Herpes Medication found in my husbands bag

[countrysidefields]

I have just found empty packets of tablets from an online pharmacy box dated 17th dec 2024 for anciclovir in my husbands laptop bag.
All the empty packets and packing was also in the box, like it was hidden in there.
When I googled that medication it's used for genital herpes. He doesn't and never has had cold sores.
I am obviously thinking the worst seeing how it was hidden away. Please don't judge me, I wasn't actually looking on purposes, I happened to come across it.
Am I right to be assuming the worst?

I hope it's innocent OP. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst and we're all here if you need support ❤️

Hopefully pp is wrong then 🤞

She obviously does, thus the thread itself. I'd just rather she knows that there's a chance its not to treat genital herpes and that someone on this forum can tell her more about the order process in case he tries to lie about how he got them

Herpes can lie dormant for decades.
If you have never had any symptoms, maybe your husband hasn't either.
It's possible he has noticed something recently, if you haven't had sex in a while, he could have sought out medication and not told you...maybe through fear and embarrassment.

I would definitely want to know why he has been taking the medication, he could be entirely innocent of any wrong doing.

But...I would not be having sex with him till I had answers.

They are definitely wrong that and can only be ordered for genital herpes. This is a screenshot from Superdrug.
As I've said though, my husband knows what I order and why. There's no good reason I can imagine hiding this for treatment of any condition.

Could have caught it around the time your sex life dwindled? It seems like if he'd had it for ages you'd obviously know.
You do need to speak to him. I think if my partner cheated that would be enough, never mind them doing it unprotected and catching a life long illness.

I think there is cross wires. If you go on suoerdrugs website they only offer this drug for genital herpes. They are very clear.

this doesn’t mean they don’t think it can be used for other purposes, simply they do not offer it.

a pp says she’s prescribed it by them for cold sores, but the fact remains on line they do not offer this.

I agree it doesn’t look good BUT herpes can lie dormant for many many years (like from teenage years!!) and flare up when you’re stressed or ill. Perhaps that happened and he was too embarrassed or didn’t want to share it with you in case you assumed the worst (as I probably would, but the aforementioned random flare up many years down the line can and does happy - my mum is a sexual health practitioner). Hope you’re ok and can get answers as you need them. X

They do, I've posted a screenshot above. Accessed by selecting prescriptions for Coldsores in the health and wellbeing section.

Thank you for all your comments, it's been very helpful to get others perspective on this and I do appreciate your posts.

I am not a hot headed person and prefer to get my head straight and confront in a calm, informed manner which I will do when I feel ready to.

I am also not easily lied to so when I do speak to him I will know if he's being truthful or not, I am not an easy person to manipulate and won't be gaslighted or have this turned around on me because I found the medication in his bag.
I am going to get tested to give me peace of mind, I am happy to pay for a private blood test for herpes as I have never had any symptoms so a normal test won't be useful.

The only things I know at the moment is that the medication was hidden, he has never had shingles or a cold sore, neither of us have, it was ordered online via Superdrug and not via our normal doctors.

I am now assuming this explains the lack of wanting/initiating sex.

When I have spoken to him, most probably tomorrow night as DS wont be home I will update

It certainly can I have a friend that has had it for over 30 years with only a couple of flare ups in that time when they'd been quite ill.

Not everyone is suceptable to herpes viruses and in others can be carriers of it and it is completely silent in them.

I'd assume more so that shes not seen if he's got an outbreak or not.
Its very common for people to carry it for years without a noticeable outbreak until they get older and immune system weakens. Likely op has been exposed given they're married.

ive gone into my account
it’s different questions for cold sore / herpes
but it’s the same medication

however unless the op sees his superdrug account and the prescription and and sees what he got it for she won’t know

he will say it’s for cold sore ( because it can be used for both )

but cold sores aren’t a big deal so why hide it and most likely op would have possibly noticed if he had a cold sore or he would have mentioned it

It doesn't sound good, OP.
So sorry you are going through this and I hope you get the answers you seek. X

Thank you

Sorry but you are wrong. Herpes can still be transmitted through unprotected sex even when it is dormant. This phenomenon is known as asymptomatic viral shedding, where the virus is present on the skin without causing any visible symptoms. During these periods, the virus can still be passed to a sexual partner

I hope it goes well OP.

I’d assume it was for herpes too. I only took them once for my first outbreak, which was horrific. I got them on my fingers and everything!

I hope it goes well and you get the answers you need OP.

Good luck love, I really hope there is a valid explanation. x

I get horrific cold sores and take Aciclovar I get some from Superdrug ( easier than trying to get a GP appointment) so that I have them to hand to take as soon as I feel a tingle. Creams don’t work for me ( I’ve tried everything drugs, old wives tale and zappy things) you can get 1 course or 3 courses work out cheaper. Every now and then I take a six month extended course ( which you can also get from Superdrug by the way) and that usually stops them coming back for a couple of years I’ve gone as much as 5 years between outbreaks then had 5 outbreaks in a year it’s very unpredictable . As well as the classic cold sore on the lip I’ve had it around my nose where it looked like a normal rash and even beside my eye which you couldn’t actually see but I surely could feel it. I’ve never had genital herpes and my DH has never caught cold sores from me either because I am so careful.

Yes, if they are caused by the herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus.

An awful lot of the general population already have the herpes virus - around 80% of them will never know they have it as they'll never get symptoms. I caught it 10 years ago from a boyfriend who had a cold sore forming on his lip who then gave me oral sex (didn't know it could be transmitted like that). I take acyclovir every day to stop the flare ups from happening as often as they used to. If I do get a flare up which is mercifully rare these days, I have to up them to 3-4 per day.

It's worth mentioning as others have said that general STI screens don't test for herpes, and it's very difficult to even diagnose without active sores. Even the blood tests are considered only around 50% accurate, so I'd be wary.

Also, condoms will not generally stop you from contracting genital herpes as it's transmitted skin-to-skin. Where my sores occur is in an area that wouldn't be covered by a condom.

Even with my taking precautions (avoiding sex during a flare up, using condoms and taking preventative medicine) there's a small chance it can be passed on. I've always been honest with sexual partners but have transmitted it to one ex - although he was aware and willing to take the risk.

We may as well close down the whole forum 😂

It sounds like he's taking a suppressive dose if there's multiple boxes and they've come from Superdrug. He either gets really bad cold sores (which you've said he doesn't) or he's taking it twice every day for genital herpes. He's probably really ashamed of this (no reason to be unless he's cheated) as you can contract the virus and not show symptoms for years and then have an outbreak. As you're not having sex I'd actually approach this in a supportive way to begin with... good luck x