Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Thursday, November 05, 2009 Miss B asks

Q: How long do your outbreaks last?

I was diagnosed in September with genital herpes, and I have had this outbreak for what it seems like three months. I even told my doctor that, and that my medication is slowing the outbreak. What does it look like when healed? Do the bumps just go away? Because I dont have pain, or itch, etc.. But the bumps are there, and new bumps appear, and nothing seems to be going away. How long do your outbreaks last for, and when they clear up do the bumps go away completely until the next breakout?

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Answers (3)
11/ 6/09 12:06pm

Hey.  3 months?  That sounds very atypical to me... my outbreaks never last for more than 1 or 2 weeks (at their longest).  Are you sure that THESE particular bumps are herpes?  I have no doubt that you have herpes, since you were formally diagnosed, but these long-lasting bumps may be unrelated.  Have you seen a specialist?

 

If you're on medication and it's not helping your outbreaks, the only other thing I've heard that helps it is a diet that is high in the Amino Acids L-Lysine and Arginine.  It has something to do with those particular protiens and the virus.  I take a generic Amino Acids supplement that you can find at GNC.  Not sure how much it helps... I just take every precaution/preventative.

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11/ 5/09 9:26pm

ok so im 15 and i might have herpes. so im freaking out and i have done a lot of research on it. And it starts off with blisters than scabs than goes away no worries it will leave no scare. Hang in there.      If u can please answer my question its is   Do i have herpes?      And maybe we can talk on MSN or some thing i really need some one to talk to since i might have it. I cry every day for a while. I am a boy. I cant focus on my school work because of it. So i will help you out if you help me. Thanks     

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11/ 6/09 10:45am

Hey man.  First, calm down... you may have it, you may not.  Find out if you DO have it before you freak.  Secondly, even if you DO have it, it's not the end of the world.  You can't die from it, you can still have kids, you can still have sex... it's really nothing more than an annoying skin condition, and only makes you more careful about sex - which isn't bad.

 

Anyway, as embarassing as it is, you need to talk to one or both of your parents.  You're going to need to get tested to know for sure, and if you have herpes, you'll need to get a prescription for Valtrex or some sort of suppresant to help control your outbreaks and minimize any risk of transmitting it to someone.  The reason you need to get them into the loop is because you're 15, and I'm guessing you don't have a ton of cash to bankroll all that behind their backs... meaning you're probably going to need to use your health insurance or get them to help pay.  Don't worry... after they get over the initial shock of "Oh my God my 15-year-old-son is having sex," they will probably be very understanding and eager to help... as long as you haven't knocked anyone up.  Just kidding.

 

NOW, to know FOR SURE whether or not you have herpes, you MUST get tested.  Get a blood test that tests for both HSV-1 AND HSV-2, and make sure that it's specific to YOUR blood type.  These tests now are extremely accurate, and as long as you get the right one, it will let you know for sure if you do or don't have the virus.  DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOU DON'T HAVE HERPES.  It sounds like you have symptoms to me, but even if you never had symptoms, you could still be a carrier.  I never had symptoms and found out I had it.  I'm 33 years old now, and have no idea how long I'd been carrying this around, because I never had an outbreak or anything, and assumed that I was fine.

 

Remember, even if you DO have it, it's not the end of the world.  A pain in the ass, yes, but nothing that will destroy you.  But if you DO have it, you MUST be honest with anyone that you may get involved with sexually.  If you want to talk to someone, you can talk to me more.  I'm on yahoo, AIM, and Skype, but not MSN.  Send me a reply on here and I'll get you the info.

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11/ 6/09 3:14pm
ok i will talk to you on the AIM thing Reply
9/19/12 9:47pm

i have almost the same thing as you do i got diagnosed in feburary and i got a culture test done and when the results came back they said that there was a little bit of herpes growing.. i did not trust this because the bumps i have are not painful the only time things ever got painful was when i would have a yeast infection. so i went to another doctor 2 months later and those same bumps were still there and she said she thought it might be a condition called skeens glands, which she described as just a skin condition and it is not contagous. Also on that day i got a blood test done and those results came back negative for herpes even though i still had those same bumps.. she said if i don't feel pain or anything from these bumps then it probably really is just skeens glands.. it is now september (7 months later) and i still have these same bumps but they do not cause any pain and they don't itch.. its like there not even there.. your the first person i have heard of that has what sounds similar to mine.. i just wish i could really find out the answer.

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By Miss B— Last Modified: 05/28/13, First Published: 11/05/09