POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: imscared1sagain on December 29, 2006, 04:13:42 pm

Title: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on December 29, 2006, 04:13:42 pm
here's my story short, i had been with a few escorts from 2000-03, about 5-6 months after the last encounter i went to my urologist. i worried about some marks on my butt, turns out to be stretch marks. the main reason i went was, i was afriad of hiv. i was so scared, couldn't sleep and lost 10-15 lbs. i weight 130. i am sure you guys know how it feels if you are going through this. i ordered the test, the doc made it sound like hiv is only most frequent in bi males. who had anal. but i was scared, i ordered the test, it came back negative.

i am not sure which test he used, how accurate is 5-6 month negative. i know in the US its 12-13 weeks for  most people. can i be one of those that take longer to produce the antibodies?

now the reason i am so worried again is i am seeing symptoms, started about 6 months ago, a white spot on tongue and right side of the mocosa. also some brown dots on chest. i was back where i was before the hiv test, i lost like 10lbs again. the brown spots scared me the most, looks like ks, or the beginning of it, please help ease my mind. :'( since those encounters i have not been with anybody else. and dont plan on till after i get married.

link to my pics: http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p76/imscared1sagain/
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: RapidRod on December 29, 2006, 04:16:33 pm
Your test would be conclusive. Your symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. If your symptoms concern you, see you doctor. You are HIV negative.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Andy Velez on December 29, 2006, 04:21:09 pm
You didn't mention if you had unprotected intercourse or not. In any case, your HIV test has reliably shown that you are HIV negative. Period. End of story.

As long as you always use a condom for intercourse, (vaginal or anal), it doesn't matter whether or how often you are with civilians or professionals. Condoms are very democratic and provide equally effective protection with both.

In general it is a good idea if you're sexually active to regularly have a full STD panel. Annually is good and every six months is even better. If you're having symptoms which are concerning you, discuss them with your doctor. They have nothing to do with HIV.

Cheers,
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on December 29, 2006, 10:46:59 pm
a little more about the encounters i had. all were pretected vaginals, except for one occasion i had unprotected oral, which i didnt cum but i was close to then she put the condom on me before i clean up and we had vaginal the ejaculated in her and she kept riding for like 30 seconds afterward and i was getting a little soft. also i had another encounter, this girl had a big bruise spot on her butt, she told me she fell and thats why its all bruised, i didnt think much of it at the time. Maybe its ks?, i dont know. she told me she worked for a couple of years in parlors down south dont remember which state. we had vaginal protected, i didnt kiss her or anything. i had a few more other encounters which were are protected vaginals.

thanks rapidrod and andy, your words are comforting. at least the hiv negative is for sure i hope. just that these spots i see that looks so much like ks, i have been looking up pictures of ks on google and i was like thats what this dot looks like, its so scary. i know i have read so much about the internet is a bad place to diagnose your symptoms, its either hiv or cancer.

i have been reading post on this forums for the past few days, its been said that its easier to catch other sti's than hiv. after the hiv test i had (which was negative, i was so happy, i had to courage to take the test for other std's easily), i also took other test std's and were all negative at that time.

by any chance you guys know what percentage of people will need more that 5-6 months to produce enough antibodies to be detectable?

do you have any other idea what the dots might be other than ks. it doesnt look like cherry agiomas to me, or maybe oral lichen planus and lichen planus on the skin which it doesnt itch at all so that cant be right. 

the past 6 months i took on a new job which was very stressful, i woke up at 8am and most days are up till 12pm or 1am. all these symptoms started at about the same time. can it be the stress thats brought my immune system way down and the virus kicks in and attack, its a very likely scenario. what do you guys think?

Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: 411 on December 30, 2006, 01:36:41 am
Your testing history is enough to clearly determine your negative status, more so because testing for this particular incident wasn't even necessary in the first place.

Antibodies aren't little buggers off for a game of hide and seek, they show up if they are going to do so beginning around week 3 post infection and may take a few weeks more for a few folk. I'm not personally aware of anyone who has ever tested negative at 3 months then go on to test positive at 6 as a result of the initial incident and since you didn't need to test in the first place your negative is no surprise.

Relax and celebrate a new year.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Ann on December 30, 2006, 07:13:37 am
im,

If you're worried about things on your skin, you need to show it to a doctor. Nobody can diagnose you through hazy photos on the internet.

You have tested conclusively negative over no-risk incidents. You ARE hiv negative. Keep using condoms and you'll stay that way.

Ann
Title: Re: I tested positive one month ago
Post by: imscared1sagain on December 30, 2006, 09:00:12 pm
first of all sorry about the bad news, i have a couple of things i like to ask,

esquare dont you have to have a pre-marital body check up before you get married? since your doc estimated you have been poz for a few years. i thought you have to get these things tested before you get marry and have babies.

also was your wifes first hiv test after 3 months from your last sexual encounter, the experts here say that 12-13 weeks is conclusive.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Ann on December 31, 2006, 04:30:27 am
im,

I removed the post you left in a thread over in the "I Just Tested Poz" forum and put it here, in your own thread, which is the only place you should be posting. Please read the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) and pay attention to our posting guidelines.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Ann
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on January 01, 2007, 03:59:57 pm
i just found out there's one other medical condition that looks very much like whats on my skin. its call Urticaria pigmentosa, but i am not sure if thats what i have. I definitely hope its not ks. ks and this basically looks the same. i have to trust my 5-6 months negative hiv test a couple yrs ago. but its hard to me to rule out hiv, since i have this white spot on my tongue too, are those the symptoms of hiv.

is it possible to have ks and not have hiv? but what are the chances of that rarely.

will you develop ks if hiv+ within 3 yrs of infection? or will that only happen in advance stage hiv+? thats like >8yrs.

one more thing is i am not sure, people say do a 3 month, 6 month, 12 month, and some even after 4 years hiv test, i have read in a post to make sure you are not infected. those info out there are really making people unsure of the real time frame as to the test result they got is for sure.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Andy Velez on January 01, 2007, 04:04:10 pm
No matter what your mind is telling you to the contrary or what you read elsewhere, you have conclusively tested negative for HIV. Period. End of story.

Anything that's going on with you physically has nothing to do with HIV. Period.

Discuss any symptoms you're concerned about with your doctor.

This is not an HIV situation. Period.
Title: 1 last test
Post by: imscared1sagain on January 15, 2007, 11:30:39 am
i am thinking about getting 1 last test. i still haven't rule out hiv 100%. everytime i see these little drown dots on my skin, it makes me really stressed out/ worry sick.

i found a post on thebody.com dr. dezube said ks unlike pcp or other complications of aids, ks can indeed show up much much earlier in hiv infection. possibly mush less than 2 years.
http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Cancer/Archive/KS/Q141587.html

i really want to get my life back. i have been acting llike a zombie lately, my family notice my change in behavior, and worry for me. i weight 120lb now have not gain back the 10lbs i lost yet. i haven't gone one day with out checking out my symptoms and see if it got anyworse/ any new spots show up. its really stressing me out thinking about it 24/7.

i am trying to gather the courage to do 1 more test possibly the Home Access Express you get from Wal-Green. if i test negative once again, i can say i am 100% negative since my last sexual encounter which was at least 2 years ago. but if i test positive, well then i am infected 100%. i read an article on how accurate these test are compare to the ones order by the clinic.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: ACinKC on January 15, 2007, 11:33:36 am
You are 100% negative NOW!  No need to test again and again.  You just keep feeding your anxiety. 

In regards to that post on the body it is being asked in reference to a CONFIRMED HIV POSITIVE STATUS!!!

"Is it possible that 2 years since confirmed transmission date that one would be seeing Kaposi's Sarcoma? Or does it only show up after 5 or so years? "

 Which you are not.

I have a feeling that even WHEN you do test NEGATIVE again, you won't be satisfied.  I humbly request you discuss your physical symptoms with a Dr. and your mental anxieties with a professional as well.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Ann on January 15, 2007, 11:36:59 am
im,

Instead of testing again, you need to go to a doctor and show the doctor your brown spots. Whatever they are, they have nothing to do with hiv as you are conclusively hiv negative.

Ann
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on January 15, 2007, 11:44:45 am
You are 100% negative NOW!  No need to test again and again.  You just keep feeding your anxiety. 


AC, i only tested once since my possible exposures. if i do test negative this time, i can give hiv a rest and rule it out, and hopefully seek out other causes for these symptoms. i am not one of those people insist on getting retested even with a negative result over and over again. i have only tested once. the home access test seems like the best idea.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: ACinKC on January 15, 2007, 11:57:58 am
With all due respect...." i am not one of those people insist on getting retested even with a negative result over and over again."  You are doing exactly that.

Either way, I hope it puts your mind at ease.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Ann on January 15, 2007, 12:00:06 pm
im,

You may have only tested once, but you tested far outside the window period and you tested negative. This means you ARE hiv negative.

Go ahead and waste your money on further unnecessary testing if it makes you happy, just don't be surprised at the negative result.

Ann
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on January 15, 2007, 12:08:07 pm
i would pay $1000 for a 100% negative test result. $60 bucks for a piece of mind is worth every penny. but the fear of a positive is whats holding me back in waiting to take the test.  :-[ i hope you guys are right. i will order the test online and hope for the best... i have to do it, i have to do it before i get marry anyways, so its inevitable that i have to take 1 last test.
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: Coffeechick88 on January 15, 2007, 01:24:50 pm
You are conclusively negative.  You have tested way outside of the window period and you are negative.  HIV is not your problem.  If you have symptoms go see a doctor about them and stop diagnosing yourself--that is a bad thing about the internet, patients always think they are doctors and that they have such and such illness based on a website.  The internet is not there for that purpose. This latest test you will take is going to be negative.  I hope that negative result that you will get can give you peace of mind, but somehow it worries me you will be back with more questions about how you think that negative isn't a valid result  :(
Title: Re: symptoms after 2-3 years....
Post by: imscared1sagain on January 16, 2007, 01:26:26 pm
ann & coffee: i had just made up my mind to order the test off wal-green online today, i cant believe they just ran out of stock. they weren't out yesterday when i was at their site, i shouldn't have hesitated then. >:(  i guess i have to wait a bit longer till they have more supply of it...