HomeAnswersDermatologyherpesDo I need suppressive therapy when there is no active herpes infection?

Is it necessary to take suppressive therapy for my herpes infection, when it is not active?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Shanza Ikram

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At October 14, 2019
Reviewed AtJanuary 17, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am not sexually active, and a few months back, I tried a boxer without washing it and got a pimple on the penis, took antibiotic cream, and it went off in three weeks. It did not hurt me. A few months later, I got another pimple on the penis, did a herpes test, and the IgG was 3.80 positive and IgM was 0.935 equivocal, and the swab was positive. It did not hurt me but took a month to go. Two months later, I got a bunch of small blisters, and the doctor recommended to take antiviral pills for five days.

My question is, as it never hurt me, will it be in the future? Also, will it get worse or better? Does suppressive therapy work? How long will it take?

Answered by Dr. Shanza Ikram

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The most common symptom of herpes is the burning sensation. Sometimes this is masked too. There is a high possibility that if you get it again, you might have a burning sensation. But every patient has his resistance, and his response is different. For acute reactions, antivirals are given for five to seven days depending upon clinical presentation. But for chronic cases in which patients have repeated infections, prophylactic treatment is given for six months to one year.

In my opinion, it works to relieve your presentation. So it will help you and will not make the situation worse. It is important to take antiviral therapy even if you do not have any symptoms because vesicles are highly infectious and contain millions of viral particles, and you could transmit them to others. So it is better to get treated.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Shanza Ikram
Dr. Shanza Ikram

Dermatology

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