Hi all,

I was just wondering if some of the people here who have had Herpes for a while could kind of describe how the outbreaks you get now compare to the outbreaks you had when you were first infected (during the first year or so). Specifically, do you still get sores each and every time? How often do you feel symptoms/get outbreaks compared to the first year or so? Is the severity of outbreaks as bad as they were in the beginning? Has anyone stopped getting outbreaks completely?

Supposedly, as the years go by, the outbreaks are supposed to be less and less...is this actually true?

Thanks.

I had a couple of things to add:

Do you get the same symptons/prodromes each time you have an outbreak? Are they less severe now? Are the actual outbreaks in the same area now as compared to when you were first infected?

Thanks again.

I have HSV-1 orally (once every year or so) and suspect GH as well. Hard to prove but pretty sure, blood test doesn't say where its located.

If I got the GH type, it would have been nearly a year ago. Never experienced a primary outbreak, although I did have a high fever for a few days, aches pains, all that good stuff. A few months later I felt a minor irritation in my urethra and the rectal area, nothing dramatic. Not alot of activitiy up until a few months ago, and today. Really itchy feeling in the areas i mentioned plus the scrotum area is red and irritated, and my groin lymph nodes feel sore, I am assuming they are lymph nodes. Any single one of these by themselves I would have explained as soemthing else, but when they all occur at the same time it seems like at outbreak of some sort, have been tested for other STD's and only came up positive with HSV 1, but I knew I would because I get cold sores.

Thing is, it seems like the symptoms are more frequent than before, which is weird because I read somewhere that HSV-1 has less recurrences but I have not found that to be the case.

What are your symptoms?

I've had genital h for 14 years, that I know of. I have never gotten sores every time that I feel the tingling; that's as true now as it was the first few years. The first decade or more, I had ob's only once or twice a year; now I get them almost every month, and I've had them back-to-back several times. This is the reason I searched for this board.

My primary ob occurred when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with my 3rd child. It was much more severe and lasted longer than any other except when I reinfected myself at a different site (farther back, toward my anus) eight years ago. I count that as another primary. These primaries started with severe itching and swelling, so that I thought both times that I had a yeast infection, but with no discharge. The sores themselves weren't bigger or anything, but took longer to heal--over 1 1/2 weeks.

Sometimes now I get a tiny pinprick sore, but often a bigger one, most of the time I get a little swelling beforehand, no itching. Sometimes I get the leg ache/tingle stuff, sometimes not. Sometimes I get a little pulsing in the area of my ob's the day before one.

My original ob's were in the upper genital area, always on the right side. When I reinfected myself, it appeared on the other side and farther down. There is some variation in the site of the ob's, like within a 1/2-inch area, but not much.

Hope this helps. Some people do report the ob's becoming less frequent, but many have the same experience I have. I am, however, at a pretty stressful time of life--four kids, 3 of whom are teens (they are, however, about the best teens I've ever known); I'm always busy, it seems; and I was busted last year. Talk about stress!

I've had genital h for 14 years, that I know of. I have never gotten sores every time that I feel the tingling; that's as true now as it was the first few years. The first decade or more, I had ob's only once or twice a year; now I get them almost every month, and I've had them back-to-back several times. This is the reason I searched for this board.

My primary ob occurred when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with my 3rd child. It was much more severe and lasted longer than any other except when I reinfected myself at a different site (farther back, toward my anus) eight years ago. I count that as another primary. These primaries started with severe itching and swelling, so that I thought both times that I had a yeast infection, but with no discharge. The sores themselves weren't bigger or anything, but took longer to heal--over 1 1/2 weeks.

Sometimes now I get a tiny pinprick sore, but often a bigger one, most of the time I get a little swelling beforehand, no itching. Sometimes I get the leg ache/tingle stuff, sometimes not. Sometimes I get a little pulsing in the area of my ob's the day before one.

My original ob's were in the upper genital area, always on the right side. When I reinfected myself, it appeared on the other side and farther down. There is some variation in the site of the ob's, like within a 1/2-inch area, but not much.

Hope this helps. Some people do report the ob's becoming less frequent, but many have the same experience I have. I am, however, at a pretty stressful time of life--four kids, 3 of whom are teens (they are, however, about the best teens I've ever known); I'm always busy, it seems; and I was busted last year. Talk about stress!

BP

I do have a question/comment as I am trying to figure alot of this stuff out. You mention that infection area is typcially the same place everytime, w/ some minor variation. Is this the same for others you have talked to? Reason I ask, I had protected sex (condom), and a straight male, yet my irritations occur within my urethra and anal area (I hate saying that). Those areas would have not been in direct contact with the virus initially. I am assuming that i have hsv1 gh because i tested pos for this,, nothing else. I did get cold sores prior to when i think i may have gotten gh. i do get a throbbing pain in the leg, and sore lymphs, like right now. I guess i am curious to how the virus finds its way to differnet parts of the body

thanks

The first time I got GH it was horrible but after that about half the problem to eventually nothing for about 10 years or so. Then I got a flu shot about 3 weeks ago and had an OB...not bad though (1-2 sores) (I try not to touch). They have, however, stayed around longer. I will never get another flu shot. My secret is plenty of rest. If the dishes are dirty and I'm tired or stressed, I take a nap and say forget the rest. It's worth it to me to stay healthy. Oh yeah, and on this last OB of the decade or whatever...My lymph glands in my neck hurt like He-- and so did my ear and I ran a mild fever but that was all. I hope you will be lucky like me and go less, and I hope I am not back in the game now.

I had a couple of things to add:

Do you get the same symptons/prodromes each time you have an outbreak? Are they less severe now? Are the actual outbreaks in the same area now as compared to when you were first infected?

Thanks again.

I got HSV via an oral to genital transmission in 1985. I can remember painful outbreaks that were about 2 weeks apart for the first few months. During the next few years, they became monthly. During the 1990s, I think the OBs happened no more than once a year. I think I have only had a handful of OBs since 1995--maybe 5 total. There is a definite correlation between taking care of yourself and lower probability of outbreaks. During periods where I was "rundown," an OB normally followed a few days after.

hi i have had h for about 4 yrs now, my first ob was gh it was horrible i wanted to die...i bet i had 30 sores on me. Since then i get an ob about 1 time a month or 2 months, i usually get one sore in one of 2 places always the same places each time. My first sign of an ob is my legs and my butt they get very sore and acky...about a month ago a partner (who does know i have this) performed oral sex on me and then of course kissed me well the next day i broke out with a sore on my face, not on my mouth but on my face itself...it stayed for about a week then another came up right next to it..i didnt think u could get them on your face but i was wrong...so now i dont know if i transfered it to myself thru the oral sex or if maybe he had oral herpes...they never told me which i had when i was tested 4 yrs ago either 1 or 2, they said they consider anything above the waist 1 and below 2 so im still not sure which i have or if i have both or what i have. My ob's arent to severe now genitally they are painful but i take valtrex for 3 days and it clears up, my problem now is the ones on my face i work with the public and its hard having these sores on my face. I am going to the dr next week to see about getting on suppressive therapy to help control the ob's and the shedding of the virus, i hope it helps, i have tried garlic it seems to help also....hope this helps ya some!!!

BP

I do have a question/comment as I am trying to figure alot of this stuff out. You mention that infection area is typcially the same place everytime, w/ some minor variation. Is this the same for others you have talked to? Reason I ask, I had protected sex (condom), and a straight male, yet my irritations occur within my urethra and anal area (I hate saying that). Those areas would have not been in direct contact with the virus initially. I am assuming that i have hsv1 gh because i tested pos for this,, nothing else. I did get cold sores prior to when i think i may have gotten gh. i do get a throbbing pain in the leg, and sore lymphs, like right now. I guess i am curious to how the virus finds its way to differnet parts of the body

thanks

Sorry, buildlynx, I have no ideas. Except that sex is a messy business, and the fluids (which will carry the virus) can certainly get to your anus, which may have been the place most susceptible to infection if you had some irritation there. But who knows? There are definitely things we don't know about this virus, and just because it hasn't been in my experience doesn't mean it can't happen. Sorry.

Hi all,

I was just wondering if some of the people here who have had Herpes for a while could kind of describe how the outbreaks you get now compare to the outbreaks you had when you were first infected (during the first year or so). Specifically, do you still get sores each and every time? How often do you feel symptoms/get outbreaks compared to the first year or so? Is the severity of outbreaks as bad as they were in the beginning? Has anyone stopped getting outbreaks completely?

Supposedly, as the years go by, the outbreaks are supposed to be less and less...is this actually true?

Thanks.


I have had herpes for about 8 or 9 years. The first outbreak was awful. I had a pharmacist tell me about using a hairdryer to dry the area very good everyday or night after bathing and I havent had any sores in about 7 years. I can tell when I am about to have an outbreak and I take baths and use the hairdryer on it. I also wear cotton panties at night.