herpes on nipples?

[devastated]

Is it possible to contract herepes on the nipples, and if so, what type is it ususally, 1 or 2? Does this mean that everytime I have an outbreak, it will come back to the nipples also?

[TheOneInFour]

I'm so sorry to hear that this could be happening to you. We had someone else on this board back in September who had this, so yes I'm afraid it can happen. She never said what type it was, but I suspect the most likely type would be HSV-1, which is most often found in the mouth area and therefore could be transferred there during foreplay. Most of the population has HSV-1 (a.k.a. "cold sores) in the mouth area, usually contracted during childhood from kissing relatives and friends.

I'm sorry to say that yes, you can probably expect to get recurring outbreaks on your nipple, and possibly nearby areas. The woman back in September said it had spread to her armpit, which is probably in the same part of the nervous system as the nipple. Herpes tends to stay in the same nervous sub-system unless transferred to another location via new skin-to-skin contact.

You might try an antiviral cream; for instance, Abreeva which is available over the counter in the US. There are prescription creams available too, although not usually as effective as the drugs. There are also alternative remedies that you can find in a search on the Internet.

But you should first find out for sure if what you have is herpes. Get a doctor to do a swab test on an outbreak within 24 hours of getting it. A type-specific blood test would show what type(s) you have, and if you just recently contracted it, it could provide a useful baseline to see if a different type shows up later.

If you get frequent outbreaks or if it starts spreading, you might talk to your doctor about a suppressive dose of one of the antiviral drugs, which are often recommended during the first year of contracting herpes. This helps the person cope better with it (without being nagged with outbreaks all the time) and can minimise the spreading to new OB sites.

Good luck! I hope it turns out to be something else.

TheOneInFour

[devastated]

Hi, I'm sure it is definately herpes on my nipples then, because I was just diagnosed with genital herpes (this is my initial outbreak). The doctor told me that my test came back positive, but didn't show which type it was, 1 or 2. I really didn't know it mattered until I got home and researched herpes on the computer. I also think I have herpetic whitlow now too on my finger. I know that if I have type 1 genitally, it shouldn't recur very often as opposed to type 2, but what about the nipples, does it generally recur quite often there? My boyfried, whom I am assuming I contracted it from, just got a blood test and is waiting for the results. I guess I'll know which type it is then. Thank you so much for your reply, I truly never thought this would happen to me, and I'm having a really hard time adjusting, and my boyfriend seems to be dying from guilt, as he never knew he had it. Are there any drug companies researching a cure right now, or is everyone just focusing on drugs that alieve the symptoms without curing it?

[TheOneInFour]

Wow, you're really getting hit from all angles. I think it's a bit unusual to contract it in 3 places at once, but probably not unheard of. I'd still get a doctor to do a swab test on lesions you get in each area until you know for sure that's what it is. One common experience with people who have herpes is that *every* itch, twitch and tingle becomes suspect, yet it may or may not be herpes.

One thing about herpes is that there's very little that is consistent or predictable. Everyone has their own pattern of outbreaks (OBs) in terms of how severe, how often and what the symptoms are. It's a good idea to do some reading to learn about it. An excellent book is "The Truth About Herpes" by Dr. Stephen Sacks.

HSV-1 in the genital area can be less severe and/or less frequent in many people, but it's not that way in all people. There are a lot of variables (diet, metabolism, health issues, lifestyle, stress level and others we don't know about) that determine what your pattern of OBs will be, and that pattern can change over time too. So you'll have to watch and monitor your OBs to learn what your pattern is.

Your bf isn't alone in not knowing he has it. Up to 90% of people who have genital herpes don't know they have it because they don't get symptoms at all or because they don't associate their symptoms with being herpes. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop the virus from activating, and when that happens the person will be contagious through skin-to-skin contact with an area of skin that is shedding the virus. Unfortunately, they may not know where that is if there aren't some kind of symptoms to tell them (like itching, tingling, redness or a blister).

That's a limitation of blood tests -- it will tell you IF you have it, but not WHERE. And as you know from your own experience, it could be anywhere on the body, although genitals and mouth are the most common areas for HSV-2 and HSV-1 respectively. However, with some education about herpes symptoms, your bf may well find he can identify when and where he's having an OB, even if he doesn't get blisters, per se.

Just to add to the complexity, it's also possible to have herpes for years without symptoms and then suddenly start getting symptoms. It's not really common but again, not unheard of. So it's not out of the question that you've had this all along. You say you were diagnosed. Was that through a swab test or blood test?

The quest for a cure is always going on, on various fronts from drug-company research to alternative methods to personal experimentation. The trouble is that viruses are very tricky critters and there's still so much we don't know about them.

There are ways to treat OBs though. There are prescription drugs that can be taken to speed healing of an OB. There are also alternative creams and remedies available (do a search for them) that have varying reports of effectiveness.

Study results have just been released that show that a daily suppressive dosage of Valtrex can greatly reduce asymptomatic viral shedding, thus greatly reducing the chances of a non-herpes partner getting it. It will also greatly reduce the rate of OBs (if not eliminate them) in most people. Just remember that it's still possible (albeit less-so) to be contagious without getting an actual OB. It sounds like it's a bit late to prevent transmission in your cases, but if regular OBs are a problem, you might want to consider a suppressive regimen. Talk to your doctor about your options.

One final suggestion: you still may want to get retested to find out what type(s) you have. Some blood tests will distinguish which type(s) you have and others won't. The Western Blot test is considered the "gold standard" of herpes blood testing and is very accurate and will tell you which type you have. Most people will test positive for HSV-1 because they get cold sores (HSV-1) in childhood, so it's still useful for you to know which you're testing positive for.

In the meantime, do be a big support to each other. You're both going through a lot right now and you need understanding and support from each other.

TheOneInFour

[kalleycat]

Can you tell me what it looks like? How long have you noticed it? I would like to know for myself please. Thanks. I hope you feel better soon.