Author Topic: Odd symptoms, please help (Read 6504 times)

sunrunner22 · « **on:** April 12, 2010, 02:03:55 pm »

Hello. This is a little long but thank you for bearing with me. It is a little complicated but I fear so much.

I had unprotected sex February 19th for a very short amount of time with an uncircumcised man, there was no ejaculation. Had a burning sensation in the genital area the first day after sex. I was under the most amount of stress of my life for about a month prior to this point due to fights with my ex. Stress has continued and increased immensely up to now..Diarrhea started towards end of February and still lingers..

On March 4th I began having a very stiff neck. Saw the gynecologist on March 11th for the burning. I was treated for endometritus. Began taking Doxycycline for two weeks. Developed dry mouth towards the end of the two weeks which still hasn’t gone away. My period arrived one week late. On March 20th I started lower back pain. On March 23rd, I began to have minor swelling of the lymph nodes, night sweats, disruptive sleep, muscle pain, fatigue and an increase in headaches all in one night. No fever, sore throat or rash. Lymph node swelling went down after 6 days. Other symptoms remain up to about now except headaches and muscle pain.

On March 31st I was treated for pelvic inflammatory disease even though I didn’t exactly fit the profile, and was tested for HIV on the same day, came back negative. Still have muscle/head aches, night sweats and lower back pain from time to time, started taking Doxepin for sleep disruption, depression, anxiety, body itching on April 6th. (I’ve been absolutely convinced that I have HIV, in a panic frenzy.)

On April 9th, I developed a rash on both my legs- little red zit like dots. The rash burns and itches sometimes and other parts of my body are sort of red. Rash has started to disappear as of today. Skin is starting to dry up like never before. I believe my breast size has increased as well, I have put on about 7 pounds in the past three weeks or so. Still dry mouth, I smoke about a little under a pack of cigarettes a day. Pink eye infection that started in early February is back..

This is all very odd, and I have never really had sleep disruption like this, and the Doxepin isn‘t really working for help with sleep. I still wake up and have night sweats. My doctors have said that 6 week testing is a good indication of my status, and they don’t seem to think I have HIV. I've read here that some of the posters on here have yet to see a 6 week turn positive.. will I be the exception now? I read that symptoms in women are like ones I have been experiencing. But my symptoms are so weird, and they are also really spread out. Any idea as to what the heck is going on? Could it be what I truly think it is? Or is this all just stress and medication side effects?

Andy Velez · « **Reply #1 on:** April 12, 2010, 02:35:03 pm »

Nothing you are reporting symptomatically is in anyway HIV-specific. But then neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms is ever the way to accurately know your HIV status. Only an HIV test taken at the proper time can give you that answer.

You did have a risk in that the condom broke but it did protect you until that happened. And the man not having ejaculated makes the risk even lower. You need to test at 13 weeks after the incident to get a conclusive result. If you find you're wanting some kind of an answer before then, you can test at 6 weeks. Assuming you test negative, which is what I expect, you are likely to continue to test negative.

Your symptoms are something you should discuss with your doctor. We cannot do any diagnosing of them here.

Good luck with your test.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 12, 2010, 04:22:41 pm »

Thanks Andy.. I had a test at 39 days.. and sorry I'm not sure about the condom, we were drunk and I believe I heard one. I don't know. I'll go get tested again this week, putting me at 8 weeks. Have you seen a 6 week test turn positive? $:-\$

Andy Velez · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2010, 04:38:28 pm »

In my experience it is unusual for a 6 week negative to turn positive at 13 weeks.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 12, 2010, 05:39:35 pm »

Do you know why some websites say it takes 6-12 weeks for most people's antibodies to show up? And on this website it says most people will test positive for antibody test at 4-6 weeks? $:-\$
Thanks.. I'll probably stop asking questions after this..

RapidRod · « **Reply #5 on:** April 12, 2010, 05:49:51 pm »

To receive a conclusive negative test result the guidelines are to test 3 months post exposure.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2010, 05:59:07 pm »

We're not responsible for what you may find on other websites. I can say with confidence that all but the very smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks. The average time to seroconversion is 22 days after an exposure.

You had a fairly low risk exposure. With a negative at 5.5 weeks I do expect you will continue to test negative.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 14, 2010, 04:54:33 pm »

Hey guys just had my 7 weeks and 4 days test, which came back negative.

Drunk sex is always a bad idea with an unknown status of a partner. LESSON LEARNED.

Thanks for all your help, Andy and Rod.
Over halfway there, and hopefully I'll stay in the negative!

It was the Clearview® HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK test. This is the test for antibodies, correct?

Andy Velez · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2010, 05:27:09 pm »

Yes, that is an anti-bodies test.

Congrats on that happy result. I expect you will continue to test negative.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2010, 03:16:29 pm »

Do you guys know which HIV is prevalent in South America? Is it the same found in the U.S.?

Andy Velez · « **Reply #10 on:** April 21, 2010, 04:00:14 pm »

Any general HIV test will give you a valid result in South America.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 21, 2010, 04:05:55 pm »

Well I am in the US now and have been only tested here, but my possible exposure was in South America. I'm just wondering if it's the same type of HIV they are testing me for here? Kind of confused.

Matty the Damned · « **Reply #12 on:** April 21, 2010, 04:39:56 pm »

The Clearview HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK test will detect both HIV-1 and HIV-2.

MtD

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 21, 2010, 05:02:48 pm »

Thanks Andy, Matty.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #14 on:** April 22, 2010, 08:19:22 am »

You're welcome. Glad the exchanges were helpful.

sunrunner22 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2010, 08:39:43 pm »

Hey guys- 13 weeks exactly today and it came back negative

Symptoms are not a way to determine a virus, and I think self diagnosing and stressing out did more harm to my body than the flu that I had come down with.
Lessons learned and moving forward. Safe sex until a monogamous relationship and no self diagnosis ever again!

Wish you all the very best!

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Author Topic: Odd symptoms, please help (Read 6504 times)