Expert: Norman Solberg - 10/4/2009

Question
Hi Doctor, thanks in advance to read my question, I was diagnosed with genital herpes around 2 weeks ago, this is the day #14 of my first outbreak. Unfortunatelly the diagnosis was done with the doctor just looking because the blood test came back negative, so my doctor wants to repeat the test in a couple of months. My symptoms were all the clasic symptoms of genital herpes, excrutiating pain while urinate, itch, blisters, burning, vaginal inflamation, redness, and at the begining of the episode I had what looked like a very small tonsils infection. During the first 7 days the blister break, they become ulcers, and they dry, the pain while urinating disapear, the inflamation went away, then I started noticing that while the blisters would heal, I started to have an increasing in itching in those areas and inside of the vagina, right now I have some irritation areas where the blisters used to be, even when I am 70% feeling better that when the breakout started, it looks like it is taking a while for the final healing process, and the itching is bad. Is this something normal in the first herpes breakout? My doctor put me on valtrex 5 days 1 gram, which I finished already. I was tested for HIV, sifilis and others std, also for UTI and everything came back negative.

Answer
I think you're having a typical first episode of genital herpes.  If it recurs, it will be shorter and less severe.  A blood test usually won't be positive with the initial outbreak, since it is for antibodies, and they take time to develop.  One good thing you can do for the itching is to use warm soaks with epsom salts.  It should clear up soon.  Best wishes.