Hi, 38y/o male. Confirmed previously as oral HSV1. Previous exposure mid-Feb (french kissing/protected oral with CSW), followed by 3 days of sore throat/tonsillitis starting 5 days after encounter (spoke to HHH after this encounter). Separate encounters ending on March 8 with 4 CSWs (extended french kissing and unprotected oral with each CSW), second sore throat confirmed as strep soon after these encounters (spoke to TW and Dr. Hook after these encounters). 3 throat swabs recently came back negative for herpes for second sore throat, although doctors may not have been able to accurately swab the blisters in back of throat. No genital symptoms. Questions:

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Hi Dr. Handsfield, I agree about counseling. Nevertheless, your answers (as well as those of TW and Dr. Hook) are ultimately helpful to me, even though it doesn't seem so. My anxiety has decreased since reading through all your answers. I am also contacting a therapist to talk about this stuff. I just wanted to followup given my most recent negative cultures from 3 throat swabs of the second sore throat. Also, to let you know the 3 recent throat swabs were ONLY "HSV cultures", and NOT PCR. One of 3 cultures was a "DFA culture", the other two just regular cultures. I've never had a PCR culture. I'm assuming the fact these were not PCR cultures doesn't change your opinion about all things breaking the wrong way being impossible. I understand and agree that further paid questions will be deleted. I wasn't sure if another new thread means I'm not allowed to write this question within the existing post, or can't pay for any new questions. If I'm not allowed to write anything further within this paid post, I understand. I appreciate your help.

Culture is fine; it misses a few more infections than PCR does, but still would pick up almost all active HSV infections. I don't know how to interpret "PCR culture" (the terms used together) or "DFA culture". (DFA = direct fluorescent antibody and is yet a different test. It misses more infections than culture or PCR.) In any case, these results further confirm you don't have herpes. PLEASE stop testing any more, any type of test. It's time to let this go and move on with your life. The worst you had was a common cold or garden variety viral pharyngitis, plus mucoceles or something similar.
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Hi Dr.  Handsfield, sorry for the confusion. I had 1 DFA test and 2 regular cultures from 3 throat swabs of the SECOND sore throat (no PCR ever taken). All were negative for herpes. I had these swabs done because there were fluid filled blisters in the back of my throat going down into the esophagus, in addition to the confirmed strep test. I'd never heard of strep causing fluid filled blisters in the back of a person's throat, so it concerned me. 

This doesn't change my opinion that you definitely did not catch oral herpes and something else explains all your symptoms. In additon to mucoceles and standard viral pharyngitis, there are viral infections other than herpes that cause both oral blisters or ulcers and pharyngitis -- especially enteroviruses. Google enterovirus and "hand foot and mouth disease" for more information. It's a benign infection that clears up on its own, with no long term health consequences. I'm only guessing, of course. But what I'm not guessing about is that you do not have herpes.---