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Have Blisters On Spine. Should I Be Worried For Shingles Or Herpes?

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Posted on Sat, 16 Mar 2013
Question: im so desapointed by walk-in clinic doctor who dont know anything and are so quick to prescribe the wrong drugs which end up causing more damages in my body. I want to found out what exactly is the blister at the very base of my spine right at the top of my bum crack or my 'coxcice' (thats the spelling my phone gave me). By the change and look of it Im almost a hundred per cent sure it is Herpes and not shingles, but what type? Ifear the worst because of its location.Is it Sexual herpies or the less scary kind 1? It reoccures about every three weeks with great amount of stress with it and zero quality sleep. please help me get to the root of this abomination and exorcist it out of me forever. thank you doc. for telling me the truth. XXXXXXX.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (7 hours later)
Hello,

I think you are right, as Shingles do not appear so frequently.
And if it is Herpes, it must be of Type 2 (Sexual herpes) because Type 2 occur below the waist line & more frequently than type 1.
To confirm the diagnosis, please get IgG & IgM anti HSV for both Type 1 & Type 2 done. This will give an exact picture of what you are suffering from.

For immediate relief, apply Ointment Acyclovir 5 times a day. And plan to get the test done.

Wishing you a Good Health. Let me know if I need to clarify further.

Thanks & take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (5 hours later)
I forgot to mention: I was already prescribed valacyclovir 500mg after seeking second and third opinion. I take one tablet twice a day for five days...and really thought it would be enough to keep symptoms away for a good twelve months at least.little I knew it would resurface in full force two or three weeks later only.
How can an Ointment be more effective at treating HSV2 than a drug taken orally?
I am shocked to know that there is nothing better outthere to get rid of the symptoms
of HSV2 when so many people are affected by it..
XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (1 hour later)
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for the follow up query.

Though Valacyclovir is effective in the management of Herpes, the disease is an episodic one.
Hence, low dose of Valacyclovir is required for a long duration.
And Valacyclovir can only control the disease (by interfere with virus multiplication & reducing the severity of outbreak), but cannot eradicate the virus completely from the body.
Ointments are usually given to minimize the side effects which are seen with drugs that are taken orally.

An important thing to note is that out of all kinds of infection, viral diseases are more difficult to treat as they use the human cells for their survival.
Herpes type 1 & 2 are notorious for their ability to persist in the body by becoming latent in the cell bodies of neurons and hiding themselves from the body's immune system.
So...to kill a virus, the body's cells also need to be killed.
And this can have drastic consequences.

Hope I have been able to answer your query. Let me know if you have other queries.

Regards,

Dr Polash Sannigrahi
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Mohammed Kappan
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (35 hours later)
Thanks for your answer.
it doesn't gives me much hope for being cure from it anytime soon.
I am even more shocked or amazed to know that ,out of all people I must be the one who has to contract this most embarrassing virus so easly while my lifestyle does not remmotly resemble the one of those who would be most likely to contract this STD.
I have had only one sexual partner for the last 20 years:my husband, and none before him and am often called an hypocondriac because of my personal hygene and paranoia of germs and public places... so I could I have contracted this stuborn and shamefull disease. could it have been dormant in my husband's body all these years and decided to immigrate in mine only now?
Now the question is How to make sure the blister or symptoms XXXXXXX t spread any further and do not move to the inside of my body like my vagina nor my anus.
This would become a much greater concern to me.
so what are the chances for the virus to travel and outburst inside my vagina or anywhere else in my body and what can I do to completly prevent it?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Polash Sannigrahi (5 hours later)
Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for your follow up query.

There can be 2 reasons how you might have contracted this virus:
1. You might be genetically susceptible to this virus as Herpes does not affect each & every person
2. As you correctly said, chances are there that the virus might be dormant in your husband's body.

As I have already mentioned in my previous post, anti viral treatment needs to be taken for a longer period (known as Suppressive therapy). They keep the virus dormant and prevents relapse and progression of symptoms. So, I advise you to XXXXXXX a Dermatologist & discuss this issue with him.

There are chances that Herpes type 2 can spread anywhere in the perineal area. Hence, Suppressive therapy is a must.

Hope I have been informative. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Wishing you a Good Health.

Take care.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Polash Sannigrahi

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2011

Answered : 3353 Questions

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Have Blisters On Spine. Should I Be Worried For Shingles Or Herpes?

Hello,

I think you are right, as Shingles do not appear so frequently.
And if it is Herpes, it must be of Type 2 (Sexual herpes) because Type 2 occur below the waist line & more frequently than type 1.
To confirm the diagnosis, please get IgG & IgM anti HSV for both Type 1 & Type 2 done. This will give an exact picture of what you are suffering from.

For immediate relief, apply Ointment Acyclovir 5 times a day. And plan to get the test done.

Wishing you a Good Health. Let me know if I need to clarify further.

Thanks & take care.