Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. I have herpes simplex and genital warts, I had one outbreak of herpes and have not had another one in about 6 months, I am taking famvir 250 mg as a regimen. I had an outbreak of warts at the same time, went to a dermatologist and had them frozen, they went away and came back in a week or two. I went again and had them frozen, the doctor gave me a 1 month supply of aldara. It worked and they went away, it has been 1 week and I have two little bumps which look like warts. Why does it keep recurring? I put aldara on them it seems to be helping.
Should I get tested for HIV or is this a common process to rid warts?
Ross Slotten, M.D.
Klein and Slotten Medical Associates
Private Practice in Family Medicine
With a special interest in HIV disease
You've been treated for both HSV and genital warts, though more successfully for the HSV than for the warts. Warts are among the most common problems doctors see in their offices. No matter where you have warts--the hands, the feet, the penis, the rectum, the vagina--they're difficult to treat. Like all viruses, there's no cure for warts. So, it's not surprising that they've come back, despite aggressive therapy. There's no best way to treat them--topical treatments, cryosurgery (freezing), cautery or surgical excision are equally effective or ineffective. Sometimes they disappear spontaneously. More discouragingly, even if you don't see the warts, the virus that causes them is always present. This means that you can spread the wart virus even when the warts aren't visible. Most importantly, however, warts are rarely harmful. Certain subtypes can lead to cancer of the cervix in women; so all women with warts need regular Pap smears. But for most people, warts are a nuisance or a "cosmetic" problem.
Warts aren't bad news, but they're not fun to have. Try to treat them, but don't get carried away, because the treatments are often painful. You may have to learn to live with a few small warts...
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