please help! 100% sure Im positive

[scared2Bpos]

First off you guys have an amazing site. I never thought I would be in this situation but yet here I am. Here's my story.

10/08/07- had drunken unprotected vaginal sex with a man of unknown status.
He did not ejaculate in me. I took the morning after pill same day because at that time I was more scared of getting pregnant than getting HIV.

10/17/07- get a really bad sore throat and dry cough start feeling nauseous.

10/29/07- start the flu like symptoms-vomiting,nausea,chills,stomach ache,fever,body aches, still have sore throat and really,really dry mouth. Go to the Dr. and he gives me antibiotics.

The flu lasts about a week. Finish 10 day course of antibiotics and sore throat still there. By this time I'm all over the internet and I see "Thrush" and now I'm panicking. At 40 days(5 1/2 weeks post exposure) I take a rapid HIV test. To my surprise its negative. So sore throat and dry mouth go away for about 3 days. Then I get this constant burning in my throat,eyes and vagina. And my tongue is looking really white. Its horrible. I went back to my Dr. 11/23 told her all my symptoms she kinda laughed and said those are symptoms in people who have AIDS. Told her I'm positive I have HIV. So she test me for all STD's and takes a HIV test told me not to worry she thinks I have anxiety. But I know better. Gives me 2 doses of Diflucan. Doesn't work. Still have burning in my eyes,throat and vagina. So last night the Dr's office calls and says they want me to come in for my results. They don't have an opening until 12/03/07. Told the girl that is too far away shouldn't I come in ASAP. She said its not urgent that it's nothing bad but that the Dr wants to see me for something. What the hell does that mean. If I indeed went through seroconversion then shouldn't HIV antibodies show up already. And if I tested positive for HIV or any STD wouldn't the DR want me to come in ASAP.Please help. I cant sleep,eat or think straight.

[Andy Velez]

We can't interpret what your doctor's request to come is about. Of course it's very understandable that your mind is going nutz with fearful certainty that it means you're going to get bad news.

However, here are some facts to keep in mind. First of all, neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms is ever a reliable means of knowing your HIV status. There is absolutely nothing about the symptoms which you have described which is HIV specific.

The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. A negative at 4 weeks is a good sign. You had one risky incident. Taking that in tandem with your negative test result I am encouraged that you will continue to test negative.

When you see your doctor, if your symptoms are persisiting, discuss them with her.

Stay busy until your appointment. It will help the time to pass.

Last and not least, you can have intercourse with as many partners are you like. Just make sure that everytime you do, no matter whom you are with, the guy is wearing a condom. They provide very effective protection.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,

[scared2Bpos]

So the Dr.'s office calls again last night and said my test are all clear, everything is fine to go back in 2 months for another PAP. But told her I still have this burning in my vagina and in my throat and I know its thrush. I feel like I have something stuck in my throat and its really dry and I cant taste anything. I have a rash at the back of my neck that comes and goes. She said will have the Dr. prescribe me something. I have had this burning in my throat and vagina since 10/17/07 -for over a month now. Can thrush symptoms last that long? Also I woke up this morning and my hands were numb and tingling. I read somewhere that these are also symptoms of ARS. I forgot to mention on my first post that around the time I started to have the flu-like symptoms (3wks after exposure) I had this strange feeling like if I was "high" for about 3 days. It felt like I was out of it. When I would walk I couldn't feel my legs. And I had a stiff neck,headache and loss of appetite along with all the other symptoms of a flu. I cant tell for sure if my lymphnodes are swollen. If they indeed were swollen would it be very noticeable? I pray and hope that I am HIV- but at the same time I wish I could just get my answer already so I can stop going crazy. I plan on taking another rapid HIV test at the 8 week mark.

[RapidRod]

Unless you are a doctor, you cannot diagnose thrush or swollen lymph nodes. You can read all you want about symptoms. HIV has no specific symptoms. The only way to know your status is a conclusive test done at 13 weeks post exposure.

[scared2Bpos]

For the past couple of days I have been having tingling in my feet and hands. Can it be PN? Isn't it too soon? My risky exposure was 8 weeks ago. This sore,dry throat comes and goes. My bones ache and crack when I move. And what is this burning in my eyes? I cant take the waiting anymore. I'm having another rapid test done today. I pray it comes out negative. I just don't understand all these symptoms. I cant be imagining them. How can someone imagine tingling and numbness in their hands and feet. I hope to post back tomorrow with a negative result. Please pray for me. I promise that if after 13 weeks I continue to test negative, I will NEVER,NEVER,NEVER put myself at risk again. I am also putting it in my head that if my test is positive I can't be mad at anyone but myself. For it is my responsibility to protect myself.

[Andy Velez]

You're wasting your time with taking test after test. Nothing will be conclusive until you re-test at 13 weeks after the incident.

Having said that I will say the average time to seroconversion is 22 days and all but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after a risky incident. So with your negative at 8 weeks it points to the great likelihood that you will continue to test negative.

As for your symptoms, you've been repeatedly told they mean nothing in relation to knowing nor HIV status nor are any of them in anyway HIV specific. Discuss them with your doctor.

Instead of continuing to work yourself further into a state over this incident, get productively busy in your life and the remaining waiting time will pass much more quickly than you may imagine to be possible.

[scared2Bpos]

So, last night I took another rapid hiv test (8 wks since possible exposure) and it was negative! I know that nothing is conclusive until after 13 wks but this is going to help calm me down regardless of the symptoms I am feeling. As I was waiting the 20 min. for my test results I had a very comforting conversation with the counselor who himself is hiv+ since '93. After talking with him I realized that whatever my outcome will be- Life as I know it, is not over. It will be a long 5 wks until my next test but I think I will be more educated about HIV by then. And it wont hit me so hard if I indeed test positive. I would like to thank everyone in this forum. Your strength and positive outlook on life has taught me alot. Before this incident, I took everything for granted. God bless all of you and I wish everyone "Happy Holidays".

[Ann]

Scared,

Your eight week test is not likely to change. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by SIX weeks, and you're two weeks past that.

I'm not expecting your result to change and neither should you.

Ann

[scared2Bpos]

Now I'm really scared. Since Friday I have been having "electric shock" feelings in my hands and feet. At first I thought maybe it was because of the cold but it's been constant since Friday. I get these really sharp pains in my hands and sometimes they go numb for no reason. I tested negative at 8weeks but I know for sure now that I will test positive at 13 weeks. I cant take this "shocking" anymore. Is there something I can do? I am terrified. I thought I was going to be able to handle a positive diagnosis but after reading through the side effects of meds and the "fat wasting" I don't think I can handle this. If this is PN and I am having it so early after being infected does it mean that I will be more susceptible to OI's early on? I know your going to say I have to wait til 13 weeks but what the f**ck is this damn shocking in my hands and feet? I know its not diabetes or anything else because I was in perfect health before this damn "hook up" in October.

[Ann]

scared,

Whatever is going on with you has nothing to do with hiv. It sounds like stress to me - go see your doctor to find out what is going on. We cannot diagnose your "shocks" here.

Your eight week negative is not likely to change. Not at all.

Ann

[scared2Bpos]

Well, I couldn't wait until 13 weeks. I went and took another rapid at my 11 wk mark. Recap: I had unprotected vaginal sex with a male of unknown status. Lately I have been feeling alot of weird symptoms. I get these "electric shock" feelings in my hands and feet. I get dizzy and I still have this damn sore throat and cough. And my body twitches and jerks alot. Especially when I'm sitting still. I remembered the other night that when I slept with this guy back in October he kept twitching while he was asleep. But I didn't think anything of it then.

After my 8wk negative test I was relieved but I knew that at 13 wks I would test positive. I met up with that guy recently and while we were hanging out and got to talking I found out that we had alot of the same symptoms. So of course,I was pretty much convinced that I was infected. He admitted to me that he hasn't been tested in quite a while. So last week I went to take another rapid test because I have been feeling horrible for the past 2 1/2 months and I just want this over with. I was scared out of my mind. It was the longest 20 minutes of my life. Thought I was going to pass out while my results were being said out loud to me. My test was negative. I was so sure that I would test positive. I just kept telling the counselor "but if its not HIV then what is it?"

Call me crazy,and I know you will, but I believe that there is some new virus going around. There is no way that anxiety alone caused my symptoms. How can two people have the same symptoms? My symptoms are real. Here is a list of them.

-flu that lasted about a week and a half
-sore throat(still have to this day even after taking antibiotics)
-trouble swallowing (feels like if something is stuck in my throat)
-severe dry mouth
-blisters inside and outside of my mouth
-loss of taste (still to this day after 2 months)
-thick white stuff on the back of my tongue
-white spots on back of throat and tonsils(confirmed by doctor)
-chills
-dizziness
-night sweats and sweating during the day(in 20 degree weather)I never sweat
-nausea and vomiting
-fever
-rash
-headache
-lack of energy
-body aches
-pain in my chest
-shortness of breath
-pain in my joints (especially in my hips and back)
-stiff joints
-candida in vagina (confirmed by doctor)
-abnormal menstrual
-loss of appetite
-eyes burn and are red
-ears feel clogged up and I keep hearing ticking noises
-tingling in feet and hands with electric shock feelings
-severe shooting pain in hands and feet(hurts so bad I have been taking vicodin)
-numbness in hands and feet
-severe uncontrollable muscle twitches and jerking
-starting to get blisters on arms
-purple spots under skin (look like bruises)

I have been tested for all STD's, HIV 1 & 2 and syphilis. There has to be other people besides me and this man that are experiencing the same symptoms and continue to test negative. I will of course for my own sanity test at 6 months to rid myself of this "what if". But lets remember that HIV was only discovered about 20 years ago. I believe in my heart that it is possible that another virus has presented itself. It just hasn't been discovered.

[Matty the Damned]

Scared,

We can't help you with your irrational fears. I've reported to you to the Moderators.

MtD

[Ann]

Scared,

You don't need to test again at six months. You can test again at thirteen weeks if you wish, but the result will not change. You do not have hiv.

See your doctor about your symptoms - whatever is causing them isn't hiv. If it were, you would have tested positive by now.

Ann