Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 09:49 AM
Thank you all for your comments. I am closing in on 52 and have noticed a marked increase in outbreaks over the past year or so. I have no other peri-menopausal symptoms except the occasional night sweat and this is very rare.
Like many of you I prefer the natural approach and use products from
www.Herpaflor.com. They have a daily supplement, outbreak response tablets and a topical formula. I was using Acyclovir but found that it stopped being effective, I would get an outbreak on top of the first outbreak, while on the medication! I have been using the new formulas but find that I still have outbreaks, often back to back.
Thanks to the woman who re-posted the response she received from the University of Washington Viral Research Center.
These frequent outbreaks really make me feel sad as I am married and my husband is affected in terms of our inability to have intercourse during the outbreaks. He does not have herpes.
I wonder what the future holds in terms of our outbreaks...as we age will they dwindle or continue on the current course. If there are any out there who have been post-menopausal for a period of time, would you please share your experiences with us?
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sue
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 02:54 PM
Hi there,
That is a scary question. I can't help but hope that menopause is a temporary situation. Our bodies are unstable and out of control. minds too! ha! and once we get into the swing of older age, we will settle down. I don't know that the U of W has any other answers for us, since our generation is the first that has had to deal with this affliction. I hate that our husbands have to deal with this too. But you know, I just compare it to having cancer. We don't have cancer. So, I'll continue to dabble with the Valtrex , which is stronger than Acyclovir, (that stuff didn't work at all and I was mad at the doc who prescribed it, knowing there was something better out there) and keep trying to get enough sleep etc.
Much good luck to you...
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AMB
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 at 08:34 AM
Hi, Are you finding that Valtrex is limiting or eliminating the outbreaks? Thanks in advance for your response.
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1234ls HealthCentral Community Member
Send MessageSubscribeTuesday, November 09, 20101234lsI just turned 45, and over the summer, I noticed that the outbreaks are not increasing in the spot they originated at, but I am having new tingling in strange places, but haven't officially broken out in all of them (under my armpits, where my legs rub together, my nipples, etc.. My husband has never had an "outbreak", but I wonder if he is somehow "shedding" or is a carrier. It also seems like there is a pattern of outbreaks about a week or so before my period starts. This month, I have a whole bunch of new places where I feel the tingling. Now I have it around my mouth and in the back of my throat (after oral ___ a couple of days ago). I am wondering if I am just more susceptible at this time of the month because of peri-menopause, as I have never had this happen afterwards before...
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Jen HealthCentral Community Member
Send MessageSubscribeSaturday, November 27, 2010JenYou know, I am 38 and contracted herpes when I was 22. When I am not taking medication I have a herpes outbreaks each month at the onset of PMS -and I always have. I am convinced it has something to do with estrogen-dominance at that point in my cycle. The reason I have concluded this is because soy is the number one trigger food for herpes outbreaks and it is estrogen-like properties. I am sure it is way more complex than that since hormones work in ratios, etc. I am thinking about asking my Naturopath if I can use Progesterone cream just during my PMS phase, to offset the estrogen-dominance, and see what happens.
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Yeermomth HealthCentral Community Member
Send MessageSubscribeSaturday, November 27, 2010YeermomthVery happy to find this discussion. I'm 38, have had HSV-1 since I was 24. It's always been managable to the point I forgot I even had it.
About 4 years ago, I started having fevers of unknown origin and flulike symptoms (malise, persistent sore throat) and chronic insomnia, possibly triggered by starting a new stressful job. My doctor was the one who connected these symptoms to herpes. After she said it, I realized I did have very mild "classic" herpes OBs, but they'd been overshadowed by the flulike stuff. At that point, she prescribed 1g of Valtrex for suppressive therapy. For two months, the skies lifted and I had no symptoms. I felt perfect, and had zero side effects from the medication. But then.. of course the symptoms came back.
Important to note that during this time, my periods became very irregular -- they'd last one day, if I got them at all, which led me to believe I'm entering perimenopause.
I tried birth control pills to even things out, but they made me so sick I coudn't stick with it. (Maybe I should power through.)
For me, Lysine doesn't do a thing, ditto for vitamin B and zinc, though of course they might be an good immuno-boost in general. I switched to a low-stress job, which oddly banished my symptoms for a few months, but again they returned. I'm still on 1g daily of Valtrex, but obviously that's not really working since I still have my symptoms as frequently as I ever have.
The one thing that does seem to help is A LOT Of sleep, like 11 or 12 hours as many nights as possible, which for most people is not fesasible (and for me, an insomniac, rare).
Frustrating to think there's really no research going on about this. One reason is because perimenopausal women with herpes are not the strongest 'voting bloc' when it comes to driving research funds (judgmental/biased system). Also GlaxoSmithKlineis making hand-over-fist in $$ from Valtrex, whereas a cure would pay no one.
I'm going to explore my options with an endocrinologist and hopefully be able to post more optimistic news. Be well.
November 29, 2010troglodyte(Original post-er of question) - I'm now 56, still using bioidentical hormone cream with an increase in progesterone ration, I think, since my last post, and my OB's are rare. Maybe once or twice a year. I'll probably taper off the hormones eventually, but I think my own fluctuations have leveled out, and suspect that has helped. I don't think it keeps getting worse - I think the erratic nature of hormones around menopause is what causes this uptick in OB's. As well as the temporary insanity. I'm all better now in that regard. No, really. . .
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Hi I'm 52 and have had herpes for 30 years with a dramatic increase in OBs during menopause. What are bioidentical hormones? Where did u get them? And how do u know which ones to use? Thanks in advance. -Sad
, December 06, 2010HeatherI'm joining my voice to the group as I too have been experiencing increased number of OB's and would say that I am peri menopausal coming up to 49yrs. The last couple of months I have had back to back OB's (mine are external around base of spine/buttocks location)... I have started to experience little temp. fluctuations about a week before my period starts (probably very mild hot flash) and also the weather here has been hot and dry. I have found in the past that dehydration seems to be a trigger (often due to it being a hot day, doing physical work or strenuous exercise and not drinking enough fluid). I have one coffee a day (latte prior to breakfast) and do eat my ritual 4-5 squares (not bars or blocks) of chocolate per day and the odd nut in my morning cereal. Not taking any medications or HRT however I do use a topical treatment with 5% Aclclovir for the herpes which of late does not seem to be doing much. (I have taken pill for treatments in the past but didn't really find that they did much to help.)
I prefer to opt for natural treatments whenever possible so I will test some of the options given here and continue to remind myself to keep up the water supply (possibly electrolytes may play a factor in this too), get more sleep and see what works or at least decreases frequency of OB's.
Monday, December 06, 2010 at 07:25 PM
To add to the above post... I have also noticed OB's can be triggered if I skip meals (this I very rarely do now) or delay eating at a regular time (particularly the case with lunch). If I'm traveling or going out for the day I carry a snack bar or two as back up so I have something I can eat to tide my system over until I can have a meal.
, December 13, 2010AzmereldaREALLY glad I found this website! I'm 51, perimenopausal, have had herpes for at least 25 years and up until this past year have had it pretty much under control. Now however I am having out breaks almost constantly. The last one started right after Halloween and was the worst I've ever experienced and seems to have spread. I used to only get lesion on two places of my anatomy now, it's in several AND the Halloween original BO was like a blood blister that lasted for weeks and I have had prodromes almost every day since. I recently started taking PhytoB to help with hormonal fluctuations. I experience hyperactivity of facial muscles and heart palpitations, etc.
Though I wish we all had a cure for this dreaded virus, it's somewhat comforting to know that other women out there in my peer group are having a similar experience. Now at least I know that it may be "normal" for our age group and condition. And when my husband grumbles about lack of sex, I can share with him that this is REAL and not so so fun on my end either.
Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 12:23 PM
omg, so glad to know others are believing the hormone correlation. i'm 52 post menopausal and outbreaks are becoming more regular again. FYI TO ALL Vitamin B1, Thiamine CAN AGGRAVATE OUTBREAKS... so B supplements need to have lower levels of B1. Found this info years ago...was taking high level B complex felt fantastic but OB's were out of control. i read this info in the now old boook Women's encyclopedia of Health and natural healing by Emrika Padus.
i seem to notice having too many sweets, nuts, running on empty (not getting enough sleep) etc aggravate. However, i use herbs from accupuncturist to help with the meno symptoms (liver heat) and am going back to see what to do. i also regularly use a small amount of natural bio-identical hormone to relieve the sensation of getting a bladder infection, think it is from vag dryness as i do not have bladder infections. i am in a new relationship and frustrated beyond belief and baffled as to why this is happening.... i'm excercising more also hoping it will help. i will continue to check in here and contact university of WA. thank you all for sharing.
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Azmerelda
Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 03:39 PM
Yes! Nuts, seeds, chocolate, caffeine and anything that contain Argenine, will aggravate the virus, is what my ND told me. She gave me a food list outline of things to eat and what to avoid so I could better get a handle. I do know that for me, at least, she highly recommended eating protein at every meal, but with no nuts, and a lot of the grains on restriction as well, that just leaves meat. Not a personal problem for me, but may be for anyone vegan or vegetarian.
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Cheryl
Saturday, December 25, 2010 at 04:47 AM
I don't usually see threads continuing on month after month. Interesting how this one seems to have hit a nerve. I'm like everyone else here, 52, starting to have changes in my period. Only got Herpes 2.5 years ago and have had very few breakouts. Now a week before my period is due, I'm having one nearly as bad (or maybe just as bad) as the first. It would be a great relief to hear some success stories or that things ease up after menopause. If you're posting here, please don't forget to come back and let us know any changes you find and whether any of these suggestions helps. Hope is anti-stressful :)
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Joan HealthCentral Community Member
Send MessageSubscribeTuesday, January 04, 2011JoanIt's really helpful reading about others who, like me, are frequent OB sufferers. I've had herpes for 36 years and am quite a bit older than all of you, 64, I've been post-menopausal for 13 years. However, only after having to discontinue HRT therapy due to abnormal breast tissue activity, did my body start to implode. I was not only getting frequent OBs about every 3 months (up from once a year typically) but was also getting frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs). My doctor said that when there is no estrogen, a woman's vaginal area gets very dry and little tears can occur in the vagina which let in bacteria, stress the body and lead to UTIs and OBs. She put me on an estrogen cream which is totally localized in the vagina and is not absorbed systemically. My boyfriend has noticed a change in the tissue being softer and "plumper." My urologist also suggested rubbing a little of the cream at the urethral opening, which also helps with dryness in that area where bacteria can invade. This has all helped with both the OBs and UTIs until last month when I had OBs back-to-back. I'm not sure what is going on and am attributing it to diet over the holidays. It's frustrating because I eat very healthy, do yoga, work out with a trainer and do weights 2-3 times a week.
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abby HealthCentral Community Member
Send MessageSubscribeSaturday, February 05, 2011abbywow. the power of the internet.... i am 44 have had GH for 20+ years. No OB for years. Recently full on OB. They seem to reoccur within days of healing. My OB tend to be concentrated on labia - makes it super uncomfortable to wear underwear even. ouch. i do want a natural approach so have purchased lemon balm (STINGs when applied to OB) and am taking zinc (makes me really nauseous if i don't take on a full stomach). i am experiencing night sweats and haven't had a period in 3 months - that's why i did this search - figured i must be perimenupausal...
After reading this post that began almost 3 years ago and has no concrete solution to our problems, i feel like i just have to continue to do what i am doing and deal with the pain and shame. My husband is clean and i don't want to share - so sex seems impossible these days. what a shame for us...
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troglodyte