Jen,

You don't have to take medication if you don't want to.
Also, there are certain people (Perl for example) that post just to be
posty.
So, sometimes you have to take these posts on newsgroups with a grain of
salt.
If you need more information about herpes you can also check out
www.yoshi2me.com .
In the meantime there are some really good regulars that know their herpes
info. pretty well on this newsgroup.
Folks like Ar, Tim, Guy, and Mike . . . just to name a few.

Hope this helps,

Angela

Hi Jen.  Unless you have a compromised immune system or other
extenuating circumstances the likelihood of nerve damage or HSV
attacking the brain are near zilch.  If the moron Perl posted
something like that then you have to consider the source.  After all,
he's not taking any of the meds, either, or so he says.

The fact is, you don't have to take anything for herpes if you don't
want to.  I don't.  Sometimes I take L-lysine, but I'm still working
on my second bottle since late 1999.  

The HSV virus pretty much confines itself to the two ganglia, one
orally associated, the other genitally, and except for its periodic
trips down the nerves to the epidermis, that's all it does.  It's
fairly benign.

The chickenpox virus, however, which is from the herpes family of
viruses can reawaken in later life as Shingles and can rather
traumatize the nerves near the skin surface.  Usually, the damage and
pain is temporary however, and in any event, not much can be done
about it.

Hope that helps,

Mike

Hi Jen,

There is no reason why you should take the meds unless you want to.  Your
herpes will not worse.  It will, in most cases, get better over time, just
like everyone else's.

I've had it for 18 years and never taken the meds.

Take care,
ar