Anyone suffer with Herpetic whitlows?

[TheJourney22]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetic_whitlow

Anyone else suffer with these?

I have had them for 8 years, never knew what it was until last year I saw a Harley Street dermatologist who diagnosed whitlows which I'm cringing at as basically it's herpes on my fingers!?!? WTF?!

So I have bare it out .. they are agony, only flare up when stressed, run down etc but they are so bad I'm actually on preventative treatment now (orally)

Feel a bit of a freak?!! Never had a cold sore in my life, yet low & behold my fingers are covered in horrific weeping blisters ... Attractiveness at its highest

Just would like to know if anyone else suffers or experiences?

Yes I have them a couple of times recently. Like you I have never had a cold sore but for the past year I have been battling herpetic keratitis (essentially a cold sore on my eye).

The cold sore virus is the most common one for causing whitlows, but it can be any of the 8 HSV viruses. It doesn't really matter which it is because the treatment is the same. Approx 75% of the population carry HSV. It is just bad luck that it flares up in us.

I think stress is definitely a trigger for me also. This past year I have had to deal with health issues with both DCs, lack of sleep due to toddler, moved house, managing a very difficult person at work and DH being stressed and bloody hard to live with.

I am now taking acyclovir tablets and GP is really trying to help sort out toddler's health (at least the part that was affecting sleep). So I am hoping things will get better.

Blimey! Yes I am on the same tablets.

I find it so bizarre of all places to have the blisters on eye / fingers. Evil things & it's a virus so have it forever :(

He took one look at my finger under a microscope & went "yep, that's it, you're going to have to live with it" ??

Just interesting to know that others have the virus .. Could be worse "ahem" if you know what I mean

Never had a flare up in my pregnancy & now a year after DS was born, full blown attack.

Glad to hear you are getting some sleep. I'm quite lucky DS (11.5mths) sleeps well.

Christ! Just googled what you have ... You poor thing :( my fingers don't seem so bad now!

Do you take the pills as preventative or when you have a flare up? I am doing both

At least my eye doesn't usually hurt. The blisters on my finger were way more painful. I am taking the tablets to try to prevent any more flare ups. The eye cream has to be done 5 times a day which is a real faff. I could not keep going with it indefinitely so I prefer to have the tablets.