Frustrated by recurring herpes outbreaks!

Hello everyone,

I got diagnosed with HSV around June 2013. Since then I have had probably 5 or 6 outbreaks. They are never very bad - i have only had one that I got blisters. But I seem to get these irritating outbreaks every month! They will be more like an itchy swollen bump or rash that doesn't really hurt, but just itches like crazy.

I use antivirals once in a while and it seems to help to an extent, but I don't know why I get them so often in the first place! I workout about 6 times a week, eat clean, don't drink coffee, drink alcohol but not excessively..

Can anyone else relate? If so, what do you do?

Thanks in advance :)

Heya BC! Welcome to our community! Good to have you here. :)

Within the first 6 months to a year of your first exposure to herpes, your body is still getting used to having the new virus in its system. It takes that long on average for your body to build up enough antibodies to have a good defense against herpes. So what you're doing is GREAT! Keeping your body clean and healthy is awesome. Anything you can do to support your own immune system that's working overtime to help you out. :) How are your stress levels in your life? In my experience, stress happens to be the #1 trigger for recurring outbreaks (and for women, a close second is their periods). Herpes just happens to be another great excuse to live as stress-free a life as possible! Sometimes easier said than done, but what herpes outbreaks reminds me of is to take care of myself on many levels: Physically, mentally, spiritually. The more I take care of myself on all these levels, the less herpes affects me overall. And like I said, even if you do all of these things for yourself, you're still in the 6 months to a year window anyway. So be patient with your body and keep up what you're doing.

That's an answer zoomed out a bit. To answer your specific question about herpes treatments, itchiness and taking care of the outbreaks themselves, here are some previous blog posts and forum discussions on that:

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-treatment/

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-medication/

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1624/herpes-medication-genital-hsv-1-how-to-keep-herpes-outbreaks-clean-dry/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1749/herpes-itch/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1488/just-diagnosed-with-herpes-and-everything-itches/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1327/help-please-itching-from-herpes/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1242/itching-after-herpes-outbreak/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1230/body-sensitivity-beforeafter-herpes-outbreaks/p1

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1007/my-body-started-itching-today-is-it-a-sign-of-another-herpes-outbreak/p1

Thanks so much Adrial :) That makes me feel a lot better, i'll definitely take a look at those links/