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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Herpes / April 2004big question
Diagnosed with herpes and staph ,,Its at the end of my tailbone , iwould genital herpes settle there or is it a shingle type maybe ,, ???? On Tue, 30 Mar, 5:11am, msmaggie21535 wrote: >Diagnosed with herpes and staph ,,Its at the end of my tailbone , >iwould genital herpes settle there or is it a shingle type maybe ,, ???? Genital herpes infections are usually located on or in the genital area but anywhere in the area served by the nerves of the sacral ganglia is possible. Which means, yes, the tailbone area is possible. Generally speaking, the boxer shorts area is a descriptive way of thinking about it. How were you diagnosed? Culture? If that's the case, they're pretty accurate for positive results. It's false negatives that are a problem with culture type tests. And if it's a classic textbook case, a visual diagnosis can be ok depending on the doctor, although not as reliable as a positive culture obviously. I'd have a visual confirmed with a test. If you're new to herp, you may be interested to know there's a lot of misinformation floating around about it. The stigma is probably the most ridiculous. Herp ain't what it's cracked up to be. Anyway, there are some good sites too on the web. Here's one to get you started. http://www.westoverheights.com/freebooktext.html I don't know diddley about Staph though. M2 Thank you, What a wonderful response !!! So its not shingels they do call shingles a herpes type i heard. I can dream cant I SOOOO how can i infect someone , ? since its not in the genital area ,, with sores and also after they leave? ( SOON I HOPE) Would oral sex be dangerous , not receiving of course GIVING.;-) I thank you so much also for the site to visit , >Thank you, What a wonderful response !!! >So its not shingels they do call shingles a herpes type i heard. I can >dream cant I SOOOO how can i infect someone , ? since its not in the >genital area ,, with sores and also after they leave? ( SOON I HOPE) >Would oral sex be dangerous , not receiving of course GIVING.;-) I >thank you so much also for the site to visit , Hi there. Yes, shingles is in the herpes family, but a different branch than herpes simplex, the sexually associated one. Shingles is actually the same virus that causes chickenpox, and is also known as Herpes varicella-zoster, or just plain Herpes zoster. As to having herpes simplex breaking out on your tailbone, it's easy to think that that's the place you have the disease, but HSV is a tricky one. While any outbreaks you have MAY occur in the same spot, you never can tell, and it's still possible to shed anywhere that's connected to the same main ganglia that's connected to your tailbone area. That would be anywhere in the boxer short area. Take into account that you probably didn't have sex with your tailbone, and still that's where your outbreak is. Different people just have outbreaks in different locations is all. Take care, Mike On Tue, 30 Mar 6:24 (EST), msmaggie21535 wrote: >What a wonderful response !!! Aw shucks. 'twert nuthin' ;-) >So its not shingels they do call shingles a herpes type i heard. Nope. The cause of Shingles is a reactivation of the same Chickenpox virus you had as a kid. It's been dormant since then. Granted, the virus is in the herpes family, Herpes Zoster to be precise, but it's a different thing. Here, we deal mostly with Herpes Simplex. That's the virus that causes herpes, both genital and oral. Now. Herpes simplex is divided into two types. The difference is more in the way they behave rather than a physical difference. It's possible for either one to infect either area but type 1 prefers the trigeminal ganglia which serves the facial area, and type 2 prefers the sacral ganglia which servers the boxer shorts area. Actually, type 1 (usually oral) is much more capable of infecting both areas than type 2 (almost always genital). But when either type infects its non-prefered area, it usually doesn't cause the same problems it otherwise might. >SOOOO how can i infect someone , ? since its not in the >genital area ,, with sores and also after they leave? The virus transfers by skin to skin contact. But it's not all that simple. The virus needs help to get through skin. Like a cut or abrasion etc in normal skin. However, the thin mucosal skin of the lips or genitals is much more susceptible to virus invasion. And rubbing helps. Especially the kind of rubbing that takes place between male and female genitals during sex. The maddening thing about herpes is that the virus can't be seen or detected when it's on the surface of the skin, so it's possible for the virus to be there without you knowing about it. This is known as asymptomatic shedding. It doesn't happen often thank goodness but not knowing when it may or may not be happening can be a cause of much angst for some folks. Another kicker, since you can't see it, you can't tell *where* it's shedding. Genital herp sheds mostly from the site of infection for most people but not necessarily for everyone. For some people it may shed someplace else too. In fact anywhere in the boxer shorts region is possible. >Would oral sex be dangerous , not receiving of course GIVING.;-) You didn't mention whether you're infected with type 1 or type 2 and that matters when it comes to determining transfer risk. But if you're infected with type 2 only, then giving oral sex is no problem. Being infected genitally, you won't shed virus orally. More good news, receiving isn't a great risk either but your partner needs to make that decision. Since type 2 doesn't transfer easily to the oral area, he just might want to risk it (certainly not during an outbreak though). There's a lot more to risk assesment, it can really get complicated, but enough for now ;-) M2 PS I had visual and also culture , On Tue, 30 Mar, 6:31pm (EST), msmaggie21535 wrote: >PS I had visual and also culture , If your doc didn't tell you which type you have, find out for sure. It's important. M2 Ok I really appreciate all the attention you have all given my queries ,It wont make it "go away" but it sure helps, Thanks a million,,,everybody . Boy Now I am confused Doc told me its type 1 , On my tail bone? hmmm, How am i contagious now ,and and what safeguards do i use if any.. what kind of sex should i stay away from ??? tell me the whole story My head is spinning LOL,,, thanks in advance for any help,,, First off, it's great that you have a doctor who didn't jump to the conclusion that it is type 2 due to the location. Yea! What kind of test did he perform to validate that claim? I also have type 1. You get it genitally (which is what you have) through oral sex with someone who gets cold sores. As with both types of herpes, one does not need to have a visible outbreak to be contagious thanks to asymptomatic shedding. Currently, you're getting your outbreaks on your tailbone. In time, the location may change. But you do need to be aware that you now have genital herpes. The good news is that it's type 1. Type 1 generally is not transmitted genital to genital. But, someone who does NOT have cold sores could get cold sores through performing oral sex on you. You are contagious the same way a type 2 person is. And the same safe guards apply. (I've not kept up with this thread so I'm not sure what you've already been told) Please list your questions for us and we will do our best to answer them. ar > Boy Now I am confused Doc told me its type 1 , On my tail bone? hmmm, > How am i contagious now ,and and what safeguards do i use if any.. what > kind of sex should i stay away from ??? tell me the whole story My head > is spinning LOL,,, > thanks in advance for any help,,, >(I've not kept up with this thread so I'm not sure what >you've already been told) oooh ... Ar, she's had some WUNderful responses ;-) Where the heck have you *been*? LoL! M2 Hi M2, I've been around. Just not able to concentrate on all posts. :( ar > >(I've not kept up with this thread so I'm not sure what > >you've already been told) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > M2 Hi and thanks My doctor said i couldnt have genital herpes as it wasnt on my genitals, !!!had to be shingels, ALSO said they have no blood tests for herpes,, she took a culture which i THINK i can trust ,she told me it was Type 1 ... altho i may get a blood test , Any suggestions,,? Main question now is can i pass this orally to a noninfected guy? even with no sores I never have had one,, I feel like I am hogging this forum but you guys sure help, How did you react when you found you had it ar ??? On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 20:00:31 -0500, msmaggie wrote: >My doctor said i couldnt have genital herpes as it wasnt >on my genitals, !!!had to be shingels, ALSO said they have no blood >tests for herpes, I wouldn't be to hard on her. It's not at all that unusual for a doc to have no education or training regarding herp. I have no idea why that's the case but it is. I guess because, until lately, it's been one of those things they couldn't do anything about. And there wasn't much point in worrying about it because it's not life threatening and it generally just goes away on its own over time so no big deal. They had bigger fish to fry. But now there's been some research done and new meds and tests etc. Still, herp gets overlooked in Med schools etc. and word is painfully slow to getting out to the frontline medical field. >she took a culture which i THINK i can trust ,she >told me it was Type 1 ... You can probably trust it. It was done by a lab and the doc just read the results off the report. >altho i may get a blood test , Any >suggestions,,? Sure. But a blood test won't tell you much more than you know now unless it also turns up a type 2 infection. But if it only turns up type 1, you still won't know whether you have an oral infection in addition to genital or not. Another thing, a blood test looks for antibodies, not live virus. And it takes about 12-16 weeks after infection to be sure you immune system has had enough time to develop antibodies to detectable levels. So ..... you might have to wait. On the other hand, you could do a blood test right away, and if it turned up negative, that would tell you your infection is recent. A positive test later will confirm that. >Main question now is can i pass this orally to a noninfected guy? even >with no sores I never have had one, Theoretically it's possible but so is getting hit by lightning on a sunny day at the beach. People go to the beach anyway though (and it's just an example, I have no clue whats the % risk of the beach thing is). >I feel like I am hogging this forum Not at all. There was a time when 40-50 posts a day here wasn't unusual and there were quite a few knowledgable people here when I got here. I wonder sometimes what ever happened to all those people. Ar and Tim were here when I first started lurking and Mike came along shortly afterward. I just lurked for months. In fact I think Mike started posting before I did. The group has gone through all sorts of upheaval and change over the years but I don't think I've ever seen it as quiet as it has been lately. M2 Oooops ... forgot about this part. On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 20:00:31 -0500, msmaggie wrote: > i may get a blood test , Any >suggestions,,? Ar will no doubt suggest a Herpes Specific Western Blot from the University of Washington. And granted, it's the standard by which all other blood tests are measured. She'll prolly be along with a phone number etc. if you're interested. For a little less money though, you can get a test done that's almost as accurate. A little easier to set up too. Here's the website: http://www.healthcheckusa.com/ Wow ... I just checked and the price has doubled recently. If I read that correctly, it's $155 now plus $12 shipping. Anyhow, they set it up with a local lab to get your blood drawn, then the local lab sends if off to the Healthcheck lab, then you get your results online or by email. It *was* the best "inexpensive" way I know to get accurate results. But be sure to specifically request the: "HerpeSelect Herpes Simplex Virus 1&2 IgG" NOT to be confused with the IgM test which has a similar name but that's not what you want. Check out the website. It's for all SORTS of blood tests but they have an FAQ and other information on how to order and the rest of their procedure. I'm not sure how much a western blot costs. But I do know you have to do most of the work yourself, getting it set up with a local lab etc, and results take longer. Might be worth checking out price wise though. M2 As usual, M2 was incredibly thorough. :) Let me know if you're interested in the Western Blot and I'll dig up the number for you. But, as M2 mentioned earlier, you already know what you have going on there. All a blood test is going to do is tell you if you also have type 2. I do recommend a blood test eventually, just so you know what's going on with your body but the cost is expensive and you will want to check out your health insurance, etc. I had my Western Blot run a few years ago...I can't remember how long. Maybe 5 or 6? Has it been that long??? My insurance covered 60% of the cost and the cost of the blood draw. My doctor was excellent in that he let me do whatever I wanted and just signed the paperwork (which you will need for the WB). Take care, ar > Oooops ... forgot about this part. > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > M2 I see you spoke to the man about his medication, It brings to mind another question,,,I took a weeks dose of valtrex (or whatever its called ) is that all i will ever need Do i take more if i get another outbreak,, ??? Also this was my second outbreak I didnt realize what the first one was IT was back in May,,,so its plenty of time to get a blood test,, Hope i dont have any more problesm for you LOL, Thanks in advance ,, On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:46:17 -0500, msmaggie wrote: >I took a weeks dose of valtrex (or whatever its >called ) is that all i will ever need Do i take more if i get another >outbreak,, ??? Valtrex doesn't cure Herpes. In other words it doesn't eliminate the virus from its original hiding place in the ganglia. And it doesn't kill virus after it's been produced, it merely prevents virus from replicating. That's why it's so important to take it early in an outbreak, before the resident virus has a chance to go into full replication mode. And since Valtrex doesn't stay in your system long, you have to keep taking it for a few days until the resident virus gives up trying to reproduce. So yes, you'll need to take it again as soon as you realize a new outbreak is coming on. People with frequent outbreaks take Valtrex on a continuing basis to keep it in their system all the time. But you don't seem to have a problem with frequency. You just need to be aware of when an outbreak (a replication cycle) is about to happen (a crystal ball helps ;-) and start on your meds early, before the virus has a chance to get the jump on you. Eventually you may begin to recognize early signs of an outbreak coming on. It's called "prodrome" but everybody's prodrome acts a little differently. Some people have aches or tingles or some other little indication. But sometimes there's no prodrome warning at all. Over time you'll get in tune with your body and figure out what warning signs (prodrome) you can expect from your own individual body. M2 Your doctor doesn't know much about herpes. :) I haven't read all the responses to your post yet but I'm sure they mentioned / explained that genital herpes can break out anywhere within the "boxer short" area. That's because the nerve bundle that services the genital area has nerves going to all these different locations within that genital area. The virus lives in the nerve bundle and then takes the path of least resistance to the surface. There are quite a few blood tests for herpes. Yes, you can trust a culture. :) You can pass the virus on to others through asymptomatic shedding. That's when the virus becomes active and comes to the skin but it isn't enough to create a full blown outbreak. Most people have no idea when they are shedding. As I mentioned, you will need to notify a partner of your std status and let them know that oral sex can be risky for them if they don't already have type 1. Taking one of the antiviral meds every day will cut down on the amount of time you shed. It's actually only about 3% of the time, but since you don't know when it's happening...and the longer you have herpes, the less you will shed. You can also have herpes on your torso and that seems to be common with wrestlers because of the contact they have with each other. But I'm going to bet that you really have genital. You're not hogging the forum at all. This is what we are here for. :) How did I react when I was diagnosed? I was 20 years old and had gotten it from my first lover. Along with HPV (genital warts). I was very depressed and barely made it through the semester at school. I pretty much thought that anyone looking at me could tell I had it. The first two years were very difficult with my break-outs. They were monstrous. But now I have an outbreak maybe once every 5 years or so. Stay away from oral steroids, by the way, they will give you a really bad case of herpes!! Stay healthy and keep that immune system going strong. Eat right, get plenty of rest, and exercise. Take care, ar > Hi and thanks My doctor said i couldnt have genital herpes as it wasnt > on my genitals, !!!had to be shingels, ALSO said they have no blood [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I feel like I am hogging this forum but you guys sure help, How did you > react when you found you had it ar ??? This is an interesting development. I would've guessed type 2, but just goes to show, you never know. As far as physical probs, you'll just have to wait and see if you'll have another outbreak. You may not ... ever. As far as transfer risk, which is what most herpsters are concerned with anyway, it's going to be pretty low for two reasons. First, type 1 genital doesn't shed as often as type2 genital. And even when it does, it doesn't transfer well from genital to genital. Second, even if you happen to be shedding during an inopportune time, your partner will most likely be infected with type 1 anyway (probably oral but what the hey) which makes him pretty much immune to further infection. This should make you immune from his oral infection too by the way. Most of the US population is type1 positive, even though most don't know it. So that's pretty much it. Just watch for further outbreaks and try to be aware of your partner's status. If you find for sure he isn't infected already, there are ways of reducing transfer risk even further than it already is (condoms, meds, etc) but whether it's worth it or not is up to you and your partner. But condoms are always a good idea anyway, until you're in a monogamous relationship with std status (not just herp status) of both partners known (tested). Please stick around and keep us updated. M2 On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 20:41:36 -0500 (EST), msmaggie wrote: >Boy Now I am confused Doc told me its type 1 , On my tail bone? hmmm, >How am i contagious now ,and and what safeguards do i use if any.. what >kind of sex should i stay away from ??? tell me the whole story My head >is spinning LOL,,, >thanks in advance for any help,,, I have taken a weeks worth of viralmax (sp) and you are right transfering is a big worry i can handlle my own problem but hate to make anyone unknowingly suffer also, since i have given oral.. before i found this out i had the tail bone break out at that time, ,,,,any problems there? You guys are so knowledgable,!!! On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 20:13:35 -0500, msmaggie wrote: >hate to >make anyone unknowingly suffer also, since i have given oral.. before >i found this out i had the tail bone break out at that time, ,,,,any >problems there? No, the virus can't move through the body from genital to oral. So unless you also have an oral infection that you don't know about, you won't shed virus from up there. M2 |
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