I have Herpetic Whitlow
Posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 11:51 AM
I have had Herpetic Whitlow on my left thumb for 12 years. I contracted it back in 1996 and I have no idea how. I have been struggling living with this debilitating disease and I find it really hard to care for my two children. I constantly wear latex gloves when bathing or changing them and am still in fear of giving this to them. From what I understand, in-tact skin doesn’t shed, so as long as I am not currently having an outbreak, I am not contagious. But I struggle with this aspect and even when I am not experiencing an outbreak, I still wear the gloves.
When I first got this, I was breaking out on an average of every other month, it was awful. But then my doc put me on Famvir, 500 mg, twice daily. Over the years, my OBs have become less frequent. I believe this is due to the Famvir and the virus getting weaker over time. I broke out a week before my first daughter was born, which sucked and then two years went by and I hadn’t broken out at all until I was pregnant with my second child. Then, I broke out at 7 months pregnant and again a week before the birth of my daughter. Luckily, I have a very caring and understanding husband who was willing to do all of the bathing and changing until my outbreaks healed.
This may sound completely ignorant, but I honestly feel that if I had Herpes genitally or orally, I wouldn’t struggle with this as much. For the simple fact that I would still be able to change diapers, bathe my children and interact freely with them without concern. Having this on my hand is very hard to deal with when having children. – M
I am FREAKING OUT. Seriously and fully. This weekend I felt pain in my finger, by Monday I went to the ER, when the DR walked in, she looked, and said “thats herpetic whitlow” … so after grilling her and being all over the web, I am still confused.
Can I infect myself on other parts of my body ? Like not to get graphic, but if I wipe, can I give myself genital herpes ??
Should I go to my Dr. and request immediately going on antibiotics forever ?
So many questions, I will leave it at two for now…
Are you sure it is whitlow? Did the dr take a culture? Do you think you have been exposed to the virus???
If it is whitlow – go get anti virals like acyclovir and keep ypur finger bandaged. As long as there are blisters present you are infectious.
But once it goes away you are no longer infectious unless there is a recurrence — which doctors say is very unusual…
Keep it away from your mouth and genitals and just wait till it is all gone…
I got my whitlow almost 2 montha ago and my finger hasnt totally healed….but im not freaking out..just kinda sux while it is active thats all…
Feel better….and good luck.
Xo
Pupie Thanks for the message. I seriously feel so freaking bad though :( I have not been sexually active in almost 3 years, and know that I do not have any other form of herpes. Which means that I got this thru it being somewhere that I was, a shopping cart, the Y, anwhere. It would be one thing to say, hey I participated in the risky behavior, I have to live with the outcome… but WTF.. I am a single mom of two little ones, I am afraid to touch them. :o( Not to mention the fact that I am freaking out about my kids touching anything in public. And how the Freak do you explain this to anyone without them looking at you all funny. I swear the more I write the more depressed I get.
ps. I did not have it cultured, but I am pretty sure that is what it is. I can’t see it being anything else. Definitely not dry skin etc.
You should have it checked. I was sure I had it as well, but upon speaking with a doctor he said it was probably Dyshidrotic Eczema. I looked up some pictures and they look very similar. I haven’t found out for sure, but it is worth having it cultured when you have an outbreak to make certain. We both may be worrying for nothing.
I feel your pain. I also have it on my left thumb for 8 years now. I have had very little information about it and the doctor says “she doesn’t even want to think about how I managed to get it there”. I am only finding out tonight as I am currently suffering an outbreak that there are other people with it. I decided to do some more research( I haven’t since first being diagnosed) and managed to find a website that gave it a name other than herpes. I have never worked in health care, but my first outbreak came after breaking my left arm and going through surgery and 5 months of physical therapy. Maybe this is how it occured. I wish you the best with your children and prevention. I believe you are taking the right steps.
I had my first outbreak in 2004. It was on the ball of my hand. I went to the ER and they treate me for a bug bite. This went on for two years before they discovered it was herpetic whitlow (they did a culture). Even today I still have frequent outbreaks. The disease appears to be resistant to all anti viral meds. I now have chronic pain in my hand and arm for which I have to take pain meds daily. I have nerve and muscle damage and even when I am not broke out, my hand looks gross due to wrinkles, scarring and discoloration. Because it took so long to diagnose, both of my little boys ended up with lesions in their mouth. No one can tell me if it will ever go away.
I too just got diagnosed with this. I keep getting it on the back of my hand. This is the third one in two months. At first I thought I cut myself and it got infected. Then It happened again, htought the same thing because I work as a stocker at a walmart. After the first infection I started wearing gloves at work. But they still came. When I got the third one it came about like a boil. I went to the ER and they gave me antibiotics, It got worse, Started swelling and it hurt a lot. They took pictures and a dermatologist said I had hepetic withlow. They put me on Valtrex. My daughter takes it daily because she gets coldsores. But I really don’t know how I got this. I’ve been with the same man for 7 years. He is clean and I have never had any type of disease at all. So I’m confused at how I got this. Could I get it from Drinking after my daughter out of a can of soda?
Helen what other name did the website give it? Also what was the name of the website.
Gayla – You need to discuss this further with your doctor because a lot of what you are experiencing probably has nothing to do with the herpes virus. Also, once you contract herpes you keep it for life. Call your doctor!
Sheila – You can’t contract herpetic whitlow due to drinking after somebody that has herpes. Is your doctor helping you at all?
Thanks Shelia. After a series of painful test, they came to the conclusion that I did have muscle and nerve damage caused by the chronic virus and that it was irreversible. I know I can’t get rid of the virus, but I thought after this many years the outbreaks would stop.
I am sorry. I meant Angela
So you guys think that the herpes virus has caused you nerve damage in your hands? I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve never heard of that before. What is your doctor doing to help you?
wow.. i have had HW on my thumb since 2001.. i have swollen lymph nodes in my under arm area.. i have tingling to painful feeling in my arm all the time.. if i get a fever or stressed the whitlow breaks out in a “cold sore” looking thing on my thumb.. i am always in some type of pain.. i take famvir or the generic form when i feel it really acting up… what a terrible disease..
Liz
You just described my situstion perfectly. Always a fever then painful nodes and lo and behold a painful outbreak. Will it never end?
I found out I had Herpetic Whitlow after I woke up one morning to my middle finger burning and throbbing.I was working for a Orhodontist at the time and by lunch the same day I could barely hold onto my instruments.I went to the DR. during lunch hour and he just looked at it and knew what it was.I started to cry and he looked at me and said “honey your a dental assistant this is common in the dental field.I went back to work and told the Dr.(my boss)what I had and she looked at me like she didn’t have any clue what I was talking about.Less than two weeks later I was layed off.I had worked for her for 5 years.I was employed there longer than anyone else.I feel very strongly I was let go because I contacted Herpetic Whitlow.I was honest in telling her what it was and I’m paying the price for it.I loved my job and losing it has caused me to be very depressed.
When I was finally diagnosed, the first thing the Dr. asked me was did I work in a dental office or hair salon.
People that work in the dental field have to wear rubber gloves when they are working with their patients. I find it very hard to believe that you would be fired for having herpetic whitlow.