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long haul viruses

Infectious Diseases | Last Active: Oct 14 12:59am | Replies (13)

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@sueinmn

Whether you have an active or dormant case of herpes, the blood markers may be the same according to the CDC, ..."Both type-specific and type-common antibodies to HSV develop during the first weeks after infection and persist indefinitely. The majority of ,available, accurate type-specific HSV serologic assays are based on the HSV-specific glycoprotein G2 (gG2) (HSV-2) and glycoprotein G1 (gG1) (HSV-1)..."
https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/herpes.htm
So no, the higher factor doesn't necessarily mean an active infection. Symptoms are the sign of an active infection, and treatment suppresses the virus but does not "cure" it completely, it will always be there. Again, from the CDC, "...Systemic antiviral drugs can partially control the signs and symptoms of genital herpes when used to treat first clinical and recurrent episodes or when used as daily suppressive therapy. However, these drugs neither eradicate latent virus nor affect the risk, frequency, or severity of recurrences after the drug is discontinued. Randomized trials have indicated that three FDA-approved antiviral medications provide clinical benefit for genital herpes: acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir..."

So I will stress again, the herpes virus, once in your body, can lie dormant for MANY years before manifesting itself - and over 60% of people have it in their bodies. Doctors do not necessarily "talk about it" because in the realm of ailments they treat daily, this is the equivalent of a pimple or a bruise, not a serious disease unless you are severely immunocompromised - they just treat it and move on.

I'm sorry you didn't feel heard and respected by your doctor, but given the overwhelming workloads of most practitioners these days, I'm not surprised. At least they did the right thing by prescribing acyclovir.

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Replies to "Whether you have an active or dormant case of herpes, the blood markers may be the..."

sueinmn,
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your time and knowledge. I had to ask for the medication from one doctor and get told how to use it, from another doctor, on a virus that does what, when, how it wants.
I respectfully disagree that it's like a pimple or a bruise... I had to cancel a, hopefully, life changing surgery 2x due to maybe I was headed into an episode. Not one doctor checked my chart to see that I have 3 autoimmune diseases, with the possibility of 2 more. I am not on meds yet, I will resist them as long as possible, so I'm not formally immunocompromised.
Again, respectfully, please don't make excuses for doctors being overwhelmed. it is demeaning to me as a person/patient. In my life, before my health decline into hell, I was an Enrolled Agent and owned an accounting and tax company. I was forced to sell cuz of my cognitive impairment has made me stupid. I don't know anyone that would have said, "she is overwhelmed and busy ", if an IRS audit letter showed up in a client's mailbox. Neither the IRS nor the client, nor myself would have cut me any slack.
We are all fortunate that the internet gives us access to such valuable information and groups like this one.... but if we tell our doctors where we got our information, in my experience, I am totally dismissed by all doctors.
I am not venting on you at all, I am respectfully expressing my real life concerns. Please don't denigrate the patient, while excusing the doctor. We need the truth of course, but we need you as a mentor to be on our side, desperately.
ShelleyW