Hi all -

It has occurred to me in the last couple months that, although I was diagnosed with genital herpes in July, there is actually a pretty good chance I have oral herpes as well. I haven't been really worried about it - if I got it orally as well there isn't much I can do about it!!

Lately, however, I have been feeling that burning/tingly feeling in both my upper and lower lips. I know this is a sign, but I'm not sure if I'm getting psycosomatic symptoms from the idea I may have it, or if it's real - seeing as I've never developed anything else. Until the last couple days.

I don't have a cold sore, or any indications outside my mouth. However, on the inside of my mouth, as high up my upper gum as you can get - (I can hardly lift my upper lip that high to see it) I have one tiny little dot. It's actually on that piece of skin that connects your lip to your gum, right where you're septum would be if it carried down. You can hardly see it. It's not painful, just irritating. If I press my lip in that location from the outside, it feels more like the area is bruised.

This isn't something that can be swabbed - it barely exists. As I said it's more bruise-like than anything. It is better today, which would make it last a total of about 3 days. Blood test also won't work, as we already know I have genital herpes, and even that blood work isn't positive yet.

So, anyone out there with oral herpes - I'll ask the classic, unanswerable question. :) Does this sound like herpes?? Or more likely I'm just being paranoid about it??

Also, I have to ask. When I'm replying to posts, how do I get the options to bold, italic etc?? There are so many times I'd like to, and I can't!! When I create a new thread like this one, the options come up - but not when I reply?? Someone help this internet illiterate!!

Sounds more like a canker sore. I read cold sores tend to be on fleshy areas and canker sores on the gums. But the tingling may mean something.

Frankly the psycosomatic stuff drives me crazy...every little itch...if finally got to a point where I said if I don't see a lesion, it is not herpes....I couldn't be getting it that often.

When I hit reply, there are icons just over the box for bold, italics, underline, fonts, etc. Check your personal options to make sure you have standard editor.

Hope that helps.:)

I know it's not a canker sore...

Not much I can do anyway - if it is, it is. If it's not - so much the better!!

I know what you mean about every single little itch or whatever. I still think I'm getting another outbreak all the time!! I'm hoping that's what these tingles and such are.

Personal Options?? Forgive me - I'm good working with computer programs and such, but when it comes to internet or settings and whatever, I'm hopeless. Are these personal options part of healthboards, or part of my computer settings?? I feel so dumb!! :) The wierd thing is, when I START a new thread, the icons all come up - it's just when I answer that I can't access them.

Ha!! Surprise - I actually found that standard editor thing. It is set correctly, so I don't know what my problem is. Sucks.

OK - I'm a moron. Just figured it out. Whenever I reply to a msg I just hit quick reply at the bottom of the message. Turns out, if you hit post reply at the top, all my options come up!! :)

You'd think that at age 34 and working on a computer all day I'd be a bit more saavy about this kind of thing, wouldn't you?? Ah well, SUCCESS!!

Catherine: I'm in the same boat as you. For me nothing on the lips or outside of face. I have burning in my throat like a strep infection with white spots on uvula and back of throat. I have had a head cold the past 2 weeks. But I still keep looking at it as "IT". Waiting for the cold part to clear up and see if the white lesions/spots go away with the cold. Went to the dentist for a cleaning yesterday and they said all my tissues look good (did not tell the dentist about "it") which just makes me feel like an idiot and a pyscho. As I have said in my other posting, most of the sex with my partner has been oral. And even though all the research seems to say HSV-2 orally is rare, as we see here on the board, it seems to be not so rare. My partner has not gone to get tested yet :mad: and the added stress of 'is he or isn't he' seems to set off my symptoms. I'm scared that if he is ok, and we do something, then he will not be ok. But if we both have it then it's a different situation.
So I really hope that those confirmed with oral HSV-2 will post here or in that prior thread that was running awhile back. I wish there was a place on the internet that posted 'real' pictures of what this virus looks like on different people. The pictures posted are so extreme that anyone looking at them would say "Hell no, I don't have that!" and think they are safe and continue to spread this insidious virus.
Also, would an infectious disease doctor be the one to go to to really talk about treatments etc? The few I've tried to find in my area seems to specialize in HIV and there is no mention of HSV. Is HSV in that specialized field?
Ugh. I hate this. It feels like EVERY *&^@#($* moment of my life since Oct. 2 has been spent thinking about this. Sometimes, I think I'm losing my mind!

This was a good thread for a Sat.afternoon goof off break.. Ok, my dear Catharine. Do not fret over your odd gum owie. (I vote its a canker sore too)

So glad you found the fun buttons to play with. Its quite entertaining and perhaps some entertainment will take your mind off your weird gum/lip thang!

Enjoy your weekend to its fullest Missy.

I shall do the same.

ps. how does it feel to be on the other side of the fence asking the big question that you known nobody can answer? :D Oh and hey, if hurts when you touch it--Dont touch it.

It's such a pleasure to be able to provide such a sporting diversion for everyone!! :)

Don't touch it, right. Like when you have a canker sore or whatever and your tongue keeps going to touch it - Don't touch it, but you do it anyway!! I actually know that it's NOT a canker sore - I've had those before and this isn't anything like that.

But if it is herpes, I'm not too concerned. If this is/was the worst I'd get for oral herpes, it's really nothing. It irritated me for a few days, and today it's tapered off to almost nothing. If the symptoms never get worse, I'll never know for sure, and that's OK. I'm sure as I get less paranoid about having herpes to begin with, the psycosomatic symptoms will also recede. If that's what this is, then I'll be cured!!

As for asking the question that everyone else asks - too right. But at least I'm not asking for a diagnoses on the internet, and I know my facts first!! Not to mention that I also KNOW that you can't answer the question for sure!! :) Oh well, who am I to complain, right??

Glad to provide your entertainment California.

Seeking Truth - why don't you go get those sores swabbed, and then you'll know for sure if it's herpes or not. At least you have visible sores that CAN be swabbed!! Do it before it's too late!!

Your gona make the end of your tongue sore if you keep playin with your owie. Please take all my mother henning as "mother henning".

I wish there was a way we could exchange emails address-s. Oh well. Life goes on in the big city.

Ok girl, now that you found your buttons I wana see ya use them.

Fine, be that way!!


wish we could x-change addresses too!!
Tongue already has a little sore from probing too much!!

Happy days, girl!

Ok, still learning how some of this works, but you get the idea. Maybe my settings are still off, because the font's etc. all come out in code, instead of showing up as I write. I'll work on it for ya!

I'm not even gona say "I told ya so"on the tongue thang.

If I could blow you a raspberry over the internet, I would!! :)

Later