Hi Guys,

I am new to herpes. Got it a month ago and still trying to cope. I used a condom and the guy did not have any outbreak at the time.
I was wondering if I got is so easily for having a weak immune system as I keep getting yeast infections all the time. Then I also wonder if I have an immune system because I might have lupus since my mother died of lupus. Just trying to figure all this out.

Thanks, Your postings have been a great comfort. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the chance to share my experience with others who have herpes.

Sorry, I meant: I wonder if I have a weak immune system

Hopeforbetterdays,

Sorry to hear about your story. I can relate to you in regards to trying to believe whether you were given the truth by your lover about herpes. I got this disease from someone I am almost positive knew that he had it. IT hurts to know that someone can deliberately do soemthing to harm you.
Yes, a weakened immune system may make you more susceptible to illnesses. Also, If you had a break in your skin and he was shedding, then that could have added to the risk factor.
I think the best thing for you to do now is read the posts on this board and try to educate yourself. Never think of Herpes as a lifelong battle. Not all people have recurrent OB's. A good positive outlook will reduce stress which adds to OB's.
Another suggestion is you should add Herbal medicine to your diet; Oil of Oregano and Olive Leaf Extract work well for me.
Most of all use this time to vent your anger (sounds like you have some) IT is normal to feel rage and betrayel. I did. Use this board to your benefit, vent all you want, and when your done, we'll help you try to put the pieces back together. Good Luck!


[This message has been edited by Hopeful03 (edited 06-26-2003).]

I also contracted it from my boyfriend the first time we were intimate and we did not have sex. Basically I got it from contact and he insisted that he didn't know he had it. Later, he told me that he had "pieced it together" and had figured out who had given it to him. He said he'd gotten a slight rash after sex with this girl and had gone to the doctor, who'd tested him for lots of stuff and it all came out negative. Now, I believe that he sort of knew but couldn't accept it or handle it. I also believe he might have been symptommatic when we were intimate but didn't know/accept what it was.

I'm not saying this is necessarily your situation, but it is definitely a possibility. Not everyone is like us and willing to tackle it head on. People who have never been diagnosed will (dangerously) lead themselves to believe something that isn't true. I am trying to forgive him for it (because I honestly do believe he would never intentionally harm me), but it's hard.

Also, interestingly enough, my mom has lupus too. I have had such a bad reaction to my GHSV-1 that I often wonder if that might have something to do with it.

I have been taking two immune boosters (in addition to OLE and Lysine) that I believe are helping. You might want to give them a try: Nature's Sunshine Immune Stimulator and Transfer Factor. In a study on their web site(so you can't really know how reliable it is), Transfer Factor boosted Natural Killer (NK) Cell activity by more than double what echinacea does.

Thank you all for your messages of support and advice.
I will try to forgive him and also myself.

When nobody else seems to care (like the health community) we are the only ones trying to do something to find answers to so many questions!


I bought oregano oil today. Wow, that is intense! But it does not last long. I am also taking OLE like many of you suggested (and garlic, pau d'arco, and lysine). I know it is a lot but I am desperate to cure this and especially to see if I can get off the Valtrex (I believe any long-term medicine is not good for our health)

My questions are: Should I stop taking Valtrex or could I take valtrex and all these natural herbs?

Also I was wondering: If the theory that says "some people shed the virus and others don't is right", should I also be shedding the virus all the time if I got the same type of virus he has? Is the shedding dependent of the type of herpes virus or the type of immune system?

Thank you

Thank you Coopsie, I will take a look at the Transfer Factor

My questions are: Should I stop taking Valtrex or could I take valtrex and all these natural herbs?

Also I was wondering: If the theory that says "some people shed the virus and others don't is right", should I also be shedding the virus all the time if I got the same type of virus he has? Is the shedding dependent of the type of herpes virus or the type of immune system?

My understanding from reading and talking with people in the health field is that it's more about the person's own body's reaction to the virus, not about the virus itself. Both strains of HSV tend to be less severe and produce fewer OBs when outside their location of preference (oral for HSV-1 and genital for HSV-2), but this is a general pattern and can vary considerably with the individual. Also, from what I've read, we all probably shed without symptoms; what varies is whether we get the OBs at all or how often we get them.

There are many different factors that can affect a person's OB patterns. I had fairly regular OBs (about 3-5 times a year) in one location (my buttocks) for years and then sudden it went nuts. It spread all through my genital and anal area and I found myself with back-to-back OBs for months, each new OB in a new place. I was under enormous stress at the time and my overall health sucked. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and a couple of years later with diabetes. My system settled down with daily antivirals. I stopped them after a couple of years and was OB-less for a while, then high stress brought them back again. So it can change with changing circumstances.

Anyway, I've never heard of a problem with someone taking both Valtrex (or other antiviral drug) along with alternative remedies or supplements. If you find your OBs getting worse or coming back again, I'd stop the alternatives for a while and see if it helps. Some substances or drugs can stimulate OBs and there's always low-grade allergies to watch out for which might irritate the system. For example, SAMe (a supplement for depression or arthritis) is guaranteed to make me break out.

Good luck! Let us know how you make out.

TheOneInFour