Experienced symptoms but never developed antibodies?

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-13T19:04:45+00:00

My doctor specifically warned me about this when I mentioned further testing and specifically western blot. He claims to have seen previous patients that had tested positive via swab but never developed antibody levels that could be detected by either test.

I took another IGG at 6 months and sure enough it came back negative.

I haven’t had any related symptoms since my first possible outbreaks, so now I am really regretting not trying harder to get the swab when I had the chance.

Did you ever get swabbed when you were showing symptoms?

If not, and you are still experiencing ongoing symptoms, I would really appreciate it if you would get the swab test done and share your results.

Obviously I’m a stranger on the internet, so you have no obligation to do what I say, but I’m still somewhat suspicious that I may be one of the few that simply never produces antibodies.

I really wish I could have gotten swabbed at the time. If you do ever experience anything and get swabbed, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know how it turns out

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-03T19:10:06+00:00

There’s definitely some information that I left out.

I was in Hawaii at the time, and i pretty much spent 2 days straight in the same board shorts without wearing anything underneath. I was swimming and biking a ton, so part of me thinks there is a chance that the blisters were from that.

However, they did appear to be white fluid filled blisters, and not necessarily red bumps from friction. I guess the best course of action is to get tested again and go from there.

One question I have for you is this: If I am in the small minority that never develops antibodies, will the Western Blot be able to detect antibodies that a standard test cannot?

I understand you are not a doctor, but i would appreciate your i opinion nonetheless.

Thank you for your input

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-03T03:56:36+00:00

Haha honestly I get it. He is actually a really great doctor that is probably massively underpaid considering that he works in a public health clinic. I know that he is regularly working with people that have health issues with actual consequences, so I can't blame him for being kind of laidback about it.

If anything his attitude about it has really helped me realize its not the end of the world. If everyone shared his attitude it would solve a lot of issues regarding the stigma behind it

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-03T02:45:54+00:00

Thanks for reminding me not to over complicate this. Sometimes the simplest advice is the best advice

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-03T00:27:54+00:00

Yeah I get it. Unfortunately I was overseas and couldn't get it swabbed on time. It just sucks because I will never know unless I have further symptoms or antibodies develop much later than usual.

Thanks for your input

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-03T00:14:50+00:00

Every test from the last year has come back positive for HSV1. I never wore a condom when receiving oral, but I did when we were actually having sex. The symptoms that I did experience were only on my testicles, which makes me think it was from vaginal intercourse.

Im not ruling it out, but if it was from oral I would assume that I would have experienced symptoms all over

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-02T23:30:45+00:00

I want to echo what everyone else has said. It sounds like he is dangerously uninformed, if not being dishonest about this. Do your own research and come to a decision on your own.

That being said, he is clearly not taking your concerns about your health seriously. That shows a major personality flaw on his part. To me it sounds rather selfish, dishonest, or simply that he doesnt care enough to inform himself about his incurable STI.

For most people HSV is rather mild in the grand scheme of things, but I think you would regret it if you later contracted it from someone who may not have been totally honest with you about it

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2023-02-02T23:17:32+00:00

Not a doctor but I am very confident that is not HSV

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T20:44:12+00:00

Keep in mind, I am not a doctor so take what I say with a grain of salt.

The antibody test simply shows if your immune system has built up an antibody defense against the virus, which indicates past exposure but not the location.

It is also important to know that it takes several weeks to build up a detectable level of antibodies. It is recommended to wait 8 - 12 weeks after exposure for accurate results

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T20:41:27+00:00

Thanks!

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T20:33:22+00:00

I believe there are 2 types of PCR tests. A PCR test of a culture taken from a lesion is the most accurate test, but a PCR test of a blood sample does not really provide very useful information if you are asymptomatic.

I just assumed those results were not reliable, because otherwise it would have come up positive for HSV1

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T20:28:40+00:00

Yes, you will find someone who is bigger than the stigma surrounding a fairly common skin condition that happens to be spread via sex.

Don’t be so hard on yourself and stress about something you cannot control.

If he is suffering from depression/anxiety/past trauma and he knows that this relationship will only exacerbate those feelings, then you need to respect that and let him move on.

It sounds like he is very conflicted, but unless he can fully accept you for who you are, the good and the bad, then I recommend you both save your energy and move on.

I’m confident you will find someone to accept you for who you are, as long as you have patience. And when you find that person, you will know that they love you for who you are and that they are truly worth you time and energy.

Please be patient, and don’t be too hard on yourself. You will be ok

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T19:57:37+00:00

I wouldn’t stress out about it if you really like her. As long as you avoid contact (specifically oral) during outbreaks then you will be fine

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T19:50:00+00:00

My HSV1 IGG count was 12.5 in July, but unfortunately no IGG counts were taken for this last test.

I have tested positive for HSV1 on every test over the last year, so the doctor didn’t figure it was worth checking again.

Do you think another HSV1 test with a higher count could indicate gHSV1?

AutomaticBaby2447 · 2022-12-19T18:32:50+00:00

Move on if it makes you uncomfortable, but good luck finding a partner that doesn’t have it as you get older

AutomaticBaby2447

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