Herpes

[namechamge010118]

Does anyone have any experience with heroes and can give me some advice.
I was diagnosed a year ago after the worst first outbreak. It lasted week and it was the most painful thing. Caught it off a guy I had been dating for 3 months.

Since then I have 1/2 outbreaks a month even when I take the suppression meds. I've tried diet changes, no drinking, working out more, immune vitamins the works and nothing is working and the clinics don't seem overly helpful on other solutions.

I get OBs on the bottom of my back and it's so painful I can hardly wear clothes sometimes. I'm at the end of my rope with it all I really am

I feel your pain. After my 1st outbreak i had a new attack 2-3 weeks after the previous one healed for the 1st year.
Also summer holidays were guaranteed to trigger an attack.

It does quieten down and for the last 20+ years later i get maybe 1 or 2 a year. Some people are lucky and rarely if ever have attacks after the 1st one. Its not really down to how good your immune system is either - ive not seen a GP in decades years and according to my hr record I’ve had 6 sick days in the last 21 years.

Avoid too much UV and peanuts is what i remember being told.

What suppression meds are you taking? I have suffered for more than 30 years and only valacyclovir 500mg daily stops it. I take a break on doctors orders every year or so but within 5 days I get an outbreak.

I get my OBs on my buttock, I can barely sit down it's awful. If your GP Is prescribing the antivirals I suggest talking to a GU specialist rather than a GP.

You have my absolute sympathy. It does ease off over time. You need to also avoid stress, don't drink to much, don't let yourself get run down, they are all triggers. I also stick those clear cold sore plasters over mine when I get an OB and ramp my dose of Valtrex up to 2g per day for three days. That usually stops the sores progressing to the weeping stage.

It gets better.
Stress, wrong underwear, stress, too much alcohol - I can usually have an outbreak to one of these.
Taking a decent amount of antiviral can help you feel in control of your life. When(if) you stop taking them you will get an outbreak, it's almost inevitable. But then things settle down.

I'm on acyclovir twice a day. Morning and night but it does nothing to stop the OB and the OB don't last any less time while taking them. I've started to take two tablets twice a day to see if it helps and for the first time in nearly 18 months I had a week and a half with no OB. But then my period arrived and so did the OB.

I've honestly tried everything including no underwear, no drinking, no UV light, diet, vitamins, cold sore patches. The works.

Hi back to your doctor and ask to switch to a different antiviral is all I can think of.

Around 3 yrs ago I had my first OB and it was awful. The second, not so bad and it gradually tapered off. I was given a big box of acyclovir and sent on my way when I was diagnosed.
I run out eventually and had a couple of flare ups but just put up with it - salt baths etc. I've not had one for about a year or more.
My theory is that taking the meds stops your body from building up it's own immunity. Could be rubbish but it seems to have worked for me.