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Getting Headache, Fever And Itchy Penis After Unprotected Sex. Diagnosed With Mild Herpes. Worrisome
Question: I`d unprotected sex with one gal, on last week of jan`12. Exactly after 6 days. My penis got itchy on top portion, when i rub it small red bump appears & finally blood came out from it. And after 8 days, I started getting headache, mild fever, back & joint pains,Mouth dryness, feeling of uncomfort in stomach as if the food is not digested, diarrhea, tingling on palm & feet, itching & chillness. Then I consulted doctor on 12th feb`12. Doctor asked me to test VDRL test & early HIV screening test. All the test report came normal. So Doctor told me to go for 5 panel test. After the report of 5 panel doctor told me that i`ve a mild herpes & needn`t to worry & gave me Famciclovir 250 mg tthrice a day for 2 months & 500 mg for another next 2 month & some pain killers medicine to be used during muscle/joint pains. I asked my doctor tell me in detail about herpes, but he didn`t told me in detail, simply says that nothing to worry, take my medicine & it will be ok after taking medicine for 4-5 months. Regarding sex also he says, just used condoms during sex with wife till completion of dossage after the medicine dossage is complete you can resume your free sex with your wife. But I was not fully satisfied with my doctor,so I started to search internet website to know more about the herpes, so that i could safe my & family from infection. Finally I got many informative website & came to know that it is of two types hsv1 & 2 & it is very infectious & uncurable diesease. So unless I get further confirmation I decided to have safe sex with my wife & still doing it. After that I stop visiting my doctor again.Now it is 9 month running & i`ve completed the medicine dossage as prescript to me by my doctor. Now my problem is, continous lips dryness, time to time itching on whole body, mostly in abdomen & pelvic area & feeling discomfort in groin area, appearing of small red bumps (very few), joint pain in knee & ankle. Now my question is that:- 1) How long should I take the medicine? 2) Is it safe to have free sex with wife after taking medicine for 4-5 months? 3). How to get rid of lips dryness as it really make my mouth very uncomfortable? 4). How to identify it whether my herpes is HSV1 or 2, simply by symptom? As I `ve leant that HSV1 mostly effects on mouth. 5). How much it is risky kissing my wife & kids during my lips dryness? 6). How to recognised the recurrence & out break? 7). How to make my wife pregnant again without infecting her? becoz if i start free sex then there will be thw chance of infection to her. Iam in big trouble & puzzling becoz of not getting clear details regarding this diesease. So Doctor please help & advice me what to do? Rest will be ask you in follow up question...
Hi there XXXXXXX
You seem to have a lot of questions & no answers ...Relax. You have a diagnosis. Some people spend years to even get one. Now let me see if i can help you clarify a few things.
First: stop reading things off the internet ...you will only get scared & more confused
second: Herpes isn NOT incurable or a major life threatening disease. It can be treated & brought under control albeit it does tend to have a recurrent feature.
As for the medication, famciclovir, aciclovir & others have all been used in different dose regimes & some people even advocate 400mg aciclovir twice/day for upto a year as suppressive therapy.
I however, feel this will unnecessary cause immune suppression & most patients find diificult to comply & it is expensive in the long run & hence am not a big fan.
For the moment you seem fine where you are & essentially you need to find a dermatologist/venereologist nearest you on the ground for long term folow-up.
Herpes anti-viral treatment is most effective when taken just when you feel the prodromal symptoms of itching, bodypain etc just starting before the 'rash' XXXXXXX up. So i say, horses for courses...in your case, use only topical /local acyclovir ointment on the penile region 4-5 times daily for 5 days when you feel the rash is appearing. In addition you can use the same famciclovir in a low dose of 125 mg but in consultation with your local doctor 3 times daily for 5 days during severe outbreaks.
It is largely safe to have sex with your wife in the disease free intervals. Have her tested initially with the same serum Herpes 1&2 Ig G & Ig M.
You can use a mouth wash to help the dryness of mouth & lips & keep this constant..your local pharmacist will help you in this regards: neutrogena also has a lip cream for dryness with a 15SPF factor that will be useful. You may even consider an acyclovir lip balm (zovirax) if your doctor on the ground feels this is herpes.
HSV1.. yes usually effects the mouth area & 2 the genital but in these days, either could be present on both regions & this logic no longer holds true!
Yes, it is best to avoid kissing the wife & kids during the period of outbreak but one need not be so fastidious about it.
My advice to you is relax..dont be on edge so much...herpes is linked to the immunity & if you are overtly conscious or scared or depressed or the immunity is down, the herpes virus XXXXXXX up & you have an attack...so the secret in herpes is to be 'Relaxed' & dont give it much importance & rule your life!
Getting your wife pregnant & having a baby is not an issue any more nowadays. The only problem is if the mother has herpes in the birth canal while delivering & the child may get infected but in today's world of antivirals et al, the serious side effects of herpes are almost non-existent & hence nothing to be really worried about!!
One cannot identify herpes 1 or 2 by symptoms only.
I hope this has answered all your questions one by one...now relax, close this query & go back to your family & get over the guilt you feel for that moment of indiscretion!
You will do well if you stay happy & healthy. Herpes is the tip of the iceberg. Thank your stars you did not catch a virus like HIV, say your prayers & move on. Remember to always use protection & practice safe sex in the future as it will affect your familia otherwise!!
Good Luck & Godspeed & our work here is done. Cheers!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, Venereologist XXXXXXX Hospital, Bangalore, India
You seem to have a lot of questions & no answers ...Relax. You have a diagnosis. Some people spend years to even get one. Now let me see if i can help you clarify a few things.
First: stop reading things off the internet ...you will only get scared & more confused
second: Herpes isn NOT incurable or a major life threatening disease. It can be treated & brought under control albeit it does tend to have a recurrent feature.
As for the medication, famciclovir, aciclovir & others have all been used in different dose regimes & some people even advocate 400mg aciclovir twice/day for upto a year as suppressive therapy.
I however, feel this will unnecessary cause immune suppression & most patients find diificult to comply & it is expensive in the long run & hence am not a big fan.
For the moment you seem fine where you are & essentially you need to find a dermatologist/venereologist nearest you on the ground for long term folow-up.
Herpes anti-viral treatment is most effective when taken just when you feel the prodromal symptoms of itching, bodypain etc just starting before the 'rash' XXXXXXX up. So i say, horses for courses...in your case, use only topical /local acyclovir ointment on the penile region 4-5 times daily for 5 days when you feel the rash is appearing. In addition you can use the same famciclovir in a low dose of 125 mg but in consultation with your local doctor 3 times daily for 5 days during severe outbreaks.
It is largely safe to have sex with your wife in the disease free intervals. Have her tested initially with the same serum Herpes 1&2 Ig G & Ig M.
You can use a mouth wash to help the dryness of mouth & lips & keep this constant..your local pharmacist will help you in this regards: neutrogena also has a lip cream for dryness with a 15SPF factor that will be useful. You may even consider an acyclovir lip balm (zovirax) if your doctor on the ground feels this is herpes.
HSV1.. yes usually effects the mouth area & 2 the genital but in these days, either could be present on both regions & this logic no longer holds true!
Yes, it is best to avoid kissing the wife & kids during the period of outbreak but one need not be so fastidious about it.
My advice to you is relax..dont be on edge so much...herpes is linked to the immunity & if you are overtly conscious or scared or depressed or the immunity is down, the herpes virus XXXXXXX up & you have an attack...so the secret in herpes is to be 'Relaxed' & dont give it much importance & rule your life!
Getting your wife pregnant & having a baby is not an issue any more nowadays. The only problem is if the mother has herpes in the birth canal while delivering & the child may get infected but in today's world of antivirals et al, the serious side effects of herpes are almost non-existent & hence nothing to be really worried about!!
One cannot identify herpes 1 or 2 by symptoms only.
I hope this has answered all your questions one by one...now relax, close this query & go back to your family & get over the guilt you feel for that moment of indiscretion!
You will do well if you stay happy & healthy. Herpes is the tip of the iceberg. Thank your stars you did not catch a virus like HIV, say your prayers & move on. Remember to always use protection & practice safe sex in the future as it will affect your familia otherwise!!
Good Luck & Godspeed & our work here is done. Cheers!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, Venereologist XXXXXXX Hospital, Bangalore, India
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks you sir for prompt reply, but sir, you did`t clearify about the recurrence & outbreak. How can I know it is outbreak or recurrence so that I can take preventive measure from transmitting to my family. Sir, most important question I want to know is that, Suppose during the sypmtom free i.e no recurrence, no outbreak time, can I have free sex with my wife? So please tell me ellaborately about the recurrence & outbreak? How to manage at with family. As it is learnt that during outbreak chances of transmission is very high. What do you say, shall I go for further confirmatory test like 5 panel test or any other test? In my place we don`t have dermatologist, venerologist as our state is still backwards & under developed state, we used to go to other state like Assam, so thats the main problem. Yes iam planning to visit some other doctor with my wife,my wife is yet to be tested for serum herpes, becoz I was not satisfied with my earlier doctor.Also please tell me is there any restriction on fooding? If yes, which food is to be avoided & which is valuable? How long should I take the medication? waiting for your reply sir. Thanks you.
XXXXXXX Dear,
No restriction on food.
There are no specific pointers for differentiating between outbreak & recurrence.
The first time it appears, it is an 'outbreak' of herpes. Thereafter, one can only have 'recurrences'.
During these recurrences (meaning when you have symptoms & rash appearing) stay away from 'direct contact'....use a condom.
Otherwise, no issues with having sex unprotected with your wife.
Cheers.
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
No restriction on food.
There are no specific pointers for differentiating between outbreak & recurrence.
The first time it appears, it is an 'outbreak' of herpes. Thereafter, one can only have 'recurrences'.
During these recurrences (meaning when you have symptoms & rash appearing) stay away from 'direct contact'....use a condom.
Otherwise, no issues with having sex unprotected with your wife.
Cheers.
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank u sir.
Most welcome XXXXXXX Please do close this query, else it pops up as a follow-up. Cheers & wish you & your family continued good health & happiness!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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