i have recently contracted genital herpes - my first attach was in Early March, and I am having trouble with constipation, can anyone tell me whether this improves and time goes on? I do hope so!

Hi Anonymous

Sorry about your diagnosis. You don't say what medication you are taking, but it is possible that constipation is a side effect. We have a page on herpes: https://www.empowher.com/condition/genital-herpes and the CDC has a great breakdown of it, too: http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm#Whatis

Outbreaks vary in length and frequency depending on the person and the treatment. Please keep in mind that you can pass this virus on even if you are not having a visible outbreak, so it is extremely important that you use condoms and work hard to protect your sex partners.

Regardless of the cause of constipation, things you can do to improve it are moving around more, increasing your fluid and fiber intake (raw vegetables are a great source of fiber) and the good old standard of drinking prune juice. If that doesn't help, contact your health care provider to see if it is alright to take a stool softener. They are found at the drugstore and are very inexpensive but whether it is okay to take it will depend on what other medications you take.

I hope you feel better soon.