Confused about symptoms

I found out i had HSV-2 through a random blood test but then pretty much immediately had what i thought was an outbreak. Intense burning, my entire vagina is really red and i feel pain sometimes in my bladder area and when peeing. These episodes would last months sometimes, and i ended up seeing 4-5 drs who all said it wasn't herpes- and a few drs who are self-proclaimed experts. It would eventually go away, only to return several months later, sometimes it would just be a few day-week but at least once a year i have an episode that lasts for 2-3 months straight. I have never really seen bumbs although the texture of the skin looks off, not as smooth as normal. I've had the area swabbed 4 times during these episodes as well and it was negative. I'm so frustrated because i a. just want to know whether it is or isn't, but b. am scared that it is in which case i have bad symtpoms. i've taken alycyclovir and famcyclovir and neither helped. has anyone had a similar experience?

Thank you for your post @katy because your symptoms sound remarkably similar to mine. I found out through a not-so-random blood test (his ex found me and warned me to get tested) - started feeling the prodromal symptoms (malaise, achy feeling) the day I went for the test and the burning irritated feeling started the next day when I got my results. My first OB lasted about 6 weeks - my skin was red and burned - I could see elevated patches - when I saw what looked like blisters, they would be gone within a day. I was taking Valtrex at the time but it wasn't doing much for me. I was also watching my diet, taking Lysine and vitamin D - topical treatments helped some. First coconut oil, then coconut oil with a couple drops of tea tree oil - finally just tea tree oil diluted in water did the trick to take away the redness. I have since had another OB with the same burning red skin, no blisters. Some prodromal symptoms like nerve pain in my boxer short area (I get it right where my legs and butt meet) but no malaise or flu-like symptoms the second time around. I started on the tea tree oil almost immediately for the second OB and it helped tremendously.

I went to see my doctor after getting my initial results. She said that I would either be asymptomatic (since I wasn't sure I was having an OB at the time) or my OBs could be so mild that I didn't realize what they were. That it could be a mild strain of the virus. It has also been relatively mild on the man who transmitted it to me.

As best I can tell, stress is a trigger for me. Finding out I was at risk and then HSV2 positive can be very stressful, it seems. Who knew? The virus had been transmitted to me anyway from 2-6 months prior to my test and any symptoms I had were so mild I didn't even notice.