how was your "seroconversion"?

[isitthatbad]

I was very ill,  my GP thought i had meningitis i had severe vomitting, severe flu like symptoms and a rash that covered my body as i watched..i lost 1 stone in 1 week it took me 3 months to recover how about you?

[Matty the Damned]

Didn't notice a thing. My seroconversion was a breeze. In fact the only reason I learned I had HIV was because my GP took my sexual history, identified risk behaviours and ordered an antibody test.

Whodathunkit?

Oh and welcome to the Forums.

MtD

[BT65]

Is, the only thing I really remember about my serconversion was a lymph node on my neck that swelled out the size of a golfball.  But we're all different.

[isitthatbad]

thanx for the welcome does anyone else have HIV 1 and 2??

[anniebc]

like you I had a very bad seroconversion, I was in hospital for two weeks, lost over 7 kilos..and was literally exploding from both ends for the first week..ok, maybe that's too much information... ..but I survived.

Hugs
Jan

[beachdude2003]

I seroconverted the first of December so about 3 months ago. I was sick with flu like symptoms except it was a little different.  I have had the flu before but this time it felt a little worse.  I had all the symptoms and very bad muscle pain in my legs.  Had no energy and was sick for 10-14 days.  I am just now getting my energy back. best of luck, R

[aliveinla]

Mine was actually happened on a plane to Japan so I thought it was travel related: my ass and skins on the back side of my legs felt itchy and burning. -- i had BB sex being the bottom, so it's not strange it started from my backside. It was such a relief for me to find out that Japan's toilet can spray water when you sit down then blow it dry. :-) It lasted the whole trip but other than that, I was OK and fully functional even went to gym everyday. I knew almost for sure I got it but my partner said he was tested neg. Then 3 weeks later after this, my test came back neg so I put the whole thing behind me and damped that partner anyway and never BB'ed. So the poz diagnosis on 1/22/08 came as a big shock.

[Snowangel]

I know when I seroconverted but I can't remember when it was, if that makes any sense.  At the time, I just thought I had over done it at work.  But I had  gotten flu like symptons, had no energy, chills and sweats, slept a lot,out of work for like 2 weeks, then I just went back to work.  I think it might have been in 92, maybe early 93.  I started meds in 94.  I had no idea what it was at the time, my boyfriend knew what was happening, he just didn't tell me 

[aliveinla]

I went ahead and bought a lotto ticket after I was diagnosed, forgot to check until today. I didn't win even $1.

[leatherman]

There will probably be as many answers as members. 

Back in 1992, my late partner ran a low-grade fever for the whole month of Sept, undergoing several exams as he thought it was a recurrence of Chron's Disease (an intestinal problem).

On the other hand, I don't remember having any symptoms at all myself, as it was odd for me to be sick at all back then. I tested "just for the heck of it" two months after my partner's fever ended and got back my poz results that Dec.

After that, we took him to an ID doc and found out how very sick he really was. I didn't get sick until I started taking AZT; while my partner was already quite sick and passed away 18 months later.

Thank goodness the meds have improved. 

[oh my...]

Developed an ulcer on my tounge that wouldn't heal and continued to get larger causing me to be unable to eat for 8 days, lost 20-25lbs in that time, had flu-like symptoms, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes...  When I went to the doctor she found that aside from everything else I also had thrush and after a cbc an extremely low white count.  All of my symptoms made her suspect hiv and ordered the appropriate tests.

[Ann]

I don't know if I had a rash or not, because I was pretty much unconscious for about three days. I had a fever of just over 104F. Every joint in my body hurt like I've never experienced pain before (or since). I couldn't stand, much less walk. Even lying down hurt and it was probably a good thing I was passed out for most of it. I didn't have a phone at the time, so I couldn't call for help. All of my friends thought I was out on an extended fishing trip. (I was a commercial fisherman at the time)

Once I was well enough, I made an appointment with my GP. I thought maybe I'd had rheumatic fever, but he said I was too old for that and "it's probably just some virus that will run its course and go away." Run its course and I'll go away, more like! It was another four years before I was finally diagnosed, and only because Foxtrot Charlie named me as a contact when he tested positive after being named by someone else himself. In hindsight, I knew this mystery illness was my seroconversion. All the details fit. Luckily, I didn't infect anyone else during those four years of not knowing.

When I went back to my GP after diagnosis and told him what the mystery illness was, he told me that if I were a gay man, he would have ordered an hiv test for me back then. I gave him a rollicking about the uselessness of the so-called "risk groups" and explained to him he needs to be asking people about risk activities. The silly bugger.

And for any of you nosey people from the Am I Infected forum who may be reading this thread, just because some of us experienced symptoms of seroconversion illness doesn't mean that what you may be experiencing is the same. Many, MANY people experience NOTHING at all. The ONLY way to know if you're hiv positive is through testing, so don't even bother referencing this thread in the Am I Infected forum. Got it? GOOD!

Ann

[shellshocked]

I was infected in July 2007. My seroconversion was also pretty much a breeze. At the time, it didn't even occur to me that my symptoms were indicative of HIV infection. For four days, I had a mild rash, coupled with a slight bout of diarrhea. The rash was maculopapular (i.e. flat and red), appearing only on the right side of my face, neck and chest. At the time, I thought nothing of the symptoms. I was not concerned about HIV infection because I did not (to the best of my knowledge) have any high risk exposures in the months before these symptoms appeared. My ID specialist believes that I was likely infected about two weeks before the appearance of these symptoms. Approximately two weeks before the seroconversion, I spent the night at a bathhouse in London, where I had protected anal sex with several dudes. I also engaged in lots of unprotected oral sex that night. I'm still not sure exactly how I got infected. Through oral sex? Did a condom break? Was I dipped without realizing it? The questions go over and over in my head, but I know that I'll never know for sure. However it happened, I was exposed to a very small amount of HIV, mostly likely in precum. My ID specialist believes that the low inoculum explains the slow and low-grade seroconversion that I experienced, as well as my low viral load.

Oct 9: VL 1400/CD4 670
Oct 29: VL 1200/CD4 500
Dec 11: VL 2500/CD4 470

[wishful]

In retrospect i seroconverted while I was pregnant, same pregnancy I found out my status. I had a major headache and sore neck for about 5-7 days..the headache sudsided with tylenol but once it wore off it came roaring back..I had the chills for a day and some general malaise..but didnt know it then, just thought it was the baby...eventho i felt "different" than i had with my other pregnancies..So it wasnt too bad..im just glad i found out around the same time i was infected...

[John2038]

Felt 2-3 time a sudden lost of energy for maybe 2 seconds.
Was in Jan 07.
In March 07, swollen lymphs nodes, still there.

[404error]

I have never been one to get ill or hurt myself.  I've never been to the hospital.  When I serocoverted it was hands down the sickest I've ever been in my life.  I don't know if it was just a seroconversion or if I also caught a flu of some sort at the same time (this started the day before Christmas of 2005) but I was sick for about four weeks.  Bone and muscle pain, hot and cold flashes, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, zero appetite etc. etc.  I had tickets to the World Junior Hockey Championships that year and wanted to give them away because I didn't want to get out of bed.  (I ended up being talked into bundling up and going to the game since it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.)  I had also just started a new job since returning home from Europe and had only been there for just under a month when I got sick, there was no way I could take time off.  Terrible experience.

[deniur efil]

what is seroconversion

[BT65]

That's like the initial stage of grave infection after becoming infected.  Someone else can explain it better, I'm sure.

[Ann]

deniur,

"Seroconversion" refers to the point in time where a person's blood (sero = serum = blood) converts from being hiv negative to hiv positive, due to the presence of hiv antibodies. It is the antibodies the tests look for. Some people experience an illness when the process is happening and this is called seroconversion illness. Not everyone will experience this illness. In fact, many, many people don't.

Ann

[next2u]

ahh, the diarrhea. im somewhat lactose intolerant. the dude i caught it from came over and smoked a lot of pot with me. we got the munchies and ordered a pizza. thought i had extreme diarrhea from the pizza. the next day i was shitting my brains out. then the dehydration, weakness, fever and dizziness set in. i was fucked for 2 weeks. i remember it got so bad i started hallucinating at work. i was squirting liquid out my ass and sleeping all the time. funny thing, my coworker at the time had a bad case of diarrhea too, so we summed it up to stress. all of a sudden, things went back to normal -- supposedly. till this day i still have a hard time eating pizza.

anyhow, on a sidenote, i have a rash on my shoulder. went to my dr 2 days ago. i got my hep a & b vaccine then mentioned the rash. he looked at, said it looked like a scarlatina rash and took a culture from my throat (yeah, i was perplexed by that connection). turns out i have strep throat : ). im not bitching cause my only symptom has been a barely noticeable rash. funny thing - when my doc walked back in the room he exclaimed "you're positive" to which i replied "doc, you gotta quit telling me that." he then told me i had a sick sense of humor and proceeded to prescribe me some antibiotics.

[vivyt]

My doctor thought I had mono. Looking back now I know that was when I converted. Almost 2 years later I was as sick as can be.

[Texan38]

I had night sweats two days in a row along w/ diarrhea then I developed flu-like symptoms. I was, in what I thought, in a monogomous relationship at that time, he was my first relationship and my first lover. Hmm, talk about never forgetting your first!

[strykern]

I am kinda curious.   I am one of those that was surprised years ago to find out I was HIV positive.  I don't remember a seroconversion.
Don't remember being ill.  None of the typical symptoms.
Is that uncommon?   

[Ann]

I am kinda curious.   I am one of those that was surprised years ago to find out I was HIV positive.  I don't remember a seroconversion.
Don't remember being ill.  None of the typical symptoms.
Is that uncommon?  

Hi strykern,

I'd say it's common. I know far more people who didn't have any illness they can point to and say "that's when it happened" than I know who did have one.

Ann

[planonstaying]

I had  glands in my neck like moth balls
My tonsils  were swollen and like the size of half a raisin sticking out of my tongue
I had a low fever
I had the worst malaise i have ever experienced for 2 months
Other than that it was a breeze
I also tested poz during the ordeal
Then it went away over the course of a week  and my first blood draw which was the week i felt better was UD to 400ppm...blind luck

edit*  when i read it was normally unnoticed  or like a bad cold online I laughed. Mine was  so bad it was the reason i got tested.

[shadowfluid]

I had a full body rash, fever for 3 weeks, no appetite, lost 10% of my body weight, respiratory "issues", weakness so bad I couldn't stand for very long, and tested negative so I was pretty distressed to the point of having panic attacks every morning.  Thought I was dying.  They gave me like 4 different antibiotics including Levaquin for 2 weeks. It was awful.  8 months later i figured it just HAD to be HIV cuz I wasn't sick like that ever before in my life.  They told me I was poz at a trailer testing site, gave me some info, and kicked me out within minutes so they could test other people.  I don't remember the next few months very well as I was in shock and even told the mailman I was poz. Whoops.

[madbrain]

I didn't have any illness between my last HIV- test in june 2006 and my HIV+ test in october 2006.

That said, I still think I had an HIV related illness, but before. In early 2006 I had many sex partners, but always safe - or so I thought. I tested HIV negative in early march 2006.

In april 2006 - I had very bad vomitting for several nights long. My throat was hurting like hell and I could barely drink, let alone eat. I became very dehydrated and lost about 10 lbs in a week. I was tested for and diagnosed with strep throat. After I got antibiotics, the illness went away. This was a very bad illness and I have never had anything like it before. That's when I believe my seroconversion illness happened.

2 months later, in late june 2006, I was diagnosed with chlamydia. I retested for HIV, but I still tested negative.

In late october 2006, I tested positive during my routine annual physical. And I had a very low viral load (598).

I think my illness in april was related to HIV infection. I don't know if it's proper to call it "seroconversion illness" since I still tested HIV- over 10 weeks after it. According to current scientific views, I should have tested positive after it if this was a seroconversion illness. So maybe it should have another name. But I still think I was infected already by then, and that this illness was related to HIV - it was not just a plain strep throat.

[aliveinla]

That said, I still think I had an HIV related illness, but before. In early 2006 I had many sex partners, but always safe - or so I thought. I tested HIV negative in early march 2006.


2 months later, in late june 2006, I was diagnosed with chlamydia. I retested for HIV, but I still tested negative.

In late october 2006, I tested positive during my routine annual physical. And I had a very low viral load (598).

Brain, I really envy you having low VL and high CD4 count so you don't have to start meds just yet. You must have some good genes. Also on the "safe sex" thing, I think same thing happened to me. The only guy I BB'ed with, whom I thought gave me HIV in April 07 tested neg in December! I tested neg 30 days after my "seroconversion" also, then I never tested until 08 with a poz result. I guess it's different with each person.

[madbrain]

Hi,

Brain, I really envy you having low VL and high CD4 count so you don't have to start meds just yet. You must have some good genes. Also on the "safe sex" thing, I think same thing happened to me. The only guy I BB'ed with, whom I thought gave me HIV in April 07 tested neg in December! I tested neg 30 days after my "seroconversion" also, then I never tested until 08 with a poz result. I guess it's different with each person.

Yes. Maybe those HIV antibodies take a while to develop after the illness in some people. Or the antibody tests just are not good enough.
I only bb'ed with 2 guys during the period in question - my ex who is still neg, and my current bf, who had tested neg in may 2006, but tested poz right after I did in november. I frankly don't think I got HIV from either of them, so it must have been from one of my tricks. But I used condoms every time for anal with everyone else and I was 99% top. I didn't use condoms for for oral, but I never swallowed, so even though I have bad gums I should still not have gotten it. Except maybe from precum from someone who just got infected. I'll never know. This was 2 years ago but I still wonder.

As for the good genes/good labs. I have had a variety of symptoms even though I have good lab numbers. The most notable has been extreme fatigue that goes on and off. Following a cold, I just had a period of 3 weeks when I was sleeping 12 hrs/night . It's finally over now. I think it's got to do with depression, but my doc that I saw today thinks it may be the HIV too. Apparently my body is fighting hard to keep that VL low, and it may be why I have been tired. So he actually suggested today I try the meds. I have to give it some more thoughts.

[aliveinla]

As for the good genes/good labs. I have had a variety of symptoms even though I have good lab numbers. The most notable has been extreme fatigue that goes on and off. Following a cold, I just had a period of 3 weeks when I was sleeping 12 hrs/night . It's finally over now. I think it's got to do with depression, but my doc that I saw today thinks it may be the HIV too. Apparently my body is fighting hard to keep that VL low, and it may be why I have been tired. So he actually suggested today I try the meds. I have to give it some more thoughts.

Very interesting. I would guess it's your depression. If you cheer up the "symptoms" might go away.

My last month's CD4 was 394 VL44K but I felt no symtom, no fatigue, nothing. I would think I am neg if I don't have the poz result--I went to three doctors to have it confirmed. I guess my body just let it go w/o much a fight, it fits my personality, I play the hands I am dealt and don't really worry much. with low CD4, maybe next time if I encounter any other disease, I guess I will be sick? But I spent 3 months in China recently breathing polluted air, eating street food, getting drunk almost daily, never had any problem. Maybe I just had low CD4 to begin with? I wonder... I only hope my next lab comes out above 350 so I don't have to take meds... I want to postpone it as long as i can.

[BT65]

Very interesting. I would guess it's your depression. If you cheer up the "symptoms" might go away.

Alive, everyone's body is different.  Please be careful when doling out the advice.

[loveislovely]

I had ZERO signs...well i should mention that my glands were SLIGHTLY swollen..but in the end i followed my heart and went for the test...it was all a dream
now that im thinking back on it, i had spilliting headaches which i didnt think much of it because i stopped drinking coffee/soda and thought i was just getting headaches due to giving up caffeine, not sure if headaches are related to it.

[NewYorkKat]

Mine was a slight fever for two days but I knew it might have been seroconverting. I messed up on a trip.

I think my immune system handled it very well since I was in perfect health until my infection.

[billy]

my seroconversion was as follows:
- headaches
- throat hurting
- flu symptoms
- body rash
- swollen lymphnodes (throat and neck)
- fever about 39-41 celcius which last more than 2 weeks
- night sweats
- fatigue
- liver hurting
- kinda strip on my tongue
- no appetite (lost 5-6 kgs / 12 pds)

headaches & throat hurting started on May 4th 2007... tested poz on 23rd May 2007... and felt physically quite welll / all symptoms disappeared mid June 2007

[aztecan]

Hey Is,

We have something in common. I was diagnosed with viral meningitis and hospitalized. It was nasty stuff.

I lost 40 pounds in a week - and I wasn't fat to start.

My first HIV doc was sure that was when I seroconverted. No proof though. They had no tests in 1980.

HUGS,

Mark

[Veritee]

My husband and I had what we now believe to be sero conversion back in April 2003.

Of course at the time we did not know it was anything of the kind!!

My husband is a seaman ( a marine engineer) and was at that time working away at sea off the coast of Brazil. I thought he was as faithful to me as I was to him - and I had been sexually faithful to him for at least since 1984 at that point ( we are now in our 50s)  in fact I have not ever had sex with anyone but him from that time till now, and will not unless he dies - he was/is very unwell with HIV related illness and we are waiting to see if the meds help, but they seen to be and he is getting better slowly now, thank God

But apparently before he was due back home to me in the UK in April 2003, he had shore leave in Brazil and had sex at a party while drunk with a Brazilian woman

So when he came home from sea and 3 or so weeks later came down with this really awful bug - worse than he had ever had before as he is usually a very healthy man, who having worked at sea in many tropical and other countries since the late 70s he had had many bugs he caught while away - but nothing as horrible as this.

he had:
Swollen glands
eyes sensitive to light
flu symptoms
hot sweats followed by cold sweats
sore throat
splitting headaches
watery and explosive diarrhea
And all over rash which started as small red pin pricks, developed to bigger red blotches and then turned purple
weakness/fatigue
temperature in the upper 40s
felt very sick
horrible taste in mouth and food tasted awful
could not eat anything
sudden and quite pronounced weight loss - he also is a slim man and could not afford this weight loss

This lasted almost 3 weeks.

He went to his GP a couple of times, but no one thought it was anything to worry about even though we kept saying he worked abroad on a ship and in Brazil so asked repeatedly could it be a tropical illness? - but was not offered any explanation nor any tests - the GP did not even think of HIV and at the time I was not worried about HIV as I had no idea he had has sex with anyone else..............

and him being mostly ignorant about HIV it did not occur to him either - I was not unaware of HIV due to my work but he was - he did not connect the two in any way - and of course did not tell me he had had sex with anyone else

Said he did not tell me out of shame ( I though we were very close and he would tell me everything and if I had ever had sex with anyone else I would have told him whatever the consequences, it is just not my way to lie to my partner and soulmate of so many years even about this - so I assumed he would do the same

But he has said he did not tell me because it was so embarrassing even to tell me - as he regretted the incident half way through the act, due to this regret lost his erection and the condom fell off, so what started as protected sex became unprotected ( and pretty unsuccessful) and he was so embarrassed, one because he could not perform and lost his erection, and two because he had been unfaithful!!!!

I know what you are thinking - he could not have got HIV from only once - I have wrestled much with this one and I am sure I will continue to - but this is what he says and I need to believe him as I need to trust him as for us and our marrage it really is 'till death do us part' and have made it clear I want the truth and the truth is better than any lie at this point

Anyway he got better from this horrible infection in about 3 weeks although he said he did not feel 'right' for another month or two.

Then about 3 -4 weeks after he recovered I went down with exactly the same symptoms!!!

Of course at the time we did not know it was HIV sero conversion - but looking back it must have been .....
As neither of us have ever had an illness like this and one so horrible .

Anyway found out we were both HIV in Jan this year when my husband became so ill with PCP he nearly died
So it suddenly fell into place that what we went though must have been sero conversion as it tied in with the only time he says he ever had sex with anyone else for all our marriage and I certainly have not!!

I do not know how people do not get a bad illness around sero conversion as for us it was awful.

But I guess many like us do get an illness - even if it is less severe than we had -  but do not suspect HIV?

You would only think of HIV seroconversion as an explanation for a horrible and unusual 'virus' if you had realised that something had happened to put you at risk for HIV within the last 2 weeks to a couple of months or so? ( I believe sero conversion usually happens between 2 to 8 weeks from infection) And also you woud have to know that initial HIV infection can cause an illness and that people have sero conversion symptoms - we never knew this until we were diagnosed and asked if we had ever had such an illness and when? And I do not think our GP (doctor) we saw when we had this illness, knew this either!!!

Veritee XX

[traveltramp]

I remember it quite vividly.  I was leaving for a 12 month trip around the world early May of 2007.  It was a Friday, a few days before my trip and some friends invited me to dinner.  It hit me like a train.  It started like a flu and within the few hours sitting for dinner and drinks I had a fever and I was so sick.  For 3 weeks I was sick.  Vomit, sweats, fever, chills,  dehydration, my skin hurt to the touch.  I would sometimes feel better in the day but the night I would soak my bed.  I would have to get up every 20 min to go to the bathroom.  I had never been so sick in my life.  I would lie in bed for days and weeks.  I went to the USA to see some family before I left for Asia and I spent my 3 weeks there in bed, all I could do was sleep.  I lost 7 pounds.  I hated living it was so bad.  I did not think that I would ever feel good again... but then I did...

[Peter6836]

I lost 35 lbs, had a rash, diarrhea spent ten days in the hospital. Went directly to an AIDS diagnosis. I had been tested every year, I never expected that I would be positive. Everyone thought I would not make it. I could not eat, was throwing up, just wasting away. I can not remember too much else of what went on. I eventually came home and my friend cared for me for over a month, I could hardly get out of the bed.
All this said I have gained all that weight back, work every day, and keep going on.
I believe it is different for all of us. My Doctor (who is wonderful) says I am a fast progressor.
Peter

[mpls_apple]

My seroconversion actually happened in 2005 (i wasn't diagnosed with HIV until 2006)  i had a high grade fever for over a week and a half, i finally went into the dr because i was never sick.  After many blood tests they diagnosed me wtih CMV, which most people don't get unless they have a compromised immune system. My HIV test at the time was negitive,

My dr's think i was part of the rare population that harbord HIV in my body but didn't serovonvert it for awhile so my HIV test came up negitive

[Winiroo]

I seroconverted in summer of 1992. I couldn't tell you the day or even the month I just know where I was and it was hot outside. I felt like I had the flu but it wasn't too bad because I didn't see a doctor. Just general malaise.

[WillyWump]

Mine started with a fever around 101, then all of my glands started swelling including in places I never knew I had glands like the front side of my ears. I then was in bed for about 5 days, night sweats, diarreha (sp?).  what I thought was my liver and kidneys swole up so bad I couldnt lay on my sides, my doctor later told me that we have glands in that part of the body and that they had swollen up not my kidneys or liver. Then on the 6th day it all went away except for my swollen glands which I still have, albeit much smaller in size.

[dusty99]

I actually have no idea when I sero-converted. it could have been the flu for all I know, as I would get the flu every year. lasts a few days and then is gone. If memory serves, it could have been shortly before I found out I was positive as I had some flu like symptoms around that time. But I can't remember is I had the flu before then. Otherwise, I guess you could say it was an uneventful one.

[aliveinla]

Since this post is surfaced again, I need to make some correction: I think what I had was Hemoroid, not HIV seroconversion symptom; because I had it again a month ago and was diagnosed of hemoroid, through colonoscopy. A warm sit bath took all the "symptom" away (not hiv virus, too bad). So now I don't know when i was sero converted and I think I had no sero conversion symptom.

Mine was actually happened on a plane to Japan so I thought it was travel related: my ass and skins on the back side of my legs felt itchy and burning. -- i had BB sex being the bottom, so it's not strange it started from my backside. It was such a relief for me to find out that Japan's toilet can spray water when you sit down then blow it dry. :-) It lasted the whole trip but other than that, I was OK and fully functional even went to gym everyday. I knew almost for sure I got it but my partner said he was tested neg. Then 3 weeks later after this, my test came back neg so I put the whole thing behind me and damped that partner anyway and never BB'ed. So the poz diagnosis on 1/22/08 came as a big shock.

[jshort]

Once I was diagnosed I could pinpoint exactly when i converted. I remember being extremely sick. Now Im never sick, hadn't seen my doctor in years, but all of a sudden I ran a high fever, body aches, chills and just felt crappy. I was in bed for a week. After that I got sick 3 more times within the next 3 months then never got ill again. This was about 2 years ago, I wasn't diagnosed until a year ago. I was sick for the first time since I converted in Feb and it was horrible, a week laid up, weakness, sores all over the inside of my mouth. I just hope that every time I get sick it wont be like this.....

oh and when i was sick from converting, i NEVER thought HIV. Heck I was a hetro woman who had only one partner since my split with my ex. Guess that goes to show it can happen to ANYBODY.

[morethanpoz28]

My conversion (it sounds so religious!) began with hives for about a week, then very high fever, night sweats and a bout of pancolitis (fun fun fun!).  Of course I did not know what was happening until about six months later when I tested positive.

Toodles,
Lisa

[derek72]

Mine was pretty bad - I was very sick for about a week.  Fever, headache, sore throat, my eyes were sensitive to light, my skin hurt all over, I had fatigue and serious malaise and then a rash broke out all over my chest, face, arms and legs.

When I got the rash I just knew what was happening.  This was only the last week of June 08......

[markaj]

I was the sickest I've ever been.  I woke up one morning and just couldn't move.  The doc came to see me, took some bloods and they came back as positive for mono and CMV.  Apparently my white blood cells looked bad as well - I asked 'could HIV cause that?' (I knew I had put myself at risk), they did a HIV test but that was negative.  I then spent 8 weeks off work sick.  I had chronic diarrhea, lost 34% of my body weight, suffered nightsweats, joint pains, fever, fatigue, headaches, couldn't eat anything, tonsillitis and came out in a rash all over my body which didn't itch. About the only thing I didn't get was a cold!  I just had no energy to do anything.  I'd get help into the shower and just curl up and cry.  I eventually got out to hospital and tested positive for HIV, secondary syphilis, chlamydia and giardia.  This all started Feb 08.  I've now had to start meds because my bloods never recovered from seroconversion and they should have done well before now.   

[planonstaying]

"I was infected in 12/06. I got tested 1/13. I had started having swollen gland at Xmas and my DR ordered thyroid functions and an ultra sound since it was enlarged. I asked for an HIV test. I got the courage to get it on 1/13. I was starting to feel real fatigued and the glands were worse.  On 1/29 I found out I was positive.  I wont tell you how bad my ex DR muffed informing me but he couldn't of handled it much worse. I had continued to get  sicker in Jan. My  neck and underarm glands were  huge and tender. i had  bone numbing fatigue and  was missing a ton of work and i had developed a bad sore throat  and my tonsils had gotten swollen as well on one side. It was not like the flu. I missed about 25 working days  from 1/1- 3/1. For the most part I would work a  half a day if i made it in. I have never felt sicker in my life and had assumed i was far along
I had a blood draw when the symptoms were a little better and  they had cleared entirely  about 10 days after  it.    My  next Dr who is like no other DR i  have ever spent  saw spent an hr  talking to me about the devastating emotional issues i was experiencing before even looking at my labs.  No one expected my labs to be good. They were  really great. I am sure it's from swimming in the shallow end of the inbred Irish gene pool. She  hyposized and it made sense to me that the reason i was so sick so fatigued so long might of had to do with the amount of energy I was using fighting the infection and reigning it in for the moment but that  we would never really know"

 or to paraphrase that: It really sucked ass 

[wow1969]

I am soooo jealous ... All of you losing weight while converting .... I have been so stressed in the last month since being diagnosed I've gained 14 lbs in stress eating UGH .... The only symptom I had duing conversion was swollen lymph nodes. My Dr. just thought it was allergies and nothing to worry about. Damn, if I had to get this, couldn't I have dropped 30 - 40 lbs? Serously, I run marathons less weight is a good thing .. <sigh> i guess it's like Lestat about the Dark Gift .... it's different for eveyone.

[alberche]

Mine was very hard. I felt terrible headache, swollen nods, pain in joints, in lower back, in kneels, my neck was rigid, I had moderate to high fever, completely lost my apetite, had nausea and vomiting, and lost 10 kg (22 lbs) in one week or so. I felt extremelly weak, even picking up my bag seemed to be a colossal effort. Only wanted to be in my bed with my eyes shut. I remember the fresh air entering through the window during the night and how it made me feel better. I felt something like a lack of air, it was even difficult to breath, and the fresh breeze helped me a lot.

All this lasted for about 4 weeks. I had never felt so sick before in my life.

By the third week of sympthoms I "knew" this was HIV. I had a risky sex event about five weeks before all this started. So I decided not to wait for an antibody test and went directly for a viral load (PCR) test. I had results two weeks later: 264.000... My doctor repeated PCR and made all the rest of tests (CD4, blood chem and so on) and, when results came back ten days later, infection was confirmed, very likely to be a very recent infection, not only due to sympthoms, but to my still high number of CD4 (1100) and becasuse viral load lowed itself from 264.000 to 60.000 in 4 weeks. She proposed me to start with meds immediately. So I did.

Every time I think about pill burden and seconday effects (digestive problems from time to time, some tiredness, triglycerides a bit hard to manage...) I just stop and remember how I felt in those terrible days, and how I feel now, much, much better, and pills become just simply a routine, not a burden anymore.

Hugs :-)

[WellHungarian]

AFter reading in here I think maybe mine was not so bad.  I felt a little sick and weak for a few days but it was like having the flu or something. 

[BT65]

very likely to be a very recent infection, not only due to sympthoms, but to my still high number of CD4 (1100) and becasuse viral load lowed itself from 264.000 to 60.000 in 4 weeks. She proposed me to start with meds immediately. So I did.

I'm curious as to why your doctor wanted to start you on meds with such high CD4's.

[RapidRod]

alberche, find a new doctor. There is no reason that you were put on meds. Your CD4 were within the normal range. 

[redhotmuslbear]

I am soooo jealous ... All of you losing weight while converting .... I have been so stressed in the last month since being diagnosed I've gained 14 lbs in stress eating UGH .... The only symptom I had duing conversion was swollen lymph nodes. My Dr. just thought it was allergies and nothing to worry about. Damn, if I had to get this, couldn't I have dropped 30 - 40 lbs? Serously, I run marathons less weight is a good thing .. <sigh> i guess it's like Lestat about the Dark Gift .... it's different for eveyone.

Ha!  I love it!

My seroconversion was horrible for months with mono-like symptoms.  I went from being a chunky boy to a hairy twink while my doctors tested me for everything they could think of, but that was before we had HIV tests.  In hindisght, I erred in not sending a proper thank-you note to the big gorgeous Swede who gave me syphilis and a little bonus to last a lifetime.

[ArisGreekSquared]

I got conjunctivitis in my right eye and a sore throat.

[hivsweden]

What I think was my seroconversion (4yrs previous to my diagnosis) was a really bad flu with some strange white spots with rough edges and I couldn't taste or smell anything. I couldn't even smell ammonia.

[daisychain]

Hiya

I had absolutley no symptoms whatsoever.
Just thought id add.

angelx

[jennynyc7]

Mine was pretty bad. Started out with minor leg pains that got so severe I could barely walk. I had a sore throat, my mouth was covered with Thrush that eventually went down my throat. I had a rash that started mid-back up to my chin. Several episodes of diarrhea, no vomiting though.  All of this lasted a week in which during that time I was thought to of had leukemia. I was infected on Dec 24, 2007, became ill on Jan 3, 2008 and tested postive on Feb 12, 2008. 


Jen in KY

[BT65]

Welcome to the forums, Jen.  I look forward to getting to know you better.

[xyahka]

It all happenned suddenly....

one day i woke up and started vomitting everything i ate... felt my stomach was closet and lost appetite for couple of days.. and if i ate something... i would go vomitting few minutes afterwards.

Then came the fever, headache, gases.

And same day a strong diarrhoea also appeared...

i got my face all red.

i went to see different doctors and they were all thinking it was something else... it lasted about a week and lost 3kg during it. Then i took the decission to test for something none suspected and.... well... got the news.

Juan Carlos

[jennynyc7]

Thanks Bettytacy! I am glad I found this site!

jen

[BT65]

Thanks Bettytacy! I am glad I found this site!

jen

Jen, why don't you join us ladies in the "positive women" part of the forum.  There's a thread in there called the ladie's thread where we talk about our daily lives, struggles, little victories etc. and support each other.  We'd love to have you!
  Luv,
Betty

[Winiroo]

Hi Jen. So you dont have to look for the thread if you are interested this is where us ladies are currently chit chatting.

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=22681.msg288489#msg288489

Welcome to AIDSmeds!

[CollGrad08]

Flu like symptoms one weekend, nausea, headache, fatigue, no vomitting.  Sick all week, worse during the week then turned into neck pain and pain in my eyes.  Went to the ER thinking it was Meningitis.  Hospital gave me spinal tap and told me it looked like viral meningitis then asked me to consent to a HIV test and two weeks later at my follow up appt my doctor told me I was positive.

Heartache began.

[mpls_apple]

My seroconversion actually happened a year before i was actually diagnosed as being hiv positive.

I had been sick for over two weeks with a high fever, it stayed at around 101-102 even with taking huge doses of tylenol, I was working a double shift at the prison and i told my LT. i had to leave and couldnt stay. i went to the dr and they ran test after test after test on me. In the end they diagnosed me with CMV...but hiv negitive.  The dr's were puzzled because CMV in adults is extremely rare, usually only occuring in people with compromised immune systems.

A year later i took a hiv test and it came back positive.  My Dr think's that my CMV episode was actually the hiv going through my body but it didnt show up at that time...

Now 3.5 years from the initial CMV i am overall doing well. No meds as of yet.  I had one huge ordeal with MRSA staph infection on the back of my neck, which spread to my face where i had to have a plastic surgeon remove the build up of infection from my face...luckily i made it through this

[jennynyc7]

Hi apple,

Yeah I had CMV and Epstein-Barr virus' although the Dr's feel they were not active.

[mpls_apple]

Hey back Jenny...yeah i don't ever want to go through that again...

[HivToTell]

I think I had no symptoms, or I can’t remember having any. I can’t be sure how long I have been HIV+, but it was found out few weeks ago while having some other problems. Few years ago I had low fever and some flu symptoms. I don’t know if that was it, or was it just flu… you know, sometimes flu is just a flu ;-)

[alberche]

I'm curious as to why your doctor wanted to start you on meds with such high CD4's.

Dear Betty, because starting so soon helps to keep your inmune system in good shape -or in a better one-  in the long term. Nowadays, 2 and a half years after, I am above 1.600 CD4 and no viral load, and no other major complaints apart from common digestive issues related to meds and triglycerides a bit over 200 mg in my blood tests. (I am on Truvada+Reyataz+Norvir)

The initial idea of my doctor was to start at that moment, very soon, and then, six months or one year after, stop meds and wait and see what happenned. But, some months after I started with meds, a multinational study, a part of which they were conducting at the hospital, in Barcelone, showed that stopping meds, even if started a few days or weeks after the moment of infection, will lead to a quick viral rebound.

(Now doctors are re-thinking this idea and planning to start in these cases of very soon diagnosis with very agressive treatment combos, including transcriptase, protease, integrase and entry inhibitors, which may lead in a part of people to the possibility of stopping meds a few months after and then staying in a stable condition during lots of years, maybe for a lifetime... I hope they could achieve this goal someday, because this will be usefull also to find new approaches for the rest of people (a big majority) who had not such an earlier diagnosis)

So, she told me at that point that, I could choose stopping, what would mean a viral rebound and then a situation similar to not having been on meds, but probably with a slowlier disease progression that if I actually haven't took the meds, or keeping on meds and seeing how well or bad my body will cope with secondary effects. I choosed to keep on meds and I do not regret this decision at all.

Anyway, in the term of two or three years from now I would have to start anyway... as there's more and more evidence that it is much better to start soon with meds than waiting until the 300 or 350 CD4 limit.

In addition, and I reckon this is a very personal issue, I feel released having started meds. I don't know if I could cope with the idea of waiting, and waiting, and waiting during some years while seeing my inmune system and my body deteriorating without doing nothing but wait... to get to the point of starting meds, and coping with side effects as well, but from quite a worst starting point.

Hugs :-)

[Sweet_C]

I had no symptoms whatsoever.  I had my routine PAP and my doctor found trich.  I decided to get an STD test.  At that time I was just worried about herpes, and had no real symptoms of that either.  I knew it was HIV when he called me to come in instead of giving my results over the phone.

[Tar Heel]

Summer of 2005.  I knew I had done some risky/stupid sexual stuff in the spring.   I began running a fever, swollen lymph nodes and so tired I couldn't complete a shower.  I went to my MD, he drew blood (I told him of my risky behavior) and it came back HIV-.  But my platelets were dangerously low.  So he sent me to a Hematologist thinking I had leukemia.  The Hematologist drew a HIV viral load which came back over 200K.

But there was no diarrhea, no GI upset and no rash.  Strange how differently people react to the virus.

[lusopt]

I dont remember having any kind of illness during this past 2 years. Always felt fine.

[072508]

night one, went out and drank.
night two, went out and drank.
night three, went out and drank.
night four, felt tired, kinda sore, went out and drank.
night five, tired, sore, swollen nodes, went out and drank.

the next morning i could barely move without hurting, thought i was just dehyrated from drinking so much. flu like symptoms, diarrhea, very tired, very sore, sore throat, hearing kinda came and went, i was on the phone at work and was typing what i was hearing and i skipped half the words cause i couldnt make them out of what they were saying.

i thought i was just sick from going out so much and not getting a lot of sleep. was going on for about 5 days after my nights out. got better and figured it was just from going out so much. i gave blood at work in late june and they said, And if theres a problem you will get a call and if you dont then we will see you in october for the blood drive. i got sick but never got a call so i thought i was fine. i was sick the week of july 14, got a voice mail july 23, didnt call them back till the 24th, demanded they tell me what it was over the phone, they wouldnt. went on the 25th of july and they said it came back + for two tests and the western blot was pending. i called an ID dr 7/28 and got blood drawn that day and saw they 2 weeks later.

[mecch]

Sudden photophobia quickly followed by severe headaches and muscle aches that lasted several days. Mild to no fever, no digestion problems. Felt better but had painful esophagus ulcers, and rash. 

It was the worst headache of my life. I was totally averse to sunlight for weeks. Thought I was becoming a vampire.

Docs saw me three times at a good clinic with unknown flu diagnosis and specifically no suspicion of HIV.

[Scotian]

like many...it started with what i thought was a really bad flu. but more severe and longer lasting. i had extreme fatigue(lasted  a few months), couldn't sleep at night for more than 15-20 minutes at a time, night sweats, sore tongue, diahrrea, lost 15+ pounds, muscle joint aches, constant headache - even my 'hair hurt' .  after a week or so went to doctor - bloodtest confirmed HIV+. he sent me to ID clinic: first bloodwork  VL >750,000  CD4 310 (April '08)  started on meds Sept '08.

[melloyellow]

Is, the only thing I really remember about my serconversion was a lymph node on my neck that swelled out the size of a golfball.  But we're all different.

May I ask what does serconversion? New to this and don't understand everything.

Thanks

[Ann]

Hello Mello, welcome to the forums.

Seroconversion is the name for the process the body goes through when producing antibodies, in this case, antibodies for hiv. To break the word down, sero means blood, as in "serum", and conversion means change. The blood changes from testing hiv-antibody negative to hiv-antibody positive.

With hiv, this typically begins to happen around two weeks after the virus has entered the body. The average time for enough antibodies to be produced in order to be detected on an ELISA (hiv antibody) test is 22 days. The vast majority of people who have been infected will produce enough antibodies to be detected by six weeks after the introduction of the virus into the body.

When the body makes antibodies, certain chemicals are produced that can cause a person to feel like they have the flu. It isn't actually the virus itself that causes the illness, but rather the body's reaction to the presence of the virus.

NOT ALL PEOPLE experience any symptoms of seroconversion. I know far more positive people who never noticed any symptoms than people who felt ill.

Hope that clears things up a bit for you. If you have any additional questions, don't be shy - ask.

Ann


PS - an antibody is a protein produced by a specific type of white blood cell. The immune system uses antibodies to recognise and fight against foreign invaders into the body - such as a bacteria or virus.

[viktor]

Around 6 weeks after my risky exposure I had many ARS's (fever, swollen lymph node, very bad leg pain and headache). Fever lasted for 1 week and the others a few days.
7 months after the exposure I developed oral hairy leukoplakia on my tongue and pnemonia (long disease) caused by yeast infection of the gullet which spreads to the longs.
It's a bit dramatic or weird that I still (after 7 months) test negative with antibody testing but my doctors have diagnosed me with two characteristic ARC (PCP-Pneumocystis pneumonia and oral hairy leukoplakia which is unfortunately biospy proven) which are specific to HIV positive persons.
I have also been informed that the sensitivity of antibody testing is never 100% so I am one of the million cases which experiences such an uncommon situation.
The worse thing is that I can not get medicines for anti-retroviral therapy 'cause I test negative for HIV.
God bless me, I have nothing more to say..

[Tim Horn]

viktor:

This forum is strictly for people who have tested postive for HIV -- you clearly have not and therefore have not been diagnosed with HIV infection.

If you're still concerned about HIV testing, although I don't think this is necessary as you've tested negative well beyond the window period, you should limit your comments to our "Am I Infected?" forum. And for what it's worth, oral hairy leukoplakia is not specific to HIV-positive people, regardless of whether or not it is "biopsy proven." As for what you're calling PCP, I seriously doubt this in the absence of a positive HIV antibody test and extremely low CD4+ cell count.

A positive antibody test, evidence of HIV-RNA in your blood and a falling CD4+ cell count would be evidence of your leukoplakia being HIV-related. Instead of putting random pieces together to draw your own conclusion about what ails you, I suggest a more complete workup with your doctor.

Please don't post in anything other than that "Am I Infected?" forum again. You've been warned.

Tim Horn

[mpositive]

I went thru the Acute HIV stage, well, actually still going thru it.  It began for me the first week of Nov. 08, kept ending up in the emergency room from dehydration.  Had so much diarrhea.  The stupid hospital kept sending me home after a few hours of fluids.  Plus I had tremendous pain in my gut.  After a while, a month later, I ended up in a different hospital.  I had CMV Colitis.....my entry to HIV.  The first hospital misdiagnosed me with Mono....lol....at 41 years old?  Anyhow, started with 300k VL and a CD4 count of 1290.  Now I am at CD4 584 and VL>100k.  So....my story.

[jampdx]

Gosh, everyone's answer is completely different.  I have to say, mine was AWFUL.  I was sick as a dog.  My lymph nodes were so swollen, extremely sore throat, fever 103-104 for over a week.  It's finally pretty much at bay, but whoa Jack!

[michaelcamluong]

I got conjunctivitis in my right eye and a sore throat.

[AT]

I lost weight and had fatigue for a few weeks. Then I was sick in bed for a full 24 hours (July 2014) with sweats and fever losing a few more pounds. A lymph vessel on the back of my neck swelled forming a bump. I couldn't regain the weight no matter how much crappy food I ate. And, diahrrea throughout. Ugh. That was June-November of last year.

[Joe K]

Zombie thread alert.

We prefer you to start a new thread, rather than resurrecting one that has not had a response since 2009.  We call them zombie threads for a reason.  They died once and should remain buried.

Joe

[Agustin]

EDIT: Sorry, I thought this was a new thread. My bad

[corkguy]

In a moment of madness i injected drugs with a guy. Had never done it before and I think i learned my lesson. 2 weeks after this i got very ill, fever, itchy, terrible cramps and diahorreaha. I got tested about a week after this as my doctor recommended it, I am normally healthy and this "bug" was lasting a lot longer that it normally would. I think that was mine, does this sound right?

Please don't start preaching about drugs.....lesson learned!

[JosephP]

Sorry, couldn't find the new thread for this 'zombie'. I, on the other hand, never got sick. Never knew I was infected! Found out only because I applied for insurance.. Then I began to lose weight so fast that was very alarming. Saw my ID doctor and she put me on meds immediately as my CD4 was 198.. My VL was about 78K. Numbers weren't too bad, but I was going downhill and fast...

[beachlife315]

I have never head of seroconversion until now, but looking back now, its all starting to make sense.
11.17.2014 Test Neg at the Health Dept
11.22.2014 Had unprotected sex (I bottomed) with guy I was with 4 times over previous 2 months. He did not ejaculate in me, but I know that does not matter.
11.24.2014 Developed a severe toothache and swollen neck. Dentist out of town so I let it go.
11.30.2014 Started feeling ill, like something was out of sorts.
12.01.2014 Notice red streak from under armpit down to elbow and could not extend my arm. Went to the ER and told I had a blood infection. Pumped full of antibiotics and put on antibiotics and sent home.
12.02.2014 Able to get in to dentist. Told I had a cracked and infected molar and a root canal performed to stop infection. We believed at the time this caused my blood infection.
12.03.2014 Running a fever and back to ER. Said I was fine and sent home.
12.06.2014 Still not feeling well. Developing a rash. Went back to ER, they said I was having reaction to antibiotics and to stop taking them and sent me home.
12.08.2014 Chills and nausea went to walk-in clinic. Diagnosed with flu and sent home.
Starting feeling better over next few weeks. Never lost any weight, but my face seemed noticeably thinner
Met up with the same guy middle of January, 2015 and had unprotected sex...again, including oral.
01.19.2015 Developed Strep throat and put on Z-Pak
02.08.2015 Developed severe rash on chest, that I still have and has spread to neck, arms and legs.
02.18.2015 Test Pos at the Health Dept
...and now, here I am.
Jim

[pozinHI]

I am not totally sure when this happened to me. I am pretty sure though it was back in 2003 after having a risky sexual encounter. The following week i had flu like symptoms and hives. Again, I am not sure of this timing as I was not diagnosed until years later.

[camille07]

Hello-

I woke up to a sore throat, head ache and fever.  The sore throat continued to get so bad that I knew something was seriously wrong.  The inside of my mouth and throat were covered in a herpes type rash.  I drove myself to the ER.  The doctor said I had mono or strept throat.  Though this was the worst case he ever saw.  The pain was brutal.  I told him I felt I was a risk factor for HIV, because I suspected my partner was, and we were waiting for the test results.  Long story, but this moron said, he didn't feel that I was infected.  It's considered one of the worst hospitals in NJ.

[mecch]

I told him I felt I was a risk factor for HIV, because I suspected my partner was, and we were waiting for the test results.  Long story, but this moron said, he didn't feel that I was infected.  It's considered one of the worst hospitals in NJ.

Sometimes this is about a crappy doctor, and not a judgement of the hospital.

I sufferred over 5 months with a scabies infection. 2 times the head of dermatology at a famous teaching university in Switzerland misdiagnosed me, said it was sweating from too much sports! 2x!  And scabies is so easily treated in Switzerland because the French have a pill for it, not all that messy cream stuff like in the US.

And when i had seroconversion, I went to a chic swiss clinic, and was twice diagnosed with "flu" even though I maybe had risk factors, just being sexually active and gay, (and it was the worst flu ever, like meningitis I thought) and they said, "when you feel better, go to your GP for an HIV test if you want but we think its the flu."  I went to my GP and was diagnosed seroconverting, even before I had antibodies. 

So, just bad doctors, or a good doctor on a bad day, or in the wrong circumstances.

I think a personal doctor, who knows you, can be a key for this sort of sleuthing.

[Reallove92]

Hey everyone, my seroconversion was horrible! Absolutely horrible! I didn't know at the time what was happening but it became clear when I got the news a few months after.. It started in my neck, and a headache with high fever, it got worse and worse ended up in the hospital they took my blood I have negative HIV results at the time, but it's made my organs swell blood counts all messed up, I lost 12 pounds in 10days it was terrible every doctor I saw said it was a viral infection, yeah rite thanks a lot for letting me go months with out knowing what was really wrong with me.

[PaulRevere]

Not really sure where people are getting these sore throats as a seroconversion symptom. HIV doesn't attack the lining of the respiratory system. Think most of you probably had a cold/flu and just happen to test positive because you probably were before you got the sore throat or you had a false positive.

[zach]

@PaulRevere

excuse me who are you? and why you do come in on your first post, without introducing yourself or getting to know the members here, and just offer up your dismissive analysis on the experiences of our members that are just sharing their story?

not really sure where you get off.

[PaulRevere]

Wow Zach. Why are you so mad? I only made a statement on sore throat as a seroconvert symptom. Honestly, I didn't know I was suppose to introduce myself and get to know others before speaking. But I think what i said is true. Sore throat is rarely, if ever, a symptom of initial HIV infection. That would be similar to the hep virus causing a sore throat. Both virus attack one certain thing in the body...liver and immune cells.

[zach]

you've been a member here since january, and you chose your first post months after you've joined to call out people as having a false positive?

i would have PMd you, but you haven't posted enough times to open that feature.

http://i-base.info/qa/284

The most common HIV seroconversion symptoms include a combination of several of the following:
fatigue (tiredness)
fever (high temperature)
sore throat.
rash.
headache.
loss of appetite.
aching muscles and joints.
swollen lymph glands.
What is seroconversion and what are the symptoms? | Q ...
i-base.info/qa/284

[Joe K]

Wow Zach. Why are you so mad? I only made a statement on sore throat as a seroconvert symptom. Honestly, I didn't know I was suppose to introduce myself and get to know others before speaking. But I think what i said is true. Sore throat is rarely, if ever, a symptom of initial HIV infection. That would be similar to the hep virus causing a sore throat. Both virus attack one certain thing in the body...liver and immune cells.

Maybe, Zach reacted, because it's really bad form, to come onto a new forum and slam folks who are sharing their seroconversion stories.  These forums are here to support all our members in whatever capacity that we can.  What we don't do here, is to criticize members sharing personal aspects of their lives, to make some cheap shots.  You are also wrong that ARS cannot cause many issues that extend beyond the liver and immune cells.

Joe

[leatherman]

Both virus attack one certain thing in the body...liver and immune cells.

actually that's two things, not one. , liver and immune cells. Also Viral hepatitis is mainly a liver disease; while HIV is an immune system disease. While there is some cross-over of symptoms and affected body parts, I don't know that comparing them both by the body parts possibly affected is the right way to form the analogy.

as is often mentioned in the AII? forum, don't put too much stock into symptoms anyway. When a person's immune system is hyper-activated (the immune system response to the virus along with an increasing inflammation) in response to a viral HIV attack, "seroconversion" symptoms can also be the reaction to other stimuli. An immune system could over-react to a rhinovirus or heighten an allergy attack. System wide inflammation could also cause irritation of the bowels, skin, and/or mucus membranes (ie nose, throat, eyes, etc)

I often joke about the side effect listing on medications. Why you could name two dozen physical reactions (rash, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, dizziness, sleepiness, insomnia, fever, swollen lymph nodes**, etc) that are possible reactions to medications. But all of those symptoms could also be reactions during seroconversion. Or it could be because you are stressed, ate bad food, didn't go to bed early enough, or drank too much the night before. 

certainly there is no way to predict how, how much, or how long a person's immune system is going to respond during seroconversion, and there is certainly no way to rule out most any symptom as a symptom of seroconversion. Could a sore throat be a sign of seroconversion? certainly; but so could a headache. LOL 

About 80% of people notice symptoms. I, like nearly 20% of HIV+ people, never experienced any noticeable seroconversion symptoms. (something I'm sure I mentioned somewhere in the dawn of time when this thread started LOL)


** some good advice: if your lymph nodes are swollen, quit messing with them because that usually only aggravates them further. LOL

[TheNormalLife]

But I think what i said is true. Sore throat is rarely, if ever, a symptom of initial HIV infection.

Well thanks God. That sore throat I had 14 days after unprotected sex in Europe, had nothing to do with seroconversion. I'm so relieved and laugh at my bad luck of getting 4 different false-positives. I wonder what the doctor is counting in the viral load. Could it be vitamins?

Anyways, I think I should put for sale a 3-month-supply of Truvada and Efavirenz. Any takers?

Ray. 

[Reallove92]

All of my symptoms,
Neck muscle pain,
Head ache
Leg pain
Fatigue
Sore throat! Had tons of red spots in my mouth!
Throwing up,
Couldn't eat felt like I was swallowing air!
Lost 12 pounds in 10 days
Had low WBC count and very low blood platlet count
Liver was swollen
Prostate gland was swollen
And both my kidney filled up with little stones
I wanted to die.

[9goug9goug]

Even though I had no idea what was happening to me at the time, I can remember mine so well.  I only really got this horrible pain in my throat,  like could not swallow at all, was hell and I didnt know what was going on,  and I remember my mum taking me to the doctors and getting me everything for my throat and my being angry that the doctor just said it was a sore throat and should get better. Whole thing makes me dead sad, remembering my mum getting me all this stuff for throat infections and stuff, now that i know what it was really.

[Tonny2]

      ojo     hello everyone...mine, was 27 years ago, I just had night sweats, for just one night, which I never felt before, that's why I think, it was my seroconversion...other than that, nothing else...seven years later, PCP in the hospital, dx AIDS....hugs                      ojo

[hobbyrunner]

i had no symptoms at all, only reason I found out was due to knowing I had a risky encounter and tested 3 months after. I actually thought I may have dodged a bullet until the results came back.

[pozessed]

A year back, had severe flu for around 20 days. Doctors couldn't detect any disease and I continued back at work post recovery. The fever was recurring that got me worried. Previously, I used to suffer from fever just once a year, but now the frequency was thrice in just 6 months. Got a body profile done and hiv test just as an additional test.

[Denvaux]

I went ahead and bought a lotto ticket after I was diagnosed, forgot to check until today. I didn't win even $1.

 

[Mikey1985san]

I am still very ill after 11 weeks since  serconvertion however only tested positive recently 

[heretolearn]

I think that mine happened Summer of '14. I just hurt real badly all over my abdomen and back and my skin itched and I felt really hot and weak and couldn't get out of bed for about 3 days. I was diagnosed with trich but didn't get a blood test. After that I kept getting weird acne on my face and overheating a lot. I also started losing weight gradually. Then about six months later my lymph nodes swelled a bit in the back of my neck and head (painless) and in my upper back (thought it was broken) and a month after that I got a herpes sore and the nodes in my thighs swelled and hurt really badly for a week or two. Then I kept getting sick for a few months.
I can't really pinpoint it but the more I read I think it was the first illness. I don't know why trich would make me hurt and itch all over like that and I had no other symptoms.
After I started treatment, the knot in my head and my sore back went away (mostly. I'm still aware of it but not miserable). The doctor told me she had never heard of anyone having that happen in their back.

[Bartlett]

Honestly if it weren't for the being able to trace my exposure I doubt I would have realized it for what it was. I had nightsweats like crazy for about 2-3 weeks along with an on-off fever and a sore throat. However I am so prone to allergies and weather changes that I didn't think anything of it.

[Fox121]

I haven't been diagnosed HIV+ but I'm wondering what was the rash like in those who say they seroconverted and it was a symptom. Was it like tinea versicolor (pink and blotchy). I've had a rash recently that lasted 4 weeks and has disappeared. But I'm curious as to what your rashes look like?

[zach]

I haven't been diagnosed HIV+ but I'm wondering what was the rash like in those who say they seroconverted and it was a symptom. Was it like tinea versicolor (pink and blotchy). I've had a rash recently that lasted 4 weeks and has disappeared. But I'm curious as to what your rashes look like?

Kind regards

Jim

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« Last Edit: Yesterday at 09:20:53 AM by JimDublin »

go away, you were told not to do this... you ran your free posts out... and you went and did it anyway

it's 420, i don't need to flame anybody today

[wolfter]

go away, you were told not to do this... you ran your free posts out... and you went and did it anyway

it's 420, i don't need to flame anybody today

Sorry if this made me laugh.  Today's my mother's and Adolph Hitler's birthday.  We got her an awesome gift this year.  We're finally gonna plant her ashes.  I thought they look quite nice on my sister's mantel.  We've already had these plots but the marker thing along with the "internment"?

[Wade]

Haha...Things are going down hill but made for a good laugh...

Good work Zach...lol

[Bsquared1967]

Double diagnosed, Syphilis and HIV. Early December of 2015 I noticed swelling in the lymph nodes in my groin. Didn't think much of it at the time. Was going on winter break from work and knew I would have a couple of weeks to get over the "flu". Nyquil and lots of rest and liquids. But, from the Saturday that I noticed the swollen lymph nodes till the next Saturday when I could barely move. The pain in n the joints in my knees was to the point that I could NOT get out of bed without pain. Had a rash that started around my ankles that worked it's way up over my torso, never had rash on the bottom of my feet.. Had bad night sweats, and temperature ranged from 103 to 96. Initially my GP had no clue and prescribed a round of antibiotics and did some blood work. Nothing there to give him a sign, except that there was an infection. After googling my symptoms, on the second round of blood work, I asked if an STD panel was included. Nurse said no but could do one. Guess I'm glad I said yes. Went from Syphilis to HIV diagnosis with initial results in signature. Caught early, and after  30 days of meds I am undetectable.  Really wish I knew if my initial symptoms were Syphilis or HIV related( just to try and narrow down my time frame). But, since initial symptoms are so similar, I'm probably SOL in trying to get a hold of my infector.

[CaveyUK]

Those are ridiculously good numbers bsquared. I'm so jealous!

As for my seroconversion, I am pretty sure it was about 4yrs ago. I say 'pretty sure' because my HIV team are less sure and keep telling me it was probably Syphilis rather than HIV, but I don't buy it...

Anyway, I kept a detailed diary of it - so unusual I found it all. Of course, I rationalised it away for 4 years regardless.

Basically started with upset stomach and nausea, with fever and it hurt my eyes to move them. Paracetamol brought that under control to a degree but still had intense chills and some spleen discomfort. Eventually nausea was replaced with extremely, bordering on painfully, dry mouth. After a few days the fever broke, and was replaced by a pink spotty rash which affected only my upper chest, face, scalp and neck. This in turn faded after a few days, whilst the dry mouth and general shitty feeling continued in tandem. All in all I was probably only 'ill' for a few days, but the rash and dry mouth kept me away from work in total for two weeks.

[Iphoneguy]

My seroconversion actually happened in 2005 (i wasn't diagnosed with HIV until 2006)  i had a high grade fever for over a week and a half, i finally went into the dr because i was never sick.  After many blood tests they diagnosed me wtih CMV, which most people don't get unless they have a compromised immune system. My HIV test at the time was negitive,

My dr's think i was part of the rare population that harbord HIV in my body but didn't serovonvert it for awhile so my HIV test came up negitive

that doesn't really make sense. If you're going through seroconversion it means your body is fighting something…also harboring HIV wouldn't stop antibody tests…and especially antigen tests if they're generation 4. Sharing false info can scare people.

[harleymc]

I couldn't identify a time when I seroconverted

[Jim Allen]

@Iphoneguy

People often have anecdotal personal stories, they are often just that nothing more nothing less

You however have no business commenting on them or posting in this part of the forum. If you post outside of the "Am I infected" section it will lead to a ban.

Jim