Javajnkie

Hi,
About 8 months ago, at the ripe old age of 34, I experienced my very first oral herpes ob. I wasn't even sure what it was--it started as what seemed like canker sores, then the sores moved out to my lips. The inside of my mouth was raw, and the outside blisters were atypical (that is, they didn't start as tiny blisters--they literally were just extensions of the interior sores). From there, the outbreak progressed as normal--with the sores inside healing up and the sores on my lips weeping and then crusting over. I went to the doctor because I wasn't sure what was wrong, and was diagnosed (visually) as having HSP I.

Since then, I've had them like clockwork whenever stress hits (I'm a graduate student--this means I've been having outbreaks like clockwork every six weeks). They've been really bad, and not getting better with time. I have flu-like symptoms, feel physically ill, then get outrageous tingling and burning on my lips followed by MASSIVE swelling of the lips. After two days of swelling, the sores follow. While the first few times the sores were in the same spots on the lips (and on the inside of my lips), they've begun to multiply and now I get them on my lips, on the borders of my lips and on the 'cracks' on the corners of mouth.

After my last bad outbreak, I switched from Denavir to oral Valtrex. Saturday was my first time using the valtrex. Saturday I had a sudden intense tingle, took a valtrex, and watched my lips swell to the size of Texas. I broke out the Abreve as well. The swelling is all but gone and it's beginning to look like I'll have no external sores. However, the INSIDE of my mouth is raw! Combined with the sores in my oral cavity, I now have what appears to be cracks all over my tongue, and it burns when I eat or talk.

At this point, I'm beginnign to wonder if what I have is really herpes. I wouldn't have any idea where I picked it up (since my first outbreak was so late in life), although I'm not too concerned about that. I know I could have picked it up from even one of my children, who could be carriers although asymptomatic. My concern isn't where I picked it up. But the pattern of sores inside the mouth along with a cracked and burning tongue suggests something else. The external sores, while they look and act just like herpes, pop up in the same place but also seem to come up in random places (the cracks on the edges, for example). My question to you all:
does anyone else have sores inside the mouth cavity? And does anyone else with oral herpes suffer from a cracked tongue (without sores) during an outbreak?

I suppose I'll make an appointment with my GP, but in the mean time, I was hoping for some feedback. I've been a silent lurker for a while now, and have appreciated the information I've gleaned from this board.

Thanks!