Allergic reaction or herpes??? - Herpes Message Board

nolimitholdem · 05-11-2006, 05:00 PM

Ok, im a little confused about the symptoms ive been having, so I thought it would be a good idea to post them here to see what you guys have to say.

A few days ago I starting having the typical symptoms of a yeast infection... the itch, thick white discharge, etc.. last time I had these symptoms I used the monistat 7 day treatment and everything cleared up. This time I bought equate miconazole 7 day treatment because it was a lot cheaper and I figured they would both give the same results. After the first night of using the cream my left labia became somewhat swollen.. I didnt think it was that big of a deal so I continued using the cream the following night. The swelling got worse, and it seemed as if it burned small patches of skin away... the left lymph node in my groin was also swollen. After using equate I now have a small cut under the opening of my vagina, and a 2 small patches of missing skin on the top of my left labia. after the second day I decided to use the cream only vaginally instead of on the outside/ in between the labia… the next day the swelling was almost completely down, that was a huge relief! I thought it was a little odd to have this type of reaction to antifungal cream, so I did a little research online and found that my symptoms are very similar to genital herpes... im just wondering if this has happened to anyone else? If I do have genital herpes, could the antifungal cream have caused an outbreak? i plan on scheduling an appointment sometime next week, and im hoping this is all just paranoia. I called my boyfriend earlier today and told him what was going on, he says his last tests were negative and told me when he had them done. It was a few months before we got together, but I’m still worried. I have had 4 partners all-together, and none of which I had unprotected sex with. I’ve done almost everything possible to prevent stds, but I know it is still possible to get herpes while protected 

Sorry about my rambling! I have a few questions about my symptoms. First, is it typical to have thick white discharge with herpes? I didn’t see that as any of the symptoms online.
Second, is it possible that this was just an allergic reaction to the cream, or was it more likely a herpes outbreak caused by the cream?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

keepsgoin · 05-11-2006, 05:52 PM

Don't panic...it certainly could be a reaction to this product...you said you used the Monistat before so maybe this generic product, even though the active ingredient is most likely the same...it could have some different ingredient than Monistat that you are allergic too. I think a test is a good idea however because many women confuse yeast infections with herpes OBs because the symptoms can be similar. You don't even have to have the lesions to have herpes. Most people just automatically assume herpes sores on the genitals and it's so much more than that or less...ha! Herpes often times gets dismissed as something else...it goes away and is quickly forgotten.

nolimitholdem · 05-11-2006, 11:09 PM

keepsgoin, thanks so much for your response! Much appreciated, and it kind of helped with the worrying, lol.

I came back to post because I just realized something.

I use nair bikini hair remover for my bikini line and areas around that ‘area’ that wouldn’t be affected by the cream. In the spots I can’t reach with nair I use a thin layer of petroleum-jelly as shaving cream, and then I shave the rest off. Afterwards i use another thin layer of petroleum-jelly to sooth any pain or irritation that the shaving has caused… I also had 2 irritated/infected hair follicles (thought it was herpes this time), which isn’t uncommon for me. after sitting up for the 3rd or 4 th night straight it dawned on me. I looked up information on it online and it is highly recommended that Vaseline is not used in those areas, which I should have known… it’s supposed to make you more susceptible to infection and creates a breeding ground for bacteria. the day before after I shaved was the day I started getting yeast-infection symptoms, hmm… it was with a disposable razor that should’ve been tossed a long time ago. I’m still going to book an appointment just to be %100 sure. Better safe than sorry, right?

saragirl · 05-12-2006, 06:36 AM

It sounds like you have a lot of different things going on that could contribute to the symptoms you describe. A blood test is what you need to be sure. Some doctors are very inexperienced with herpes and contribute to the misdiagnosis. So make sure you ask them for a blood test and ask your boyfriend if he was tested for herpes. Most people think when they get a "STD test" that herpes is included but most often it is not. I hope everything will be ok and encourage you to get in to the doctor as soon as you can. Peace