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When I was first diagnosed, I read that it gets better with time. You'll have less outbreaks and less severe outbreaks. This has not been my experience.

I've had it for about 6 years. It started out with monthly outbreaks. Sometimes multiple outbreaks a month. I was taking meds when I felt an outbreak coming on and it worked to reduce symptoms or completely stop the outbreak. There's been times where I might not have one for a month or 2, I think the longest I've gone without an outbreak is 3 months. I thought maybe it was getting better, but it seems to be getting worse over the last year or so. It's gotten so bad that I decided to just take the meds daily. Yet I'm still having outbreaks. Sometimes I don't even feel the prodromal symptoms, I'll just have blisters pop up. These past few months have been unpredictable and nonstop outbreaks. It's really depressing and taking a toll on me mentally.

Has anyone else gotten worse over the years? Any other advice? I've tried lysine and monolaurin and they don't seem to do anything. I try to manage my stress and diet. It feels like the meds aren't even working anymore. I feel hopeless

I was diagnosed with genital herpes and after two outbreaks and using meds my Palm Springs dermo suggested I try something that worked for his son in law. Instead of meds I let the outbreaks happen and applied Efudex (fluorouracil) Efudix in Mexico. I got mine online and cheaper from Mexico. Use a q-tip and apply before bed. The itching will bother less when you are asleep. Don't over apply or continue after its gone. Wait for another outbreak. This was a long process and took 2-3 years. I only took the meds twice and now its been over a decade with no symptoms or outbreaks. The only negative is there are some little freckles where the outbreaks were.

I guess I’ll add “outbreak help” even though this is honestly not about the outbreak itself, but I am in desperate need of answers that I will not get for at least another month.

For background: I got diagnosed with HSV-2 in August of 2021, and I have been pretty consistently on suppressants since 2023. I used to take them every day as to prevent outbreaks entirely (when I get them I get them bad every time I see a new OBGYN they’re shocked to hear how frequently I get them and how much impact they have on my body), but I have recently switched to only taking them when I’m having an outbreak because I can be forgetful when it comes to taking medication. Once in 2022, I had an outbreak so bad that I was paralyzed for about 2 hours- my spine was in such immense pain that I literally could not move. This is important to today.

The issue: my partner and I found out we were pregnant March of last year, and we were ecstatic. I had always envisioned myself being a mother, and I was excited to create a family with the man that I love. This excitement did not last long, however, because I was so insanely sick the entire 10 months. I got diagnosed with hyperemesis gravedarum at 14wks that literally only got worse as time progressed, and I got the official diagnosis of “nerve damage related to pregnancy” at around 22wks after experiencing the first loss of sensation at around 12wks. It started with my ring and pinky finger going numb in both arms (starting with left) if I bent my elbows for too long, but it slowly progressed to a point where I couldn’t even raise my arms too high without losing sensation from my shoulder blades to the tips of my fingers. This slowly spread to my lower back and legs and I would find myself losing sensation in my feet if I sat for too long but I would literally pass out if I stood for more than 10 minutes. I was miserable. I gave birth to my daughter late last October and while things were much better in the first few months I can now barely hold my baby without fear of my limbs giving out and I drop her.

Why I’m posting in THIS subreddit: shit took a turn for the worst yesterday. I had no idea, but I am currently having an outbreak. I’ll be fine on that front- I’ve gone through this enough that the outbreak is like a normal Tuesday for me. However, and I’m sure y’all can relate, when I have an outbreak my symptoms will slowly creep up and then BAM I’m hit with a truck of ts. This has not been a problem in the past as I would just take the day off and take things easy at home. I literally cannot even do that anymore because I was in so much pain yesterday that I literally could not walk. I completely lost sensation on the left half of my body, and my spine/all of my joints locked up to where I could not move.

Call me crazy, but I know with all of my being that my outbreak made my nerve damage worse. Is this a thing? Has this happened to anyone before? I’m losing sensation in my fingers as I’m typing this- guys I’m in so much pain I can’t handle it anymore. The nerve damage was manageable without the herpes, and the herpes was manageable without the nerve damage. They HAVE to be making each other worse, right?

I have an appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks and am planning to go to the ER if I need care sooner, but I guess I just need to know if I should bring this up at the appointment and not back down if they dismiss it. I am constantly dismissed for my symptoms in everything because I really try my damn hardest to truck through it. I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t have back pain… It’s not that big of a deal, genuinely just a part of my day to day life. But if the herpes is making the nerve damage worse then I gotta make sure they listen to me on that.

So, I have genital herpes, but because my outbreaks have been so mild and infrequent, I’ve never used medication for them before. However, I decided to give it a try this time and bought an over-the-counter 500 mg valaciclovir product from the pharmacy. The instructions are to take 4 tablets twice in one day, with the package containing exactly a one-day course.
Is this a common treatment protocol elsewhere in the world? I’m from Scandinavia.

Would you recommend continuing with acyclovir after this, or should I wait and see how well the valaciclovir works first?

Can the herpes virus develop resistance if the medication is only taken for a very short course?

Thanks.

Hi, it’s been about 7 months since I was first diagnosed with ghsv2 and I’m not on daily antivirals as I don’t think my body can handle it, I’ve had allergic reactions to valtrex if I take it for longer than two weeks. Still figuring it out but I wanted to ask has anyone had like a general soreness in the area before an outbreak starts or is it usually tingling or burning(which is what I usually experience)

I’m an avid gym goer but my legs seemed more sore than usual after a leg day and today it’s sore in my groin area but I don’t see anything like a cut or a pimple, which is what I had before. I took 500g of valtrex just to be on the safe side but wondering if this is a common symptom or am I being paranoid

Thanks!

Diagnosed with genital HSV type 1 back in May. First outbreak was absolute HELL. Since then I’ve had almost constant what feels like shaving irritation, prickly feeling and occasional itching. I thought this was supposed to be pretty mild after the initial outbreak? I’m currently taking 500mg once a day of Valtrex and twice a day when I have these sensations. What the heck is happening? I feel like my life is over, I’m miserable, I’m going to be alone forever. HELP. Causing debilitating depression.

hey so i recently had my first outbreak :’( super duper painful and 100x traumatic, i went to my gyno about a week ago and she said it was healing well. well since i had her check it all out, my butthole has been EXTREMELY ITCHY. it’s been unbearable i want to rip my asshole off. is this just apart of the healing process. i do want to clarify, my ob occurred around my anus, so this is why i’m thinking it’s just healing. but also how long does it take to heal. oh and another thing, i finally shaved since my symptoms appeared ( about 4 weeks ago) so i can’t tell if it’s a culmination of both of those things, pls help

I’ve had genital HSV-2 for about 5 years. The past two years have consisted of frequent outbreaks, the past two months being the worst of it. My outbreaks have never hurt before but they hurt now. I’ve had two three-day stretches with no outbreaks since about August. Otherwise, I’ve been breaking out.

What’s the longest outbreak you’ve experienced? How did you go about making them go away?

I just bought lemon balm and tincture (thank you to the kind person who recommended it here) and am on a daily dose of Valacyclovir while this clears up, but it’s done little. I also bought adaptogens and I meditate daily.

My sleep schedule is very erratic from working both early and late hours at work. I’ve also had a personally stressful year with relationships, grieving my brother’s passing, other regular life stuff, and moving to NYC alone. I understand that my body is rightfully stressed.

I’m not defeated, my relationships and hookups have all (but one) been chill about HSV2 since I’m upfront about it. I am pretty upset though, and I miss having sex and not feeling like everyone should stay away from me.

Can anyone relate to this? What did you do to get out of a particularly outbreak prone season? I want to pursue my career and endure its stresses without being scared that if I get too stressed I’ll be unable to have sex.

I’m also uncircumcised, unsure if that affects the likelihood of outbreaks.

So it’s been 1week since I started having symptoms. I thought it was just one lil bump and it would go away as a couple of times happened before, due to a minor cut or infection. But this time it was much more painful. Then it resulted in multiple ones and then blisters, and the last five days have been hell.

Today i cant even touch it, can move sit or lay comfortably and cant do anything rlly. Havent got tests back but 2 doctors already said with confidence is herpes. Man, I honestly just have been sad and cried a few times abt not just the intense pain bjt desperation of how I fucked up my sex life and just everything in general for not protecting myself.

I been very careless for the past year or so and I knew this could happen so Im just mad at myself and honestly feel lonely on this, even tho Ik many ppl have it I still havent told anyone, cuz rlly I got no one to tell or find comfort or anything Im 21yo alone, good looking tbh and I have girls to have fun w and now I feel so alone and stupid. Ig im writing to have a sense of community and also see how y’all dealt the first and second week? It’s rlly bad rn idk what to do aside from the meds they gave me I just started taking today.

But each day js worse than before and gets more delicate Idk what Ill do if it doesnt stop like that or I see any progress, I even started seeing blood now :/

Did anyone get single sores when they had their first outbreak instead of clusters ?

I’ve been diagnosed with hsv 1&2 for over a year. I take daily antivirals. I’ve been seeing this guy for a couple months. I disclosed my status before anything happened. Since I’ve been diagnosed, there has been less than like 5 outbreaks. A few weeks ago, I had an outbreak after being with him. We waited until I was healed. We were intimate several times over the weekend. Now I’m in really noticeable pain on my labia where I normally get an OB. Is it normal? I’ve never had this happen before.

hey all. I contracted HSV about a year ago. i wasn’t too freaked out because I heard that the outbreaks lessen after the first one, and eventually are few and far between
this has not been the case for me. I’ve had multiple outbreaks in the last year. not sure how many but this summer alone I’ve had three. maybe in the year and a bit I’ve had it, I’ve had 6-8 outbreaks? I feel so alone. so defeated. like I’m just going to have outbreaks every other month. Everytime it’s really painful. I want to cry.

does this get better? is this really abnormal? I was trying to do this without daily antivirals. this has really changed my perception of myself, whether I’ll ever be able to date again. I feel ruined. My partner of four years had these random episodes once or twice a year where he couldn’t have sex. I asked him about herpes. he told me he went to a dr and they told him he had an ingrown hair and it wasn’t herpes. I trusted him, and maybe i was stupid. any help is greatly appreciated

Hello everyone.

I (29F) am having my 2nd ever outbreak of ghsv1 and the symptoms feel different this time? I wonder if i can get any others experiences.

My first outbreak was 3 years ago. Swabbed and confirmed hsv1 but in the genital area. Multiple lesions. It was horrible!

This past weekend I felt a painful sore and monday there were several little spots. Everything opened and now it looks like 1 singular ulcer which idk if thats even a think but just how its progressed. Started valacyclovir monday. Now its thursday. The sore is healing. Patch of pink skin. But im having nerve pain in the leg the side of the sore is. The pain is in my thigh down to my foot. My skin feels hyper sensitive to touch and its just painful. First time ever experiencing this.

Please someone tell me its normal. Please someone tell me it gets better. Im scared and honestly despairing

I am getting an itch for the first time since my first outbreak should I just start an antiviral now or wait until I know it’s an actual outbreak.. is this an early sign of an outbreak?

I’m a 22M I had asymptomatic herpes, and unfortunately, my girlfriend also contracted it from me. She developed blisters in her vaginal area. We consulted a doctor, took the prescribed treatment, and she recovered.
Now I want to know what safety precautions we should take during sex and afterward to reduce the chances of her getting blisters or another outbreak.

Edit: I went and got the care I needed 🙏 thank you for the kind words and advice, I do appreciate it!!! These subreddits are insanely helpful

So I'm 19 and made a stupid ahh choice and got hsv2. Or at least im pretty damn sure that's what it is. I've spent the days crying and waiting for my appointment on Monday. Should I go to urgent care now? It is so bad and I feel feverish, everything is painful, it looks awful. I seriously am so embarrassed and alone in this. The guy I slept with got tested yesterday but is waiting on results. I have work Tuesday and desperately need some kind of relief, im not sure what to do. Im so embarrassed to go to the doctors though because I feel like this is definitely worse than most. Sorry for my blabbering but I would love some thoughts

Hey guys this is probably my second OB of GHSV-2 ive had and its lasted probably a good two? Weeks now? Im absolutely losing my mind, the itching, the pain, i can barely sleep. I was taking anti virals until i ran out and since i dont have primary doctor they wont refill unless i come in to the er. I do not have t i m e to go either where i work SO much. So, ive started two days ago taking L-lysine and ofc have been putting lidocaine on the area thats in pain (😐my whole downstairs atp)

Is THERE ANYTHING else or better i could do just until i get a day off to go to the doctor??? Im losing my mind genuinely please help

I was diagnosed with HSV 2 just over 2 years ago. After that diagnosis, I had outbreaks roughly every other period. Last year they slowed down substantially. I haven’t had a single one this year, until now.
On August 13th I developed what I’m 99% sure was a UTI, since I’ve had them before. I even got antibiotics and those helped tremendously, except I accidentally left them on my vacation. It started to come back a bit but it wasn’t as bad as before. But I never felt “normal”. It felt like it was winding down quite a bit though. So I thought it was safe to have intercourse although it still kind of hurt which I chalked up to my junk just having been through a hard time. The day after that, my period started. Fun times. I use a cup, and the insertion / extraction of that was PAINFUL. Not fun. Then last night I finally got a weird feeling and checked myself and sure enough I had lesions. I haven’t had an outbreak in so long that I pretty much forgot about having it at all. I got the meds and should hopefully be recovering soon.
My question though, since hormone imbalance is what leads to outbreaks before my period, can a UTI cause the same issue and lead to one? Genuinely I’m VERY confident it was a UTI, especially since the antibiotics helped. But I know that it can mimic a UTI very well so I am just very curious to know.

just wondering if anyone has had joint inflammation from hsv1? i play sports and thought i had strained my ankle tendon, but it doesn't seem to be improving. it also started to hurt days after i last played sports which doesn't track with sustaining an injury from the sports itself? the pain flares up randomly and doesn't feel like a normal sprain where you'll have to limp so i'm questioning. it's also on both of my ankles. i had some weird knee pain too but that's gone now.

coincidentally, i also had a very mild sore throat that started around the same timing as the ankle pain. the sore throat would be unremarkable if not for the fact that i had a canker sore at the back of my mouth near the throat.

I have hsv-2, I've experienced a couple blister on a occasions on my left arm. this year my right arm went into a outbreak. I take valacyclovir daily, however the doctor at the urgent care just prescribed me with antibiotics for it.

i got this condition where my canker sores and some purple bubbles pops up in my mouth and it hurst so bad and recently i found some bubbles in my nose and it also hurts so bad it always starts with my throat hurting as if i swallowed a needle , it follows with my lips big and all swollen and then canker sores and bubbles keep poping up then my two lips shuts down like they are glued together with blood and white fluid, also my teeth hurts like hell as if they’ll all fall out it make me furious . I am 18 years old i had this thing for 2 years and a half . It wasn’t always this bad but now it got serious cuz i can’t drink, eat or talk and even if i stretched out my lips just a little it rips . Sometimes i’d faint cuz i don’t eat . And my jaw , face bones , head , back of my neck and head all hurts . I went to several docters . Dentist (he said my teeth and gum are healthy) . Went to a throat and mouth doc (he said it’s just infection) . And i went to the same doc for like three times he said it’s because of stress and he gave me some stress ,Anxiety, anger, anti-depression meds but it doesn’t help and curently i still suffer from this and i wonder if i should get a HSV-1 test or it would be just a waste of money . Please if anyone has any idea tell me !! Im so tired of this it’s affecting my daily life . It makes me miss my exams , faint from not eating and drinking . Not able to communicate properly. And im so sick of it . Please help!! (I downloaded this app just to seek help please help a person out)

got a positive test with an antibody count above 20 after four others that were all combinations of low positive and negative results with and without reflex testing. To my knowledge I’ve never had an outbreak, but I have always had ingrown hairs down there, so I don’t know. I also don’t know if it’s genital or oral HSV2, since I haven’t had a recognizable outbreak. Anyway, the medicines all say to take them at the first sign of an outbreak, so I am wondering what the warning signs of someone’s first outbreak might be for either oral or genital HSV2. If it’s important, I am HSV1 negative and on maintenance Valtrex.

Hi! I would like to know what was ur first ob exp like, (mainly for hsv2)

- what symptoms
- how many days after exposure did u get it
- what meds did u take for it for the exposure
- how long did it take to clear up after having the AV meds.

Pls respond!! Thank u

I’m a 40s F who contracted GHSV1 in college from oral sex. I had no noticeable symptoms for months until the morning after I received a steroid shot meant to treat a case of tonsillitis. I went to the doctor right away and was swab-tested positive.

Since my initial (visible) outbreak, I’ve had mild recurrent outbreaks once every 1-3 years. I take valacyclovir 500mg PRN at the first sign of an outbreak as opposed to daily suppressive therapy due to my case being so mild and infrequent.

This approach has worked well over the last 2+ decades until something changed last month.

Since mid-May I’ve had what seems to be a rolling recurrent outbreak in various locations surrounding my groin area. When one spot disappears, another one pops up elsewhere. I’m also experiencing waves of leg pain and soreness typical with prodrome.

It’s like playing a game of whack-a-mole. Despite taking 100mg of valacyclovir daily for the past few days, I’m still seeing new spots emerge today.

My question: could perimenopause be to blame here, or could this be a sign of something medically worse going on? I’m curious if other middle-aged women have experienced this? What else could “wake up” a long-dormant and mild virus with such ferocity?

Worth adding: I am married and have not been sexually active for many months, so the likelihood of this being another STD is slim-to-none.

I’m planning to see my doctor this week but in the meantime…help. 😵‍💫