POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: justcantwin on August 20, 2010, 09:23:39 pm
-
Hello everyone,
I'm very frightened and looking for some help. About 4-5 years ago I had an unprotected one night stand with a woman. It only lasted a few minutes. Well, a few weeks later I came down with a virus (fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, chills, etc) that lasted about 5 days. I feared HIV so I had a test at 3 months - it was negative. Well over the next few years I came down with 3-4 viruses, a few bouts of strep and molluscum. The last virus or whatever it was which was about a year ago caused neuropathy (mild form of guillan barre syndrome) - I was very ill with fever, pus on my tonsils (perhaps thrush), chills, etc for about 5-6 days. I was given levaquin and it cleared up in about 2-3 days. The problem was it wasn't anything normal. It wasn't lyme disease, it wan't strept throat, it wasn't mono or the flu - or any other bacterial infection for that matter. My cbc at the ER showed low lymphocytes, high neutrophils and high monocytes. This illness happened about 3 weeks after heavy making out with a girl and received/gave oral sex. I think she was a stripper/escort. I definitely remember biting her lip and she blead into my mouth a little when we were making out. That really worries me. I know kissing isn't really considered a risk but with science you just never know! My own doc tested me for everything including HIV, hepatitis, diabetes, etc. Doc asked what my HIV risks were and it really scared me. My tests came back normal. Negative for HIV. I also went to a clinic and they did a rapid test which was also negative last friday. I took another antibody test for HIV 1/2/O a few weeks ago and it too was negative. Now my neuropathy is back. Yesterday I went to a neurologist and he says I have CIDP (Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy). Well, I've read this is very much related to HIV. I've had numb legs, weak legs, tingling in my hands, arms and feet, etc. I can't find any other correlations other than HIV reguarding CIDP. I know it's an autoimmune disease so I'm convinced I've aquired HIV and my antibody tests just were not picking it up. Do i need a DNA/PCR test? I thought for sure I was in the clear considering my last possible exposure was over a year ago!!! Why is it that EVERYTHING i have goes back to HIV??? I just don't get it...how is this NOT hiv?
-
I forgot to mention that when I made out with the last girl and she blead in my mouth I brushed my teeth about 2 hours before and they blead...so I obviously had open sores for her blood to go in and infect me...
-
You do not get HIV from kissing. Saliva is not infectious. As a matter of fact, it contains over a dozen elements that actively break down HIV. You do not have HIV from kissing.
-
Just,
If anything, autoimmune diseases will cause false positive hiv antibody results. You do not have hiv.
That's hardly surprising since nothing you report doing since you tested negative the first time was a risk for hiv.
Ann
-
Ann,
My doctor said I might also have CVID...which is the inabillity to produce antibodies to illnessess. Wouldn't that mess up my antibody results if I can't produce antibodies? That doesn't make sense to me though because I've produced antibodies for EBV, Parvo and mycoplasma, as well as HSV1...also, what about the fact that she blead in my mouth...I know saliva messes up the virus but the cdc says blood in the mouth is a possible way to get HIV because the gums are a mucousal or whatever and it's easy to get into the bloodstream...also, I brushed and flossed beforehand and my gums blead pretty bad...
-
Just,
You're missing the main point. You have not really been at risk for hiv. A one-off unprotected incident with a woman is highly unlikely to lead to hiv infection and nothing else you've mentioned has been a risk. You don't have hiv. Get used to it.
Ann
-
So then how do you explain the illness i had (virus or whatever it was) that they couldn't diagnose? I mean it put me in the hospital it was so bad. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I had thrush with that illness. I had stuff on my tonsils or throat that i could scrape off and it would blead a little. Normal people just don't get that. If I have cvid i wouldn't be able to rely on the hiv antibody test. I mean I'd feel just fine if it was something normal or if everything I had didn't automatically link to HIV...do you think I need to take other tests besides antibody tests to make sure?
-
Just,
You don't need further testing for hiv of any sort.
Just because you had one incident of unprotected vaginal intercourse doesn't mean by default that what ever is going on with you has to be hiv. Many people world-wide develop the illness you have - without any connection to hiv.
You do not have hiv. Get on with your life.
Ann
-
Ann,
Thank you so much for your kind words. It doesn't make sense though. I'm only 27 years old. Very active. Always in GREAT health growing up. Never got sick! Then, I have 3-4 years where I kept getting sick. I had that illness 2 weeks after unprotected sex and then that horrible illness 3 weeks after making out and oral with the other chick. What a coincidence??? And now all of a sudden I have this whole neuropathy thing going on? I mean it just doesn't make sense. I don't have diabetes or anything like that. How can i get sick after having sex - was it just a coincidence? And you say making out and oral sex is not a risk but how did I get so sick after this and it was NOT a common illness? I mean I could understand if it was mono or strep or the flu but it was NONE of those! How do you explain that? I'm trying so hard to believe that I'm HIV negative but the symptoms just seem to add up. I read about a lot of people who think they have HIV because they had a cough or a sore throat here and there but NOTHING like what I had...you see what I'm saying...?
-
Just,
Nobody can diagnose you over the internet. You'll have to keep working with your doctor to find out what, if anything, is actually wrong with you. Whatever is going on is NOT hiv as you have conclusively tested hiv negative for your only risk.
If you read the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) before posting like you're supposed to, you will have read the following posting guideline:
Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.
Please consider yourself warned!
Ann
-
Ann,
Listen...I'm definitely hearing what you're saying and trying to process it...but how am I supposed to feel when I read the following off thebody.com (a very reputable HIV site) regarding making out...
"Some people talk about "shared body fluids" being risky for HIV, but no documented cases of HIV have been caused by sweat, saliva or tears. However, even small amounts of blood in your mouth might transmit HIV during kissing or oral sex. Blood can come from flossing your teeth, or from sores caused by gum disease, or by eating very hot or sharp, pointed food."
How is this supposed to make me feel? I made out with the girl - she blead in my mouth. I flossed 2 hours before this and my gums definitely blead as they usually do when I brush my teeth or floss....I had ALL the ARS symptoms 3 weeks later including Guillan Barre Syndrome. I now have CIDP which is the MOST COMMON neuro symptom (over time) with regards to HIV and HIV being the cause...
they go on to say how HIV is always morphing and there will be different strains and strains that scientists may not know about or be able to detect yet...
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not imagining these things and fearing them. I'm reading them and fearing them. It can't be that much of a coincidence that I had ALL the symptoms of ARS - and it wasn't the flu, mono or strep...what else could it possibly be?
Please don't ban me - I'm very worried and my doctors talk to me for 5 minutes and then they just forget about me...
-
Just,
There has never, EVER been a documented case of transmission due to kissing. Lots of people have done the same exact thing you have and have not been infected - and yes, I'm talking about the flossing and the lip-biting. You aren't going to make history by being the first.
Perhaps your next step would be to seek counselling/therapy. There's nothing more we can do for you here.
You ARE conclusively hiv negative. You do NOT have hiv.
If you continue to post over this no-risk kiss, conclusive negative hiv antibody results, you WILL be given that time out you have been warned about. There's nothing further we can do for you here.
And by the way, none of us here in this forum regard The Body as a reputable source when it comes to hiv transmission information. Much of what they say amounts to nothing more than scaremongering that has no basis in hiv transmission science.
Ann
-
Ann,
so why do you think dr Bob suggests I get a DNA/PCR test? He said to do it because I might have cvid and with my symptoms it might be a good idea...i just don't get it...if I didn't have risks but had all the symptoms...I Just don't get it...
-
Oh geesh, he's the one telling people to get an unapproved test for a non-risk issue?
-
Just,
I often shake my head in wonder at some of the things Dr Bob says. You don't need PCR testing of any sort over a kiss, and certainly not one that is not approved for diagnostic purposes as it has a high rate of false positive results.
I'm giving you that time out you've been warned about. Do not attempt to create a new account to get around your time out because if you do, you will be permanently banned.
Ann