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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Herpes / January 2004Herpetic Whitlow??
Hi Everyone! My first post...lucky me! Does anyone here have Herpetic Whitlow? I'm soon to get a test for this. I guess I should give some background... I'm a 36 yo single male. My longtime girlfriend and I broke up about 2 years ago. About 6 months after we broke up, she came and told me she had been diagnosed with HPV. Well, I did a buttload of research on HPV and found out that it is closely related to herpes. Now, I've never had an outbreak that I know of. But, I have had some pretty bad cases of "jock itch" which were cleared up with anti-fungals from my dermatologist. I asked him about herpes after I talked with my ex and he said from what he has seen, he doesn't think I have herpes. Now here it is almost two years later and I have this blister forming on the tip of my finger which is pretty painful. The thing is, I've had this happen on the same finger (not in the exact same spot) probably 6 times over the past 10 years or so. The last time this showed up (about three years ago), my doctor sent me to a hand specialist who looked at it, said it was PROBABLY Whitlow, but couldn't be sure because by the time I saw him, the blister had already burst and started to heal, so he couldn't run any tests, or so he said. Well, since I've caught it early, I am going to see my dermatologist before it heals again and have him run a Tzanck test. Now, the real questions. Assuming it is Herpetic Whitlow, could I have given my ex HPV? I've avoided any kind of relationship for the past two years because of this whole thing, not knowing if I did or didn't give it to her, not knowing if I do or don't have herpes, it is all driving me crazy!! Also, assuming it is Whitlow, should I get some other kind of test for herpes? My doctor said that unless their were lesions, they couldn't do any kind of test. But some things I have read here and on the web suggest it can be tested for. I need to get on with my life. I do want to get married and have kids one day. This is not what I need. But, if I do have it, I want to know. The problem is, like I said, I've never had any outbreaks that I know of, either genitally or orally. Last question, is it possible to have Whitlow and nothing else? I probably have a whole slew of other questions, but I think that is enough for now. Thanks for listening! -BillyBob Hi BillyBob, Herpes and HPV are not related. They are two very separate viruses. HPV means any kind of wart. If your ex said she had HPV that means warts and not herpes. In which case, you could also have HPV. I'm not sure what tests there are for it but most of the population seems to have some sort of HPV. Some of the HPV viruses produce warts and others don't. The problem is that at least one of those HPV viruses is what (they believe) causes cervical cancer. Herpes is separate. I don't know what a tzanck test is. But there are quite a few tests for herpes. For your supposed Whitlow, I would suggest a culture test (that might be what you're getting). A culture will tell you if that thing on your hand is herpes or not. Make sure you ask the doctor to have the lab type the test for type 1 or type 2. Then, since you are so concerned about it, have a blood test run to determine if you have herpes somewhere else. A blood test can tell you if you have type 1 or 2 but not WHERE you have it. So, that's why it's important to do a culture for the thing on your hand. But, as you've learned through your reading, time is of the essence. If you wait too long for the culture, then you run the risk of getting a false negative. Yes, it is possible to have Whitlow and no other herpes in any other location. 42 Take care, ar > Hi Everyone! > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > -BillyBob > Herpes is separate. I don't know what a tzanck test is. But there are > quite a few tests for herpes. For your supposed Whitlow, I would suggest a Its a cell smear/scrape test which they then can stain with various bits and look at under a microscope. Its quicker than a culture and I'd suggest less prone to fail due to technical handling issues. However Id be surprised if its as sensitive as a positive culture can be since there is no amplification. If they use immunostaining then the typing will be as accurate as the antibody they use. Its advantage over blood tests is the same as culture its tells you outbreak X involved virus Y. Tim -- When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart ICQ: 5178568 Thank you, Tim. ar > > Herpes is separate. I don't know what a tzanck test is. But there are > > quite a few tests for herpes. For your supposed Whitlow, I would suggest a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart > ICQ: 5178568 Sounds like you are on track with trying to diagnose what is going on with you -- or your dr is, rather. Regarding your concern about having relationships and such with having herpes, and having avoided relationships and such....with the high rate of people who have either HSV 1 or HSV 2 being somewhere in the range of 2 out of 5, chance are you can find a partner who will accept you for what is going on and/or who might even have a form of HSV herself. Having herpes is not the end of the world. There are some lifestyle changes and some situations that might be uncomfortable but it is truly not the end of the world. Good luck and ask away! r >Hi Everyone! > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > >-BillyBob Billy Bob, First of all ... HSV and HPV are two completely different STD's. Herpes Whitlow would fall under the *HSV* category. As far as your doctor deciding that you don't have herpes based on what he has seen ... well ... not everybody can *see* herpes. So, unless you have tested specifically for herpes your doctor doesn't really have a leg to stand on if he is basing his opinion on what he has seen. The only way to know if what you have on your finger is herpes is to get in right away (as soon as the blister forms) and have a culture done for herpes. (Don't wait too long because if you do ... it's possible to receive a false negative.) For more information on herpes check out the links page ... you will also find some websites on Herpetic Whitlow and HPV (which is another STD). Angela www.yoshi2me.com > Hi Everyone! > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > -BillyBob > Billy Bob, > [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > > > Now, the real questions. Assuming it is Herpetic Whitlow, could I have Well, let me try this again since my first follow up post didn't post... It is confirmed, I have Herpetic Whitlow. The Tzanck test was negative, but the culture was positive. I asked him about typing, but he said it didn't tell that, only that the virus was present. This sucks, and I'm not all too happy with doctors, looking back on all this. I realize now I've had this for 10+ years. The blister on my finger only shows up probably once every 3 years or so and I've had it looked at before, and none of the doctors I've seen ever suggested it might be herpes related. Now I'll need to get some sort of blood test to type it. Does anyone here know what the blood test is called so I can tell my doctor! HAHA Plus getting them to run tests is like pulling teeth! If they had it, they would run every test in the world on themselves. I don't understand their reluctance. Anyway, the deramtologist gave me a subscription for Valtrex, so I guess I'll be on that for the rest of my life. I hate taking medication, let alone one that I'll probably have to take forever. I already take high cholesterol medication, the last thing I need is to add more medication. Let me ask this. I'm typically very skeptical when it comes to stuff I read on the internet, but I try to keep an open mind and look for confirmation on things. Given this new malady, I've done some more quick reading and came across several articles about DMSO in combination with oxygen therapy and its use in treating herpes. Is this stuff just "snake-oil"? Thanks for letting me vent and if my first post shows up, sorry for the double post. Hi BillyBob, Well, at least you know what you have. There are a few different blood tests. The one your doctor can more easily get is the Elisa test. Umm...the lab keeps a culture for a little while after the diagnosis is made. Make your doctor call the lab and have it typed. Now. Right away. The sample is still there, probably. You don't need to be on the medication. I've never taken it. And neither have many herpes infected people. If you aren't bothered by your outbreaks, then there is really no need to take it. However, if you decide to take it, then that's okay too. It's a personal choice. Your virus won't get worse if you choose not to take it. It will help in cutting down the risk of transmission, though. But again, it is a personal thing. I would be more worried about how to deal with an outbreak on the hand when it is happening. Bandaid? Glove? Etc. You can get off those cholesterol meds, perhaps, by changing your lifestyle a bit. :) You know, diet, exercise. Also, thyroid disease will raise your cholesterol so have you been checked for that? My cholesterol was around 225 but no one ever put me on the meds because I did the diet and exercise thing. They figured it was just one of those things. Can't argue with a vegetarian about cholesterol things. Finally, it suddenly dropped down to 169. Really, really weird. But, I'm not complaining. :) There is no cure for herpes. Don't spend your money on those treatments. The best thing you can do is get healthy so your immune system doesn't get bogged down dealing with the garbage in your body and can spend more time with controling that pesky little virus. Some people have said they've had some success with oxygen but the DMSO can be very tricky. If you're only having outbreaks every three years or so, then you are doing great without that stuff. It won't get rid of the virus. Take care, ar "BillyBob" <asd@asd.asd> wrote in message > Well, let me try this again since my first follow up post didn't post... > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > Thanks for letting me vent and if my first post shows up, sorry for the > double post. >Well, let me try this again since my first follow up post didn't post... >It is confirmed, I have Herpetic Whitlow. The Tzanck test was negative, >but the culture was positive. I asked him about typing, but he said it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >probably once every 3 years or so and I've had it looked at before, and >none of the doctors I've seen ever suggested it might be herpes related. >Now I'll need to get some sort of blood test to type it. Does anyone >here know what the blood test is called so I can tell my doctor! HAHA >Plus getting them to run tests is like pulling teeth! If they had it, >they would run every test in the world on themselves. I don't >understand their reluctance. For what it's worth, Herpetic whitlow is usually caused by HSV1, though there used to be a poster here who said hers was HSV2. You can get a blood test to determine type, but it's possible to have HSV1 orally and HSV2 genitally and never have any overt symptoms, and all the test will tell you is that you have them but not where. If, however, you have a test run, and it only returns one result, then you'll know which type your whitlow is. However it's still possible you could have another instance of the virus in another location. One of the newer tests is the HerpeSelect: (redirect URL) http://babyurl.com/rBw1UT And the "gold standard" for diagnosis with typing is the Herpes Specific Western Blot, which your Doc will likely have to order and mail in for you, though if you live outside the U.S. or Canada the availability and procedures will be different. http://depts.washington.edu/rspvirus/HerpesWesternBlot.htm >Anyway, the deramtologist gave me a subscription for Valtrex, so I guess >I'll be on that for the rest of my life. I hate taking medication, let >alone one that I'll probably have to take forever. I already take high >cholesterol medication, the last thing I need is to add more medication. >Let me ask this. I'm typically very skeptical when it comes to stuff I >read on the internet, but I try to keep an open mind and look for >confirmation on things. Given this new malady, I've done some more >quick reading and came across several articles about DMSO in combination >with oxygen therapy and its use in treating herpes. Is this stuff just >"snake-oil"? Ask a doctor. My opinion is that it's playing with fire, though I would probably be less reluctant to try it on a finger than I would elsewhere. But again, I would be extremely reluctant to self-administer the stuff in any case. Get a professional opinion. >Thanks for letting me vent and if my first post shows up, sorry for the >double post. I haven't seen it here. A post I sent yesterday took longer than normal, but made it. There must have been a hiccup somewhere. Take care, Mike > It is confirmed, I have Herpetic Whitlow. The Tzanck test was negative, > but the culture was positive. I asked him about typing, but he said it > didn't tell that, only that the virus was present. Actually the doctor has the power to instruct the lab to do an addition test to determine the type. Either your doc didn't know that he had the power to do that or he is not educated. > Now I'll need to get some sort of blood test to type it. You don't have to have a blood test to have it typed. A blood test will not tell you the location of the virus . . . (FYI). You should have your doctor call the lab and instruct the lab to have it typed. > Anyway, the deramtologist gave me a subscription for Valtrex, so I guess > I'll be on that for the rest of my life. I hate taking medication, let > alone one that I'll probably have to take forever. I already take high > cholesterol medication, the last thing I need is to add more medication. Why are you under the impression that you have to take Valtrex for the rest of your life? > Let me ask this. I'm typically very skeptical when it comes to stuff I > read on the internet, but I try to keep an open mind and look for > confirmation on things. Given this new malady, I've done some more > quick reading and came across several articles about DMSO in combination > with oxygen therapy and its use in treating herpes. Is this stuff just > "snake-oil"? Not only is it snake oil . . . but it's CRAP!!! Stay away from those web sites . . . Why don't you hang on to www.yoshi2me.com? There are some links on the links page that have information on Whitlow . . . give it a try. Angela |
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