different. My back does not bother me as much as my feet does.  I thought it might be my back but then I only have bothering pain in my feet. If it's not herpes can it be anxiety doc. I really cannot relate anxiety with feet pain and burn. I guess I am going in circles. How confident can I be with my HSV 2 test at 6.2 weeks doc? Should I go for another one at 3 months mark. Also let's say it was all herpes symptoms I would think it would not last 7 weeks ( last two weeks of burning sensation ) without outbreak, would it doc? Does herpes cause this type of nerve pain and burning in feet. My burning in feet is always there, sometimes on top of feet and sometimes sides , bottom , back and some sensation on shins, thighs and buttocks left sided all of them. Doc please give me one more chance to respond to this reply as I had to waste one beacause of the confusion. Hopefully you are ok with that. I am trying to forget about it but living with this constant burn is killing me and making me more stressed and anxious. Doc can xanax cause these sensations? I have been in it for a month now 0.5 mg as I was thinking if it constantly. The only time I handle well is when I have xanax at night. It might be anxiety but it too coincidental. Thanks for all your help. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
98 months ago
I cannot tell you strongly enough that there is NOTHING in your history that makes me worry that you acquired HSV from the exposure you have described.  Rather, my sense is that something- guilt perhaps, has gotten hold of you and it is feeding on itself.  You are adding up 2 =2 and getting 10.  Your anxiety is feeding on itself and you need to figure out how to stop it! 

The nerves that supply your feet start in your back- that is the reason I raised this issue of back problems.

The pain you describe is not something we see in patients with genital herpes.

I'm not denying your pain but I am telling you that there is NOTHING to suggest that it is due to HSV! 

Xanax does not typically cause these sensations but is sometimes used to try to treat it in an effort to get folks to RELAX.  This is not coincidental- it is cause and effect:  cause + guilt, effect = genitally focused anxiety and hypersensitivity to normal or unrelated sensations.  EWH
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98 months ago
Dr Hook, First of all thank you so much for letting me comment one more time. Since I am a CPA your cause=effect really makes sense to me:) After you made those comments, I have sort of started to believe that maybe I don't have HSV 2 and anxiety is playing a big role here. While I still have the burns over my feet I want to believe its anxiety or something else. I do have a backache too but this time it's on my right side. Similar to one I had one my left side few weeks back. I can only feel it when I bent over. I used to have backaches and I did go for physical therapy for it few months back. If I was not thinking of HSV 2 I would probably ignore it. Also after two weeks my headache has returned. I have it over my left eye. I had it for weeks, it stopped for a while( may be two weeks ) and it's back again. So I have headache, backaches, burns and pinching nerves kind of pain over my buttocks that makes me nervous over HSV 2. I do understand it might be from so many things or even stress but just wanted to share with you. You as well as RN Warren has told be several times now that it doesn't like sound like the symptoms of herpes (HSV 2 ). These opinions from experts like you and RN Warren is valuable and I would be stupid to doubt it. Mind does play games doc. You are totally correct about the guilt part. Especially my wife and I am trying to build a life. We are planning to buy a house and I am holding off just because I am thinking too much and want to be safe then sorry. You know what I mean. I would not be so worried if it was only me, but I always play what if scenario on my head. I am always like what if I have HSV 2 and I have to share with my wife about it. I would not be able to show her my face. That adds to unbearable anxiety and makes me think unresonably. More then asking question doc I guess at this point I just wanted to share with you about what's going on with me. One last question, how assured can I be with my 6.2 weeks test in percentage wise? I am the kind of person ( I know me :) I will go for all std screening at 3 months mark and if negative will definitely leave it behind. But since it a long way to go I just wanted to know the test being negative at 6.2 mark. Is it reassuring? This Thursday will be my 2 month mark. Should I go for another test and forget about it or wait till 3 months mark as you know there are chances of false positive too? Please don't get me wrong doc, I get your points but this anxiety is really not helping me. I feel great when I get reassurances and at this point that's all I can do I guess. I made a big mistake and if I will get past it without any consequences , I will be a changed person. This experience has already changed me as a person and it's in a positive way. Thank you so much for your help and providing such a wonderful service. I hope no one has to visit these sites but if someone has to then it's the only place people can count on. I don't know what I would do if this site didn't exist. Have a good day doc and I promise you I will try to be positive. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
98 months ago
As I started to read your most recent response, I felt as though we were making progress as you acknowledged the fact that your anxiety and guilt were amplifying discomforts that you would otherwise overlook ("If I was not thinking of HSV 2 I would probably ignore it.") and would suggest that seeking professional help to address your guilt/anxiety would likely benefit you far, far more than additional testing for ANY STI, including HSV.  I see no reason for additional STI testing and feel that this is a waste of time and money. 

Addressing your 6 week result question, I can tell you that 60-75% of persons with recently acquired HSV will have a positive blood test at 6 weeks.

Thanks for your thanks.  As you know, we provide up to three replies to client questions and this is your third reply.   thus this thread will be closed later today.  In addition, I should point out that the forum does not permit repeated anxiety driven questions by the same users. This will have to be your last one; future new questions on this topic will be deleted without reply and without refund of your posting fee. This policy is based on compassion, not criticism, and is designed to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers; because experience shows that continued answers tends to simply prolong such anxieties, when the real answer normally should be professional counseling; and because such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. I trust you will understand.  Take care.  EWH
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