Possible exposure plenty of ARS symptoms & Peripheral Neupathy

[messiah]

Hi all

Over a year ago I came back from Thailand where I stupidly had sex with a CSW. Initially I used protection but after intercorse I pulled off the condom and a couple of mins later tried to put the condom back on, I was drunk and not sure if I put it back on inside out (I remember struggling). We had intercourse for a further 5 minutues, oh and I'm uncircumcised.

A couple of days after the incodent I had severe fatigue and 24 hours after that I had aches and pains running down both my arms with chronic pins and needles in my fingers. Then 72 hours after exposure the aches got worse and I developed a small red blotchy rash on my left bicep (which stayed for about 3 days).

6 days after the incident the pins and needles subsided and the aches were less. One morning the aches returned in my left arm and the rash re-appeared, and I had pains in both arm pits, also feeling very fatigued.

A week and a half after the incident my lymph nodes in my groin and arm pits were hurting.

3 weeks after the incident symptoms subsided apart from one. The chronic bone aches down my arms and slight pins and needles returned the day after I consume alcohol. This has happened quite a few times in the last year. I've heard this is Peripheral Neupathy, which can be caused from HIV and alcohol abuse, but does anyone else have the symptoms when they drink alcohol?

I still haven't been for a HIV check as I cant bring up the courage too...I haven't been sexually active since either so I'm not putting people at risk.

I find it hard to believe that HIV could attack my body that quickly after the exposure (36 hours) and cause Peripheral Neupathy and permanent damage to my nerves, but could I be wrong?

I never had Peripheral Neupathy symptoms before this incident but I seem to have had it a lot since then after consuming booze.

Any help on whether you think I actually had an exposure, or if you experience Peripheral Neupathy would be useful to hear.

Thanks for taking you time to read this.

God bless
m

[Ann]

Mess,

Anytime you have unprotected intercourse, you're putting yourself at risk for hiv and other STIs.

Just go test and get it over with. You need to know your hiv status. If by chance you are positive, ignoring it will not make it magically go away. Not knowing your status when you're poz will only kill you in the long run.

Don't bother using this forum to blather on about how scared you are to test. Just suck it up and do it.

Ann