Just diagnosed with hsv2, so many questions.

My partner was asymptomatic and passed the virus to me. My first outbreak was AWFUL. I just finished 10 days of valtrex yesterday. I have no more blisters but there's some tightness when I pee. Is it okay to have sex again? Will it be painful? Will it cause a new outbreak? How soon will I get another outbreak? What can I do to avoid it? I'm so scared. I'm only 22, feel like I'll never be normal again. I already eat extremely healthy, exercise every day, and am on mood stabilizers for bipolar so I'm scared the stress will give me constant outbreaks. I'm never not stressed. I ordered lysine tablets to start taking, any success with those? Should I start suppressive valtrex now? Sorry for the overload, just have no one to talk to about these things. Thanks ❤

Hey @chey

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this. I don't really have the answers to your questions - I'm new on here as well (was diagnosed 1.5 weeks ago) and just turned 24 - had my first blisters on my birthday actually ;). I'm also still having trouble peeing, and my tailbone is killing me.

Just know that you are not alone and that things will get better... They are already better for me, mentally and physically :)

I'm lucky enough to have an amazing support system in friends and family, but of course they don't really know what it's like. If you want someone to talk to who's going through pretty much the exactly same thing right now, feel free to message me!

@Kbh thank you for the reply! It's so crazy cause I had waited a year to have sex again and bam! Lifelong disease. From the most attractive, successful man I've ever met go figure lol. He's been so kind and understanding, my family took it harder than I did. Mostly my mom. I'm just so nervous about the future and how to manage this. I'm so scared of another outbreak

Herpes is a really shitty thing, but you know what? Shitty things happen. To all of us one way or another. It is going to be okay.

As for your questions @Chey. Lysine does not have any documented effects on herpes but some claim it has helped them a lot. I guess you could try it out and see if it changes anything.

For some, sex is a trigger so they will have an OB if it's too rough. I would wait a few days/weeks after the initial OB before I engaged in anything sexually. You might still be a bit sore.

I personally haven't really found any triggers other than too much stress and not enough sleep. Hormones seems to effect me too, I had to change birth control so I took something with less hormones in it.

Great to heat that you try to excersise and eat healthy. That's a great first step. Remember that the first year or two are usually the worst - meaning that *most* people after that time won't experience that many OB's pr year.

I lived for a lot of months with the fear of having another OB. I didn't go out with my friends because I was so scared that alcohol or unhealthy food would bring on an OB. Or loss of sleep. Which means that I just stayed home and went early to sleep. I wasn't depressed but I was very down and so scared of those stupid OB's. Then the day came where I had another OB. And you know what? My fear of getting the OB was way worse and controlling than actually having the OB itself. It was WAY (!!!!!!) easier to deal with than the first. I couldn't feel it unless I touched it and there was nothing to see.

So just want to tell you this because I hope that HSV won't hold you back from ANYTHING. As I said, shitty things happen - also to good people - but life still goes on.

Are you still together with the person who gave this to you?

All the best, Tina

Hey! I am in a similar position to you, I am also on mood stabilisers for similar reasons and it was a massive trigger for me with regards to mood swings at first! I am also 22 :) However 2 years later I don't even care, no symptoms and no problems! Doesn't effect me at all and everyone accepts it! So my advice would be to not let it get the better of you and see it for what it is and it's not a big deal! I wish I would have realised that sooner haha

@Chey I know what you mean in terms of being scared of having another OB all the time. I'm not even over my primary OB and I am paranoid and feeling tingling and all sorts of things that supposedly signify another one coming. As the day pass though, I realize that most of this is in my head and I'm actively trying not to worry because that's not helping anyone, least of all myself :)

What is helping me a lot right now is positive thinking, and realizing that this is really not the end of the world (not even close!) and that things could be so much worse.

I'm glad to hear that your partner is being supportive and understanding! Try to really focus on being grateful for that, and send positive vibes his way. My partner (who gave it to me) dumped me pretty brutally a couple of days ago, and said it was very much related to this. But you know what? Blessing in disguise for me. I am just so much better than that.

It sounds like you have a good support system around you, as do I in friends and family. And every single day I remind myself to feel grateful and happy for that. While I have always known that these people loved me, the way that they have gone above and beyond in supporting me has really overwhelmed me (in a good way). When things feel extra shitty, I imagine myself in a little cocoon of their love and support (cheesy, I know), and I instantly feel better. I can't imagine how much harder this would be without them, so let's you and me both be suuuuper grateful to have these people around us <3 <3, and anyone who isn't, probably wasn't meant to be in our lives anyway, or would have let us down for something else, if not this.

Sending positive vibes your way!